hi ho hi ho, it's off to disney we go.

Completely forgot to make a post about this but guess where I am headed this summer?

Yup!!

Jonathan and I spoke earlier this year (actually late last year) about making our summer trip to Disney World a trip to Land instead. We really liked the idea of checking out where it all began. What can we say, we just really love Disney. The itinerary became longer when I brought up visiting my aunt & uncle in San Diego. I have not seen Chrissy in TWO years. But even then that was very brief. So, this trip is taking on a whole new meaning. That's how we're starting off the vacation: with them in SD for three days and then the rest of the stay in Anaheim, checking out not only Disneyland but other parts of CA nearby. If all goes well, we'll even be attending SummerSlam at Staples Center!

And it's not just us two going, like the last two trips. Robyn and Chris (brother) will be coming, as well as two other friends. Although we've only booked the flights (the most important part in my opinion) we will be getting the hotel really soon.

Excited is putting it lightly.

Oh spring break...please don't disappoint me. Bring forth glorious weather and tons of fun activities to do!

Fortunately for me, I have some things to do this week besides study for that awful History of Photo midterm the Friday after we start up again. The idea of memorizing pictures & facts on a pretty day is nothing short of horrifying. The kind of horror I rather deal with is Scream 4. Which reminds me, I must see that ASAP! Jonathan and I made tentative plans to see that tomorrow but our schedules may not mesh. I just want to see it before someone spoils it for me. In this internet day and age, that could happen at any second.

Yesterday I got to see the little princess for the first time in a week (which felt more like eternity). She's much more alert now and really seems to grasp who we are...kind of. She'll look at us like she's studying our faces but then of course, you know babies have the attention span of a guppy LOL. So, Ayla will quickly revert to looking up into corners. Sometimes I think she can see things we can't... !

She's getting so long too.

My latest must have: the cocoa cappuccino at Starbucks.

One of my favorite things about spring....

...beauty everywhere.

April showers bring....more weddings?

Yup! This past Saturday, Jonathan's brother-in-law's sister got married and it was a great! Most weddings are, but sometimes it feels like the same thing over and over. But this one was genuinely a lot of fun and beautiful, from start to finish.

How cute are they?!

Johnny walked down the aisle so well!

During the ceremony, Johnny sat with myself, Jonathan and his mother. It was hard to keep him entertained so we had to take him outside and around the back of the church for awhile.

Little model!

Very sweet.

The reception was held at Marina Del Rey in the Bronx. Gorgeous place and amazing food!

Too cute!

Father/daughter dance

Mother/son dance.

I was very pleased with how my new flash worked. Well worth the price. Definitely want to use it again...and with another wedding next month, I'll get my chance!

Two Sundays ago, I finally had a chance to take some pictures for Anthony and Gina, who will be married the day before Halloween of this year. Even though they became engaged last May, we never got around to shooting engagement photos. When Gina decided on what to do for their table numbers (think something like this) she reached out to me for help.

We ended up with shots like this:

This restaurant out on Rockaway Beach, is a place that is special to them...not to mention he proposed in the gazebo outside of it!

It was a really fun day (and huge thanks to John for helping out)....I cannot wait to do it again. We didn't get a chance to finish all the table numbers.

Keeping up with the theme, I had a bridal shower to attend this past Sunday.

The interior was stunning (outside was pretty too).

The bride-to-be's sister did such a great job with everything.

The bride & groom to be :-)

This little girl at my table was precious!

A very nice start to spring...little Ayla is almost one month old (WOW!) but the weather leaves little to be desired. I'm missing those temperates above 60...this picture makes me think of the quote, "Spring, where are you?"

Ayla is getting real big, real fast. Just yesterday she turned 1 week old!

She went from this:

to this...

...to this!

She has long legs & fingers - Ayla's already wearing 3-6 months (depending on the brand). I can't keep up with her LOL.

In short, she is just the sweetest thing.

I've definitely been over a lot more this past week or so, especially since school started the day after she was born. Speaking of school, so far so good - but the problem is, I chose three of the busiest humanities classes (think lots of picture taking, history of photo, Photoshopping, and traveling) possible into one semester so that first week, I was sinking in my fourth class, the math one. I have a fifth class but it's a 1 hour new student seminar that is like a walk in the park. Because the work load of those 3 classes, I had to drop the math one. There was no way around it. When it comes to math, I have to give it 100% attention or else I can't keep up. Sometimes I think there's a wall inside my brain in which when I look at a math equation, it just hits the wall. The information doesn't seem to get past it to process it like everyone else seems to. While that is a fate I accepted long ago, I know that when I really try, I can do it - as long as you teach it to me like you would break it down to a really dumb person haha. That sounds terrible...but I swear that subject has been my mortal enemy since day 1!

Overall, I can't complain with the school or curriculum.

By the way, my new favorite thing:

Welcome to the world, Ayla Mae !

March 6, 2011

7:01AM

7lbs, 8 & 1/2 oz.

20 & 1/2 inches

And a nice dark set of hair!

I woke up this morning to Jonathan telling me that Alex had the baby and it was a girl. My first reaction: HUH?!

Alex wasn't due until the 10th so I didn't expect any big news this weekend. That combined with that being the first thing I heard when I woke up was definitely something. I remember just sitting there and thinking "How could she have had the baby?" It was so surreal! My mom had contacted Jonathan's sister and asked her to call the house to wake me up. Well, it worked! LOL. I went to my parents' house around 10 and we left for the hospital shortly after to meet the newest addition to the family.

Ayla is the sweetest thing. Those pictures don't do her justice. She is a tiny thing now but there is one thing I've learned since knowing Johnny: babies grow FAST. So, I want to be around the house more to enjoy her growing up. Between work, school and my new baby cousin, things are going to be nuts for awhile!

We got a real kick out of this. (My mom's name is Jackie.)

This was taken while trying to find the room - my mom was clearly very excited!

Aw, Oma! She started crying before she went in.

<3