Welcome to the world. I love you more than I can say.

My sister, Amanda and my dear friend, Dee Dee hosted a Baby Shower for me in Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. They went all out. Everything was so adorable. The colors they used are the same colors as the bedding that I had registered for the baby. They let everyone know that large sized items would be better shipped. They encouraged people to bring books. They had a ton of great food. They invited so many people that I know and love. I had so much fun!!!! I can’t begin to tell you what a good time I had.

We actually arrived in town on Thursday morning. We had Thursday and Friday to spend with family and show Glenn even more of my hometown. Saturday morning we cheered on my dad’s favorite football team (Go Bama). Saturday afternoon was the baby shower. (Christian, Phillip and Jamey…. thank you for keeping Glenn entertained. I love y’all.) Saturday night we cheered on MY team (War Eagle!!!!!) Sunday was my niece, Rayne’s second birthday. Two year old birthday parties are always a blast. More good food… I believe baby must have gained 2 pounds this weekend. Then came the trip back to Chicagoland….

Some of you may realize what awful storms there were last night from Alabama, through Tennesee, Kentucky, Indiana… all the way to Illinois. Record flooding… strong winds… terrible storms where people died. Some are still missing. Glenn and I were travelling through that mess to get back here. We had to stop a few times due to visibility. When we were moving it was 35 to 40 mph on the interstate… for hours. But, we made it back to Illinois safe and sound.

Now comes the part that Baby will hear forever. It will the the … “when I was 6 months pregnant with you” story. We were travelling on I80W/294N headed home. Right at the junction when they split we were in an accident. A silver suv took the 80 ramp and we stayed on 294… the suv changed it’s mind.. whipped in front of us.. spun out of control… careened head first into the wall going at least 70 miles an hour.. I would guess more.. bounced off the wall and into us.


We could see it coming. Glenn was driving and did everything he could to get us stopped and away from it. I’m so thankful for the Lord’s protection and the things He led Glenn to do to protect me and the baby or I wouldn’t be here now to tell you what happened.

The SUVs airbags deployed and it’s passenger back door is where it impacted us. We were hit on the right front corner. Bumper, right front quarter panel, the whole wheel well basically, the front axel…. all toast. We are still waiting to hear the extent of the damage.

When it was happening… all I can remember thinking was “No, No, No, No”.. over and over… I covered my arms around baby doing what I could to try to protect him/her. Glenn says that I screamed his name and then just screamed like I was being mauled. (Poor Glenn) He managed to get us off the freeway. The suv was still covering the right two lanes of traffic. The two guys got out of the suv… one decided to stroll along the freeway right into traffic as an 18 wheeler was barrelling down on all of us. Glenn got him out of the road. Both were drunk as skunks.

As they were standing behind the HHR all of us on the same side of the freeway now, Glenn was trying to control his temper… when the driver of the suv went back across the road to move his suv out of traffic. (I was still in the HHR on the phone with the State Police.) He moved his suv out of traffic… and kept on going. Leaving his passenger with us. Not smart dude… now you’ve added fleeing the scene of an accident to the list.

When the officer arrived and found out I was pregant he called in the troops… Fire and Rescue.. the local fire department.. Local ambulance…. there was an army of men in uniform to make sure that I was ok. I tried to thank them for coming… but let’s face it… I’m pregnant… emotional… had the shakes and only wanted Glenn. They made sure I was ok (gave me a blanket to keep warm… it was still raining and in the mid 60s). They ended up taking the other guy to the hospital… his nose was a mess from where the airbag smashed it. Glenn is ok… he was hurt more than I was. He has bruises and scraps where the seatbelt cut into him. He has pulled muscles and it going to feel like poo for the next few days. But, we are both alive, Praise God!!!

The officer helped us do everything we needed to do… move all the baby shower presents from the HHR into the toll booth office… until the cab could get there to take us home.

We managed to get home a little over 4 hours after the accident. The accident happened around 11.5 hours after we left Alabama. We left Alabama after a full day of family fun. We were able to take a 4 hour nap after we got home before we had to start dealing with everything. I think you can tell that I’m trying to say that exhausted doesn’t begin to cover how we are feeling right now. We are both going back to work tomorrow. I don’t know how much good either of us will be, but it needs to be done.

We’re ok… y’all please pardon us if we seem out of it and can’t express how much fun our trip was. We will snap back into shape in a few days and show some of our wonderful presents for Baby.

***Edit***
Glenn reminded me that I needed to tell you that they got the guy. He was found and arrested 2 miles down the freeway where his car (which I can’t believe was drivable in the first place) finally stopped.

Just a quick update: I am offically on maternity leave. Two jobs was just too exhausting while expecting. I will, of course, complete all scheduled appointments. Until next Spring I will not be scheduling any new appointments. Also, next Spring you will see some restructuring of the business. Keep checking back as I will still be posting current clients and personal images.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for allowing me to invade your home and yard for a whole weekend.

I realize that I LOVE taking portraits of people. I remember the smell of the chemicals. I remember the cost of EVERY image that I captured in camera. I think about the “instant gratification” of digital. I look at all the scrapbook type effects that I can and do add to images. I remember all the trips to the lab to drop off film when I just simply didn’t have time to process the film myself. I know that I wouldn’t go back given the chance.