Jennifer Terrero Photography

Motivation...

2011-04-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

I get asked A LOT this question and I finally decided to write a little about it to see if I can help inspire a few friends, family members, co-workers, people... really anybody.

This morning and even yesterday I was asked... "Please share your secret... how the HECK do you have time in a day for work, attend kids and hubby, cook, photos, school, sleep, AND facebook?"

After I laughed a little... I wrote back within a few seconds and I said "Motivation". Here is what I mean by that...

Yes we all have dreams, desires, thoughts, and ideas of what we want to do, where we want to be, and how we want to do it BUT not all of us ACTUALLY strive to do it. Not because of pure laziness but sometimes I think we think about all the reasons or excuses we have of why we cant do it "yet". I think sometimes we are scared of failure... honestly I think about that too and sometimes I find myself starting to hold back a little but then I push myself a little harder because I know if I don't try I'll never "know". I think some of us don't know "where" to start... AND some of else have the desires but they are only that... DESIRES!

Please don't take this like I'm saying "I'm the only one that's motivated" because that's NOT what I'm saying.

I have always been the type of person that likes to be "busy" and likes to always have a new project to do. Once I'm almost done with something my mind is already planning the next thing I would like to do or that needs to get done.

I have this "thing" in me that makes me fight the complete exhaustion and makes me look pass the bags under my eyes because the way I feel when I get something done or how proud I feel about my work just surpasses everything else!

My children motivate me so much.... it's pretty incredible how much these 2 little people can help me get right back on track or help kick me back into gear! When I close my eyes and think of the life I want for us and for them I can see it perfectly clear. I want them to know that whatever they want to do or become in life THEY need to get it and reach for it... NOT sit back and wait for it to "just show up"or for someone else to do it for them... that's NOT how things work. I want them to look back at their Mama and be proud of me, the kind of person I am/have become and proud of EVERYTHING I did and will always keep doing for them. I want them to know that Mama worked HARD but it was so worth it! How can I truly motivate my children and tell them "they can be all they can be" or to "believe in themselves, anything is possible"... if their own Mama never tried?????

They say live your life and make the best of it so that later on in life your not looking back at it and wondering the "what ifs"... and THAT'S exactly what I'm doing. I wanna set things up NOW so that later on... I can sit back and enjoy the sweet life... with my family and watch all the new milestones come and go (who am I kidding... I probably will be doing something then too but you know what I mean). :)

I not only do it for my kids but I do it for MYSELF! I know I don't want to be an old lady (which isn't really that far ;) ) and look back at my life and say "Other then my kids, family, and friends... I don't have much to say about it".... I NOT that person. I WONT be that person. I don't want to BE that person.

Now... life wasn't given to me on a silver platter and life has been ROUGH BUT I refuse to take that and think "while that's why I'm the way I am"... SCREW that! YOU determine what you will be, who you will become, and how far you will go! These excuse just don't fly with me... we ALL have things happen and paths that we don't expect in life and YES the road can be bumpy BUT if you fight with all your might... you WILL get there... and just watch how GOOD it will feel.

I don't have any magical powers, secrets, or mighty strength... I'm just a regular person with the regular 24 hour day (who wishes I could add more sometimes) that simply is a DREAMER.... who is DETERMINED to make it into a reality!

The only piece of advice I can give you is.... find that thing, person, idea, thought, vision, dream... that motivates you, that will PUSH you to strive for your goals, think about the end result and ACTUALLY do it... STOP making excuses or waiting for the opportunity to knock on you door... and when your completely exhausted and don't think you can go anymore and your about to give up... keep thinking about that end result and let it push you to finish what you started.

Update!

2011-04-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

I know it's been forever since I've posted and told you all about my beautiful babies! Time is flying by and I feel like I'm just trying to soak it all in!

Life feels like it's been on the "speed" button. I feel like everywhere I look something new is happening or needs to be done. I miss my almost daily post about my thoughts, crazy family, ideas, and experiences so I'm happy to get back at it... keeping my fingers crossed!!!

So lets get started!

My babies... Carlos Manuel...

Oh... my sweet sweet boy! He is getting so big... I sit back and watch him and cant believe the BIG BOY he is turning into. His soul is still the sweetest thing ever. He looks after his sister SO MUCH, it's seriously incredible... Like a little boy his age shouldn't know how to do the kind of stuff he does. We cant go into a store or anywhere with out his "Fia". Or Mommy cant just get him something because he runs and finds the most girlish thing he sees or the pink version of whatever I'm getting him and says "Mama Fia's". He's constantly telling me how much he loves me and how pretty I am... seriously if that doesn't just make your heart melt I don't know what will!!!! He has started saying a LOT of new words recently. It's like everyday that goes by he knows a new one. He still shy when it comes to other people or someone he doesn't know but even that is starting to get better. Oh and he has been fully potty trained for a while!!!! I'm super impressed with how well he did with it and how easy it was to potty train him. We just got him his first new bike (well technically the Easter bunny got it for him ;-) ) and he is soooo excited about it. He is now getting into small little action figures and watching him play with them is so weird... like he actually KNOWS what he's doing! It's so cute! My son is truly an amazing little boy!

Princess Sophia...

Where do I even begin... she's such a little DIVA!!!! Boy are we in BIG trouble with this one... LOL!!! She's 1 going on 21!!!! LOL!!! She's a VERY smart little girl. She knows exactly who to melt with her Grey eyes and sweet smile! Daddy is just wrapped all over her little finger... it's seriously quite the picture between those too. Her Daddy is just her world. When she's in trouble guess who she runs too with the guilty face????? ;) She such an independent little girl. She knows how to put her shoes ON and after she's dressed I'll say to her "Sophia you look so beautiful" and she smiles at me and then goes running to her Daddy to show him... LOL!! She's such a trip! She LOVES LOVES LOVES her brother to death too... you should see how sad she is when she cant find him or she's not around him... her face LIGHTS up when she finally sees him BUT... she LOVES LOVES to bug him too. She loves to be the center of attention so if he's playing quietly by himself she'll go over to him and either take the toy away from him, hit him to get his attention, or try to sit on his lap... LMAO!!! She's so mean but in the cutest way. That smile of hers gets her out of trouble all the time and Mommy has NO idea what she's going to do with her. ;) A few weeks ago I had a complete anxiety attack and cried my eyeballs out just watching her because she's NOT this little baby I try to "pretend" she is... she's actually SUCH a big girl. She's into purses, babies, jewelry, and her carriage now. She walks around all day with her baby and purse. When you ask her where she's going she says "Bye bye"... LOL!!! Her vocabulary is incredible for a 15mth old.... Carlos wasn't saying half the stuff she does at this age! Her words are... Gracias, bye bye, bird, ball, mas, Daddy, Mama, Papa, and dog. I love watching her grow... but my favorite time of all is our night routine. I sit in the rocking chair with her and we just cuddle the entire time. She'll touch my face with the softest touch while looking at me like she's taking mental notes of her Mama. I of course give her a ton of kisses and hold her super close while I tell her just how special she is and how much we LOVE her! She is definitely our Princess and just a RAY of PURE SUNSHINE! The minute you meet her... you just cant help but fall in love with her!

My Dear Husband...

He has had a few hard weeks... he got a promotion at work and has been going through quite the training. Seriously... it's super tough and I'm so proud of him and what he is doing for our family. He works long hours and comes home super tired but loves to sit on the couch with me and talk about all the amazing things this will do for us, our babies, and our family. We do miss him a ton during the week since I'm basically a "single Mom" but this is a good thing! I hope he knows how PROUD we are of him and just how much we LOVE him!

School...

I can SEE the light at the end of the tunnel! I'm still taking classes to finish up my Master's degree but I'm almost done!!!!!!!! I have about 4 classes left and I'm ALL DONE!!! I should be done at the end of this year.... Woohoo!!!!!!!!! I will say that these classes are KILLING me... they are hard and have soooooooo much work that needs to get done it's craziness!

1st full time job...

My full- time job as an HR Manager is going great. LOTS of work to do since I'm recreating the WHOLE HR department. I work for an internet marketing company that had all of their employees working remotely and decided to bring everything in house. I'm super excited that I get the opportunity to actually set things up and put policies and procedures in place! So far so good! :)

The business...

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!! I'm super happy and cant thank all of my clients enough for working with me and all the changes I've had to do since I started the full time job! I love that I'm getting inquiries pretty much everyday for new shoots and ideas! I also have my first weddings booked!!!!!!! TWO weddings at that! :) They aren't till next year but I'm working closely with both brides to make their engagement and wedding photos more personalized and more about them! I love doing that! I love actually telling their stories behind my pictures! I have some new babies I'm waiting on too and I cant wait. Cuddling with a new baby is just fabulous! :) I'm truly blessed to be doing what I really love!

I've been thinking about a LOT of stuff lately for my business. When I first started I mentioned "giving back to the community" and those are the plans I'm working on now. :) I have something up my sleeve that is actually going to be pretty soon (which I cant wait to share) and some other things that I still need to figure out more in depth but I promise once I have some more info I'll share more details with you all! :) Just think "giving back" ;)

So that's about it... like that wasn't enough right? ;) I'll be posting more often I promise. :)

Thank you again to all my family, friends, clients, and everyone else who has continued to show me unconditional support throughout this amazing journey that I pray and hope will only grow and grow!

Maternity Session | Family of FIVE

2011-02-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

These are dear dear friends of mine and seriously what a beautiful family they have. Edna is just GLOWING and more beautiful then EVER!!! Rob is madly IN LOVE and the kids are just plain oh WONDERFUL!!!

I look through these pictures and still smile thinking about what a great time we had but also because this couple's love is just felt in every way! Don't believe... you know the kissing pictures... I think they enjoyed them WAY to much ;) I wont even tell you how many times I was like... "HEY HEY"... LOL!!!!

Families like these make my job just so much more rewarding! I cant wait to meet who's inside that tummy!!! Love you both!

Boudoir Session | Hot and Steamy

2011-02-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

This session was a TON of fun! Nikki wanted to do a little something for her husband since their wedding anniversary was coming up and what perfect way to celebrate Valentine's Day too!!!

I swear you should have seen us... we were cracking up the WHOLE time and then I was would "okay give me serious and sexy".... LOL!!! Nikki totally gave me the "crazy eye look" a few times but she did FABULOUS and come on.... she doesn't even need to try... look how BEAUTIFUL she is!!!!!! In fact... I was snapping away while saying... "I hate you"... LMAO!!! ;) She knows I love her :)

She's ADORABLE and quite STUNNING!!!!

The Joy of Love 4/28 | Personal

2011-02-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

Today's theme is "what they wear" and I thought it was perfect since I was going through some pictures I had taken of my daughter Sophia for her 1yr old pictures. We didn't get very far in the session but I got some pretty good shots with the little bit of time we were out there.

Her birthday outfit seriously was ADORABLE! I swear I think back on it and I just smile every time thinking about what a Princess she looked like. I'm actually going to save her outfit for her so that one day maybe her baby girl can wear it too!

The Joy of Love 3/28 | Personal

2011-02-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

Today's theme was "then and now" and I was soooo excited when my husband let me take pictures of him for this topic! Carlos and I met a really long time ago but we have been together for almost TEN years!!!!! (hint hint dear husband... this year is our TEN year anniversary)

When we first met we both were pretty young... I wasn't even legal yet! :) We have had our ups and downs, bumpy roads, and even some curve balls but we always come out together and stronger then ever! Man do I just LOVE this man! He is my rock and I don't know what I would do without him.

Through the years I have seen him turn into the most wonderful husband AND the most AMAZING father. God... just thinking about it makes me fall in love with him even more.... :) BUT as you can see... I have also seen him get grey hairs! heehee

If he only knew this is just the beginning... just wait till Sophia starts talking about "boys!"... ;)

The Joy of Love 2/28 | Personal

2011-02-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Last night I got the email from Willette with today's topic and I knew I had to take these pictures early so as soon as Sophia woke up I started snapping away!

Today's theme was "how they look" ... so how could I NOT get pictures of what Sophia looks like in the morning... ;) Her hair is always the subject of conversation.... she ALWAYS looks like a "hotmess"... but suuuuuuch a cute one! :)

The Joy of Love | Photography Class | Personal

2011-02-01T20:40:00.001-08:00

I know... I've been horrible with blogging about what's going on over here and I promise you that soon I'll do a completely detail blog to update you all on all my new plans and adventures... ;) but I still have some details to figure out first and then I'm all yours... I promise. But... here is a little of what's going on... so it's some sort of an update right?

As you all know... I signed up for my 1st photography class that started TODAY!!!! I was sooooo excited to get my first email with all my instructions and details! If you haven't checked out Willette.... it's a must... she's AWESOME!

Today's theme was "what they do"... so here is what my kids did today as we ran errands all day long... :) I swear Carlos and I are always saying that when they are fighting their sleep we are just going to take them for a ride cause the minute they sit in their car seats and the car starts going... this is what happens...

The "A" Family | Family Shoot

2011-01-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

This family was such a sweet one. They were all about posing and giving me these great big smiles. I felt so bad though... it was FREEZING this day... and with LOTS of wind. I asked them a couple of times if they wanted to take a break to warm up cause they were shaking and my fingers were getting numb! LOL!!!!

But we all hung in there and I'm glad we did because I LOVE the way these turned out!

Can you believe this is Mom and Dad??? Mom is stunning and Dad is so handsome! I love how in love they still are!!!!!

Daughter Melissa and husband Rane... seriously how adorable are they!?!?!

The Family

Son Carlos and wife Kendra... they are sooooooo cute together!

I was SO EXCITED to take the below pictures... Melissa just found out she having a baby so of course we had to do something cute and fun wtih it! :)

Johnny and Kelsey | Daddy and Daughter Shoot

2011-01-26T12:58:00.000-08:00

After I took my sister in law's family pictures she came to me and asked me if I would be interested in taking pictures of her daughter with her Dad and of course I said "YEA!".

While thinking of this shoot I was a little stuck in trying to figure out what type of things we could do since she wasn't a a little girl and those cute little girlie poses just weren't going to work! I mean... Kelsey is taller then her Dad... LOL!!! Heck Kelsey is taller then me! ;)

I think this shoot turned out pretty cute and still shows the love Johnny has for his little girl! (Not that I'm biased or anything... ;) just sayin)

The "I" Family | Family Shoot

2011-01-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

This family came to me with a "rush" request and I just couldn't say No. Angelo's grandma was in town for a few days and he wanted to capture some family memories with her before she left back home. It was so sweet of him!!!!

Now I must say... when I met Grandma... I could NOT believe she is 90yr old!!!!!! She looks FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!! She was super sweet too, loving on the babies while giving Angelo a little bit of the crazy eye when he tried to get her to switch positions to pose for the camera... LOL!!!!!! ;)

This family has a TON of love for each other that it just melted my heart. After pictures with Grandma we let her rest a while and took some of the family... seriously how cute are they when they came up to me and said... "Can we get a picture of our family kiss?"... SERIOUSLY?!?!?! Sooooooo cute! They even have the cutest family hand "shake". <3 href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_asLKToZKJ6s/TUCEWu5HuyI/AAAAAAAACzU/1ffV65tAftM/s1600/pic%2B2.jpg">

Check out sweet Grandma

Retake of 3/52 | Project 52 | Personal

2011-01-13T17:41:00.000-08:00

After I posted yesterday's picture for the theme "Breakfast" I just wasn't satisfied with the picture at all. This morning while giving the kids a breakfast snack... it just clicked! It couldn't have been any better... :) Let's just say I'm VERY happy to use these for my "Breakfast" theme picture!

3/52 | Project 52

2011-01-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

Today's theme was "Breakfast"! I don't do breakfast... I just cant eat that early in the morning and today was no different. This was actually my breakfast/lunch for today. I was heading to a shoot when I realized that maybe just maybe I should get something to eat... LOL!!! So I passed a Starbucks and I couldn't help myself! :) White Chocolate Mocha and a piece of Lemon cake. It sure made my day! :)

Project 52 - 1/52 1/52 | Personal

2011-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

With the New Year here I thought it would be cool to start a new project (like I need to add anything else to my plate right???... but hey... craziness keeps me sane in some ways... LOL). Last year I tried to do Project 365 where you take a picture everyday but that was just to hard to keep up with so this year I'm going to try Project 52.... it's a lot easier since it's a picture a week!

I will say these pictures will range from a subject/theme to something personal to me. I'm excited. I cant wait to see what the final project will look like. I will post my pictures on Wednesday of every week! :)

So let's start the first theme was "Newness"... so I went with my daughter's birthday crown.

With the new year here I struggled with both emotions of pure happiness but sadness at the same time. My daughter was turning ONE and the Mommy in me was so sad.... so sad to see my "baby" turning into a "toddler"... this BIG girl that no longer needed her Mommy for everything. Pssshhh... what am I talking about... she's been walking/running since she was 9mths! Okay maybe... just maybe... I've been in denial this whole time but what Mommy doesn't want to press the pause button at one point right???

BUT... I must say... even though I was feeling a bit of sadness I was feeling a TON of joy for her. I look forward to playing tea party and dress up with my sweet girl. I look forward to playing "Mommy" with her babies and most of all I look forward to watching her grow into the MOST AMAZING little girl that she is! So I welcome the new year with OPEN arms, a smile on my face, and my heart ready for more wonderful memories!

The second theme was "Cold"... and when I think of "cold" I think of Winter. I was born and raised in New York so this usually means "snow" but living in Florida that's just not possible. I will say though... we have had some REALLY freezing days here lately. So I got the next best thing... Trees! If you know me... you'll know that I can sit and look at trees all day long especially in the Fall! (so just a note... I'm pretty sure this wont be my last "tree" picture... ;-D)

New Year, New Logo, New Look! | Personal

2011-01-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

I'm sooooooo excited to release the new logo I've been working on since FOREVER!!! I must say I've had a GREAT support system. Carlos has been my go to person and actually created the flower for me and some other goodies for my branding (those will be released soon but I'm still working on some last minute tweaks). I told him I didn't want something perfect... I wanted it to look more like a doodle with a touch of some color. I think he did an awesome job!!!

Sarah Cambio from Sarah Cambio Photography and Kaye Murphy from Talking Bird Photography helped a ton with helping me tweak things to get them just where I wanted. You know a second a third set of eyes is ALWAYS soooooo helpful! It's great having them... even though we are in the same business it's all about helping each other no matter what. Sharing ideas back and forth and having someone to talk to. Thank you ladies!

The New Year also brought about a new website link!!! If you look above I'm actually using my name!!!!! Sooooooooooooo exciting!!!!!!! So now I have an www. com... WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you just FEEL my excitement!!!! You should see the BIG ol'smile I'm sporting today!

But the fun doesn't end here... I'm working on some more branding stuff for my prints!!! I have FINALLY figure out all I want to get I just need to go shopping and start purchasing things! Don't worry... once I have it all done I'll post some pictures. :)

2011 is going to be FABULOUS... both on a personal and business level... I just KNOW it!!!

I do want to take a second to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to ALL of my 2010 clients. Its because of you that I've been able to be where I am today. Thank you for giving me the privilege to have you and your family behind my lens. I look forward to watching your families grow! THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! <3

Little Adam | Christmas Shoot

2011-01-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

This little boy will melt your heart the minute you meet him with his BIG baby blues, chubby cheeks, and LONG eyelashes!!!! Boy is he going to be a heart breaker!!!!

His mama wanted to get picture done of his first Christmas. It was truly a pleasure getting to meet Allison, her husband, and her sweet boy!

Valentine's Day Promotion | Personal

2010-12-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

Lots... LOTS... going on here! I'm currently working on my NEW logo and branding for 2011!!!! It's sooooooo exciting. I cant wait to share it with you!!!

For now I'll share this new promotion. I've been thinking about adding this to my portfolio for a while so I'm SUPER excited to finally announce it!

Ladies, Valentine's Day is JUST around the corner and what a better way than to surprise your better half than this! They will be THRILLED!!!!

"Boudoir photos are something every women should do at least once in her life..."

Personal | Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a VERY VERY Merry Christmas!!!!! I hope you are enjoying every bit of the holiday with family and friends by your side, lots of joy and laughter, Christmas music, and TONS of YUMMY food!!!!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! <3

Family Shoot | The "G" Family

2010-12-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

This family is also very dear to my heart! They knew me before I was even legal!!!! LOL!!! When Barbie asked me to take her family pictures there was no I could say no... just wait till you see how cute her little girls are! <3 Her little princess wasn't feeling well (due to teething) but with letting her run around and play she was all smiles!

Her other princess Carina is such a model. She would see the camera and would strike a pose... LOL!!! It was too cute! <3 <3

Family Shoot | The "J" Family

2010-12-25T07:47:00.000-08:00

How do I even begin to describe this family???? Words just aren't enough! Thank god for our husband's knowing each other and FINALLY introducing us! Nikki has become MY PERSON... if your wondering what I mean... think Grey's Anatomy... you know Mere and Christina... and how they call each other "my person".... well Nikki is MY PERSON! I love her and her babies EVEN more (sorry Nikki but you know it's all about the babies)!!!!! <3 Don't worry I'm not leaving her hot sexy husband out of the equation... she knows I cant resist his goatee.... ;-)

This session was SO MUCH fun. I could have taken pictures of them ALL day long! What a beautiful family they are! <3 <3

Family Shoot | The "C" Family

2010-12-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

This family is very dear to my heart! I met this FABULOUS Mama through a Mommy board that we both were in. At that time we were both pregnant with our 1st babies and now we both have 2 babies and they both are SOOOOOOO CLOSE in age! Its funny how that happened but I promise we didn't call each other and plan it... ;-)

Stephanie is super sweet, has a heart of gold, and has become such a great friend to me. Her hubby is more then amazing and her babies... I cant even find the words for their sweetness!

Christmas Shoot | Baby Victoria

2010-12-20T21:05:00.001-08:00

Awww... this baby girl... makes my ovaries itch!!! (actually all babies do that to me but that's a whole another subject ;) ) She is just ADORABLE and PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!

Her Mommy had a beautiful Christmas dress all ready for her to wear but Baby Victoria had her own plans... she did not like the dress one bit! (Mommy Julie will learn that she is the BOSS... as much as we try to deny it... it's the truth... they are the boss of us!)

Julie put her in her Christmas pj's and Victoria was the happiest baby girl! She slept like an angel even with all the moving around we did!

Seriously... how can you look at these pictures and NOT say.... "Awwww... how sweet!"

Family Shoot | The "L" Family

2010-12-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while since I've blogged but I'll get caught up... promise! It's been a BUSY month!!! But I'm so grateful for it!

Anyway... back to the post... :)

Have you ever seen the show called "Modern Family" or "The Middle"... this family is definitely one of those families. The entire time I was cracking up. I meet them at their house to take some family pictures of them by their beautiful Christmas tree which almost didn't make it since the night before Jackie's fabulous husband Kelvin knocked down the tree and almost caught a black eye for it. ;-) Good thing he got it all fixed and ready for me.

Then we took a trip to the beach which was just so much fun with them in the car. The girls were our "navigation" which is okay but they were sitting in the BACK of the car... LOL!!! Jackie and I were playing catch up the entire time since we haven't seen each other in a while (she's the BEST neighbor EVER) so we weren't paying any attention to the directions... LOL!! Yeah... we got lost and PASSED the beach but it was a GREAT ride!

Seriously speaking... this family is just WONDERFUL!!! It was truly MY PLEASURE to have them behind my lens! I cant wait till we do it again!

Santa Baby Ari - Mini Shoot | The "E" Family

2010-12-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

This family came to me wanting Christmas pictures with LOTS of focus on their beautiful baby girl Ari. I had found this dress and knew I just HAD to send it to Sandra. It would go perfect for the pictures!

Sandra and Wally were so laid back and just let me run after their little one with the camera. It was a lot of fun. Who would have thought it was freezing outside with these sweet smiles! <3 href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_asLKToZKJ6s/TPkNQT9hZtI/AAAAAAAACvM/xnATINqWGO8/s1600/Big%2Bpicture%2B1.jpg">

Carlos Manuel and Sophia | Personal

2010-11-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

My babies.... what can I say.... time is going by so fast but as every day goes by I make sure I take it in as much as I can. Even the days where Carlos refused to listen and Sophia decides smacking Mommy is just so much fun.

Sophia is now 10mths old!!! She's soooo close to turning ONE it's unbelievable! I still remember the day I found out I was pregnant with her... I was white as a ghost... freaking out with tons of emotions flowing through my mind and body. I remember thinking... "What am I going to do???" and now I think to myself... "How did I ever live without her?" She completes me in ways I didn't even know I needed. She's the sweetest baby girl you'll ever run into but has a feisty side. She's ALL GIRL... Drama Queen x1000! But she will totally give you this look that will erase everything she just did in a second and make you forget why you were even mad at her.

She's been teething pretty bad and has a totally of 6 teeth in right now with another 3 working there way out. She doesn't eat baby food anymore (well she hasn't for a while now) and is on full grown people food expect for her "leche" which I think she's trying to give me signs that she's over that too since I see her drinking Carlos sippy all the time. LOL!!!

She's IN LOVE with her Daddy like you couldn't imagine. He is the light of her eyes... you SHOULD see the look on her face when she sees him. Even when she's doing something silly or something she's NOT suppose to be doing she'll look for her to make sure he's watching her and then she'll do it. Like... "Daddy, look at me... can you see me... Daddy see how cute I am!"... LOL!!! It's sooooo adorable. He's got his little girl and I have my Princess that I can dress up and go shopping with. Oh... how I can wait to play tea parties with her! <3 Her brother is her world as well. She thinks he's the funniest person EVER!!!!!! Seriously... she laughs at EVERYTHING he does. I'm not talking about your regular giggle... I'm talking about that laugh that melts your heart and makes you laugh with her... THAT ONE! She follows him around ALL DAY long!!! My son...

Carlos Manuel... oh he holds my heart. He is such a BIG boy! I can totally count on him to help me out with anything even with things around the house. He loves to help clean, take the dishes out of the dishwasher, load the soap in, sweep, etc. He will even help change Sophia's diaper! I still sometimes say to myself... OMG... I have a TWO year old... when did that happen!!! He takes care of Sophia all the time. When she falls he will kiss her "booboo" and hit whatever caused her to get hurt. He also pushes her around sometimes but if she ends up crying he gives "Fia" besos. He LOVES to dance with her and let me tell you... that just has to be the most AMAZING thing to watch. He grabs her by the hands and guides her. She just looks up to him with this BIG cheese smile. OH... and he walks with her... just around the house but still... sooooo adorable! They just walk hand and hand everywhere around the house like they have this whole thing figured out. I swear I wish I could read their thoughts when they do stuff like that.

What more can I say... my babies are my WORLD. I'm in AWE of them everyday. I'm SO proud to be called their Mama!

The "R" Family | Family Shoot

2010-11-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

I've known Heather for about 2yrs now. She did Carlos 1st birthday cake and is going to do Sophia's birthday cake as well. She is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And... OMG do her cakes taste DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!! You can check out her FB page HERE

She's actually the one that came up with this location which I FELL IN LOVE with! Seriously... I called Carlos and asked him if he would buy it for me... LOL!!!! The location was beautiful and the family matched perfectly!

Ethan and Jacob are adorable. They would randomly run up to Mommy and Daddy to give them hugs and kisses! How freaking sweet!!!

The B Family | Family Shoot

2010-11-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure to have this family behind my camera and boy was it exciting! I swear to you... they have the most BEAUTIFUL set of BLUE eyes I have EVER seen! Seriously!!!!!!

Leah is such a pretty typical 15mth old.... always wanted to run around and play and Connor 5mths old was such a sweet little handsome guy! Oh those baby blues!!!!!

Lisa and Phil were soooooo cute as well. The entire time I was taking pictures of them they were saying sweet words to each other like "I love you" or Phil would say... "Lisa, you have such pretty eyes".... <3 Awwwww!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving - CYBER Monday Sale | Personal

2010-11-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

The BIGGEST sale of the year is here!!!!! You don't want to miss out because I wont be doing another sale for a while!

Who wants to start off the New Year with some GREAT photos at a FABULOUS price???? Here is what is up for grabs!

ONE lucky winner will win 75% off the total price (not including prints)

TWO lucky winners will win 50% off the total price (not including prints)

and...

THREE lucky winners will win $50.00 worth of PRINTS!

Here is how it's going to work...

On Cyber Monday (Nov. 29th) at 10am I'll start the sale on my FB Fan Page. If you are not a fan of the fan page I have a tab at the top of the blog which you can click on it and it will take you straight there or you can click here Jennifer Terrero Photography FB Fan Page once your on the page you'll click "Like" at the top and your all set!

Here are the rules in order to WIN:

1) These discounts are for shoots booked and TAKEN on January 8, 2011 through June 30, 2011! Winner must live in the Central Florida area or BE in the area around that time frame.

2) I will post a status update like this (example post):

Cyber Sale has started! If you would like to win 75% off, please comment below! You have an hour to comment!

Under THAT post you can comment anything like (example post): "Me", "Pick Me", "I want to win", etc.. Doesn't have to be any of those but you MUST comment under that status post in order to be put in the drawing. ONE comment per person please! I will leave the post up for the amount of time the status post says and then do the drawing through Random.Org. I will announce the winner when the time is up so you'll find out if you won right away!!!!!

3) The name of the lucky winner will be posted on the fan page and notified via FB and email. The winner has till the end of THE business day (9pm) to send me 50% non-refundable deposit amount of the prize they won. So if you win here are the deposit amounts:

75% off - $18.75

50% off - $37.50

$50 off prints - you'll use this coupon code CYBER$50

If I don't hear from the winner by 9pm then I will randomly select another winner. I am willing to work with all my winners so please just contact me so you don't loose your prize!

4) Once the time is up on one prize and the winner is selected I will move on to the next prize.

5) This will go on for a good part of the day and I will try to make sure I give enough time so that everyone can play.

6) These prizes can be used for ANY session... Maternity, Newborn, Birthday's, Engagement, Family, Valentine, Boudoir, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc... the list goes ON!!!!!!! You pick what you'll like and I'll help you make it happen! :)

Let's make this fun and exciting! I look forward to seeing your comments and seeing who the lucky winners are!!! Please remember in order to qualify you must comment under the status post of the giveaway! Be on the look out you don't want to miss out on this!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!! Have a fun and safe holiday!

The "N" Family | Family Shoot

2010-11-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

This family is very dear to my heart. She's my sister-in-law, he's my brother-in-law, and she's my niece. We were planning on going to another location but I'm so glad we didn't because these came out beautiful!

I never knew Florida could look soooooo "fall-ish"!!! I love it!!!! It was a lot of fun having Kelsey there to tell jokes... she had us all cracking up with her silly-ness. :) Gloria and Danny are perfect models so I cant complain. This family is just so freaking cute!

Happy Anniversary | Family Shoot

2010-11-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin??? This family brings a big smile to my face when I think about them.

It was Pablo and Teresa's 23yr wedding anniversary and their kids decided to surprise them with a family shoot since they knew their Mom really wanted some pictures done. I was super excited to go along with the surprise since even though they are family we don't get to see them often at all (by the way... let's change that!).

Last Friday we all went to eat dinner at their house and you should have seen Mia (her daughter) and I sneaking every chance we got to talk about the shoot. LOL!!!! Teresa had NO IDEA considering she had called me the day before to book a session and I told her I was "completely booked". ;) Even while at dinner Teresa would come up to me and say:

"Would December work for you?"
Me: "I'm all booked, but let me see what I can do"

Teresa was totally giving me the "look" like... "Seriously"... LOL!!! I felt so bad but was so excited that, that night her kids were going to surprise her and finally tell her about the shoot. On our way home from leaving their house I got a phone from Teresa saying "You PUNK!".... LOL!!! Teresa was SO EXCITED!!!

So on Sunday we met up at 10am and weren't done till 5pm!!!!! I must say we did have a fabulous 2hr lunch in between (Thanks Pablo again for lunch!) and although it took the whole day... I would do it again in a heart beat. I cant even tell you how much fun I had with them! They were all so willing to get in ANY pose I would put them in and even gave ME ideas of what different things we could do!

If I had to sum up that day only using one word I would say it was a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Carlos and I left with big smiles on our faces and when we think back... we STILL smile!

Pablo, Teresa, Mia, Felipe, Danny, Rachel, and Christian THANK YOU SO MUCH for the wonderful dinner on Friday night and for giving me such a WONDERFUL memory of my 1st BIG group! You guys ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Pablo and Teresa... Happy Anniversary of 23yrs!!!!! I can only hope and pray to one day be like you guys. The love you both have for each other is inspiring! You and your family have a special place in my heart!

Personal | Announcement

2010-11-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hey!!!!

So if your following my Facebook fan page you'll know that I've been doing my homework trying to figure out what new things I can add and provide to my clients. Since my business is very personal I've been posting daily questions over there to try and figure out what exactly you would like to see and how. This has lead to many LONG nights but SO worth it!!! I'm actually SUPER EXCITED to announce a few things!

The 1st is that I am now providing PRINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!

I set up a ton of different account with different printing labs and got some test prints done. I also got their sample packets and did lots of comparing to one another. They are ALL great labs and provide pretty much almost the same thing with a few tweaks here and there. Now I'm NO pro yet and still have a lot to learn but I'm excited! I found my favorite lab so far and I have some prints getting done as we speak so once I get those in I'll post some pictures up so you can some of the FABULOUS prints you can get!

The 2nd is that I now have added a "Mini Session" package!

The mini session package is for those of you would like to mark milestones but don't want to book a full session. This session is only 1.5 hours long and for immediate family only. Some examples of what you can use this session for are birthday invites, graduation, holiday cards, etc but you can honestly use it for pretty much anything you would like. You'll get 5 edited pictures, a CD, and 10% off any print purchase.

and the 3rd is that I'm now also offering Holiday cards!

This is NOT limited to only my clients that get pictures done with me but also for those who would like to create a custom holiday card for themselves. If you would like to add a picture to the card all you have to do is send me the picture and I will get working on it! :) I have a few that I've done already (birthday cards) and I have them up on my Facebook page if you would like to see a few samples.

If you would like any of these services, have any question, and for pricing, please contact me on Facebook here or you can email me at: jenniferterrerophotography@gmail.com

Don't forget to book your session soon... as of right now I only have one more weekend open in November and the first week of December is already booked!!!!

I'm soooo happy and really want to THANK YOU ALL for all the amazing support. It really means a lot to me. THANK YOU!

And one more last thing... just because I'm excited about all these new adventures... anyone that books a session from now until the end of the year will get 10% off any printing service!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't worry... those that already have session booked with me will get this discount on top of the 20% they have already gotten!!!!!!!!!! :)

I'm sooooooooo in the Holiday spirit!!!!!!! :)

One more quick thing before I go... I just want to THANK Sarah Cambio from the bottom of my heart for all the help she has given me. Seriously... you have been so FABULOUS to me... thank you!!!!

Personal | Happy Halloween

2010-10-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

This morning when we got up it was actually "cool" outside. I was soooo excited that I dressed the kids and ran out to take pictures of them in their Halloween costumes! It's been 90 degrees here so this was GREAT!!! I was so excited and left in such a rush that I forgot both their trick-or-treating pumpkins and totally forgot to paint Sophia's face but at this point... I'm just happy to have gotten some pictures of them wearing their costumes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the cool weather stays for a while so they can wear these on Halloween! :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful and SAFE Halloween Weekend!!!! Here is the cutest kitty cat and the most "dangerous" dragon... ;)

Personal | Blog Changes - Updates

2010-10-27T05:40:00.000-07:00

Morning All!!!

The blog is all done!!!! :) I had some buttons put in on the right hand side so that its easier to see and find them. I still have them at the bottom as well just in case your reading a long post and your at the end you don't have to scroll all the way up to the top to get somewhere.

I'm also working on getting better at Twitter so I fixed up my profile and got it to where I'm happy with it. Go check it out!

Hopefully now the blog is easier to navigate and any tool you might need are at hands reach!

I have been working like a MAD women behind the scene to open accounts with printing companies and I actually have a few proofs I should be getting in this week. I cant wait to get them and see what each company has to offer! Soon I'll be able to provide PRINTS to my clients!!!! :) :) :) Super excited!!!!

The month of November is going to be a busy one and I cant begin to tell you how happy I am for all the work... I cant wait to see you all behind my camera lens!!!! I've also been looking around at some creative ways to shoot all the new families since it's STILL 90 degrees in Florida! Seriously.... we are at the end of October... I'm ready for some cooler weather!

Oh and one more thing.... I'm working on some Christmas goodies... ;) I should have them ready soon to show you all!!!!

That's about it for now... don't worry I'll be back real soon. :)

P.S. Don't forget to book your holiday session SOON... you don't want to miss out in your chance to get 20% off your session and dates are getting book QUICK!

Personal | Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

Friday we took the kids to the pumpkin patch and we had TONS of fun! I must say I did leave there with a headache since my son was all about running, playing, decorating the pumpkins, throwing hay, and telling me "No"... I guess I really cant blame him considering what he had in front of him.

Sophia on the other hand was all about giving me smiles, posing, and looking at the pumpkins.

We decided to go to the same location we went to last year and it didn't disappoint. It was a tad smaller this year but still a great pumpkin patch!

Blog Changes Part 1

2010-10-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

I woke up with a BIG smile on my face this morning because I remembered how FABULOUS my blog is looking.... :) Remember Maria from Slice of Life Photography who helped me set up this entire blog... well she's been at it again! She's truly AMAZING... she's in her 3rd trimester and still took the time to help me make a few changes I wanted to make. Seriously... how FABULOUS is she?!?!?! ;-)

I contacted her a few days ago and asked her if she would mind helping me out again and she didn't' even think about it twice and said YES! When I first got this template it came with a slide show at the top but I didn't want to use it right away until I felt like I had something good to actually share and put up there.... the time has come... :) I also wanted to make the menu bar a little more user friendly because it was hard to figure out where the "labels" were if you were looking for something specific so I had her change that as well.

I know I've already said this before but she's pretty AWESOME... she did everything within a DAY!!!!

Maria... can I just tell you how much I love you??? ;) Seriously... I cant THANK you enough for always being so willing to help me out. THANK YOU... you are the BEST!!

I still have one more change I would like to get done to the blog (which I'm waiting to hear back) but I figure I would show it off now until I get the other part done. :) I hope you all really enjoy the new look I'm aiming for and find it to work a lot better!

Enjoy!

Carlos Manuel turns TWO!!!!!!!!

2010-10-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

Two years ago on October 14th, 2008 my son was born. He changed my life in a way that I cant even begin to explain. I struggled to get pregnant with him and went through many ups and downs to get him here BUT he was worth it all and MORE!

His birthday party was on Saturday and we had sooooooo much fun. He LOVED it all!!! As much as I was entertaining our guest and playing games with all the kids... I would find myself staring at my son because the pure joy that was shining through his face just made my day and warmed my heart!!!

On Sunday (we had a busy weekend) we went to go take his 2yr old pictures and boy was it a challenge. He had a blast at the location but wanted to play instead of taking pictures. LOL!!! I think the day turned out pretty good though. :)

This little boy will steal your heart away with just one smile. I feel truly BLESSED to be called his Mommy.

Happy Birthday My Sweet Boy!!!!

My little rock star

My babies

2010-10-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more from Sophia's 9mth shoot. I cant believe how big my babies are getting. Sophia took her 1st steps yesterday!!!! When did I get such a big girl!!!!

Dont forget to book your fall session by November 15th so you wotn miss out on the sale!!!!

Sophia turns 9mths

2010-10-08T06:22:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday my daughter Sophia turned 9mths old. The time is going by so fast and I cant seem to catch my breath. She is the joy of my life. My goodness... the love I have for her is so overwhelming that it actually leaves me breathless sometimes.

She's into everything these days especially following her brother! Where ever he is... you are sure to find Sophia. LOL!!! She can walk perfect with her walker (the ones you hold onto), she's all about eating big people food, she knows how to wave bye-bye, she can clap, and yesterday she started to say her first word... MAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!! She's been babbling on and off for a while now and has said Mama and Papa a couple of times but I didn't want to "count it" just yet until she was saying it more frequent... and yesterday she was saying it ALL day long. Guess what I heard in the monitor this morning when she woke up.... :) Mama!!! I don't think I ever ran in there so quick... I'm sooo proud!!!!

I have already started planning her birthday party... can you believe I only have 3mths before she turns ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

My sweet girl... words cant express how much I LOVE you!!!! Happy 9mths Sophia!

Miss Mabel

2010-10-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

I love it when I have return clients because I get to see how life has changed for them since I last saw them. You know this family very well because I did Michelle and Mike's Maternity session. They have been waiting for their sweet baby girl and she's finally here and SUPER SUPER cute! Of course her Mommy was super nice and let me give her a few... okay maybe more then a few cuddles. :)

She behaved really well during the shoot... actually she was awake for the first 5 minutes of me being there and then she was passed out for the entire thing even with us moving her around everywhere! She has these amazing blue eyes too... wish I could have gotten a shot of them to show you all but I'm sure I'll have Miss Mabel again behind my lens soon so don't worry... I promise to get one then.

She was born on 9/16/10 via c-section at 8:39am weighing 7lbs 12oz 20inches long!

Welcome to the World Mabel and Congrats to Michelle, Mike, and Jojo!

How beautiful is this blanket... her Mommy made it for her!!!!

My Niece Valentina

2010-10-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

I took my niece out two days ago for a really quick mini shoot since my sister had been begging me to make her an Owl Hat. I thought it came out so cute so I wanted to get some pictures of her wearing it. She LOVED it!

Be on the lookout because this month I'll be taking her 3yr old pictures!!!! (whenever her Mom gets her complete outfit... hint hint) ;-)

Don't forget about the FALL SPECIAL going on right now!

Fall Session Special

2010-09-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

The price is good from October 1st thru November 15th!

You choose the session you would like... Halloween, HOLIDAY, Maternity, Newborn, Family, Mommy and Me, Children, etc...

The session must be taken by December 19th.

That's it... It's pretty simple! Book your session early as dates will start to go quick!! I hope to see you all behind my lens REAL soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ramblings

2010-09-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight I walked into the kids room and just sat down on the rocker and watched my babies sleep. I've done this before... actually many times before but tonight... for some reason it was different. I had this overwhelming feeling... tears ran down my face and I felt like I couldn't breath.

The LOVE I have for these two little ones is beyond me... beyond them.

When I look back on my life I could have NEVER in my wildest dreams ever think that I would be THIS IN LOVE with my children. I mean... you always "know" your going to love your kids right? BUT... man I had no idea what I was missing out on.

My son... OMG... where do I even start. I know I haven't done a "Mommy post" in a while but lately... my son has been the most gentle soul. I was telling some friends of mine about him. He comes up to me and will just randomly give me this BIG ole hug. I mean where he is squeezing as tight as his little hands will let him. Or he'll come up to me and push my head down if he cant reach me to give me this big kiss. And.... my favorite... he is now just saying "I love you" just because... which sounds more like "I u" but it's not only the "I u"... its the way he says it. The way he looks at me. The way I can see right through his eyes his pure excitement to say it to me because he knows that I go CRAZY every time he says it to me. Tonight when we were in bed he told me "Mama mine" "(points to himself) Mama".... if my love wasn't big enough for him already... this just made it grow a million times more.

My daughter... Lord... she completes me!!!!! She makes me smile in ways I've never had before. She is getting so big. It makes me so sad sometimes... I try and take "memory" snapshots of her all day long. I'm in awe of my daughter. I have never known such beauty but not only on the outside but in the inside as well. She has such a way with people... all she needs to do is give you her "look" and your pull into her. Lately I think she "knows" how sad I am that she is growing so fast because she has been cuddling with me double time AND she most of the time... ONLY wants Mama (yes I am holding on to every bit of this because I know that in due time she will be back to being Daddy's little girl). She has this things she does... when I carry her... every once in a while she will lay her head either on my chest or on my shoulder and grab my face gently with her hand and just pass it really soft over my entire face like she's trying to make me feel "all better"... in that moment it's only me and her.

Talking about my babies... writing about my babies fills my eye with tears and my heart with joy. I just cant help it.

Tonight... I feel blessed in more ways then one.

Catching up

2010-09-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hey!!!!

I know it's been a while since I've blogged... so sorry! Things have been CRAZY here at home. So we got back from our Miami trip and BC and Sophia were both sick. I took them both in to the Pedi's office and BC got his 1st ear infection EVER and Sophia has a viral infection. :( My poor babies have not been feeling good at all. Just imagine it's been TWICE the whine. Let's not mention that Sophia is ALSO teething... :(

Mama hasn't been getting lots of sleep since I've been up with them all night long so the bags under my eyes... yeah... not cute!

BUT... LOTS of fun things have been going on as well. This month my baby boy turned 23mths old!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you freaking believe that in less then a month my son will be TWO!!!!!!!!!!! (tear, tear)

So we have been really busy getting things ready for his birthday party. The invitations have been done and mailed out, cupcake toppers are still in the making but should be done by Tuesday. Next I have to make his birthday shirt, figure out the games, get the favors all done, etc... The list goes on!!!! :)

I've also been getting some projects crossed off my list. I got some hats done that I've been wanting to get done in a while and I'm quite pleased with the way they turned out. I'm no pro but I think they turned out really good for a beginner! :)

My calendar for the next coming months is getting pretty booked! Next weekend we have Joah's birthday party and I finally get to hold baby Mabel and take her newborn pictures! I'm so excited and cant wait to meet her in person!

Then to work on my next project which involves my sewing machine!!!!!! Wahoo!!!!!!!! Oh... and I have my fall session sales that will be going up VERY soon!

See.... LOTS and LOTS of things going on here. I can't wait to share them with you all!!!!

Here are some pictures of the hats I made:

How freaking cute is my son!

Cookie Monster Hat

So cute!

It's Elmo!

and of course my BEAUTIFUL Princess modeling Maddy's hat

Maddy's hat

Heehee... Monkey stepped in to model this one for me since it was size 0-3mths, this is for Baby Mason

the top of it with the brim

Fix it Friday

2010-09-10T05:42:00.001-07:00

Here is the picture for today for Fix It Friday photo challenge from iheartfaces. Please remember I did not take this picture!

The original

My edits: Color Pop

Black and White with B/W Mink

Last Weeks Fix It Friday

2010-09-09T18:23:00.001-07:00

Since I was out of town last week I missed the photo challenged from iheartfaces so I figure I better get caught up. :) I already have tomorrow's picture all ready to go so tomorrow morning look for the new picture!

The original (remember this picture was not taken by me)

My edits: Sweet Sunshine

and a black and white

Sneak Peek... Ana and Jorge

2010-09-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting a good friend of mine for the first time in person after knowing each other for a couple of years from our baby boards. This shoot wasn't going to happen since the weather didn't want to work with us but I'm so grateful we continued to shoot because it turned into a beautiful day!

Ana and Jorge are seriously the cutest couple!!!!!! You can just see how much they love each other and cant wait till their baby girl is in their arms! I can only imagine how beautiful Baby Arella will be after seeing her parents.

Ana and Jorge... THANK YOU for letting me be apart of such a wonderful time in your life. Cant wait to see your sweet baby girl!

Sneak Peek... Baby Alijah

2010-08-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sure all of you know that my sister recently had her baby boy. He looks EXACTLY like his brother... when we all saw him we did a double take because honestly he looks like Angel's TWIN!!!

I finally got to get a few shots of him yesterday but we were also celebrating his brother Alexis birthday so it was a little hard trying to be apart of both events at the same time. Let me add that this little angel shares his birthday with his big brother Alexis... 5yrs apart but what an awesome present!

I will be getting some more shots of him next week... so keep an eye out for them.

Alijah Garcia born August 25th 7lbs 10oz 20inches long

Fix it Friday

2010-08-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here are my edits for Fix it Friday....(this is NOT my picture)

The original

My version :)

Labor with BC

2010-08-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

In honor of my new nephew I decided to go back and take a look at the pictures of the birth of my babies. While I was holding my nephew today it brought back so many memories of when my babies were "that" little. God... it feels like centuries AGO!!!

I pulled up my labor story from my old blog and BOY I have to tell you that my whole body clinge as I re-read it. I can still close my eyes and feel all the emotions I was feeling that day. It's still very close to my heart BUT I will tell you... he was totally worth EVERY bit of it and if I had to do it again today... I wouldn't hesitate... I would ask when and what time.

For those of you who haven't read BC's birth story I will warn you... I go into DETAIL with the WHOLE thing... so beware. ;)

Here is the post from my old blog:

Labor Events:

7:14pm... Got to the hospital and checked in

7:40pm... My sister Loraine arrives and our buzzer went off that they had a room for me

8:20pm... My mom and sister were allowed to come to my room. They only let Carlos back while I got into the "fashionable gown"... they give you and they started my IV.

9:20pm... They started the pitocin

10:15pm... still at 4cm with contractions that I could handle... nothing major so they tried to break my water... it didn't happen though... Jennifer couldn't get a hold of it even though half her body was inside of me!!!! I swear I saw colors that don't even exist!

11:19pm... Jennifer came back in and tried again to break my water... FINALLY!!!!! We got it. Contractions pick up right away... OMG... I knew it could happen fast but I honestly didn't think it could happen THIS fast. They were painful but I was trying to breath through them.

11:28pm... SCREW BREATHING THROUGH THIS CRAP.... GET ME SOME PAIN MEDS.... NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Call me a punk all you want... HECK.... I've even told you I was a punk!!! There is NO SHAME in my game.

12:15am... At last... some pain meds.... it feels like that commercial on T.V. the one for some yogurt (I think)... where the ladies are sitting on the beach chairs talking about how good it is and they say... it's better then this...no it's better then this... well the epidural is sooooooooo good. It hurts like bloody murder to go in (this was because I was having back to back contractions and and didn't have time to breath in between them... and the guy putting my epidural was telling me... "you'll only feel a little stick"... HA!!!!! A little stick.... bull crap!) Okay back to the subject... ;) I was able to freaking breath with the epidural in... I even get some rest while my mom, sister, and Carlos were playing cards.

3:40am... I wake up with this EXTREME pain!!!! WTF??????? Isn't that why I got this BIG OLE NEEDLE down my back!!!!!! My nurse comes in to check me and I'm 7 to 8cm only. She's asking me if what I feel is pain or pressure... HOW THE HECK I'M I SUPPOSE TO KNOW!!!!!!!! I've NEVER been in labor before and all I can tell you is that I feel like I need to POOP!!!!! My nurse calls in the anesthesiologist cause "apparently" I'm NOT suppose to be feeling any pain... WELL GUESS WHAT PEOPLE... I'm in SERIOUS PAIN HERE!!!!!! She runs some more medication to see if that helps me and NOPE... not even a little bit. Now somewhere in between here I start to push... they wanted to see how I would do with pushing and if that would help me dilated faster.

5:05pm... got checked again and was 9cm... now my nurse and the anesthesiologist still haven't left my room cause they are STILL trying to figure out what the heck happen to the epidural medication. So this whole time I'm in PAIN and I have to BREATH through these contractions!!!! Now.... can someone PLEASE SHOW ME where I stated that I wanted to try a "natural" labor... cause that WASN'T ME... somebody better do something quick cause I'm about to DIE here!!!! The lady puts so much meds in my epidural that it's now to the point where they put for people who are going to have a c-section.... and I'm still feeling EVERYTHING!!!! Of course by this point I'm SERIOUSLY crying my eyes out and telling these DAMN people to take this KID OUT OF ME!!!!! I even gave them permission to use a vacuum!!!! I'm not even kidding... I really did. My poor husband is standing there to my right holding my hand the ENTIRE TIME helping me to breath and stay focus. Don't ask me how I had the courage or the strength but I was able to breath through them (with tears in my eyes and boogers in my nose) just looking at his sweet face. He even took some breaths with me to help me out. (Side note: I just LOVE my husband!!!!!!!)

5:40pm... At this point I'm DONE and the baby isn't even out yet! They start to take the catheter out so I can really push the baby out... (inside thought to myself... THEN WHAT THE HECK HAVE I BEEN DOING ALL THIS TIME... I THOUGHT IT WAS TO GET HIM OUT!!!!!!! HOLY MOTHER... THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE GOOD!) Another side note: Pushing... I can tell you right now is the HARDEST THING you will EVER have to do.... I'm not lying and I'm sorry if I am going to scare you... but....I swear I NEVER had to work so hard in my life. Back to the story... I had gotten the mirror (my friend suggested it) to see if it will help me with pushing... you know the whole "seeing it will make it easier to do" thing... and we started pushing.... All I remember was pain... pushing... crying... telling them to GET HIM OUT.... and then the cycle would start all over again.

Okay... here is where I go into extreme detail... so beware

At one point (this was very close to when he was coming out) I looked at my bottom in the mirror and what I saw was just NOT A PRETTY SIGHT... my butt was completely inside out... I'm talking about... I had NO BUTT HOLE... my hemorrhoids were sooooooo bad that I had what looked like grapes instead of a butt hole. Now lets talk about the vayjayjay... aww... I remember the good ole days... which I don't ever think I will see again... I had ripped the top portion and the bottom portion was cut TWICE!!!!!!!!! And I felt it ALL!!!!!!!!!! I knew they were going to cut me so I made sure not to look and to close my eyes cause if I would have saw it and felt it... it was NOT going to be good. Feeling it was just enough... thank you.

Then here is where my story gets ugly.... I'm going to forewarn you that if you are pregnant and your reading this... you might want to stop here. Don't say I didn't give you a warning...

At this point Jennifer realizes that something isn't right... I can see it in her face and in the face of the nurse... I'm trying really hard NOT TO PANIC... and continue doing what I was told but I couldn't help notice what was going on. In a matter of a few seconds... I had my midwife, the nurse, my mom, and Carlos pushing on my tummy... while I was pushing down below... we HAD to get the baby out NOW!!!! His head was coming out side ways which isn't normal (no wonder it took me FOREVER to get him out)... as they all are pushing on my tummy, Jennifer is literally trying to turn my baby's head while he's coming out so I'm feeling TONS of pain, I'm trying really really hard to push him out but honestly I'm so tired and out of steam that I'm not really doing a good job at it at all. I'm watching ALL of this through this mirror and at this point I had to close my eyes... I knew that if I kept looking I would throw up and start to hyperventilate cause I could see what they were doing to my poor baby to get him out. I just couldn't loose it just yet.... I NEEDED to get him out!!!

I was able to get the top of his head out but he's forehead, eyes, nose, mouth and chin are still inside of me... and this is NOT good... He was drinking A LOT of fluid that he shouldn't have been drinking. Finally the head comes out cord wrap around his neck... Jennifer swoops in quickly and removes the cord... you would think that by now I'm in the safe zone right? WRONG... Now he's shoulders are stuck so I have to find force from somewhere and really push him out. Don't ask me how I did it but next thing I know... my baby was on my belly and I just looked at Carlos and we both start crying!!!!

Carlos Manuel Terrero was born at 6:49am... He was 6lbs 130z 20inches long... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BABY!!!!!!!!!

They take him right away to check him out... Carlos, my mom, and sister all run to his side and start to take pictures. I'm laying on the bed... thinking that it can only get easier from here on out right... yeah no... easy wasn't written for me. Jennifer starts to sew me up and I'm feeling EVERYTHING. I'm in sooo much pain and my bottom is soooo MESSED up... she was there for a good 45 minutes trying to put things back in some type of shape.

Day 8

2010-08-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here is the picture of the day... with an extra one! ;) I couldn't help myself. She's the BEST prop I have! :)

Day 4. 5, 6, and 7

2010-08-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

I know... I know... I've been slacking with the "picture of the day" so I'm making it all up today. :) Here are the pictures for 4days!

Here is the canvas Sophia won in the PhotoWow Contest... BC has the same one! It's SUPER cute! I just have to find a home for it.

Because everybody knows I LOVE me some coupons... here are the sneakers I got BC for $4 and that's WITH tax!!!!

I just HAD to share with you this CUTE picture I got of Sophia... seriously... how freaking cute is she!!!

and because EVERYBODY LOVES a good pork chop... :) I know... BC is ALL about them!!!!

Looking Back

2010-08-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

I was going through my old blog and just reading some of my blogs and I came across this letter I wrote to my babies and I wanted to share it again with you all because as I read this letter I wrote I cant believe how right I was about things.

This post makes me smile in so many ways. It gives me a little bit of "pride" to know how well I know my little ones.

Sometimes when you had a HARD day like the one I had yesterday... you doubt yourself, you doubt yourself as a Mom and as a parent. You start to think crazy thoughts like "what was I thinking I cant and don't know how to do this! Who lied to me!!!". I will say... I haven't had a ROUGH day like that in a while and but BOY was I about to pull my hair out. And you know what... after I got Sophia FINALLY down for the night (which was WAY WAY past her normal bedtime) I stood by her crib just staring at her. I watched her sleep for a good 20 minutes, looking at her chubby cheeks mushed against her crib mattress, her hair looking all crazy since I had just washed it, the way her little lips curled at the tips to make it look like she was puckering up for a kiss, and her soft sweet skin that smelled delicious and somehow... that HORRIBLE day I had just washed away. I had the sweat, tears, exhaustion and the bags under my eyes to show for it but inside... I felt that warmth... that feeling that I had lost throughout the day... the feeling of "I LOVE this job".

To those of you how are Mommy's I don't need to say anymore cause you know exactly what I'm talking about.

To those of you who are expecting another baby soon and have fears of "what the heck am I going to do?" just know... that you WILL have nights/days like the one I described above but you will see that at the end of the day it WILL get better and YOU can do it!!! Don't EVER doubt your ability as a Mommy.

And to those of you who aren't Mommy's just yet.... you have no idea but the BEST is yet to come!!!!!

Here is the blog post

Dear babies,

As I sit here with my two little ones I'm overwhelmed with the love I feel for them you both. I heard so many stories about how when moms get pregnant again they aren't sure how they will love the new baby as much as they love their first born. I can honestly say I'm not going to have that problem... my babies are my life.

Baby Carlos... you're here laying with mommy drinking your leche looking at me with those big brown eyes and my heart just melts into pieces. I will never be able to describe to you the love and joy you have brought into my life and how proud I am of you and all your accomplishments. As much as they make sad because that means your growing up and becoming a big boy... mommy's heart just shines with pride. You are my main man... and you totally know how much you have me wrapped around your little finger. You made me a mommy and I could never thank you enough for it. I'm not sure what the future holds for us but I want you to always remember the promises I made to you while in you were in the NICU and it was just you and me. I promised to love you ALWAYS and FOREVER, to stand by your side even when I didn't agree with your decision, to listen to you when your trying to tell me something, to love you unconditionally even when you think I'm the worst mommy in the world, to give you hugs when your in need of them, to watch you get hurt but fall in love again, to stick close by when you have failed, to watch you while you sleep so the monster cant get you, and to be the best mom I can be. You are such a happy baby and I cant get enough of your open mouth wet kisses and the sweet sound of your laughter. You have such a big heart and love your mommy so much. I hope that as you get older you will still come to me at random times to give me a big hug and kiss. You have such a beautiful soul and mommy feels blessed and honored to be your mommy.

Baby Terrero... since mommy doesn't know yet if you are a girl or a boy yet we'll just call you that for now. You my child are my surprise blessing. You have your own plans... and I'm so glad you decided that I was worthy enough to be your mommy. Mommy was very scared in the beginning but once I saw you on the u/s I felt my heart growing and I fell in love with you right then and there. You will be my baby. These days I'm extremely excited cause I can feel you move and kick inside of me. It's still very soft but I treasure it anyway. You know exactly when I need ... want ... to feel you and you surprise me. I'm looking forward to meeting you, holding you, cuddling with you, seeing who you look like, smelling your soft baby skin, and whispering in your ear how much I love you. I sit here on the couch with tears running down my cheeks because I haven't even met you yet but I would give my life for you. Your brother is making silly faces at mommy right now (probably cause I look like a crazy lady right now) but your gonna love him! He is soooo silly and will make you laugh a TON! Can't wait for you to meet him. I want you to know that as much as mommy loves your brother mommy loves you exactly the same much. I love having you in my belly where I can keep you nice and safe and honestly... all to myself. :) I'm going to enjoy this pregnancy and not rush you to get here. I love you my sweet baby.

To BOTH my babies... thank you... thank you for showing me that there is a much bigger way to love to someone. Thank you for picking me. You both are mommy's pride and joy and I wouldn't have it any other way. Baby Carlos... I wouldn't change my struggles to get you here because it was all worth it. Baby Terrero... I wouldn't changed how fast you got here because you are giving me the greatest gift of all... having the BEST of BOTH worlds!!!!!

Mommy loves you both my babies.... until next time.

Love, Mommy

Fix It Friday

2010-08-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Here we go again with Fix it Friday with iheartfaces! Here is the picture they posted on their website (this is NOT a photo I took). Have I told you guys how much I LOVE doing these?!?!?! Sooo much fun! :)

The Original

My 1st edit... just a regular sharpen and color pop

With a Pretty Summer Haze

and of course a Black and White

Sophia turns 7mths old

2010-08-18T09:47:00.001-07:00

My baby girl turned 7mths on the 6th of this month (I know I'm a little behind) and I cant believe how fast it's going. By 7mths she had 2 teeth already!!!!! It's crazy!!!!

She's taking 8oz of milk (BC never got to this amount) and eats baby food for lunch and dinner. She's wearing 12mth clothing and can fit into some 9mth dresses. She doesn't crawl yet but she is a pro at doing the army crawl. I really don't think she'll be crawling either... she's all about pulling herself up on things or trying to stand up!!! I'm sure a lot of it has to do with trying to play with BC since he rocks her world.

Princess Sophia is ALL ABOUT HER DADDY!!!! It's soooo cute (well not all the time since I feel like chop liver sometimes but still VERY cute). You should see the way her face LIGHTS up at the sight of her Daddy. OMG... she goes crazy and wants to "jump" off my lap to get to him. Carlos MUST come to her and take her right away because if not he gets a stare down until he finally comes over. LOL!!! Even when I have her and Carlos is walking around in plain sight, she's catching whoop lash trying to see exactly what her Daddy is doing and smiles at him ALL the time! And Carlos.... FORGET IT... he LOVES it!!! Every last bit of it... he's always saying "out loud" how she's his princess and how much she loves him.

I can not begin to tell you how blessed I truly feel to have her in my life. She was the BEST surprise I could EVER ask for. She's so gentle and sweet. Her soul is pure and soft. She will melt your heart in a second!

Sophia... my sweet sweet baby girl... Mommy loves you as high as the sky and as deep as the ocean. Happy 7mths My Princess!!!

Finally a picture of her two teeth!!! :)

and I have this HUGE fascination with leg warmers like you couldn't imagine!!!! But how can I not... look how FREAKING ADORABLE they look on her!!!!!

Day 3

2010-08-18T08:20:00.001-07:00

I just look at this picture and automatically smile.

Day 2

2010-08-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

When I look at this picture, my heart smiles because it reminds me of happiness, bright, summer time, life, dreams.... I love how the simple things we see on a day to day basis can make such a huge impact in our lives without us even noticing it. Have you ever just sat at a park looking at the beauty around you? Or even on the beach just watching and hearing the ocean??? If you haven't I highly suggest it. It's sooooo peaceful!!!!

I like to sit and just watch. I like to dream and let me dreams go as far as they can. I have a HUGE imagination so you would be surprised where my mind will take me. I sometimes (well a LOT of the times) sit and watch my babies play together and think to myself how truly wonderful it is to be able to actually sit back and embrace this time because we all know how quickly it goes by. Another thing I can do forever is watch the sky change color or sit on the beach just listening to the waves.

I try really hard to soak in all these beautiful moments in life because I don't want days to go by and feel like I missed out on something special. So take a moment and smell the flowers, stop to watch something that catches your eye, or pick up your baby and tell them how much you love them.

New Blog Background

2010-08-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the new blog background???? I got in contact with Terry at Sassy Designs, Ltd and asked her if she could help me custom make a background for my blog. Of course she is the SWEETEST person EVER and totally agree to help.

If you haven't checked out her shop, you NEED to head over NOW!!!! Her store is just FABULOUS and she's ALWAYS updating it with new things ALL the time! (Seriously, I see her posting things at 2 a.m.... why we're both up at 2 a.m. is a whole other story ;) ) She has all sorts of fun stuff like digital papers, marketing kits, album templates, storyboards, pre-designed logos, etc... The list goes on!!!! Guess what???? Right now she is having a HUGE sale, use the word CHANGE for 50% OFF any purchase Sassy Shop!!!

Become a fan of her FB fan page here and you'll be updated on all her FABULOUS deals and giveaway's!

Terry, thank you soooo much for all your help! I really really appreciate it!!!!

Project 365 days - Day 1

2010-08-16T05:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of Project 365? If you haven't its where you basically post a picture of any kind (edited or a quick in the moment snapshot) EVERYDAY! I've been telling Carlos that I want to post at least once a day on the blog anyway so what better way to do it but to challenge myself to look outside the box to capture life as it is.

I"m excited about it and I hope I can get you excited as well about it. I'm sure it's going to be a challenge trying to figure out "what" to take a picture of BUT... I'm sure I'll be able to work it out. ;-)

So get ready to go on this journey with me starting TODAY!!!!!

Here is the picture of the day!

This shot was a complete surprise (don't you just LOVE when that happens). She had falling asleep on her Daddy and looked so cute so I grabbed my camera and just snapped away. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this one.

Fix it Friday

2010-08-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

Here is another challenge... iheartfaces another blog I read a lot every Friday host a "Fit-It Friday" picture and allows you to do your own edits to a picture that was taken by one of the members in their community.

I have always looked at all the different edits and decided that starting today I was going to join in on the fun.

Again this picture was not taken by me.

The original picture

Here are my edits:

Just a little pop color

A little soft vintage

and a black and white version

This little boy is seriously just ADORABLE!!!! Let me know your thoughts!!!!

Eyes

2010-08-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

Have I told you all that I LOVE reading through blogs... doesn't have to be a photography blog... just blogs in general. I love how "real" they are and how all emotion comes from the heart of the blogger. Since I've venture into the world of photography blogs I've found a handful that I read EVERYDAY! I love them!!!

One of my FAVORITES has to be Willette (please check out her blog... like I said... it's pretty AWESOME!!!). This week she decided to "challenge" us by picking a topic and see what we can come up with. This weeks topic was "EYES". I'm soooo looking forward to the following challenges. :)

Here are my submissions... my two beautiful babies:

Sophia Arelis 7mths old and Carlos Manuel 21mths old

Happy Birthday to Miss Jiana!!!!!!!!!!

2010-08-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were invited to celebrate Miss Jiana's 1st birthday. Her Mama (one of my best friends) did a fantastic job with all the decorations and with making it a complete beach theme party!

Miss Jiana Brelle is such a sweet heart. She was so excited showing off her recently mastered skill... WALKING!!!! She looked ADORABLE!!!!

Thank you for inviting us to your birthday bash! BC had sooo much fun!

Happy Birthday Jiana Brielle!

Her beautiful BIG sister Carina

Jiana with her Mommy

Because I figured it out...

2010-08-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

I can not begin to explain to you my frustrations with the pictures on this blog. I've been trying to figure out how to get the pictures to view "bigger" because if your anything like me you want to actually be able to see the images and not "squint" your eyes to try and focus on this small little picture. I asked my friend Lana from Lana Hamilton Photography how she did it and she suggested looking it up different ways in the search engine.

Every site I found kept giving me ways on how to change but it would distort the image and would make it look sooooooo crappy. BUT... good news... I FINALLY figured it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You should totally see me doing the "happy dance" right now... I feel like I need to be treated or something... LOL!!!!

Anyway... since I figured it out... here are more pictures of BC's mini session. :) Enjoy the nice clear image!!!! ;-)

My Handsome Boy

2010-08-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

Where do I even start with this sweet boy that has stolen my heart in so many ways I cant even begin to express???? He is the LOVE of my LIFE!!!! Pure joy... when I look at him I get those tiny little butterflies in my tummy of the overwhelming PRIDE I have to be his Mommy!!!!

He has made me forget the pain I went through to conceive him. Honestly... it's such a distance memory that I MUST tell all those Mama's out there trying for their baby... "I know it's SUCH a HARD LONG road to go through... and I know you have heard this a BILLION times before... but I'm here to confirm it... it's TOTALLY WORTH EVERY SINGLE MOMENT... I PROMISE!!!!". There is NO greater joy!

This little boy changed me completely from the moment I found out he was growing in my tummy. Giving birth to him was NOT an easy task and even the after math was NO WHERE near the "happy ending" I thought it was going to be but if I had to do it all over again right now... I WOULD... no ifs or buts!

He makes the room light up with his gorgeous smile and those dimples.... OMG... tooo die for!!!!!!!!!! It has been MY honor to be apart of his life and watching him grow and become this independent little man has been incredible. At times... well a LOT of times I wonder "who" this BIG boy is.

I will say though... no matter how "BIG" he has gotten and how much he wants to do things on his own he STILL LOVES his Mama and will cuddle with me at ANY time of the day. He will still look for me with the corner of his eye just to make sure he can "see" Mama and then he'll continue to do what he was doing. It makes me feel like a MILLION bucks!

My biggest proudest moment as his Mommy happened this past weekend when my son FINALLY uttered the words I've been waiting all my life to here... "LUB YOU Mama".

Carlos Manuel (what I call him)...

Thank you for loving Mama in the special way you do. Thank you for all the cuddles you give me all day long. Thank you for the random kisses you give me that always make my day that much better. Thank you for filling up my days with plain ole sweet happiness!!! I love you sooooooo much my sweet boy!!!!!!

Mama

The Camera Bag

2010-08-07T20:53:00.001-07:00

I finally received my CAMERA BAG that I won in a giveaway in the mail on Thursday and I was sooooo excited to FINALLY take it out today and show it off! :) It was so nice not having to get my camera out of the diaper bag! Its funny because I was able to pick the fabric I wanted for both the outside and inside and I had totally picked a different color scheme (the original one was going to be black and grey with a damask fabric) but she was out of the fabric and I didn't want to wait "too long" to get it so I opted for a totally totally different design which I'm SOOOOO HAPPY with.

I love how bright and fun it is. The inside is SUPER big and has space for a TON of stuff.... "hint hint my DEAR husband... I could use a new lens and a flash... WHAT... I'm just saying!" ;-)

I want to give a BIG THANK YOU to Martilena Handmade Bags (check out her site she has some awesome stuff) for making my FABULOUS camera bag! I love it!!!!!!!

Sneak Peek...

2010-08-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

I have introduce you all to my FABULOUS daughter (yea I know totally biased here) but I haven't posted any of my handsome son Carlos Manuel known as Baby Carlos (BC) yet. Don't worry I'm totally working on it. It's not an easy task anymore because all he wants to do when we get outside is RUN and I'm trying to avoid tons of booty shots... ;-)

I have a plan though... :-) Mama will WIN!!!!! This weekend I'll be testing it out... so stay tuned... more pictures to come of my little man!

and the THREE lucky winners are....

2010-08-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

So today is the day... we get to see who the THREE lucky winners are. I was sooooo excited to so who won. Thank you for everybody who entered the contest. Don't be sad if you didn't win... I will be having some more goodies soon! Here is the video of BC picking the names. :)

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNERS!!!!!!!!!!!! Cant wait to see what sessions you have in mind! :)

Some Answers

2010-07-28T18:41:00.001-07:00

When I started this journey a WHILE back I did a LOT of research. I'm talking about staying up really late (way past my bedtime) just going from photography blog to photography website and so on (I actually still do this). I found a lot of things that I really liked and a lot of things that seemed sort of "dry" to me.

If your wondering "where" I'm going with this... let me explain...

I've gotten some questions as to WHY I'm combining this photography blog with my personal blog instead of just keeping this one separate. Here is why...

From the beginning my readers/followers... actually anybody who knows me, knows I'm a very personal and vocal when it comes to the things I love in life. You have known me to express my frustrations and sadness going through infertility, I have share with you all what it meant to me to FINALLY get pregnant with my son, the joys he's given me for almost 2yrs (cant believe he's going to be TWO soon!!!!!), having a SURPRISE pregnancy shake my whole world, and now what life has been to have 2 under 2!!!!

I want to keep that same personal relationship with you all through my photography. I want my clients, readers, and followers to know me for who I am AND for my work. I want them to know that I've been through the same thing they have. That I'm a Mommy too so I totally understand meltdowns and tantrums. I understand poop and peeing all over the place. I understand having a bad hair day or just having a bad day for that matter. I want to get to know my clients for who they are as well. I want to see through their eyes and see what they see... that love for your spouse and children... that wonder of "who" is that little baby growing inside your belly... that excitement of one of your most important days of your life like when you say "I do"... I want to see the love in your eyes.

My children are my inspiration and looking at pictures of them, takes me back to that same moment in time and makes me relive the memory of "how" or "what" happened when I got that "shot". I want to be able to capture that same thing for my clients and I don't think having a cold cut dry relationship with them is going to achieve that. I want our shoot to be personal, fun, but still very professional.

Who knows... maybe my clients, readers, and/or followers have some tricks up their sleeves that I had no idea about and vise versa.

Photography to me is so much like life and Mommy hood. It's all about "MEMORIES" and pressing that "PAUSE" button we all LONG for and WISH we had.

So as part of my work, you'll get to know me and my family. You'll see a lot of my kids and what's going on with them. I hope that this doesn't pull you away from me but brings you closer.

I want to be known as a FANTASTIC photographer but I also want to be known as a FABULOUS Mommy!

BIG LAUNCH GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the AWESOME giveaway going on right now????? Have you entered???? If you have entered make sure you are leaving your contact email on a comment here so I can be able to get a hold of you if you win.

If you haven't entered... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???? It's FREE!!!! Who doesn't like free???? I know I LOVE free!!!! Especially when it means that I will get some great pictures of my kids, family, or important event going on in my life.

You can find all the rules, prizes, and how to enter info here

For those of you who have entered please feel free to pass this blog along to family and friends so they can have a chance to enter as well. We are almost half way there to the BIG drawing day!!!!!!! Cant wait to see who I'll have behind my camera soon!!!! :)

Sophia's Baptism

2010-07-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, my daughter got baptized and it couldn't have gone better. I will always cherish these special moments I have recorded in my mind. The day was beautiful... my daughter was BEYOND beautiful... we had family and friends there to support us... what else is needed!

To Sophia's Godparents... We couldn't have picked anybody better. Thank you for making my daughter's day even more special.

Thank you to everyone for the special wishes and for joining us even if it was only in mind and spirit.

God Bless you my SWEET SWEET BABY GIRL!!!

BC didn't want anything to do with taking pictures for me that day. :-( He was all about running around and playing but I still caught this image and thought it was FABULOUS!

Mommy and her Princess

Daddy and his baby girl

Sophia and her Padrino (Godfather) Danny

and with her Madrina (Godmother) Gloria

BIG LAUNCH GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Okay so it's FINALLY here!!!! The giveaway I've been talking about for a while now. With launching the new blog I wanted to do something fun for my readers and thought this would be a FABULOUS kick off! What do you think? :-)

The prizes are:

3 photo shoots to 3 different winners that includes: the shoot, 10-15 edited images, and a CD with all the photos

This photo shoot can be anything from a Newborn, Maternity, Family, Back to School, Senior, Engagement, Birthday, Holiday pictures (they will be here before you know it) etc...

Okay so here are the rules:

-Any Central Florida resident can be a part of this

-Miami residents are also included

****There is a restriction to any Miami participants... I will be there the first weekend of September and the shoot will have to take place at that time... so please remember that if you are going to enter this giveaway.****

-The giveaway will run from today Sunday, July 25th to Saturday, July 31st 11:59pm!

-The winners will be randomly selected and announced Sunday August 1st

-All shoots must be scheduled before November 15th

So WHO WANTS TO WIN?!?!?!?!?!? Here is how you can enter... simple and easy...

-Leave a comment HERE with your name and email address so I have a way to contact you if you win, this will count as your 1st entry

Want MORE chances to win? To earn extra entries:

-"Like" the Jennifer Terrero Photography Fan page (above I have a link or you can visit the page here) and come back here to let me know you have become a fan. If you already are a fan just comment that you already are.

-Subscribe to my blog (at the bottom of the blog you'll see the link) and comment that you just subscribed to the blog

-Become a "follower" of this blog (link at the bottom) and comment that you have just become a follower

-Spread the word about this giveaway on FB and come back HERE to post the link (sample post which you can totally use: All Central Florida, check out the BIG giveaway Jennifer Terrero Photography is having... here is the link http://jenniferterrero.blogspot.com/)

-Suggest the Jennifer Terrero Photography FB fan page to your family and friends and come back HERE and leave a comment that you suggested the page (if your on the FB fan page under the picture you'll see the link that say "suggest to friends" and then just click away)

ALL entries will be verify and checked before your name goes into the drawing.

Remember the more entries you have the better your chances are!!!! I'm SUPER excited about this giveaway!!! LOTS of luck to everyone!!!!!

The DeLuca Family

2010-07-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

This family was truly an honor to finally meet. I have known Michelle for quite some time now and I finally got to meet her in person!!!! We have been friends since before having our baby boys! I had so much fun with this shoot. Michelle was perfect with posing which made my job so much easier. Her husband Mike was awesome with keeping Jojo entertained while we took pictures and Jojo was so cute it was hard to get focused on Mama instead of taking pictures of him. :-)

Michelle and Mike thank you for welcoming me into your home and letting me be a part of this wonderful time in your life. I cant wait to meet Mabel... she's going to be a true beauty!

Hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. :)

Just Fantastic...

2010-07-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I got up early around 6am to get some school work done before I had to run some errands with the kids or the kids got up for the day but as I turned on my computer I realized the Internet wasn't coming up... No big deal since I had a list of things to get done that day. I walked out of the house with the kids at 9:30am and didn't return home till 7:30pm. After putting the kids down to bed I needed to get some school work done and I had some information I need for today's photo shoot... guess what????? The freaking Internet didn't want to come up, we call AT&T and just like my luck would have it my modem is completely DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY????

So I wont have Internet at home till Wednesday. Just GREAT!!!!!

I PROMISE you that once I'm connected again with the world I will post the picture from today's Maternity shoot AND I will announce the BIG giveaway... trust me you don't want to miss it!!!!

Sophia's 6mth Pictures

2010-07-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

My princess is growing up at a pace that seriously should be illegal!!!!! Can you believe that she's 6mths already?! I really need to find or invent a "pause" button!!!!

She is sooo much fun now too. She smiles and giggles a ton! It's the cutest thing. She finds her brother highly amusing and her Daddy makes her smile just by walking in the room.

I took her to the Pedi's office today for her check up and she's weighing in at 18.5lbs and is 26inches long!!!!! Healthy as can be! She's wearing 9 to 12mth clothing and a is a size 3 in shoes.

She's eating homemade baby food, drinking juice, rocking back and forth on all fours, sitting up unassisted, can hold her sippy and actually pulls it up to drink from it, plays with toys and can switch them from hand to hand, rolling everywhere, and at the sound of Mommy's voice she stops... smiles... looks for me.... and right when she sees me... she gives me the BIGGEST gummy smile EVER!!!! She totally ROCKS my world!

I took her 6mth pictures last week... here they are! I hope you enjoy them!

Exciting New Launch!

2010-07-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Honestly... I don't even know where to start this post. Right now I'm doing the happy dance in sooo many ways and for sooooooooo many reasons! I'm SUPER excited about this new launch. I cant believe that I'm actually taking a dream that I've had for while now and making it REAL!!!!!!!!!! How exciting is THAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Again... doing the HAPPY DANCE! :)

Some of you have noticed that I've been "away" and "distant" for a while and THIS is the reason. I've been doing TONS of research, looking at all kinds of photography websites, trying to learn all the "behind the scene" work, trying to figure out what I want to achieve in this whole process, where I want to go, etc... All I have to say is holy moly information overload!!!!!!!

Right now I'm taking baby steps. You all know I'm JUST getting started and I'm NOT going to pretend that I know all what it takes because I KNOW I have a LOT to learn but I'm WILLING to learn it. I'm willing to make mistakes a long the way. I'm willing to put everything I have into making this business strive and become what my wildest dreams believes it can be.

So I'm SUPER excited. I'm super excited about all the plans and ideas I have going through my mind. I've been sooooo inspired by my babies, family, friends, and even some really amazing photog friends I've found along the way of my business adventure.

I cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cant wait to share with you all this passion I have growing inside of me. So get ready people! Some might be horrible ideas and some might be FABULOUS ideas but I'm excited! (you should see the super cheesy smile I have on my face right now... LOL)

Before I go any further and continue with all my babbling... ;-) I need to express my EXTREME gratitude to a few of people.

During my research of this whole new world I became extremely overwhelmed and honestly had NO IDEA where to start or what I needed to do. I found myself looking at the same stuff over and over and almost to the point where a little piece of me thought I would never find the "light" at the end of the tunnel because I felt like I was drowning with information. So I gathered some courage and decided I was going to take a chance and email a photographer just ask her a few questions, I mean, the worst that could have happen was that she never answered me back right??? Well if I only knew...

Maria from Slice of Life Photography actually wrote me back!!!!!!!!!!! Not only did she answer my questions but this whole time she's been my "go to person". She even helped me with this blog (ok who am I kidding... she did most of the work). I'm not sure you guys fully understand, Maria didn't know me at ALL... I was this stranger asking her about her business. She opened her heart, took time out of her "days" (cause it wasn't just one day), answered all my questions (which were a ton) and helped me "just because". She has a heart of GOLD and I honestly don't know how I'm ever going to be able to show her how truly grateful I am for it. Maria from the bottom of my heart... THANK YOU... THANK YOU....THANK YOU SO MUCH for everything. Please take a look at her website above, her work is truly amazing!

My husband... my poor husband... (he actually calls himself my "Creative Advisor")... LOL!!!! Carlos was the actual creator of my logo above. Isn't it awesome??? I cant begin to tell you how many times I made him re-do it and how he took in all my "demands" without loosing it. But not only did he help me with my logo but he was the person I went to when I couldn't' decided on something, helped me with my ideas and thoughts, and believe it or not he actually helps me edit pictures!!! Babe... I mean... Creative Advisor... thank you for all your patience, support, love, and guidance.

Most of you know I'm part of a Mommy board (which by the way is fantastic), well one of the Mommy's on there has also helped me with TONS of info. Rebekah is fabulous. She offered any help I needed and even went to the extreme of contacting one of her Photography friends and asked her if she wouldn't mind sharing how she got her business started. See... FABULOUS! Please check her out here along with Kristen's (her photog friend who also shared info with me)work here.

Now on to all my family and friends who didn't give me the "crazy eye" when I told them that I was thinking about going down this road. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for the support I soooo need! Thank you! I know that with you and God behind me I can do this.

Again, I'm SUPER excited about this. I have tons of plans on give aways, sales, partnerships, and my most exciting venture giving back. Soon I will share these ALL with you.

I hope you all enjoy this new blog. Feel free to take a look around and leave some comments!