Donna Harris Photography

I was super excited to check Kelly Manno’s blog to view my maternity photos and, of course, was NOT disappointed. They are incredible, don’t you think?

She is also going to be photographing this baby’s birth (…hopefully… She’s got a ‘little’ project going on called the Saint Louis Photographers Shot Party and it just happens to fall on my due date! So we’re both crossing our fingers that this baby will cooperate and either be early or late for both of our sakes! 🙂

Kelly can tell you all about how we met in her blog. The thing about Kelly is that she is privileged to be part of so many lives and on so many great occasions.

Being a sought after, award winning photographer means she has captured many pivotal moments in people’s lives. Wedding days, engagements, birthday parties, actual birth days in the hospital and much, much, more. And as much as her presence has meant in those individuals lives, I guarantee you her presence in my life has meant the world to me.

Kelly was there for MY first son’s birth. She was there for our family photos. She was there for his first birthday.

…She was also there when my brother died …and when I told her that my love for photography was the only thing that I had any sort of “life” or passion about during the dark moments of grief and depression I was experiencing after his death.

She offered me opportunites that no other photographer would be open to and has given me a chance to help turn my personal grief into something beautiful for others to enjoy while also giving me a new spark for life after losing a loved one.

As you know, photography is emotional. It’s creating an emotional experience to be captured through an image. For me, capturing a baby’s first breath or a family photo that will live on forever makes me realize that ‘to live now’ and …without regret, love the ones you have, while you have them. Photography became a way of healing for me. Again, God has blessed me with a sweet friend like Kelly. Because without her willingness, kindness, and help – I may not have realized healing after loss.

Thank you, Kelly, for the beautiful photos, for being there once again for an important moment in my life and for just being who you are. Love you!

While on my drive home from working at the salon, I called Christopher and he hands the phone to Roman saying “Tell Momma where we are.”

A sweet little voice yells into the phone,

“At the doctor!”

I thought I didn’t hear him right but soon found out that while I was at work, Roman went a little too fast down his slide. He twisted his ankle and fractured his foot.

After a few X-Rays at the Urgent Care, the doctor said he probably sprained his ankle, so they wrapped it up and sent him home.

We didn’t even know that it was a fracture until a day and half later. What bad parents! Looking back, it should have been pretty obvious considering the kid usually won’t sit still and this time he never wanted to leave the couch!

But look, he’s not in bad spirits at all.

He was even kind of proud to have his ‘Cat-Boot’ which is what he called his Cast and Boot. And we’re pretty stoked that we were able to add a special wrap that allows him to get wet, swim, bathe so we won’t be slowed down too much this summer. 🙂

I’ve shamelessly posted a video because he’s just too adorable. Pictures can’t contain it. Especially when you hear his sweet voice!

And with it only being couple months from Baby #2’s arrival, it’s kinda nice to have a child I can keep up with. We’ll be spending a lot of time on the couch over the next few of weeks.

Speaking of that, Daddy got Roman a few stickers to put on his cast but he decided to share them with ‘little brother’ instead. What a sweetie!

My little fractured man, I hope you get better soon!