Happy 1st Birthday Brynn!

She rocked her first shoot in her diamond studded room,

She about stole the show at her brother's 2 year Birthday shoot,

And now, she's done it again.

From the first click of my camera on,

Brynn brought it.

I'm not kidding, her first picture is adorable.

The test shot, its a keeper.

I would post any of the pictures from Brynn's session with pride,

So without further ado...

***MISS BRYNN***

This is picture ONE of the session, I didn't think you would believe me.

Then Picture #2

I couldn't explain why, but I love this pic. It looks like she is having so much fun with just the simple things in life.

Brynn was the first baby I have ever seen not attack her cupcake. She was actually quite put off by it. Icing is sticky and messy, but DANG GIRL, it's good!

Happy Birthday Brynn, Love Amy

Guess who is Turning One???

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think I have ever done a sneak peek of s speak peek before.

Brynn is turning one tomorrow.

Many of you may remember Brynn and her big brother, Caden from their awesome shoot at the graffiti wall.

Brynn never disappoints.

She always brings her A-Game to a shoot and it shows.

So here is a sneak peek of what is in store tomorrow:

Happy Early Birthday Brynn!

Love, Love, Love It.

Well my sister-in-law Lesley is quite the sneaky little photographer.

I knew she took a picture or 2. I had no idea she took 10 much less 132!!!

The first 12 months of Ellie's life Aunt Amy lived behind the lens.

Now a new era will be beginning.

For one, I wont be shooting flat on my stomach for a while.

For two, Amy Meyerott Photography will soon have another Spokes Model.

Little Miss Ellie will of course lead the way for her cousin,

But soon there will be two.

Hmm do I see matching outfits in their future?

YEP!!!

Here we are discussing how she's going to "bring it" in the next shot.

Have I told you how much sass this girl has now?

Great shoot miss Ellie (as always) Love you!

Great Shots Lesley (Love you too)

HELLO WORLD!

Yep, you guessed it WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!

The above was taken at our 12 week ultrasound.

Below is Baby Meyerott's first picture at 7 weeks.

Thanks for playing along everyone (even though it was a little obvious).

I had a lot of fun reading your guesses.

Clue #1 is a photo album we got for my mother in law with the ultrasound pic in it- it is how we told her.

Clue #2- our new favorite thing to do in our house. I AM SOOO TIRED

Clue #3 packing away clothes that no longer fit and getting out the maternity clothes.

Clue #s 4,5,6 are faces of family members when they found out!

I will announce the winner after they are contacted.

For those interested in Baby Facts:

I will be 13 weeks tomorrow.

Baby Meyerott is healthy with a current heart-rate of 153.

Our due date is technically April 4th but Baby Meyerott disagrees and says he/she is due March 29th (I like to agree with Baby Meyerott).

We should hopefully find out the sex in November!

Baby Meyerott has been very nice to mommy- hardly been sick at all, I hope the rest of the pregnancy/baby's life goes this smoothly!

Hints #4,5,& 6

Hehe people may get mad about this one : )

Hint #3

Here's more food for thought:

Hint #2

Heres the second Clue

Let the guessing begin!

Guess What?

Big Big Big changes are in store for Amy Meyerott Photography

Just telling you would be boring

So were going to play a guessing game

and I am going to give you clues.

Lets see if you can guess what is going on:

Leave Comments, message me, E-mail me

Whatever you want.

BUT if someone guesses correctly FIRST...

a small prize is in store.

Guessing today would be shooting in the dark,

the contest till not be open till tomorrow after my 2nd clue.

Here's your first clue.

* IF YOU ALREADY KNOW, PLEASE DON'T RUIN THE SURPRISE : )

Shot Party 2010

Ohhh Kelly Manno, you've outdone yourself...again.

Kelly never ceases to amaze me.

She is selfless.

In a world where people fight to get ahead, Kelly fights to keep her friends (and strangers)

up with her.

Instead of hosting her usual shot party

(pretty much a photo session where she invites models and other photographers to come network, learn, practice, and SHOOT),

this time around Kelly invited (Begged) the most coveted of all wedding photographers,

JASMINE STAR

to come speak at the party along with many other talented photographers.

I learned SOOO much my clients will benefit from.

I never would have learned these things if it weren't for Kelly.

Although it has taken me months to post, here are a few pics from the shot party.

I only took a few, I wasn't feeling too well that day, but we had lovely models so it was pretty easy to catch them looking all cute and lovey.

Just a couple feet from this pic is where I first met my Hubby!

There is no way I would leave out the pic of me with Jasmine and her Superhubby JD.

I hope some of her talent rubbed off on me!

WARNING: This is not a Happy Post

Readers: This post it heartbreaking, to me at least.

I feel led to do this, so I am.

Friday, September 17, 2010, 9:46pm

I placed a 9-1-1 call.

I needed Cheese Blintzes with strawberries from I-Hop.

I left my house about 9, picked up said blintzes, rented Date Night from Redbox, then headed back home to the hubby.

I got stuck at the light getting off my exit.

THANK GOD

If I hadn't I would have seen it, maybe been in it.

I pulled around the corner and neared the stoplight by Rookies in St. Charles.

As I did, I knew something wasn't right.

There was a large black truck smoking and 2 cars parked and unmanned at the light.

I put my car in park, grabbed my phone, and stepped out of my car.

I dialed 9-1-1 at 9:46pm

I assessed the scene,

Truck steaming, front end smashed, unmanned.

Extended Cab truck in ditch, upside down, 2 men trying to remove people.

Body laying on the side of the road, likely ejected from one of the vehicles.

I, like everyone else, assumed he was dead.

So what then?

What would you do?

Would you assume he was dead and move away?

OR Would you give his life a chance and try CPR?

I asked for help.

I was far from him and yelled for people who weren't to check to see if he was breathing.

I got waved off, "He's dead" said one man.

REALLY? IS HE? DID YA CHECK?

Shortly after a man went to check. No, he was not breathing.

A woman, I wish I knew her name to thank her, to shout from the rooftops that she tried.

To bake her dinner for remembering this man is a human being, someone's son, someone's love, someone's dad.

She did CPR as I yelled instruction, then ran over to check on the little boy who had been pulled from the mess.

He and his dad thankfully walked away with minor injuries.

They had their seat belts ON.

I went into the street to tell everyone to move their cars and make room for the 6 ambulances that were required and the 9-1-1 operator disconnected as help came their way.

I do not know the man's name who was pulled from the wreckage who suffered a broken neck, back, ribs, you name it- but I know he needs your prayers to pull out of it.

I also do not know the man's name who lost his life that night. I do know he was, in fact, a daddy of a 5 year old little boy. I also know his family desperately needs your prayers too.

UPDATE: BillyJack Dorlaque is this man's name. Please pray for his son, Carter and the rest of those who loved him.

I do know that Diffusion of Responsibility (Please read article) is a real thing.

I saw it in action.

So I am sorry to do this to you (I honestly, partially am)

But I am putting the responsibility on you.

I hope you never forget this post.

When something similar happens to you,

YOU call 9-1-1.

Even if several hundred people are with you,

YOU call- if the call has been placed by another person, they will disconnect with you.

You will have TRIED.

YOU CHECK to see if the person is alive, breathing.

YOU do CPR.

It's IS hard to do, it IS tiring.

It is also what may save a life.

YOU MAY SAVE A LIFE.

No excuses. Keep gloves in your car.

Buy a mask from the American Red Cross.

There are MILLIONS of locations and the masks cost $14.00 for 2, a child's size and an adult size.

This mask will prevent bodily fluids from coming into contact with you.

I am sorry, I know it is scary, I was scared. No one wants to check a dead body. Someone has to do it though. You never know if a person has a chance if you don't try to save them.

I know this is a photography blog.

I know readers don't click on my blog to read something so terrible,

then be challenged to do something terrifying.

I am sorry for that.

Honestly though, I would be more scared of how your life would be affected if you chose not to act, chose not to try, chose to be taken over by diffusion of responsibility.

If I had done nothing, I would never let myself live it down.

I know I did what I could do, and I pray that you all will do the same.

I wrote this post in honor of the man who lost his life, and the man who is fighting for his.

I hope my readers understand.

Love, Amy

*I want to add that there was a man who helped the woman with CPR. I believe he may have done some breaths while she did compressions. This is why the ratio was 15:2, because there were 2 people and that is how 9-1-1 directed it for 2. I did not get a good look at the man. I know there is some hurtful confusion right now for friends and family. No, I did not see the man who was described to me giving CPR, but that does not mean he did not. I may have just missed it while going out into the street to move traffic or check on the other injuries. I do not want to discredit anyone's story, I am sure I missed several details in the time I was there. I am very sorry I do not have the answer I know you are looking for.

Fighting the Battle

I can't stand it when people say ___ lost their battle with cancer today.

It sounds like they failed.

This is so far from true.

Everyone I know who has died from cancer is far from a failure.

My Aunt Phyllis passed away yesterday from Brain Cancer.

I would have to say her life was an incredible success.

She had children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

She worked her whole life for causes she believed in.

She was married to a wonderful man, My Uncle Bob.

As a matter of fact, she even wrote a published book on the topic, How To Marry A Winner.

Photo Courtesy of Kelly Manno Photography

Cancer happens, a lot.

Several people overcome it.

A few against all odds.

There are MIRACLES (God), the rest depends on science and God.

Nothing I can do will bring my aunt back. Or my Dad, or several other friends and family members who have had cancer.

What I can do is do my best to stop Cancer in it's tracks.

What I can do is honor the memory of those who I love who have been taken from us from this disease. Aunt Phyllis, Sharon English, Aunt Susan: all had Brain Cancer.

Any client booked between now and Christmas has the opportunity to help.

All you have to do is comment on this post with your name and the date of your session and I will donate 10% of your session fee to HEAD FOR THE CURE in the name of Phyllis Collier.

If anyone wants to donate, contact me via email.

Although Aunt Phyllis can not benefit from this, millions of others can.

Several people are still fighting for their lives. Take Johnny for example, he was recently diagnosed with Brain Cancer and his family is praying hard for God, science, and a Miracle.

To be a part of Head For The Cure, or even Jog for Johnny and his Noggin you can contact me at amy.meyerott@yahoo.com.

I LOVE LUCY, and my husband!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

September 5, 1985

Last Sunday was my 25th Birthday.

My gift from the hubby came in today.

THE FULL I LOVE LUCY SERIES!

You may not understand how excited I am.

I was the kid who watched Lucy every day and night. Every time she was on.

I snuck watching Lucy Desi Comedy Hour because it was after my bedtime.

I cried when I found out Lucy smoked because my parents told me smoking was bad.

I cried even more when I found out Lucy and Desi got divorced.

I was perplexed when I found our Ricky was really named Desi!!

I LOVE: I Love Lucy!

and I Love My Husband!

How We Roll in the Meyerott House

Sunday Night Football.

Many people watch it sitting back in a recliner, throwing back a beer and covering their hands in wing sauce.

Not the Hubby, NOPE. He has to hold the Digital Antenna in place to keep our screen clear.

Let me tell you a little about the hubby. He is a penny pincher. If a penny were divided into tenths, he would pinch those too.

He REFUSES to get cable, we had it but he would change between Charter to AT&T and back again every 3 months when the special was up.

If the fines weren't ridiculous, he would steal it.

Cable really is a rip off. I mean my goodness we pay hundreds of dollars a year to sit on our couches and turn into vegetables.

BUT I miss my HGTV, HISTORY CHAN, DISCOVERY, and uhh...MTV.

So anyway this is the hubby's solution. No monthly fees.

I was super excited watching this game. So what if we lost? I got to watch one of my clients score a touchdown!! The first touchdown of the season for the Rams and according to the announcers, his first in the NFL!

Congratulations Laurent! I hope you didn't get hurt there towards the end. I held my breath till you walked off! I'm sure Kat did much of the same!

God Bless you two! Have a wonderful season!

September 11, 2001

Everyone always hates my answer.

There are worse places I could have been. Manhattan for instance.

"Where were you on 9/11?"

My dad's funeral.

I hate saying it.

Not because it makes me sad, because it makes everyone uncomfortable.

Then everyone feels the need to apologize.

I was lucky to have been where I was.

I was standing in a spot where I was safe, surrounded by my entire family. I was at peace knowing my dad had left this earth and gone HOME to God. I got to see a true testament to how much my Dad was loved: Despite the fact that the world seemed as if it was coming to an end, people pried themselves away from the television and came to the funeral. It was packed.

I didn't have the misfortune of wondering if my Dad was in the WTC, on the plane, going to war. I knew right where he was and although I missed him terribly and still do,

I was quite happy to know he was in heaven rubbing elbows with Fats Domino, The Lone Ranger (Giving Silver a carrot for me), Gene Autry, Lawrence Welk, and all of the other Country Western/Music/Mystery Theater guys he had decorated the office walls with.

I wasn't worried about my Dad anymore. He couldn't be in a better place.

It was all of us left here, dealing with the aftermath of life without him who I worried about.

So thats it. Thats where I was.

I hope it doesn't make anyone uncomfortable. Death is a part of life.

The difference here, the one that makes this death joyous is GOD.

I hope this blog makes everyone think about their loved ones.

When they die, will you be comforted by the FACT that you KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are in heaven?

Or will you live the rest of your life with the torment of wondering?

If you don't KNOW,

you have some work to do before it's too late.

I am not including a picture with this blog.

Instead I want you to picture your family and be thankful for all the family drama, hectic holidays, expensive birthdays, and all of the love in between.

Love,

Amy Meyerott

Pickles Anyone??

This spring I had no idea that planting an entire row of cucumbers would produce about 1,000 cucumbers. Andrew was ticked (he wanted more room for his peppers), until he figured out we could make pickles! Neither of us knew step one of canning but we tried and I think we succeeded pretty well. We got my niece Sophia's, who is a pickle connoisseur, seal of approval and thats enough for me.

We made 3 kinds: Dill, Spicy Dill, and Bread and Butter

9 Years: September 8, 2001

How on earth does time go by so fast?

I think of all the life that has gone by that dad didn't get to be here for.

He was a part of everything I did, He saw it, but he wasn't physically HERE for it.

Not by Choice.

I'm very lucky in the sense that my Dad didn't choose to leave us,

God just decided Dad would be an asset to heaven.

Cancer really sucks.

I am going to lose another family member to it in a few days.

Learning to drive. Getting my first car. My first car accident. Prom. High School Graduation. 2 serious Boyfriends. 2 Broken Hearts. Leaving for College. Going to Mexico on a Mission Trip. Getting a 4.0. Family Vacations. Mom having a stroke. Crawling in bed with mom (DRUNK). Deciding to go to Grad School. Getting my first Big Kid job. Bringing home my new boyfriend. Getting engaged. Going to Jamaica. Walking down the aisle. Marrying Andrew. Having our reception. Buying a house. Finishing Grad School... meeting his grandchildren. Holding them. Reading them bedtime stories. Decorating the Christmas Tree. Learning to walk. Learning to ride a bike. Eating Ice Cream on the front porch. Going to the Country. Working in the garden. First day of kindergarten.

I could go on forever.

My dad will no longer be in any pictures. (I say this knowing perfectly well that he was in my wedding video and reception pictures) One day I will show you this. There is just so much I already wish he were physically present for and there is going to be much more to come.

The hardest part will not be walking myself down the aisle.

It will be making sure my kids KNOW their grandpa.

I promised I would do it.

I promised they would also know their great grandparents.

I feel like my husband and (future) kids are really missing out, not getting to know them.

I also think back to my childhood and how perfect it was.

all of the things listed after the ... are my favorite memories with my grandpa, all things my kid will never get to do with theirs.

They will have 2 awesome grandpas though, I can't discredit my in-laws, Bob Meyerott and Bob Cliffe. They both love their grandchildren very, very much. They just aren't my dad. Who was a part of my memories, and my family traditions.

I can't leave this post on a sad note. Dad wouldn't like that much.

I'm just going to recommit my promise to him that I will keep him very much alive.

Love you Dad!

SIDE NOTE: I would personally like to thank everyone who e-mailed me checking to see if I was alright since I hadn't been posting. It means a lot to me that you all care and took the time to check on me. After talking to a few clients I decided to not post for 4 days after I post a client's photos. I forgot how much my clients love being at the top of the blog for a few days. I don't want to take that from them. Pics from the weekend will come tomorrow!

The Miracle Family

Doctors call them the Miracle Twins.

Something that doesn't cross a child's mind is how much of a miracle their existence is.

Having a baby is the most impossible, complex, miracle in the world.

Millions and millions of things need to go exactly right to produce a baby, even more needs to go perfectly to have a healthy baby.

Parents hope and pray each day that their children grow big and strong and it is by the Grace of God that many times, things go just as the parents planned.

Unfortunately too many people don't have it so easy. For example, my mom was told she could not get pregnant and she couldn't thus they adopted me! : )

(Sorry Mom but I'm quite happy about your misfortune)

Like my mom, Melissa was told hope was bleak.

So like many hopeful women, she tried fertility treatments.

For FIVE years.

Melissa FINALLY got pregnant,

but lost the baby at 13 weeks.

So they tried again, and kept trying.

Never giving up.

She wasn't even producing eggs.

Doctors told her not to get her hopes up since there were no eggs to fertilize.

She took six pregnancy tests.

SIX.

And still didn't believe it.

Neither did the doctor when she called Monday morning.

"They have no idea how I conceived - I do it was a lot of Faith!!!"

Not only was it a miracle she got pregnant, it is also a miracle the pregnancy produced 2 beautiful, healthy children.

As soon as the ultrasound started, Mike said, "there are two!"

and sure enough...

33 weeks, and 5 days later

The Miracle Twins met their Miracle Family:

Meet Grace:

And her Twin Brother, Jonathan.

Wow, I just thought about it. Not one, but two eggs were fertilized. One kid would be a miracle baby, two is really significant. They really are Miracle Twins.

I love parents who realize how lucky they are to have children. What I love about these two is they keep the memory fresh in their mind. If Grace turns from incredibly sweet girl to sassy teen and Jonathan picks a college based upon their party status instead of academic ranking, I know their parents will still be overjoyed to have them as their children because they acknowledge on a daily basis how truly precious their children are.

This makes me wish I had a twin brother. : (

I don't care what anyone says. Sometimes secrets really do make friends.

Backlit photos? Yes please!

Did I mention these two don't have WEDDING PICTURES!!!???

Grace and Jonathan, my wish for you is that one day you will realize how special you both are and how much your parents desperately wanted you!