just because i love him

Guess who got his first tooth...

Friday afternoon I found something in Mason's mouth that just didn't seem normal... Wa-la! His first tooth is breaking through... SO EXCITING!!! This kid is just growing up WAY too fast:)

Big Boy Carseat

I shot a wedding in Redlands CA this weekend so Mase got to try out his brand new BIG BOY carseat long distance... he can finally look outside: He's in love:)

Doesn't he look so cute... & SO BIG!

.......

I love you

Updates of the little man

Whew! What a whirlwind the past month has been- Crazy-Crazy!!! There are some major things happening in our household but Seth says I can't post about it unless I go private:( So I'm debating the dreaded 'leave your email' :-)

Mase is doing great though (other than we went to the doctor yesterday and he has ear infections AGAIN in BOTH ears that either never went away from a month ago or a new infection... either way- UGGGH! My poor baby just can't seem to get better) He's accomplishing all kinds of things though, rolling over like crazy, AlMoSt sitting up without support... almost! Eating more foods.. he said "mama" the other day while shopping. I freaked out... granted I don't think he knew what he was saying but still it was still "mama" He's now in his big boy car seat... did anyone else almost cry when that happened..? Anyhow he's growing and doing very well. Enjoy random shots of the little guy:)

This is how I found Mason from his afternoon nap... I couldn't stop laughing. He's quite mobile in his crib now so his head was jammed up in the corner and it gave him a nice hair dew! ha ha

Such a silly boy... pulled of quite the pirate face to match his onesie:-}

He's so cute, when he sleeps he crosses his legs and puts his arms up {-TouchDown-} Actually he always has his feet crossed whether he's laying down, in his car seat or when your holding him, it's like he's just relaxing:)
LoVe HiM

Chel- Chezney's photo's are up over on my photog blog. Thanks for being so patient:)

Sneak Peek: Beautiful Chezney***

Inbetween: Family TiMe!

In between all the events in Utah we were able to have some fun time with our families. I didn't get to many photo's because my memory cards with taken up with photo shoots but I was able to snag a couple:). We had sleepovers with cousins, played down @ grandma's, hiked, mase even had his first four wheeler ride.

Mason's blessing and sealing was the first important event that my gramps wasn't there for, so while we were down at my moms, I took the 'important' person to go see him:)

Okay I'm Serious DONE with these!

Dear Last Nights Earth Quake,

To be honest I really am quite DONE with you. You scare me. Please stay away! Last night you made me rip my baby out of bed and hide under his doorway while denting my new dresser from the things that fell off the shelf above, My lotion cracked from hitting the floor, my bathroom decorations were in the toliet, Masons books on his shelf down, my clock off the wall... Me... almost peeing my pants. Seriously don't come back. Got it? Good! :)

XOXO

Mason Sealing {Salt Lake Temple}

(Sorry for the extremely LONG and mushy posts lately but I print these out for Mason's book so I try to write them detailed for him:)

WARNING: LONGEST POST EVER!!! iF yOU wOULD jUST lIKE tHE pHOTOS, jUST sTART tO sCROLL... yOU'LL eVENTUALLY fIND tHEM:)

WOW! What a day this was!! We waited 1,520 days to have a family... to have Mason. On May 5th Mason was sealed to us, so now we don't only have a family we are blessed with an eternal one. In all honesty it was probably the best ten minutes of Mine and Seth's life. As well as the most unforgettable hour in the temple! The spirit the was in the room was indescribable! We were able to have our families, a few friends, our bishop and members from both angels families attend. We felt SO loved and supported. The spirit was very strong and already present when we entered the hallway. When you go to get sealed as a family, they have you get ready in your dressing rooms (just like when your married) and they take your child to the youth center and have him dressed, he was really sick that day so I had my mom go with him and take care of him. He had started to get sick the night before his blessing, he was still such a good baby for being sick.. you could just tell he wasn't himself. He's always smiling and giggling and he was leaking from his eyes and nose plus running a fever. I felt so bad for him, Monday when we met the Benson's it had just gotten worse. His temp got up to 101.9 so I called the doctor, gave him so meds and put him to bed early. I was totally stressing about his sealing. These were his 'biggest' three days and I have never seen him so sick. When I put him down Monday while still visiting with the Benson's he smiled up at me through his goopy eyes and red flushed cheeks. I almost cried. I knew he sensed these were a big few days and he was doing everything to hang in there. I prayed he would be okay through his sealing. As we went to the temple he still had a temp and wasn't eating alot. We were giving him drugs every 3-4 hours like the doctor told us too. When I had to part with him for an hour I almost died. I wanted to take care of him, however i knew my mom was the next best thing so I tried to relax. An hour later we were brought into the hallway outside of our sealing room full of our family and friends, as we were sitting there we offered a quite prayer of gratitude and for Mason's health. A couple minutes we heard the elevator door open and Mason was wheeled around the corner in a white umbrella stroller. My heart swelled three times it's size in a matter of seconds. His eyes were swollen and red, his cheeks were still flushed yet he smiled ear to ear when he saw us. I couldn't believe he was still a happy kid when he looked that miserable! I felt peace that the Lord would take care of him throughout the sealing. We were brought in the room and truly experienced our heaven on earth. I cannot express how it felt to finally be in that room with Mason. It was so long in the waiting. As he was sealed to us Seth and I were both overcome with emotion. I can't even describe it! Truly best few minutes of my life. We were so grateful for everyone in that room who shared that moment with us. They all brought a piece of the spirit that was there. Mason was so good through it. He stared at his daddy the whole time and the chandler above us. It was something I'll never forget. The only other time I felt that strong of the spirit was last time I was at the alter and that was being sealed to Seth. I'm so grateful the Lord allows us to experience moments like that while we're still here. As we got dressed and went outside for pictures Mason slowed faded... he was getting more miserable by the second. I really think he knew the big "three" days were over and he had done his job.. the sweetheart:) We greeted our family and Mason's amazing angel family and took a few photo's with all of the them. I have always wanted some with us three after his sealing, I've dreamed of taking these pictures... it was our last step, I knew I would have these pictures forever.. I was hesitant now because he was so sick but somehow he again sensed how important these pictures were to mommy and let his personality show through for just a few of them... (now you'll know why he looks all red and swollen in the photo's... poor guy) After our pictures we took him to an insta care on our way back to my in-laws... not where I thought we'd be celebrating his sealing!;) I just laughed when we were waiting for the doctor. I couldn't believe after how long we waited and planned for this Mase was sicker than dog and we were ending up in insta care... then I laughed cause it didn't matter to me. The only thing I cared about was that it happened and that he was getting taken care of. I had a feeling this is how life is with kids... unpredictable! :) My heart was now completely on him and his health. It worried me because every minute we were in the doctors office he got worse. His heart rate was way too high when we got there and his fever was high so the gave him some meds and then they didn't like the way he was breathing so they gave him a chest x ray to check for pneumonia, he was becoming lethargic, not really responding to us and extremely out of it. The checked his temp again and even after the drugs it had gone the other way... now it was up to 102.6. I started to really panic. They immediately gave him more drugs. When they left the room I started to cry and hold him tight. Seth and I feared something might really be wrong then we remember the blessing he received the night before his sealing and he was promised he'd be given the strength he needs. We prayed right then and there and our faith was renewed. The doctors were so sweet, we were in Utah and we were all dressed in White so they got the picture and were so compassionate. He ended up having bad ear infections in both ears, conjunctivitis in both eyes and a upper respiratory infection! They doctor said she didn't know how he had hung on this long, that he probably couldn't ear very well and was having extreme pressure... my heart just broke. What are the odds... the timing?! My sweet little boy hung on for his big days and then was done. She mentioned how fast he went down hill while just sitting there. She gave him a shot that they usually don't give babies unless their allergic to the meds or failed the ten day treatment but because of his condition and how late it was she said he needed it. So with two doses of meds and a shot, his temp finally went down to 101.8 and they let us leave. Within an hour of receiving the shot we could already see a difference. While giving him a bath, he started playing around so I joked with him now that everything was done and everybody was gone.. now he smiled!! and yes he literally giggled and splashed his bath water all over me. I couldn't help but laugh... and the photos that I was so worried about him looking drugged in are adorable to me.. it's just what happened, it's life and just like my wedding day all of our planning failed but the most important thing took place and that was the temple... The Lord has a way of continually teaching me what is important and for that I am so grateful... :) Sick or not... best day of my life, felt like I was floating. {YES, I'm holding him in almost every photo. A: because he was sick B: because I wanted too:)}

Anderson Fam {Sneak Peek}

Erika & Carrie (Andrea's will be finished this weekend)... Your photo's are DONE & a few of them are posted over on my photography blog! I'll be mailing your CD's out this weekend or the beginning of next week:)

Meeting the Benson's... A day to Remember!

The day Mason was born was pure joy for us, our dreams had come true... however for a family that was hundreds of miles away, and who were strangers at the time, that day was pure devastation ... Two drastic different events, only hours apart... Oct 7th, when Mason came into the world, their son left. Their son, was our son's birth father. This was a totally unexpected 'chapter' in our adoption and in the lives of the Benson family (they did not know of Mason until after their son had passed) and somehow the Lord in all of his wisdom and power has turned this bittersweet day into a blessing full of love, acceptance, understanding and peace that was meant to be. For seven months we've communicated over email with this family... we were strangers connected by something.. someone that was a special part of each of us. Through the months of communication we fell in love with this family. Our hearts have ached for their loss in a way that you would think that we knew and loved their son as well. Through the spirit we almost feel like we do. Strange? Absolutely! We never expected this... I don't know what we expected? We knew it would be different. We even expected it to be emotional, amazing and life changing but we did not expect to have the situation on both sides that we do... to love and have gained two new groups of incredible strangers as family... to have my son carry on such a scared piece of some one's life, someone he never met but who I have no doubt knows him. Our lives have been forever changed this last year. I have felt the Lords love and graciousness more than ever before. This situation had every possibility to become 'sticky' and because of the spirit, truthfulness of eternal families, the gospel, promptings, the willingness to listen, acceptance & love we have become one big family. I feel beyond blessed. Mason is the luckiest kid I know. He has bought people together, closure to events, hearts to soften and joy to everyone around him. The night before his sealing we had the amazing opportunity of meeting the Benson family after seven months of heartfelt emails. Parents, siblings, a niece, grandparents and a cousin of Mason's birth father came into our home. I almost can't even describe what was felt. So I'm not going to try. All I can say is it was one of the most emotional, rewarding, deep, growing experiences of my life. I will forever be thankful to this family for their love and acceptance. It is through their sacrifice that we have our son. That will never be forgotten. It was so neat to see them with Mason...That night our families joined and it felt like we were never strangers, it was instant family. I'm so grateful for a Heavenly Father that allowed us that connection and spirit as well as blessed us to be apart of this amazing story. I so enjoyed and soaked in everything about Mason's birth father, someday I pray I can convey and share that with him. Fortunately it looks like they'll be around to help me....

(Where is Mason in this picture??? Yeah the kid was extremely sick. He started to get sick the day of his blessing .. I'll write more detail later.. so during this picture he was in bed)