Officially discharged

tj with is screen mom waiting for hair and make-up last weekend.

Friday TJ had his follow up appt with the Neurologist. A few months ago TJ was throwing up in the morning...just in the morning and then he was fine. The doc put him back on his migraine medicine for a couple weeks. TJ had Cyclic Migraines which causes you to throw up in the morning and then be fine. Its somehow associated with regular migraines. TJ took the meds a couple times then stopped. That medication really knocks you out. Thankfully he was fine and the vomiting stopped.

So, we went for our follow up. I was taken back when the doctor said  "Well, I am officially discharging you" that simple statement just took me by surprise. We have been going to the Neurologist for 2 years. I had tears of happiness in my eyes. We have come so far and I guess I never expected it end. Of course if anything changes we go right back.

After 25 months TJ is living a pretty normal life again. He still struggles with headaches every time it rains or is threatening to rain . The extreme heat and humidity bothers him too.He still has light sensitivity.

TJ is back hanging with friends on the weekends, has a 4.12 GPA (that's with no honors classes, but he does have AP Computer Science with a perfect score) TJ has a smile on his face and a spark back in his eyes. Once again my TJ is sweet, happy and witty. Tj also works every weekend

Another thing, TJ reads non-stop now. He downloads book after book onto his phone and is constantly reading. I love it!

This cracks me up, of course TJ and his dang food issues has craft services always buying him specialty food. Chicken, muffins and goldfish are pretty much a staple on the set for him.  The rest of the cast and crew eat hot catered meals. I honestly think the boy will starve when he goes to college

It sure is nice to put this ordeal behind us as much as we can

Beautiful Baby M

A few months a ago my girlfriend asked if she could buy a photography session as a baby shower gift for her cousin

Why sure!

The session was scheduled for last Saturday. Family Values was filming at out house in the morning and my shoot was scheduled for the afternoon. I was coming off a hectic week. I drove an hour south and my worst nightmare came true, I had my camera bag but no camera. I had left the camera on my couch.  OMG! I was so humiliated I could of died.

We rescheduled for yesterday morning. I was kinda nervous because it was cloudy and I was shooting indoor. I was concerned about light.

Well, this was one of the most enjoyable shoots I've done. The baby was amazing, cute, happy and could hold her head up.

I also bought a new lens this week an 85 mm which lets in so much light that my shots are fantastic! A must have for any photographer! I am building a nice collection as I now have 5 different lenses. 

Look at the crispness and pop in the eyes. It also creates a stronger blur in the background. I shot in front of sliding glass doors and no silhouette 

This review put tears in my eyes

Nicole M

I can't begin to explain how wonderful Mary is as a photographer!! In July I received a gift certificate for a 

in home photo shoot for my baby shower. I never met Mary didn't even know her work. The people that 

gave it to me said they loved her work, so I took their word for it. So yesterday (Saturday 11/17/13) my 

husband, our daughter and I met Mary. She was kind, sweet, creative and so much more with our 

daughter. We were thrilled with how well the photo shoot went. The next day Mary emailed me some

 sample shots and my husband started to cry on how beautiful the pictures were. He couldn't believe how 

Mary captured the littlest movements...that moment was priceless to me and it was all because of Mary.

 From this day forward we our happy to say Mary will watch our daughter grow cause we will be hiring 

her 

to do her pictures from this day forward...

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Look at the eyelashes 

She put her little feet up by herself

Family values welcomes new cast members

                                    Shannon Brown

So we had some cast changes/additions. We all got to meet Shannon and Kendyl on Sunday. TJ filmed from 9 am - 6 or 7pm? The cast is really comfortable with each other so its fun all day long.

Small world- Kendyls mom and I met at the Divergent fitting. We sat together while the kids were being dressed.

I don't really have anything new to blog about.

TJ did book a MTV video for a famous singers new album...that should be fun! Keep you posted on that

brother and sister

just playing with textures

Family Values comes to Chateau McGinty

Family Values needed a teen boys bedroom to film a scene in. Well, I happen to have a teen boy with a new teen boy bedroom. The cast and crew came Saturday and set up shop. It was great for TJ! Instead of getting up at the crack of dawn to drive to location he slept until 9, showered and pretty much spent the next 4 hrs in bed. It did get quite warm in there with the lights

It was nice having everyone at our house. Tim was able to meet everyone and get a glimpse into the Peterson family.

I spent Friday repairing a hole and painting parts of TJ's room. The paint dates back to 2005. Menards did great on matching the color. The only problem with the room was it was too clean...not a "teen room" So they messed it up a little. Had they come a day earlier I would of passed out gas masks

The director needed a picture of TJ to block the TV logo on the TV. This shot from when TJ was 3 at our little house in Oak Park was a perfect fit.

Could he be any cuter?!

Just having some fun - Crew above

 TJ trying to stay in character (moody teen)

I really hope this series takes off, It is so funny and messed up. When you film a comedy, you hire funny people so a day with this group is non-stop laughs.

I am so thrilled TJ gets to be a part of it.

Halloween

While Halloween was fun, I still feel cheated. I decorated the house in the rain on Halloween with ghosts that flapped and howled in the wind. I forgot to take pictures of our jack o lanterns and Katie and Cal together in their costumes. I have been so off my game lately, I spent the majority of the week dying  from muscle spasms in my neck, shoulders and skull. I over did it at bootcamp. Ever have a muscle spasm in your neck? So creepy

Callahan went as Dr Who (Eleventh Doctor) and Katie went as Amy Pond, Dr Who's sidekick. She looked just like the picture below. They were totally cute and wore their costumes to school Friday.

Such a Callahan thing to be

Every year I end up making a costume for Karrick, not because I'm crafty, but because he comes up with costumes that you cant buy. This years started with the mask, a really creepy bird mask.

I bought a brown curtain panel on clearance and many bags of feathers that I glued on with spray adhesive. I sewed the panel onto a black long sleeve shirt. It was really kind of scary.

Due to the rain, trick or treating with friends was put om hold. When it finally stopped and 2 of Karrick's girlfriends (friends that are girls) stopped by so he joined them.

We usually have a chairs and fire pit in the driveway and hang outside all night

We went to Stades farm a few weeks ago for pumpkins, it was pretty cool. I had an engagement photo shoot scheduled there so we made it a family event sans TJ...always working

Some of the shots, they really turned out cute and I can't wait to shoot their wedding next year