Zoe's 1st Birthday!!!

So even though I didn't get this post up until now... we did manage to celebrate Zoe's Birthday ON her birthday... AUGUST 26TH!!! Being as I have been a frequent visitor to the bathroom more than I would like and my nausea is still very present, I opted for a very low-key and quaint birthday party for Zoe. I don't think I could of done much more and really it was just nice to spend this time with family--in person and not over the phone or on Skype acorss the country.

Although we sorely miss our Philly friends Zoe still managed to have a good birthday party. The theme was "Birthday Princess"!!! Hahaa... I know really original, but I couldn't resist the hat and wand. She had her very own birthday cake personally made by the baker himself..and a very lovely cake for the rest of us, courtesy of my mother. (I feel like a yucky mommy since I can't do much for her, but I promised Zoe and myself...they we would try harder next year....and--I can guarentee I won't be puking my guts up then If I have anything to say about it.)

Anyways... so she didn't particularly wear her crown for long but she did like carring it around and waving her wand for eveyone to see. She was a perfect angel all day and even though we kept her up way late to open her presents and eat her cake--(we had to wait for daddy to get home from the hospita) ---she was a champ her first birthday and tackled her cake and presnts like an old pro. She was so sweet and such a delight to watch open all of her presents, she's quite animated for a 1-year-old.








Zoe is so funny to watch... She got lots of books, clothes and little toys, but it was quite apparent what her favories were... her baby doll (mommy and daddy), barbie doll and laptop (nanna and grandpa) and her very own nail polish set (grandma and grandpa Pollei).






HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZOE ---WE LOVE YOU!!!!!-- Cake pictures are too come!!

I know..I know...

ok, ok so I am a tad bit lame and way over due for my posts. Here is the latest so that I can gain a little sympathy for my really bad and long streak of non-bloggging. (pictures are too come)!

August--Month of Change-

August 9th... TAYLOR'S BIRTHYDAY!!! Yes we are officially in our "late 20's"--- Taylor turned 28 this year. We went to breakfast in Lancaster with some long time friends and totally pigged out on pancakes, waffles...eggs benedict.....bacon and whatever else you can think of when you eat breakfast...if it was there I think we tried it. Then we went to P.F Changs for dinner had ourselves some good old lettuce wraps, kung-pao chicken, some other chicken (can't remember the name) and a huge slice of their famous chocolate cake... yum!!!! (Thanks to Amanda and Pete for babysitting).

August 14th... MOVING DAY! Yup that's right...for those of you who don't know, Taylor is doing 3 away rotations--- 4 weeks at UCI (Irvine, California), 4 weeks at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale AZ, and 4 weeks in SLC at the U of U. Zoe and I are with him and so we are not in Philly right now. Currently we are basking in the Sun in good ol' Cali, but because I am soo sick, we settle for the backyard pool rather then venturing to the beach (which we will be doing shortly). We are here until mid Sept and then we leave to AZ for a month and so on. I will be staying in California for the majority of my time here mainly because it's hard to travel and I need all the help I can get with Zoe. (Nanna is coming in real handy =) and so is Brenan surprisingly)!! We have sub-leased our house so we really can't go back until Janurary of next year. Taylor will be interviewing all the month of December for ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) or aka Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Residency positions. We won't know where we match until March (right when I am due).

August 26th....Zoe turns ONE!!!

So as you can see I have been busy packing my house up for a 6 month adventure on the West Coast, taking care of my "oh so independent little one" and trying to not be too sick. I promise I will be more on top of the blogging and for those of you awaiting your photoshoots... they are coming on will be shipped soon.

What??!!??!!?

Sooo.. Zoe has something to tell all of you!!








Ya.. you read it right!!! Are you freaking out yet???? Zoe's not but mom is! Hahaha!! So the rumor if you haven't heard by now is... True!! I am due March 10 (but Grandma Corbin's b-day is March 2nd so she might have to share her birthday!!! ) So this might explain the lack of blog entrys lately and the photoshoots that I have yet to post. I've been feeling really yucky so far, which is new for me, since my last pregnancy I was hardly sick. We are thrilled and can't wait to meet our new little arrival. Yes... it was planned and they will be 19 MONTHS A PART!! Yup... I know, I'm crazy. So there you go-- that's the latest!

More pictures from the 4th!!

More from this 4th of July Month

So sorry that the rest of our Niagra Falls and Palymra Trip are just now being put on our blog. We had soo much fun. With out going into major detail on every single picture... I will just say that the pictures with us in yellow raincoats are of us going down under the waterfalls (Bridal Vail is where they let you walk right up to and get all wet.) They call it "Cave of the Mists" And Yes... we took Zoe right up to it. She got sopping wet, but of course I don't have a picture to show you of that because my camera needed a new battery exactly at that moment.

The ones with the blue raincoats are when we went on the "Maid of the Mist" boat ride. This one is where you go up to both the Canadian and the American Falls and get to be all up close with them. It was so darn wet that at one point you literally can't see anything except white mist--it's quite blinding actually. Nonetheless we didn't spare our 10 month old and she of course got sopping wet there too. Despite our wettness it was quite hot that day so it was refreshing to get a little cooldown throughout the day. In future pictures... if you see little people with yellow raincoats walking around on stairs under a waterfall... those I took from the boat. (and thats just a better look at where we were with our brave little Zoe).

AND THE WINNER IS.....

Brooke!!!!!!

The name of my photography will be known as:

AMBER POLLEI PHOTOGRAPHY

Yea!! So I know what you are thinking--it's not very original-- and I could have come up with that one all on my own, but I had to see what else was out there. After reading all of your very amazing suggestions and thinking really long and hard about this (I know its seriously not that big of deal), I decided to go with something that used my name, but wasn't too difficult to remember. Special thanks to all of you who participated and tried hard to help me out with this.

My goal: To build my portfolio. My website is "under" construction right now and therefore is not viewable at this time. That's where you guys come in. I am possibly moving from Philadelphia in less than 1 year, so unluckily I might not be here for long.

In the mean time I am looking for willing participants to let me snap pictures and build my portfolio. Although I am going out of town for a few weeks starting in September, I would love to squeeze in as many of you that would like to particpate. I will take pictures of anything you want.. family, kids, babies, bellies, and engagements.

Prices:

$35- For my travel, session fee & DVD

Session will be 60-90 minutes in length and your choice of location
DVD includes 100+ images including black and whites of all images

Portraits will also be availble to order if you would like

You can contact me at: amberpollei@mac.com or you can call me if it's easier

(Brooke you won---contact me when you want to redeem your session)

Our Trip Part 1--

For the fourth of July weekend we went to Palmyra NY and saw the Hill Cumorah, Sacred Grove, Visitor's Center, Smith's Family Farm, and Home, the Grandin Publishing Inc.. (orginal publication spot of Book of Mormon), and sites of the little town. It was very spiritual despite the long dry and crying baby in the back seat... we really had a lot of fun. We have more photos to come of Niagra falls.