Leah & Phil are MARRIED!

Yesterday, after almost 2 years of anticipation, we had the honor and joy of celebrating the marriage of my cousin Leah to Mr. Phillip J. Herman! It was a perfect day from start to finish...

Daddy escorted Mommy & Lola to the salon in the morning to get beautified. Lola sat so perfectly for her first up-do. Mommy got a chance to get her makeup done again by the incredible Lizette, who did my wedding day makeup. And the stylist who did my updo was a hair magician, I swear!

We then headed over to Auntie Karen & Uncle Dave's to meet the beautiful bride and the rest of the wedding party. Leah was a KNOCK OUT in her dress! When we went with her for the final fitting to learn the bustle, I totally started crying because the dress was just perfect for her. She looked amazing! And it was also so special to see AK & Uncle Dave all dressed up, looking so elegant!

The ceremony went off without a hitch. The flower girls and ring bearer walked perfectly up the aisle and then Lola slept through the entire Mass, even though I had bought her new toys to play with in case of emergency. The church was PACKED! And the groom--oh the groom. His eyes were filled with the sweetest tears as he saw his bride walking up the aisle on the arm of her Daddy. It was a BEAUTIFUL ceremony!

After the ceremony, we headed to the reception place--The Patrick Haley Mansion. WOW! A huge historical mansion with room after room to explore, a gorgeous hall for a delicious dinner, and a magnificent garden space perfect at both day and night.

I don't have any reception pics, but the wedding was documented by the incredible Molly Grace of VRAI Photography, so I will be sure to share the link as soon as they are up. It was one heck of a party. The first dance was like nothing else I'd ever seen--Phil and Leah started dancing to a nice slow dance--and then the next thing you know, the music changes and there are the new Mr. & Mrs. dancing a choreographed dance to perfection. Wow, what a night!

Enjoy some of the pics:

Leah & Phil 7.30.11

Leah & Phil's Wedding Rehearsal

On Thursday evening, we celebrated Leah & Phil's wedding rehearsal. The two little flower girls, Lola & Tessa, were adorable! They were also little ping pong balls and almost went for a double re-baptism in the fountain! Ha! They are walking up and down the aisle with the ring bearer who is in 2nd grade, so we're hoping he'll keep them on track!

We then had a lovely dinner hosted by Phil's parents at Papa Joe's. The girls were awesome, played so nice and at the end of the evening, the bride and groom gifted their wedding party with some pretty awesome gifts as a thank you.

It's hard to believe the big day is just a few hours away. We are so excited and are so honored to be apart of it all!

Here's the album--and that's my Lilly Pulitzer dress from John I am wearing!

Leah & Phil's Rehearsal

Puffs!

At the suggestion of our OT, we bought some puffs so Johnny could start working on self-feeding. I was shocked at how well he did the first go-around! He managed to get one in his mouth and a few others very close. Good job, buddy!

More Bath Fun

Bath Fun

All I did was drop the washcloth on his belly and these are the laughs that ensued...

Flower Girl {practice}

Leah and Phil's wedding is just one week away! Lola was practicing her role for the day this afternoon. I know she's going to do great!

{brother & sister}

Playing together is so much fun.

fun in the sun.

Our cousin Patti invited us over to swim in her awesome pool this afternoon. What a needed relief! It has been unbearably HOT here the last few days!

Swim buddies.

Poolside with Grammy. Our little fish, who can't get enough of swimming!

Columbus

We went on a mini-vacation last week--in other words, we accompanied John on a business trip to Columbus, Ohio. And we had so much fun!

I'd never been to Columbus so I wasn't sure what to expect but I researched the area we were going to be staying in while there and instantly feel in love with it. It reminded me of the area we live in, only better. (I could also just be saying that because there was so much new to explore!)

Our daily routine consisted of dropping John off at work bright and early in the morning, then heading back to the hotel for coffee and breakfast, heading back out to explore/play, heading back to the hotel for naps, picking Daddy up and doing dinner, then back to the hotel to sleep and do it all again the next day. And of course, several trips to the hotel pool, too.

It was SO AWESOME to not have to do any housework, cooking, errands, etc. for one straight week. I know it isn't real life, but it was fun to get away and be carefree for 5 days! We all need that every now and then.

Here are so camera phone pics from the week:

Columbus, Summer 2011

But then she says things like this...

Lola: "Mommy, you're my best mommy in the whole world."

Some days are just like this...

Johnny--in action!

Johnny is just about 8 months old now! I know his 1st birthday is going to be here before we know it and we’re going to be asking “How did that happen?!”. This year has been flying by...

He fills our hearts with SO MUCH joy. He continues to give us smiles that melt our hearts continuously. He talks to us with his sweet sounds. And he shows us he is strong and determined.

He has been in physical and occupational therapy for 4 months now and has made incredible gains. When we found out about his condition, he was only 2 months old and not doing anything yet. Now, 6 months later, he is doing so much.

In regards to fine motor, he has awesome use of his little hands--ESPECIALLY when it’s bottle time. We just show it to him and he grabs it and feeds himself so well. He grabs at everything--anything within reach he assumes is for his taking.

In regards to gross motor--wow. These videos will illustrate where he is at, but he is pushing up so strong through his arms and starting to get up on all fours and rock! This may not seem like a big deal but our physical therapist is THRILLED! He is still working on sitting independently--he is getting better, but his tummy muscles are still pretty weak and its hard for him to sit up perfectly straight. But as you can see from the video, he is getting there. He pivots around 360 degrees to get a better view of his world.

Johnny has amazed us these last 6 months--we have thrown the “milestone” books out the window and we know he will just be doing things in his own time. We are so thankful for all that he is doing at this point and we know there is so much more good to come. He has showed us all just how much potential he has to learn.

LEAH'S BACHELORETTE!

Matron of Honor-Bride-Maid of Honor

Shortly after Leah & Phil got engaged, she asked me to be her Matron-of-Honor. And we all know that one of the MOH's main responsibilities is making sure she has one fantastic last "fling"--in addition to being there for the bride in any way she needs you on the big day--and leading up to it, of course!

Keli, Leah's cousin on her Mom's side, is Leah's Maid-of-Honor. She is also a great gal to plan a party with. Last weekend, our months of planning Leah's Bachelorette party paid off as we celebrated our girl with a fantastic party. We started off at Leah's house with some delicious food. We showered her with some fun honeymoon "necessities" and then hopped in a stretch limo headed for the city. We learned a chair strip tease dance at Flirty Girl Fitness (SO MUCH FUN)--and then danced several more hours at LaSalle Power Company.

Here's an album of our fun times--just the first half. No way I was bringing my camera downtown--I was drinking, of course! Crazy to think the big day is just TWO WEEKS AWAY!

Leah's Bachelorette

{the nowinski family}

I had the joy of shooting my best friend Alissa and her beautiful family last weekend--on the occasion of Ellyana Grace's 3rd birthday and Kyleena Katherine's 1st birthday! The were the perfect models for me as I continue to improve my photography skills--and I love that I was able to give them a gift that will last forever. They are wonderful friends to our family...

{the nowinski family}