I had the opportunity to take pictures of my very handsome nephew, Ethan. He was a good sport, because let me tell you, 5-year-old little boys are not exactly excited about having their picture taken! haha! But he did great and he’s just too handsome for words!

I forgot to mention in my previous post that the ultrasound technician “thought” that the twins were sharing a placenta, which would mean that they are identical twins. I thought that was interesting because identical twins do not come about from fertility medication — fertility drug twins are fraternal (multiple eggs). Identical twins are a complete fluke.

However, we could have fraternal twins with fused placentas or placentas that are really, really close together. My doctor will probably order a Level II ultrasound to find out for sure. Then, of course, there’s always DNA testing after they are born, which will confirm for sure.

We do know that they have a membrane separating their amniotic sacs, which is good: less chance for cord entanglement. A shared placenta, however, puts them at risk for Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, where one twin “steals” the nutrients from the other, inhibiting one twin’s growth. Time will tell!

In other news . . . . Baby A has a name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You’ll have to ask me to find out what it is! LOL!

Baby B will have a name as soon as my husband gives in . . . hahaha! I’ll keep you posted. So far, I’m losing.

Apparently when my OB/Gyn did my first sonogram, he didn’t probe around enough . . . because today I went in for an elective ultrasound and there indeed were TWO babies!!! The funny thing about the whole story is that I knew I was having twins! For one, I was on Clomid to conceive this time (a fertility drug that helps you ovulate mature eggs). Clomid increases your chances of having twins by 10%. Also, Devyn was conceived as a twin (we had vanishing twin syndrome), so I knew that I was already predisposed to dropping two eggs. I also had a hunch that my doctor was doing the first ultrasound (not scheduled), because my Hcg levels were through the roof (hence the insane morning sickness).

Alas, when the first ultrasound showed one baby, I was a little bit taken aback. Well, I was shocked actually. I thought for sure I was having twins. But I accepted the fact that there was one. Well . . . kind of . . . . I kept looking online for “hidden twin” and “twins hiding in ultrasound pictures.” All of the research suggested that twins not showing up on an ultrasound is extremely rare and not likely. I was still skeptical. My husband kept telling me to quit looking up twin ultrasounds on the internet and that I was “setting myself up for disappointment.” He was satisfied with what the doctor had said . . . but I still felt like the doctor didn’t look around closely enough.

Last week, I read in my pregnancy book that I should be able to feel my abdomen and feel my uterus about 3″ below my bellybutton. Well . . . I could feel my uterus about 1″ ABOVE my bellybutton, which put at 1 month ahead in my pregnancy if it was one baby. Then, I started to feel the baby move. It was way up at my waistline, to the left of my bellybutton. But two days later, I felt the baby move again . . . only this time it was down low and to the right.

I had to have another ultrasound to check it out. I thought I was going crazy (so did my husband). When I got there, the ultrasound technician asked if I was there to find out if it was a boy or a girl. I said, “No, I’m here to find out if I am crazy or not.”

Sure enough . . . according to the ultrasound, I am NOT crazy (hahahaha! Yes, I know some people disagree . . . LOL!)

We are indeed having two babies . . . two girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So . . . my life just got a little crazier than I thought it was going to be!!!! But it’s all good. We are SO excited!

-shawna K

You may have noticed that the shopping cart under “Client Area” is currently out of order. Have no fear, you will still be able to access your images. I have been working overtime to re-upload and post your weddings and portrait sessions, and the links on my site should be functioning soon. In the meantime, if you would like to access your images, please go to the following link:

www.shawnakstudio.com/clients.php

From there, you should see a list of the events I have uploaded to the system. If your event is not there by the end of the week and you were expecting it to be there, please drop me an email so I can re-post it for you. Unfortunately, due to a dispute with Domain Registries of America (one of the shadiest companies I have ever encountered), I am unable to access the old shopping cart. As such, I am re-posting from memory (scary, I know!).

Also, you will notice that the log-in has changed (among other things). Please follow the directions at the top of the page to login. Your passwords will remain the same.

Username: guest
Password: [same password you were given before]

You will also notice that there is no button for “add to favorites.” However, I recommend that if you wish to keep a list of your favorites, you can simply click “Add to Album.” I was able to access the former favorite listings for a few clients. If you need me to retrieve your favorites list, I need to know by August 30, 2006.

Overall, I hope you will find this viewing and shopping experience quite enjoyable once I get all the little quirks worked out and everybody’s events back online. You should be able to view your images with more clarity than ever before. You will also see added options for previewing in black-and-white and sepia, as well as examples of cerulean images and my signature “warm black-and-white” images.

If you have any questions or need any assistance with your online galleries, please feel free to email me at shawna@shawnakstudio.com.

Thank you!

Dear Clients,

If your pictures are currently online for viewing and ordering, please note that the format of the shawna K studio shopping cart system is about to change. We are hoping to transfer all of your images to the new system before we remove the old system. Your passwords will remain the same. Please let us know if you are having any difficulty accessing your images and we will be glad to assist you.

Thank you for your understanding! We’re excited about the new system and it should make your photo viewing and buying experience easier and more enjoyable.

Photographers: If you are interested in learning more about our shopping cart system, please feel free to email me.

Sincerely,

shawna K

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted to the blog. We’ve been battling illness after illness here at our household. But in better news . . . after 8 months of trying, I am finally pregnant!

Today, we were supposed to go in to hear the heartbeat on the fetal doppler (which we did), but my doctor also surprised us with an unexpected ultrasound! It was so fun! The baby is due around Valentine’s Day. I will probably stop photographing weddings in December, and will return to work in July. I’m taking a lot of time off because I’ll have a toddler and a newborn at home. I think I’ll need some time off!

So, I’m 13 weeks along–finally in my second trimester! Devyn is sooooo excited to be a big sister. She can’t wait and she loves to “kiss the baby” in my tummy. It’s so cute! Here’s the baby!

Oh, and I should add . . . when I told Devyn that the doctor took pictures of the baby today, she said, “Awwww . . . that’s so sweet.” It was hysterical!