Andrea Dozier Dayton Wedding & Lifestyle Photography

Stephanie Wilmoth - March 13, 2010 - 10:03 pm

OMG!!! These are THE most amazing pictures!!!! SUCH a gorgeous family! I can’t wait to see pics of baby #2!! :o) Best of luck to you guys!!
(Andrea.. I’ve been interested in getting my daughter Peyton’s 3 month pictures, along with famly pictures.. what are you’re prices?? Your photography is absolutely stunning!) LOVE it!
Andrea - March 14, 2010 - 10:31 am

Thank you Stephanie, I can’t wait to meet her baby either! I will send you an e-mail with my pricing menu, thank you so much for asking! {I’ve seen Peyton on your Facebook, she’s ADORABLE! It would be great to see you again!}

March 10, 2010

Everything looks better sprinkled with a little sunlight…

Last month brought some amazing discoveries, as well as some difficult news. We found out {finally} that my son Kevin will be having a little brother! I have so many curiosities about this lovely little baby. Will he be a clone of Rocky the way Kevin is? Will he be shy or more outgoing? It’s been almost four years since Kevin was born, I can’t wait to have a tiny baby in my arms again. The anticipation of meeting him is often on my mind.

We also learned that my husband {probably, for sure} won’t be here when this little man makes his appearance in the world. He’ll miss it by about half a month. We’ve known this could be a possibility, but it was still hard to digest the actual announcement. I took some time to ponder this news and not so eloquently fall apart.
I wish I had the emotional capabilities of other military wives I’ve met & read about. Women who don’t flinch at the prospect of much more difficult scenarios, women who build empires as busy single moms, women who keep it all together & even thrive during deployments. I am envious of their strength.

I am {slowly} accepting the changes & preparing myself for what is ahead. The most valuable picture in my studio is from an ultrasound that I framed. At twelve weeks, this lovely baby held up his hand and showed us the tiniest five fingers I’ve ever seen before. I’ve been looking at his “high five” and feeling revived that he’s already melting my heart & inspiring courage. New life always brings joy.

I’ve begun a running list of everything that is going for me & what I can be thankful for:

I live close to family & close friends. I will have support during my labor & assistance after Kevin’s brother gets here. This is huge & I realize it’s clearly an exception in the military world. I’m thankful.
I have six months to lose this baby weight… I’m {almost} guaranteed to be smaller when he gets back.
We can talk on Skype often. I still like sending some handwritten letters, but nothing beats seeing him on the screen {besides seeing him for real…}.
As much as I hate the idea of Rocky missing summer, it’s easier to stay busy when we can leave the house and enjoy the weather.
After I take some maternity leave, I have some gorgeous weddings lined up. I can look forward to capturing them & doing what I love.
When I’m not working, I will be busy taking thousands and thousands of pictures of the boys. Rock will be thoroughly updated on our daily adventures.
Rock will be at a stable location.
Kevin will be a great big brother. He’s competent at following directions & helping me. When he chooses not to, bribing with peanut M&M’s works wonders.
Rocky should be home sometime before Christmas. It will be amazing.
Unnamed baby boy {who is really starting to need a name!} will be ready to roll, crawl, & start teething when he meets his Daddy. Rock can watch & applaud all the biggest milestones in person.
When he returns, Rock will be on desert time for a while until he adjusts to our time zone. He’ll be up all night & want to go to bed early. He’ll have no problem hanging out with a teething baby while I blissfully catch up on some sleep.
I’ll have plenty of time to rent all the chick flicks he doesn’t care for. {I must give the man credit, he did endure New Moon in its entirety at the theater}.
Just like last time, we will learn a temporary normal. I’m thankful for the adjective “temporary.”
Every lonely minute will be forgotten when we see him walk through the terminal. It will be pure euphoria when he meets his son, reunites with Kevin, and kisses me like it’s the first time.Â â™¥

{The adorable brown envelope & its yummy contents is curtesy of Alli from Hooray Design…Â can’t wait until she restocks her Etsy shop!}

6 comments

Amy Hahn - March 10, 2010 - 12:59 pm

First off, I love your new blog! Looks amazing. Second, I am sorry he won’t be here. As you know, I’m 5 months into our 2nd yearlong+ deployment in 2 years, so I know all too well what you’re going through right now. I too envy the strength of other women, but I have to remind myself that I am strong, too, no matter how many times a week (or day) I fall apart. It’s not an easy life we live, and one many people will never understand, but you’re strong in your own way and you’ll make it through! Looks like we’ll both have a great Christmas this year!……..Unless, of course, the Army decides to extend my husband =P
Kerry - March 11, 2010 - 5:37 pm

Andrea,
I love this post! You’ve got a rough road ahead of you, but I am so happy to see you note all of the things for which you are thankful. It’s good to not focus on just the negative in these types of situations. I too have met and read about some military wives with emotional capabilities I myself will never possess. I know it’s their (the hubbies’) job, and I know they’re fighting for our country, and I know that’s why we love them, but sometimes I would just want a pity party. I mean no married woman should have to be a single parent…for any amount of time! You’ll get through this…and come out stronger for having survived!!
p.s. I LOVE the ultrasound pic — how cute are those little fingers?!
Mandy Anderson - March 11, 2010 - 8:51 pm

Andrea, your new page looks amazing. I have said it before and will say it again, you are fantastic at what you do. Absolutley beautiful. 🙂
Andrea - March 19, 2010 - 10:54 am

Thanks Mandy, so happy for you with your engagement!
Amy & Kerry, just wanted to thank you so much for your encouraging words! We are really blessed that we’ve had an idea of what to expect and that we have a lot of support. The more time I have to plan, the easier it is on me. I’ll be wrapping up some Fall weddings then he’ll be here soon after. Christmas is definitely going to be a very good time this year!
Simply Bloom Workshop | Styled Shoot » Andrea Dozier | Boutique Photography - April 28, 2010 - 10:43 pm

[…] Thank you for sharing this experience with me as I revisit such a fantastic workshop! In the final part, I will share how they’ve impacted me personally at this “interesting” season in my life. […]
Write your hurts in the sand, carve your blessings in stone » Andrea Dozier Wedding Photography based in Dayton, Ohio - January 18, 2012 - 11:10 am

[…] not very easy to admit that I’ve been going through a difficult time, but this blog has always been so personal {here & here} & if it’s my legacy to the world… I […]

March 3, 2010

Wicked at the Schuster Center

When my husband was deployed in 2008, I took my younger brother & sister to Chicago for the day. I love being in big cities, but I’m not so great with driving through them. Part of me just wanted to be able to say I was a big girl and drive there by myself. We roamed the streets for a little while enjoying all the usual sights, Millennium Park, the amazing Cloud Gate {large Jellybean sculpture}, & all the shops. Then something green & black caught my eye. I thought it was some kind of Halloween decoration, since it was October.
I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but I liked it:

As the days grew colder and lonelier, I found that taking 2 1/2 year old Kevin to Barnes & Noble was an excellent idea. He would play with the wooden Thomas the Train tracks while I would indulge in a book. One evening, something green & black caught my eye. A huge table displayed the same artwork I saw in Chicago. Although it wasn’t a Halloween decoration.
It was Wicked.

I eagerly bought the book and was deliciously surprised by Gregory Maguire’s imagination. I fell in love with the real Elphaba & her unfortunate circumstances that lead others to misunderstand her. I was amazed at the intricacies in his fable, the motifs he carried into Son of A Witch so fluidly. I told Rock about my new obsession and he bought me the third book, A Lion Among Men, for Christmas when he came home. This year, he surprised me with tickets to see Wicked the Musical at the Schuster Center here in Dayton. I was swooning with enthusiasm by the time we sat down {in the third row!} Sunday evening. I was enchanted with the huge map curtain & the ticking dragon overhead. I felt as if someone took one of my favorite things and made it tangible.

Then the curtain rose & the music began…

There were some slight, then severe differences from the book.

I knew there would be, but I almost felt like it wasn’t even the same Animal {if you will}.

Once I stopped trying to figure out why they changed it and appreciate it as if I never read the book, I liked it for what it was. The whole point of the book is that the legend of Oz is different than what is portrayed in other books & movies. They still carried that theme rather well. I will also say that the ending was kinder to the characters than it had been in the book {that we know of}. Who doesn’t mind a nice happily ever after?

It’s like ordering cake & getting cheesecake.Â If you expect & enjoy cake, it could potentially be disappointing. However, if you are craving something sweet & you try cheesecake… even though it’s different you could definitely appreciate it for being a decadent dessert.
You just wouldn’t even bother to compare them as the exact same thing.

I know a lot of you have had the chance to see it, what do you think? The book or the musical? Both?

Our little man enjoyed it. We were seated near the orchestra pit and he danced throughout the entire musical. Rock was able to feel him moving and I won’t forget how his face lit up after one especially hard kick. As the next deployment draws nearer, I find myself wanting every beautiful moment to last forever.

2 comments

Courtney - March 5, 2010 - 1:00 pm

Now I need to read the book!! 🙂 Curious. We loved the play, just saw it in SF.
Ashley W. - March 24, 2010 - 5:49 pm

Once again, it is the whole book over movie debate. I was quite surprised as well at the differences. But I did enjoy the play.

March 3, 2010

Baby Shower Crib Cake

My beautiful sister-in-law Suzanne, is having a baby this month and we threw her a baby shower this weekend. It happened to be on the same day as the super anticipated Wicked performance that we have had tickets for since last fall. I was crushed when I realized I wouldn’t be able to make it to the shower, but I was able to go up early & spend some time with my family in Findlay. I came out of cake baking “retirement” and baked the baby shower cake at my parents’ house. It was great cooking in my mom’s kitchen! I had help with Kevin, access to my mom’s stocked pantry for last minute substitutions {who has Trader Joe’s Lemon Curd unopened just laying around?}, all the extra KitchenAid mixing bowls I could ever ask for {thanks to my dad who has worked with them for years}, and it also meant transporting the delicate cake a minute up the road instead of driving cautiously for two hours!

I don’t plan on updating my other blog, Military Spice anymore. I have to admit I miss food photography. I love it.

I usually try to brainstorm ideas for cakes early in advance, but it’s been very busy. I only had 24 hours to sketch, gather supplies, bake, assemble, and decorate the cake {and cupcakes}. I was inspired by cakes I found on Flickr, it never fails to give me unique ideas.

The monkey, green pillow & tag were last minute additions. They helped bring some color to the cake that fit my color palette. I had tried to incorporate some yellow as the crib sheet color, but I added too much gel & it was almost fluorescent! I covered that layer with white fondant & I’m not sorry.

This is kind of what it’s like when you become a mama… your baby puts the world into focus.
It becomes easy to make decisions because you can see what matters & what can wait…

Best wishes to Sam & Suzanne as they welcome this baby boy soon!

Next I’ll talk about seeing Wicked at the Schuster Center in Dayton. I made the mistake of reading & falling in love with the books first…

{The “Subscribe by E-mail” option for getting notifiications when there are new posts is finally working!}

5 comments

alli/hooray - March 1, 2010 - 12:38 pm

Andrea, this is the most amazing thing! I am completely in awe right now of your talents.
Amy Hahn - March 1, 2010 - 1:02 pm

What a great cake!!!
jan - March 1, 2010 - 3:46 pm

The Art of Baking…. beautiful bakery & images… and may I add that I, too, keep Trader Joe’s Authentic Lemon Curd in my pantry. Your mom has good taste, too… literally. Glad to see you’re reaching back as well as forward in your art.
Ashley - March 10, 2010 - 7:32 am

These pictures are amazing!!!
Nathaniel John Bell | Dayton, OH Newborn Portrait Photographer » Andrea Dozier | Boutique Photography - April 20, 2010 - 9:32 am

[…] brother Sam just became a dad! It seems like yesterday that we were throwing his wife, Suzanne, a baby shower. Nathaniel arrived on March 15 in the wee hours of the morning. I am so honored to introduce him to […]

February 26, 2010

Snow Day at The Greene | Dayton, OH Family Portraits

I’m sure you remember the unforgettable pint sized beauty Nataly, I know I couldn’t wait to see her again! We met at The Greene in Kettering and had a fantastic time playing in the snow. The elusive sunshine even made an appearance,Â and I was thrilled with being able to incorporate some warmth into their photographs. Winter in Ohio has been the usual cold, snowy, and overcast. I feel like that bit of sun transformed everything. I say it all the time, but I believe that sunlight looks good on everyone. It’s the most natural, organic way to enhance a portrait. Take a peek & see if you agree:

I always start any session out with some poses. Once we get them out of the way, we start having fun:

After playing, the little ones forget that I’m aiming my lens at them.

The man behind the snow. One of his amazing special-effects-snow-balls blew towards him because of the wind…

I know they made everything look fun & comfortable, but it was truly freezing outside!

I love watching toddlers check everything out. No matter their response, it’s priceless.

Aimee… you’re gorgeous.

Nataly’s enthusiasm is awesome. Love those bouncing curls :]

So it turns that The Greene isn’t just a great place to shop at the gigantic Forever 21 or grab Chipotle. It’s an excellent backdrop for photographs, especially as twilight approaches and all the city lights are illuminated against a kaleidoscopic sky…

5 comments