Cabin Fever

We're suffering from cabin fever majorly here at my house. Rylee wants to go play outside so bad, but our stupid "spring" weather can go from 20 degrees to 40 degrees to 16 degrees in a day. It can also go from sunny, to rainy, to snowy, to hail, to sun, to rain to.... all in a day as well. The ground is mushy and everything is wet and gray. There is dog poop up to our eyeballs in our backyard because it's been so gross no one wants to go out and clean it up. Some random neighborhood dog has been laying huge piles in our front yard - so that's out as a play area too.

When I'm not working either on photos, returning emails & phone calls, or helping my dad out we almost always end up taking a trip to Target or a thrift store just to go out. Usually I'm really good and the most money we spend is on a juice or something 'special' from the gas station. Other times I just can't help myself when I find a great prop from a thrift store.

Rylee is also on month 2 of non stop colds. Everytime she gets over one she ends up exposed to another from a friend or cousin and gets sick all over again. I finally took her to the doctor a couple nights ago just to make sure it wasn't something more serious that she'd need an antibiotic for - nope! Just another freaking cold. Doctor Mom here says it's an Upper Respiratory Infection. I've had more than my fair share of those darn things and this time it acts and sounds just like one. Poor kid is so congested she can hardly breath when she naps/sleeps - so she sleeps badly. Then she's cranky and clingy the rest of the day - with happy moments here and there.

I've got the humidifier doing full-time duty the last few days, I've got the Vicks liquid added to the humidifier water, the Vicks alternated between her chest and feet, Ibuprofen to help inflammation....

So done with this. I've gotten very few pictures edited from my Sunday photo session because every time I go to work on one the kiddo needs me again. Kenny is in Finals week at school and it doesn't end until next Friday - but that's his last day of school for the quarter - and we're off for a week.

My best friend is gonna have a baby any time (well, her due date isn't until the 27th, but all mom's know how due-dates and labor actually works) and I'm so excited to head back down to Portland to do her newborn photos.

Spending the weekend at her place for her babyshower was so much fun. Doing her maternity photos was a total blessing for me. I'll leave you with a few of her maternity photos for today, enjoy!

 

 

I can't help myself...

Thanks to my wonderful family I have a new addiction.

Photo Props.

I asked for props and gave examples of little things to get me for Christmas. Well, my family came through and I got props! ...Which sparked my almost inability to hold back now. I was good for about 3 weeks after Christmas. I played with my new ones as much as a person can when it's subzero and snowy outside and no one wants pictures out in that weather. 

Theeeen I started going back to thrift stores. I've scored some seriously adorable things and that has just fed into my addiction. 

My sister-in-law is knitting me some awesome props for newborn sessions I've got coming up. 

I fear  etsy may actually become a dangerous place for me too. Thus far I've only ever bought 1 or 2 things from there. But there are SO many adorable photo props available to me that I don't think I'll be able to contain myself much longer. ...I might need to go to an A.A. meeting for photographers ...or something like that.  Heehee. 

But seriously. I can't help myself and my daughter is also helping feed this problem by producing delicious almost edible pictures like this:

:::SIGH::::

No I have not!

Not been ignoring my blog, that is.

Okay, maybe I have been a little preoccupied.

The last couple weekends it has been one thing to the next, and it won't stop for the next month or so.

Last weekend,  I had the insane time pleasure of making a cake for a dear old friend of mine. After much turmoil (like dropping an entire layer on the ground) and then Rylee beating the crap out of a corner with my rolling pin (why no, I wasn't so mad I threw the rolling pin on the ground after ripping it out of her hands). After all that - it was actually a beautiful cake!

That same weekend I did a photoshoot for a really sweet family of girls. Quite energetic and full of life.  We had a blast. ....however I will not be quadruple booking myself for things like that again. I was supposed to be at a wedding while I was finishing up the cake and I know there was something else that I was supposed to do that also ended up not happening.

It's been a fun week. We had our first 'no-show' for a photography session. It's okay, I really don't mind, I'm sure she forgot with the kiddos - and I failed to give her a reminder call the day before. I'm learning as I go. I now know I'll be upgrading parts in my computer to be able to better handle the volume of photos I've been taking recently. I'm learning to keep better records of appointments, making reminder calls/emails, how many photos per session is actually realistic, and what kind of pricing is the 'right' one.

Rylee gashed her head open yesterday - falling down a couple stairs. A pretty darn good cut, if I do say so! I didn't do anything for it right away except stop the bleeding and bandage her head. Head wounds bleed - A Lot - I know that. So I wasn't concerned. It wasn't until about 4 hours later that I was finally able to get a good look at the cut in between bleedings and decided to take the trip to urgent care to see about a stitch or two.

She's got such a good memory it's amazing. At her 12 month check-up she remembered getting shots at 9 months. At her 15 month check-up she really remembered and the entire appointment was filled with screaming because she was afraid of the doctors. Everything since then has been the same way - if I go to the doctor - she screams, if Kenny goes - she screams.

As soon as that stethoscope touched her chest the screams came. They didn't stop until we were back in the car. The doctor (who was a very sweet woman) initially wanted to put a stitch in it but Rylee was screaming so much just seeing the doctor she thought that 'gluing' it would be more appropriate. I thought that would be best too - it really just needed help to stop bleeding. So that's what they did and all is well again.

She's a trooper. It did break my heart when (shortly after it happened) she was pointing to her head and whimpering in the saddest most pathetic way I've ever heard. I pulled over at the most convenient store and quickly bought her some tylenol and other goodies.  It makes me sad to see my baby hurt like that. To see the saddest tear-filled eyes look at me and just say "mama fix it, it hurts" without saying any real words. My baby shouldn't hurt like that. Yet, it's really just the beginning. So come the toddler years of pain.

Anyways. I'm trying to get back to regular blogging again, I promise.

Photography!

AH!

I'm SO nervous and anxious and excited!

We just launched everything tonight for the starts of my photography "business"!

I think business is a silly thing to say about it. I just love photography with everything that is in me. Passionate just doesn't quite describe it properly.

I was getting teased the other night: We were all hovered around the kitchen table busily making Wedding Invitations for my Beautiful Sister-in-law's upcoming wedding and my Mother-in-law was wanting pictures taken. Someone suggested I go get my camera and several others quickly  chimed in "are you sure you want her to do that!? How many pictures do you want taken of you?" "She'll probably take at least 1000!" ...Okay, 1000 is an exaggeration. My Mother-in-law is still blown away by the 200 photos I took in an hour on Mothers Day. What can I say? It was a fun hour to take pictures!

This is something I've wanted for probably as long as I can remember - or at least since there was a monster created out of me after getting my first 35mm.

Well, now we'll see how this goes. Where it goes. If it goes! haha!

My Baby Girl

My Baby Girl

Loves diving for her pacifier

Longs to play outside

Placates Mommy's need to take pictures every waking moment

She loves playing with my ipod

She is beautiful

I hope and pray I will be able to raise her so she knows that she is beautiful and no one will be able to convince her otherwise. 

She is my Sunshine

A Beautiful Mommy-to-Be!

She's got a beautiful smile and definitely glowing like a mommy-to-be

An old friend from High School allowed me the pleasure of doing her maternity photos today.

Just the most beautiful baby bump at just a little over 25 weeks.

Her Son will be so blessed to have her as a Mommy. Such a wonderful heart and spirit this sweet and so awesome chick has!

Definitely excited for this little boy to come!

Happy to just go out and trapse up and down the hills of one of our best parks all day for a gazillion pictures.

I just can't help but love these photos with such a beautiful Mommy-to-Be.

I had a blast taking them. Even with my own daughter screaming her head off a couple feet away. It was worth it, screaming child, laying on the ground and nearly falling off some rocks to achieve some pretty sweet shots.

Yeah, she'll be an awesome Mommy!

Musician in the Making?

What do you think of this little musician in the making?

 

She was just so tickled when I put her up on Grandma's Piano Bench and let her plink away on those ivory keys!

She couldn't help but grin, then turn back and concentrate hard on what she was doing.

 

Don't you just love how her fingers so daintily touch the keys?

 

Yes, she just loved all that piano time.

 

 My little musician in the making.  

 

"I Love You Baby..."

"...Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay
And let me love you, baby.
Let me love you.

You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
You'd be like Heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much......"

The Cutest Pregnant Girl Ever.

We had a very fun photo shoot today.

Such fun subjects, My Brother, Andrea and My Nephew-To-Be!

Sweet Baby Love

Seriously one of my favorite pictures.

A really great break from the insanity this week. That baby can come anytime now, or he can wait 4 more weeks. Whatever works. We got the pre-baby pictures done finally!

Every.Single.Moment.

In case you haven't realized it yet, I love taking pictures of my little girl.

She's just so darn cute and such a huge part of my life, I can't help but document it all the time.

Maybe someday, She'll have a sibling so I can document the two of them laughing and wrestling and fighting together.

But for now, I have her. I love her with all my heart and enjoy every.single.moment.

Playing around in the Kitchen! ....and with my Camera

I was really intrigued with the idea of Fondant Cakes several months ago when someone on another website did one - I thought to myself "I can do that!!!" because I'm just that Vain. So, I tried. My first attempt REALLY sucked. It was just plain nasty. I had NONE of the right tools: Rolling Pin, Mixer, proper cutting devices.... Well, I've been collecting those, acquiring most of them at Christmas thanks to my wonderful family!

So, I finally did another one, after Rylee's birthday with all my cool new tools! I'm VERY pleased with how it turned out. I hope I can do these for my own fun for people I know (or don't know!). I'm excited to make one for my Best Friend, because I'm her Maid of Honor so I get to throw her Bridal Shower - Which means I can make the cake if I want to! Muwahahaha!

Anyhow.... now to the pictures....

Say What!?

My baby is 10 months old already!? No way! I don't believe it!

....well, actually, I kinda do believe it. Every bit of it, and I'm still loving it!

I am really glad I've taken the time to really cherish every moment of my adorable daughters babyhood.

She has recently taken to shaking her head "no" and it's SO cute! She is starting to learn cause and effect, so sometimes that "no" shaking is purposeful. Other times it's just because she's enjoying the act of it.

Still not walking but is coming ever so close. I can't wait until she does. Seriously. No, I'm not crazy. What most people are not understanding is that she still insists on being held and in my arms as much as she can be - even though she can crawl around everywhere. She's getting much more adventurous and is crawling away from me at times - but those moments are few (which I'm okay with. I do love her dependency on me.).

She still says "mama" with cute regularity. No "papa" yet. We were sitting with her a couple mornings ago trying to get her to say papa and she'd look directly at Kenny and say "mama!" It was awesome. I think she says "numnum" for food, but it's undetermined if that's purposeful yet - still cute, though!

Ever more curious about things in life, like cows!