So What Wednesday

It's been awhile, but why not? Linking up with Shannon for "So What Wednesday"!

So what if...

- I used to think it was weird when parents would put pictures of their kids as their FB profile picture. Like they didn't have their own identity anymore. Now that I have a kid, I get it.

- I almost stopped blogging because of this constant feeling of being watched/judged/criticized... then I figured, it makes me happy. I've been blogging since college (before I knew that's what it was called) and keeping private diaries since I was a kid. I don't plan to stop anytime soon. I love the friends I've made through the blog world, and I definitely don't want to lose them. If people don't like what I post, there's a little X readily available at the top right of their screen.

- I had a moment of weakness during a particularly rough week last week and ate half a tub of Nutella. Straight out of the carton, with a spoon. I also was embarrassed and hid it from my husband in the back of the pantry behind the bag of ground flaxseed (which I probably should used instead...). I'm not proud.

- I could never go full-on Paleo. I live in the South... butter is in e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. I've been trying to apply the lifestyle as much as possible at home, but there's no way I'd be able to do it 24/7. Not in the land of Paula Deen and my MamMaw's cheese potato casserole. ;)

- I'm a big fat liar when it comes to limiting the amount of pictures I give clients in my photography packages. I get too excited and end up giving them more than what's listed. Maybe not a particularly smart business move, but I can't help myself. I've been lucky to have some awesome clients. Maybe if I ever get a big meanie one day, I'll stick to my guns.

- I'm kind of excited that the school year is almost over. It means no more driving Noah to therapy almost every day. He'll still be going once a week to the one we pay for. It's not like it even lasts that long. I'm just a hermit and would rather spend all day playing with my kid at home or the park or something than sitting in an office with a bunch of germy kids (seriously, we've been sick more this year than the last 4 years combined).

- I've been letting my kid go commando in our back yard almost every day lately. He doesn't like to be nakey indoors, but outdoors? He can't get those pesky swim trunks off fast enough. :) Thankfully, we have a big privacy fence, lots of sunscreen, and an umbrella.

Lately (with an 8 second clip of Noah singing!)

I've been so overwhelmed lately. It's not really just one thing either. It's lots of little things that have piled up and are making me feel like crawling into a corner and crying. Or inhaling an entire gallon of ice cream (which is why I haven't bought any...).
And I feel like I'm going to let somebody down. No one in particular. It just seems inevitable. If I focus on getting one thing done? Something else is going to suffer. For example, I'm doing pretty well trying to keep up with my business stuff. Photos are edited ahead of schedule, and I'm in the process of rebranding (which is stressful enough in and of itself...). But my house? Yeah, it looks like a family of 15 just ate at my house... then tried flushing an entire roll of toilet paper. And spilled veggie smoothie all over me. And picked at blue chalk, so there are little chalk bits on the floor. Oh, and the 15 people also decided to have a party all night long. Except those 15 people? They happen to be one toddler.

I just feel like there's not enough of me to go around.
I need like 3 more me's to make my life work out a little more smoothly (can I get an "Amen", mommas?!).

Noah had his IEP meeting Monday, and it went well. It's very laid back compared to what I've heard most meetings are like. His speech therapist wasn't even there for it. But I was happy with it overall. I think they sort of get a decent idea of where he's at. However, they're only with him for 30 minutes a week, so they don't get to see all of the successes we have at home. While I was there, I had Noah say his little phrases like, "Oh no, George!" and sing songs for them. They were stunned.

Seriously, where he is at this year compared to last year at this time? It's like having a completely different kid. He no longer lives like he's just existing in his own world, but he's present. He gives us spontaneous hugs and kisses. If I give him a choice between milk or water, he'll answer, "wa wa". If I give him simple directions, he's following them (for the most part... he IS still a toddler, after all. ha). He's added like 20 new words to his vocabulary in the last few weeks. I'm still waiting for "Ma-ma" to surface again. :)

Seeing as how the words are starting to come, we've decided to pay for private speech therapy, especially since school will be out soon. After next week, he wouldn't be getting anything until September. So after his IEP meeting, we had to run to the same place where his OT is at for a speech evaluation. Because he was sleep deprived, he wasn't quite on his A-game. But she did get a "ready, set, go!" out of him. :) I'm really excited about it, because she uses sensory integration as part of her speech therapy, which is perfect for him.

So that's where I've been. Add in a hospital visit for Brad a couple weeks ago (he's okay!), a much needed girls' night, Mother's Day, and Noah's sleep getting all messed up again... and well, that's why I haven't been blogging. Dude, I haven't even been reading blogs. I've missed my blog buds. :)

Hopefully I'll be back before another 2 weeks passes by.
And with that, I'll leave you with a quickie video of Noah singing. The song is from Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (which, fyi, has been a total gift from God... his speech, social skills, and self-care skills have totally blossomed because of this show).

It goes, "I like you, I like you, I like you.... (then Noah finishes) Just the way you are!"

friday fiddlyfart

Brad and I are convinced that every night before he goes to bed, Noah plots new ways that he can destroy our house. New places to dump an entire bag of Baked Lays and crush into the carpet. Better techniques of pulling every cushion off the couches. Y'know, that kind of thing.

***

I'm usually pretty strict about Noah's diet, especially since he's such a picky eater. It takes a lot of extra creativity and effort to sneak those veggies into him, but it's doable.
I've always preached that if you don't buy it, they can't eat it. If all they have to choose from is healthy food, then they'll eat it. Kids won't starve themselves. The same is true for adults. Watch the Biggest Loser, and that's usually one of the first things they address... get the junk out.

However, I'm not immune to letting it slowly sneak into our home. I'll buy ice cream, just for fun, because Noah loves it so much. Brad will grab Noah a bag of Lays potato chips (NOT the baked kind...) while strolling through the cracker/chip aisle.

via

 

The real kicker? When Noah started reaching towards a bag in the chip aisle. I couldn't figure out what it was he was asking for, so I got him out of the cart to show me. He walked right up to a bag of Funyuns. He's never even HAD a Funyun before! I've never had a Funyun before! Frankly, I don't even know what a Funyun is... is it an onion flavored chip? An actual onion?

So yeah. We came home from the beach, promising each other not to buy any more treats for Noah. He was refusing to eat anything else. We were excited if he ate a few bites of banana.

Now? Just a few days later? He's back to eating healthy. Apples, bananas, raw pumpkin, and about 8 smoothiesicles a day. Once he figured out that all the "fun stuff" was gone, he started asking for his healthy foods again. Thus my point is proven, by the pickiest eater in the world.

***

I have another wedding I'm shooting tomorrow. Honestly, the photography world needs to come up with a better word than that. I feel all weird every single time, saying I'm going to shoot a family or whatever. Sounds creepy.

***

Brad came home from work yesterday with his eye in an insane amount of pain. I'd had dinner plans with a friend of mine for last night. Instead I ended up taking Brad to Urgent Care. He has a "corneal abrasion". We're still not sure where it happened, but even if it happened at work, there's no real way to prove it. While waiting in the lobby, Noah (of course) ended up having a poopy diaper. The diapers were in the car, which Brad had the keys to. So I spent the next 20 minutes apologizing to whoever happened to sit in our stinky vicinity.

I told Brad I think he did it on purpose. The man has been to Vegas, a guys' night with coworkers, and is going fishing with his dad next week. The last time I was out alone was at a photography workshop about three weeks ago. And even though it was a blast, I came home exhausted.

I need a girls' night.
And yes, I know I'm whining while my husband's eye feels like it might fall out. Wife of the year right here. ;)

Happy FRIDAY!!!

Easter



Our Easter was a bit of a dud this year.
Okay, well not really. In fact, Brad keeps saying how, other than being sick, this was his favorite Easter ever.

Friday night, we went to my dad's to dye Easter eggs with Noah. Oh my gosh, Noah looooved it this year! He totally understood what we were doing, and he wanted to be the one to put them in, scoop them out... and frankly, make a big mess.

That night, Brad came down with a bad tummy bug. This was absolutely AWFUL timing, because we were supposed to be doing a photo swap the next day with Jess.
I was also doing a photoshoot with my little sister and niece for my sister's 16th birthday present. So basically, we weren't going to be getting our pictures done, and Noah was going to have to come with us. The girls got their makeup done by my stepsister Sarah (who is amazing, btw), and we headed to the park I chose for both shoots.

It all ended up working out. Jess will be back in June for our shoot, and the girls kept an eye on Noah while I worked with her family. It was a team effort once I got to their shoot, though. The park is more like a massive field. No playground... just trails, a couple of barns, and lots of dirt for Noah to play in. It was awesome.

To see some of Jess's pictures, go here.

To see some of my little sister and niece's pictures, go here.

The next day, Brad still wasn't feeling very well. I wasn't about to just leave him alone on a holiday, so we decided to hang at home all day.

We did give Noah an Easter basket, which was fun to watch. The boy now loooooves bubbles and asks for "bu-bu-sss" multiple times, every day.

We also gave him some chalk, which he proceeded to pick at instead of actually draw with. Whatever makes him happy, I guess.

And that was our Easter. :)
Now I need to go catch up on everyone else's posts!

streams of consciousness

via

Noah's going through a weird diet phase right now.
Actually, it's more like a crap diet phase. He does this every once in a while, where all he wants to eat is crackers, chips, grilled cheese, and ice cream. Brad is a total pushover when it comes to Noah, which kind of sucks sometimes, because it means that I have to be the mean one. Brad took Noah to get some ice cream from McD's last night. So a few hours later, when Brad was in bed already, Noah asked me for ice cream. And of course, I told him no.

Noah doesn't really throw fits.
But oh my lordy. You would've thought I'd told him he's never ever having ice cream ever again. He fell on the floor and cried big, fat crocodile tears. Honestly, it's heartbreaking, because he's the embodiment of all that is innocent and right with the world. He doesn't understand that if he eats cartons of ice cream, that he'll get a belly ache. Or that his Dr will lecture me again for making him obese.

The frustrating part is that I know he likes healthy foods. If he's in the mood, he'll down an apple in 2 seconds. Same with grapes and bananas. In fact, at the store, he gets mad at me if I don't peel a banana for him right away (he hasn't quite figured out that "pay first" concept). I know for a fact that he likes peas and lima beans. But right now, he won't touch them. Heck, he's even refusing peanut butter. That's not normal for him.
Food is one of those things I've chosen not to make a massive deal about with him. Because the more I make it into an issue? The worse his diet may end up getting. So I wait it out. I stop buying kettle chips. Usually, we don't even keep ice cream at the house. I wait until he has nothing left to choose from but healthy options. Eat healthy or starve, basically. lol.

It'll all come back around again eventually. It always does. But man does that waiting period make me feel like a mom-failure.

***

My little sister turned 16 yesterday.
It's kind of surreal. Being a sister at 14 means you do much more in the ways of helping out than you would if you were a sister at 4. I changed this girl's diapers for cryin' out loud.
So it's weird to describe how I feel about her turning 16. She's not my kid, but at the same time, it's like she is. So part of me is all, "Cool! My sister's old enough to talk about more grown-up things!" while the other part is all, "No! She's supposed to stay a baby!" It's very confusing.

***

You ever feel like the kid on the playground that's wearing hand-me-downs and is all excited about last year's toy, while everyone else is in their designer jeans and talking about the latest iPhone apps?
Yeah, that's how I feel a lot of the time.
But honestly, it's not the stuff I care about. Not at all. It's the attitude of, "Wow are you missing out!" that surprises me. A friend of mine even fussed at Brad once for having a smartphone, while I have the freebie phone (seriously, I'm just happy mine texts). Nevermind that his is for work, and I really don't need a fancy phone. I've never cared much about being up to date on the latest and greatest. I grew up in a pretty privileged family, but my parents were the ones that decided when to spend and what on. Trust me, I enjoy shopping. But materialism really isn't my thing, especially when I know something newer and better will be along next year. Even in college, when I had "Daddy's credit card" on me 24/7, I never went on a spending spree. It was mostly for school books, gas, etc (gas, because I drove all around Charlotte carpooling my little brother and sister). When I saw a dress on sale that I liked? I'd call him first and ask. That happened twice.
Since being cut from the family bank account, I've had to learn a lot about money management. Brad has a lot to do with this, since he was the youngest in a family of eight. He's taught me a lot about wants vs needs.

We need to invest in Noah's therapy, so he can hopefully talk one day. We need to get new tires, so that we don't wreck. We need groceries to eat. We need to pay the water bill in order to take showers. We don't need to order Chinese, because we didn't feel like cooking. We don't need to buy a new car, because Brad's coworkers teased him about his clunker.

When it comes to how I run my photog business? I refuse to go into debt over it. It may take me longer to be really successful, because I'm not going to drop $30,000 on fancy equipment... but in the end, I'll have fewer headaches and get more sleep at night. (fyi, I'm not saying that everyone who does have all the fancy stuff is in debt. I just know there's no way for me to have it all without going into debt right now).
I buy what I need. If it's functional, and we have the money? I'm purchasing it. And I swear to you, God has blessed us for taking this route. I'm not saying this because I think we're super-Christians that are perfect and deserve to get on our high horse and tell everyone else what to do. I'm saying it because we're not. I've been tempted to drop $3000+ on a pro-grade camera. Brad was tempted to buy me a $1500+ laptop, because it was taking me 4 years to edit one picture on my old PC with the monitor from 1994. But in the end, we said no.

And lo and behold... Brad found a laptop on clearance at Target, complete with everything I need (adequate RAM, awesome graphics card, phenomenal processor...) for $250. And we had the money for that. It doesn't have an apple on it, but it definitely has what I need to process good, quality photos for clients.

So instead of feeling left out, I choose to be thankful. The whole thing is comical to me, watching these people beg to be included in whatever all the cool kids are doing or buying. Just because so-and-so photographer makes millions and edits on a MacBook doesn't mean that's the secret to their success.
Do I believe in staying current? Absolutely. Do I believe in going broke doing it? Nope.

And frankly, I kind of like the idea of being the poor, unknown photog that uses what little I have to become awesome.
Everyone loves a good underdog story. ;)

***

I love hearing Noah play with his Thomas engines and saying very seriously, "ANK YOU! ANK YOU!" Apparently, one of his engines needs a lesson in manners.

***

We have officially hit the paparazzi stage...

***

What my weekend shall consist of. And I'm kind of excited about it.

 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

lack of sleep means lack of a coherent post.

Last night, Noah fell asleep around 10:30. We don't really have much of a "schedule" when it comes to Noah's bed time. Everytime I try to make one, he's all, "Schedule? What schedule?" and proceeds to prove to me, yet again, that I don't have much control over that part. But thankfully, he's been sleeping for long periods of time again. So if we're not going to bed till 2am, but we still get to sleep for 8 hours? Heck, I'll take it.

Anyway, I thought we were headed for normalville last night. Y'know, where kids go to bed before midnight? HAHAHA.

Poor kid wet himself, which woke him up at 1am.
He didn't go back to sleep until somewhere around 5am.

Someone want to just hook me up to a caffiene IV?
This boy. I love him to death, but geez. Motherhood is not for pansies, that's for sure.
He's lucky he's cute.

(source not found... apparently, the etsy shop this was on closed)

***

It cracks me up that teenage girls are crushing hard on actors my age (like Joseph Gordon-Levitt). I'm starting to realize how funny it must've been to older women when I was 15 and had a crush on Johnny Depp (of course, who can blame me... it's Johnny Depp).
One girl was all, "Did you ever see 10 Things I Hate About You?" Yeah, they were like 2 when that came out. So they're all, "He was sooooo cuuuuute". And I'm sitting here thinking, "Really? I remember me and my friends were all swooning over Heath Ledger. Y'know, the tall, hot, mysterious, manly-man kind of guy?"
Not that Joseph Gordon-Levitt wasn't cute then. But he was no Heath Ledger.

***

My photography business is starting to make me all panicky. I'm hearing nothing but crickets. Thankfully, most of my other photog friends (who are much more talented than me) aren't getting much traffic either.
It's cold and dreary, so it should be expected. I gave my name out for a few referrals, and only got one nibble. It's still my first year being in the business, and I have to remember this happens to everyone. But man, this waiting around stuff is for the birds.

I'm trying to make the most of it and use this time to learn. But still. Nobody wants to feel like they're getting passed over because they're no good. I'm just thankful I have lots of friends in the biz now, because I know they deal with the same exact issues and self-worth feelings.

So even if I'm not all smiles and sunshine about it at the moment, at least I know I'm not alone.

Fiddlyfart

For the last few weeks, I've become obsessed with popcorn. I eat it almost every day. For those of you who have done Weight Watchers before, you know that plain air-popped popcorn is zero points. So when I'm wanting a snack, that's what I go to. To give it some flavor, I spray a little butter flavored PAM on it (sounds gross, but I promise it's good... zero calories? Yes please) and sprinkle a little kosher salt. Voila. So good and guilt-free.

***

Noah was sick with a tummy bug for most of last week. That's my least favorite kind of sick. And my poor kid is terrified of puking. Combine the sickness with sensory issues, and you've got one fun recipe for a freaked out kid.

***

At the beginning of December, I shot my second wedding. I did it for my cousin as a gift, so it took a ton of pressure off me. I just showed up and did my thing. No list of must-have shots, no crazy time frame to follow... they're really laid back. And honestly? That fact alone made me relax and just have some fun with it. They are so cute together.
I don't normally say a whole lot about my photography business and website on here. I'd rather keep it personal and not do the whole "HIRE ME!" thing on every other post. But if you're interested in seeing the pictures, click on over to the blog portion of my website. There are also a few pictures from a newborn shoot I did. She was so precious.

Anyway, one of the reasons I'm mentioning this is to give a little advice. If you decide to hire a professional photographer for any reason (family, newborn, wedding, etc), pick one because you love their style. Yes, price often plays a role. But that shouldn't be your #1 reason. Pick a photographer because you're drawn to their work. And when you hire them, put your trust in them. Realize that you hired them for a reason, and this isn't their first shoot. It's fine to give them a few ideas of pictures you like, but when it comes down to it, the shoot will come out a million times better if you just let them do their thing. My favorite sessions have been the ones where the clients relax and trust that I'm going to do a good job.

***

We have mice again. Not in the house, thank you Jesus. Just in the garage. They love the dog food, and our pups have this wonderful habit of turning over their bowls on purpose.
Apparently, one of our neighbors must have gotten pest control, because these mice just move around the neighborhood in waves. The worst part is that I don't like having to kill them. It makes me sad. Unlike water beetles or termites, mice are kind of cute. So I was researching ways to keep them away, so we can avoid killing them. Turns out they hate peppermint. I'll be heading to Hobby Lobby soon to get some peppermint oil. I have some candy canes left from Christmas, but I have a feeling the dogs will just eat them.
I swear, Disney has ruined me for life. All I can think about is Gus Gus or how we might be killing somebody's mommy.

***

And in case you were wondering what we've been up to lately besides mice, photography, and tummy bugs...

Playtime at the local kids museum...
I think people wonder why I don't ever invite friends for play dates there. Because for me, they don't work. Noah is all over the place, and I never actually get to talk to anyone. However, he did keep coming back to the water table. He is obsessed with those buckets.

Playtime outside...

Playtime on the iPad.
With a rare video appearance. Noah is sitting on our love seat with no cushion, because he spends the majority of his day jumping off the arms of the couches and onto the cushions. And the whole sight makes me smile.
Anyway, it took a while to get him to use the blablabla app. It helps promote speech. But within the last couple of weeks, he's fallen in love with it. But instead of just "talking" to it? This is what he does:

 

Cracks me up.

Happy Thursday!

playing catch-up.

Life has been a bit of a whirlwind lately. We're coming into that busy season where we go-go-go for 2 months straight. It's actually my favorite kind of season. People are (mostly) happy and filled with excitement.
For me, I also have to factor in Noah's therapy appointments, Brad's crazy retail schedule, work, pregnancy, and all the stuff in between.
Frankly, I already have issues keeping up with blogging as it is. I can't imagine what things will look like around here in the next few weeks.
Bear with me, this may turn into a long post. Sorry 'bout that.

However, part of my blogging issue was that our laptop (we thought) had died. It wasn't charging anymore. So if I wanted to blog or do anything computer-related, I had to do it on the monster in the corner room upstairs. No more blogging while Noah played right in front of me. But, we tested out the laptop with my dad's charger, and it was indeed just the charger. So I have my laptop back. Woohoo!

Anyways, this is a catch-up post of sorts.
Just stuff we've been doing the last couple of weeks that I've been meaning to blog.

My Birthday.
It was actually a little pathetic. Life just got so busy, and I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. So I messaged a bunch of friends to see if they wanted to join us for dinner. It was kind of a last minute thing, so my feelings weren't going to be too hurt if it didn't work out.
And well... those who said they could come? Almost all had to cancel at the last minute, due to various reasons (mostly babysitter and sick kid issues). However, one of my lifelong best friends was so loyal that he and his fiance drove 2 hours from his granddad's 90th bday party to celebrate with me. It was going to be them and one other couple. And since both couples lived on opposite sides of town (and frankly, I was worried they wouldn't quite mesh well, personality wise)... we decided to keep it small. Which turns out? Is exactly how I like it.
We opted for a Japanese steakhouse (haven't had it in foreeever. shrimp sauce, how I missed you...), and we had an absolute blast. Afterwards, Brad and I picked up Noah and we all headed back to our place to hang out and play games.
It was low key. And it was wonderful.

More Birthdays.
Noah's cousin, Easton, turned two last week. To celebrate, his momma planned a little party at our grandparents' house for Easton's friends and family. Easton's daddy was actually in a very serious car accident last year. So bad in fact, that he is the only survivor. He recently started being able to walk on his own again, and it was so awesome to see him there. His progress is amazing, and I'm sure his parents are thanking God every single day for sparing their son.

We learned that Noah isn't exactly the best birthday party guest. Obviously, this is an area we need to work on a little more. Poor kid.
I wasn't able to get many pictures of the party, because a certain little boy decided to get into a massive mud puddle. He was originally heading for a big pile of dirt (my family has always been in construction, so random dirt piles are normal), but got sidetracked by a quick-sand type mud swamp. He stepped one foot in it, slipped, and was covered in mud. And of course you know I didn't pack an extra pair of pants. So the kid attended the rest of the party without pants, while his were washing.
I had to actually hose him off outside before we took his shoes and pants off. He thought that was so fun that he got mad when I wouldn't let him play with the hose himself.
He also doesn't understand that the entire gallon of ice cream is not for him.
Nor are the birthday boy's presents.
Or that you can't just walk up to kids and take their balloons, then proceed to let them go.
And while Noah is most definitely not the tantrum-thrower type, he certainly had a few fall-on-the-floor and whine moments because of our constant intervening. Apparently, we don't get invited to enough parties. haha.
But it wasn't all bad. My cousin had borrowed a bouncy house, which Noah loved. They also painted pumpkins (which Noah entertained for about 5 minutes). We also got to see one of mine and Brad's childhood buddies (he grew up down the street from us) who was there with his wife and little girls.

 

 That night, the rest of the family came over to celebrate the October birthdays. Noah was doing a little better. At least he had pants on. Although at one point, we were all sitting around the table chatting. I see my brother jump up from the table... because Noah had reached onto the kitchen counter and was carrying an entire sheet cake to us. Because he wanted some, and he didn't know how else to tell us. Thank goodness we caught him before he had a chance to drop it.

That boy.

Photography Stuff.
I need a nanny. Or a husband with a regular work schedule. I currently have two photo sessions and a wedding I'm editing, and Noah doesn't quite understand that concept. Brad has a couple days off this week, so I'm taking advantage and getting as much done as I possibly can.

Oh yeah, the wedding.
Well, the night before, Noah was an angel and went to bed at 10:30. And wouldn't you know it, Brad and I were both too excited about the next day that we couldn't sleep. We both got a little over 3 hours that night, before driving 2.5 hours to the location and spending the next 6 hours documenting a wedding.
Honestly, though? It was a blast.
I realized how much I enjoyed doing weddings. At least the easy ones. I'm not skilled enough to handle crazy lighting situations yet.
The only issues we really ran into were mostly with people. Guests who didn't want their picture taken or an incredibly shy groom. :) That and the actual ceremony itself. It's really difficult trying to balance between getting good shots and not being totally obtrusive. But it all worked out. I just hope the bride will be happy with what we got.
Here are a couple of shots I already posted on my Facebook page. Oh, and if you love me, do me a favor and go "like" my page. I'm almost at 100 likes! ;)

My dad and stepmom came to watch Noah for us for the day. They were awesome and were at our door before the sun was up. While they waited for Noah to wake up, they proceeded to wash the dirty dishes in the sink, fix our dishwasher (we thought it died, but the timer just broke), and repair our front door handle that was a pain to open.
We told them just to take our car if they needed to go anywhere (to avoid switching out the car seat). And boy did they go.
I think they took Noah on a tour of Charlotte. They went to Khols, Target, the nursing home (to visit my grandmother), their house, my dad's apartment building where he works (he had to check on something), and lunch at a drive-in.
When they got back, they proceeded to play outside.
My parents are hilarious.

("Grandaddy is a sugar bear with teeth"... not even sure what that means, but it made me laugh)

("Mama D is a Honey Boo Boo")

Pregnancy Stuff.
Still feeling pretty good. I'm starting to get some of my energy back, which is nice. I'm 10 weeks today, so I'm hoping I'm almost beyond the queasy stage. I'm very fortunate in that I don't really get sick sick when I'm pregnant. Just the idea of certain foods makes me feel gross.
I bought myself a heart rate monitor. The Doc doesn't want my heart rate going over 140, which turns out isn't very high. I attempted a light jog last night, and within a minute, my heart rate was at 170. I went back to a power walk, and within 30 seconds, it was back below 140. So no running for me, darnit. I wanted to be the awesome pregnant girl running 5K's, but apparently, that's not allowed. Looks like lots of power walking and yoga for me.
Also, if anyone has any workout ideas, I'm open to suggestions. It actually takes a lot for me to get something out of a workout. I bought a prenatal yoga DVD last time, and it was a big snooze. I never felt a thing. I like to actually feel sore after a workout. I'd prefer to be the tone type of pregnant, not the flabby, give-me-more-cake type (like last time). Honestly, I think I've been spooked into taking better care of myself this time. For any new readers, I got pre-eclamptic towards the end with Noah, and I struggled with weight gain (which was a shock for a skinny girl) and severe swelling. I want to do everything I can to prevent it. The Doc said I'm less likely to get it this time, but I'm still being careful.
My jeans are already starting to get a little snug. I can still button them, but when I'm sitting in the car? Yeah, they're totally getting unbuttoned. I need to get a rubber band to fix the issue. The good news is that they still fit everywhere else, just not my tummy. I guess it's true that you show sooner the second time around.

More importantly, I'm trying to do everything I can to keep the baby healthy. Since they're not sure what triggers autism, I'm doing my best to eat healthy, take my vitamins, and chill out when I'm exhausted. Basically just taking care of myself. That's all I know to do.
And if I still balloon up? Well, at least I know I did my best. :)

***

Alright I'll stop here. More later, hopefully.
Sorry for the random, all-over-the-place post. But it's a bit like my life at the moment, so there ya go. ;)

Happy Monday!


Oh hi. It's me. Y'all still there?

Sorry for all the silence lately, y'all.
There's just been SO MUCH going on in my life right now. Most of it overwhelming. Some sad. Sprinkled with a little good. The last couple of weeks, I felt like I had a million deadlines, my house was a wreck, Noah's sleep is a constant battle, and I had no plans for my 30th birthday. One of those milestone birthdays, right? Yeah, I was blank on what to do.

Frankly, it all just left me in a funk. I had lost all motivation and inspiration. But I took a break and am feeling a tad better now.

***

I feel bad leaving everyone hanging with the whole OT debacle. I did finally speak to her, and she was super receptive. In fact, she was almost appreciative that I brought some of Noah's own toys for her to use. And I realized how little these therapists are actually informed about their kids (at least in this area). I also think she's fairly new to this role, and to have a non-verbal, sensory-seeking toddler just threw her off.

Anyways, it's better now.

***

I've also been hired to photograph my very first wedding. It's in less than two weeks, and I'm teetering on the line between total excitement... and fall-on-the-floor fear. I was completely up front with her about my experience (or lack thereof), so she's been fully informed. It's an amazing opportunity for me, and I'm so so honored she insisted I do her wedding. Had she wanted me because she thought I'd be cheap? Then no way. But she saw my work before she ever talked to me or looked at prices, so according to her, she was sold before she ever contacted me. Do you have any idea how awesome that made me feel?? Biggest. Compliment. EVER.

The good news is that Brad will be going with me, so I won't be totally alone. I've been spending every free moment studying and practicing. And praying. Lots and lots of praying. haha.

So while this is GREAT stuff, it's still totally overwhelming me and stressing me out. I go to bed and dream about photography and weddings. It's ridiculous.

***

I'm not sure if y'all watch much news, at least the national news. But last week, the grandson of a family friend went missing. The family is from Charlotte, but he's a grad student in Boston. His grandfather used to be our worship leader at church (and ironically, when I started going to a church closer to home, that worship leader studied music under Dr Dailey... small world, huh?).

 via

After days of searching, they finally found him in a river. The whole thing is still shrouded in mystery. It's been so heartbreaking, and although I didn't know Jonathan Dailey personally, it's such a tragic scenario, and I've just been so sad for his family. They're taking solace in the fact that he's a believer, so the promise of being with him again is there. But it's still just so awful. To read more about the case, go here.

There are a few other bits of sad news that I won't go into (nothing that personally affects me or my family though, so no worries, we're fine). But there just seems to be a lot of heartbreak going on lately.

***

Combine all of this with regular life stuff, and basically, I was in an all around funk. Anything I attempted to write (and did write) came out as whiney and blah.
So I've been keeping quiet.

However, we did manage to get ourselves to the beach for the last half of the week last week. And somehow, the funk followed us there. It wasn't ALL bad, obviously. And most of it is pretty comical, now that we look back on it. But in the moment? Yeah, it pretty much sucked there for a while. More later.

See? I'm doing it again. Just talking about being in a funk brings out the funk in my writing.

So we'll end this on a positive note.

It's finally cool enough to wear jeans!

And we're pretty excited about it.

I love my baby in Fall clothes.

Here's to a much better week.

Last week in my 20's? Think I'll spend it being happy, thankyouverymuch.

Happy Monday!

Tuesday Bits

The DNC is in Charlotte this week. The city is about to bust with excitement. Y'all thought we made a big deal about snow flurries? You can just imagine what happens when the President comes to town. I swear our highways have never looked this good before.

The realistic, practical side of me wants to stay far, far away from the craziness. Just about every cop in town is busy with the convention. They even bussed horses from up North in for them. We have plenty of horses here... just not any for our officers. Certain roads are blocked, people have been forced to leave their homes... it's pretty crazy. So yeah, part of me wants to stay away from all of it.
But the other side? The fun, spontaneous side of me wants to go down there and see if I can spot any celebrities. Or at the very least, get a kick out of watching the protestors.
I mentioned on here before how I was a Sociology major. One of my favorite classes was Social Movements. It was fascinating, and I always wanted to witness something like that. So just to hang out and watch people get all worked up sounds like fun to me. :)

***

I love instagram. But see, I don't have a fancy phone. I have the little freebie phone you get when you renew your contract. Heck, I was excited when I finally got texting on my plan last Christmas. I know, it's sad.
To be on instagram, though, I was using Brad's old Droid, which was connected to our home internet. So basically, the majority of my pictures were taken at home. If there were any taken while out and about, then Brad was with us. He has the fancy phone for work. Anyway, his old phone got some sort of virus, so now my instagram presence has plummeted. It makes me sad. I miss seeing instant updates on what friends are doing, in the form of pictures. And sharing mine as well. Maybe I can convince the hubs I need a fancy phone for my photography business. Maybe.

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I have a reader who, for months, has searched for my blog by typing in my full name and entire blog title. I'm assuming they know me. I hope they know me. I don't mind, but if my searcher happens to be reading this particular post... do you mind letting me know who you are? Y'know, just so I know I don't need to load my shotgun at night? :)

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The photography business is still going really well. And check out the new logo my friend Jess designed for me! Isn't it pretty? She also does blog design (and photography and skin care... she's multi-talented).

I absolutely adore every second of every photo session I have. Lately, the shoots have included lots of sweet, cuddly newborns. And yes, I do take a few minutes during the session just to hold them. This is the best.job.ever.

Feel free to go here to check out more. :)

***

A couple months ago, I mentioned that my little cousin, his wife, and their baby would be leaving us soon to be missionaries. Well, last night we had our last family dinner with them before they depart.

These next two have nothing to do with them. I just thought they were sweet. :)

They'll be gone for a couple of years, which makes me sad. I mean, I'm excited to see how God will use them, but it's still sad to watch loved ones leave. We've spent a lot of time with my baby cousin, Nathan, over the years. He came to Kiawah with us almost every year as a kid, since he was close to my brother's age.
We celebrated little Landon's 1st birthday a tad early, since he won't be here for his actual big day.

We're really going to miss them.

Last shot of the entire fam together, minus cousin Nat and my stepsisters. And yes, it's very difficult to get a great shot of 20+ people. Noah with my dad and stepmom cracks me up. :)

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Noah is currently obsessed with two of his Baby Einstein DVD's... the Baby Da Vinci one (that goes over facial features, hands, feet, etc) and the Baby Macdonald one. He's definitely retaining some of the info, because he keeps walking up to family members and sticking his fingers in their ears. He also will walk around crowing like a rooster.
Last night, when every one was singing Happy Birthday to Landon, Noah wanted to be included. Since he doesn't know the Happy Birthday song, he began doing the motions to "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". And because my family is awesome, they sang it for him, complete with cheering when he was finished.

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Hope everyone had a fun, relaxing Labor Day weekend!