One to Sixteen

Weeks, that is.

Fix It Friday

So, I've decided that I want to participate more over at I Heart Faces. And on Fridays, they have a feature called "Fix It Friday", where they give you a photo, and you "fix it"--by applying whatever edits you want. I've never participated before, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

Here's the original:

And here's my edit:

I did a crop to put her in the rule of thirds (and get rid of one of the signs). Then, I did a quick and kind of sloppy healing brush to get rid of the sign just behind her. Next, I used Amy McMaster's Black and White Action, along with both the Bittersweet and Vanilla Overlays.

What do you think? Does it improve upon the original? 

103 and Other Things.

This is one of those days where I feel like I have a ton to say, and I'm just not sure how to phrase any of it. Maybe I'll just ramble. I'm an expert rambler, just so you know.

-On Justin's side of the family, there are four "sisters"--Justin's actual sister's Karla, and Kelsey. And then Renee and I, who "married in". Renee, Karla, and I have been getting together at least once a week (with another girl from our softball team) to have lunch, let the kids play, and then we do a short Bible study. Right now, we're reading Max Lucado's newest book Fearless. I love that time so much--coming together in the Word, sharing our own thoughts and fears. Spending time with amazing women, wives, and moms. It's a great start to my week. Especially right now, because I'm finding that anxiety is rearing its ugly little head.

- I've always loved a capella groups. Even before Glee came along and made them cool again--which I am THRILLED about. Anyway, one of the big ones out here is "On the Rocks", which is the University of Oregon's male a capella group. They've gone viral this week for their rendition of Lady GaGa. It's hilarious.




-Right now, I'm on the mini-pill for birth control. I'm not sure whether or not I want to switch to something different. The fact that it's less effective than regular BC pills freaks me out. And there seems to be a ton of debate about whether or not you should use condoms along with the mini pill. But if I'm going to use condoms anyway, what's the point of being on the pill? And I've also heard lots of stories about moms who got pregnant again while on the mini pill, which really freaks me out because I am so not ready to be pregnant again. Which probably comes across as being really insensitive, because I know that it's Infertility Awareness week. I hate that so many of my friends are dealing with infertility whereas I'm desperately trying not to get pregnant. Anyway, I'd love to hear what all you momma's did for BC after you had your bambinos. 

-Sweet Justin pre-empted a major breakdown on my part last night by doing the dishes. Lizzy is teething, and therefore has been kind of a basket case for the last new days. And I don't know if she's growing (and thus eating more) or me not sleeping well at night from my allergies, but the last few days I have just been EXHAUSTED. I have been trying to nap when she naps, but that means that I don't get as much cleaning done around the house, and it is frustrating for me. I don't do very well living in a state of chaos.

-I am officially down a jeans size. I still don't think I've actually lost any weight, but the down a size thing is really, really nice.

-Five or six people have called me recently about doing photo shoots recently. Could this really take off as an actual business? I've also had a few wedding requests, but I just do NOT feel ready to do a wedding yet--I haven't even been a second shooter for a wedding yet!

-Our softball team only lost by one run during tie-breaker rules last weekend. It was an awesome time, and the ump said it was the best season-opener he's ever done. And I love all the people on the team--I hope we continue to do things outside of softball this summer!

Rain, Rain Go Away

I am ready for some sunshine!

12 Weeks to Better Photography- Week Nine

This week was all about portraits--something that used to be my least favorite part of photography (at one time, I HATED photographing people), and is now my favorite part of photography. The lesson gave some great tips about composure for photography. I wanted to share a few tips that work especially well for taking photos of kids, but also work with adults as you'll see with my lovely model:

First, have the person make ridiculously funny faces. Here's Justin pretending to be embarrassed by the idea of making faces. Don't let him fool you. Also, his dimples make me swoon.

And here he is being a "flower". Just for the record, his hand have been scrubbed. They are just stained like that.

The "flower" was great blackmail material and all, but what I was REALLY going for was just after the silly face. Because after making a ridiculous face, most people will either laugh or smile. Often both. And I love taking that "just after" shot, because you get a real smile instead of a fake one. And believe me, moms can tell the difference.

In my opinion, black and white is almost always best for portraits. I love to use Pioneer Woman's "B&W Beauty" action for a quick adjustment.

What about you guys? Do you have any tips for portraits?

Also, I've been having issues with MckLinky, so if you're participating, just say so in the comments section!

Splish Splash

So, J and I are really working on getting our backyard to be a great, livable space for this summer. I envision spending a TON of time out there, and having people over to grill out all the time. My parents have already helped us out a ton--they purchased 5 yards of garden blend soil at the church's school auction that they gifted to us. It will be a huge help in getting those raised beds going.

Another thing we've been talking about is a small inflatable pool. We have lots of nieces and nephews, and most of our friends have kids as well, so having a little pool (which would of course be HIGHLY supervised) would be a lot of fun. But I'm having trouble deciding exactly which one to get. Here's a few that we've been looking at:

Pros: Kids would obviously have a ton of fun in it. Shallower pool, which means less water to fill it up and dump it out. Also, I know that kids can drown in an inch of water, but the shallower water FEELS safer since none of the nieces and nephews really know how to swim. Multiple activities so hopefully the kids wouldn't get bored too quickly.
Cons: This is strictly a kid pool--the adults wouldn't really get any use out of it. I have read that it's STILL a tough pool to empty, hard to store, and clean.

Pros: Wouldn't require as much supervision as a pool since there isn't standing water. Doesn't take up much space. You can either let kids kick it around the yard, or you can fill up a bottom pouch with water to keep it stationary.
Cons: The reviews were split--half said this was an awesome toy for young kids and toddlers. The other half said it broke after one use.

Pros: It's still a small, shallow pool, but there's also space for adults (with a back rest). Good reviews.
Cons: Am I kidding myself that adults would actually use this pool? Fewer activities to keep kids occupied.

What do y'all think? Any recommendations?

Curves Ahead.

Or maybe not, if you're a viewer of ABC or Fox.

By now, if you watch any primetime TV, you've probably seen the Victoria Secret ad about "The Nakeds". It's a lingerie commercial featuring all the gorgeous Victoria's Secret girls prancing around in their underwear. Specifically, the commercial has often apparently aired during Dancing With The Stars.

Lane Bryant is now calling foul, after both ABC and Fox refused to air a lingerie ad featuring a plus-sized model during the same program. You can watch the video here. You can also read what Lane Bryant had to say about the article here and here.

Here's an excerpt of what Lane Bryant had to say: "While it’s no secret that Victoria’s Secret “The Nakeds” ads are prancing around on major networks leaving little to the imagination, steaming up t.v. screens and baring nearly everything but their souls, our sultry siren who shows sophisticated sass is somehow deemed inappropriate. The network exclaimed, she has “too much cleavage”  Gasp! Does that make sense to you?  It doesn’t to us either. Does this smack of a double standard?  Yep. It does to us, too." 

It does to me too. Apparently, the networks finally agreed to show the ad in the final 10 moments of the program. But there's still and inequality there because there hasn't been a restriction on any of the VS ads.  Aren't we past this yet? Did you miss the massive public praise that Glamour magazine received when they published an article featuring a model with an actual belly? Lizzi Miller is beautiful, belly or not, and the women (and men) of the US have affirmed that!

Shame on you ABC and Fox.

And here I thought that I was being good.

So here I am eating breakfast. I don't particularly like breakfast, and being allergic to eggs has always eliminated a lot of options. But since I'm nursing, I find that I really HAVE to eat something. So here I am with my bowl of Raisin Bran, which I thought was a relatively healthy option.

And then I went to check my email, and one of Yahoo's headlines was "Best & Worst Breakfast Cereals". And you know what tops the list? The very thing I'm eating--Raisin Bran. Apparently, it has more sugar than Lucky Charms, Reese's Puffs, or Cocoa Krispies. Nice.

And here I thought that I was being good.

What's your go-to breakfast cereal?

Gobbledy Gook

- We had softball practice last night! Kaitlin's parents were completely awesome and watched Lizzy at the last minute for us. We were practicing by their house, and it suddenly got really cold. Also, the field didn't have a dugout and I was worried about stray balls bopping Lizzy. Anyway, it was so much fun! I played softball through high school growing up, and I've missed it. It's funny how skiddish I am of the ball now though--I used to have no problem getting in front of grounders and line drives. Stopping them with my body was no biggie. Now, I find myself thinking..."Hmmm...is it really worth getting hit for?" And my answer is always NO. Ha! We got in the car afterwords, and Justin said, "Babe, you did really well! I didn't really have very high expectations, but you did better than I thought you would!" He meant that he wasn't sure if I was feeling 100% after Lizzy yet. But it cracked me up--was that supposed to be a compliment? ;-)

- As you may have noticed on the sidebar, I'm reading The Poisonwood Bible right now. I must have started this book half a dozen times before. I'd find it at the used book store, get it, try to read it, become disinterested, and take it back to the used book store. A few months later, I'd repeat the process. But this time, I am really enjoying it. I find that this happens to me a lot--sometimes, I'm just not at a place in my life where I can appreciate or enjoy a particular book, but a few months (or years) down the road, I am.

-We finally have a good variety of garden starts! The Jiffy greenhouses really didn't work all that well for me. However, what HAS worked well is germinating seeds in a paper towel inside a Ziplock bag. Basically, you get the paper towel wet, put some seeds on it. Then you fold the paper towel in half, and put it inside a Ziplock bag. Most of my seeds sprout in a day or two. Then, you just plant the seeding (along with that section of paper towel if the root had grown through the paper towel). Easy Peasy.

- I am not sure what to do with Lizzy during nap time. We have largely stopped swaddling her due to the fact that (a) she hates it and tries to escape and (b) she is rolling, and it's recommended to stop swaddling when babies are rolling. That said, she doesn't sleep well when she's not swaddled. I've only been getting her to take half hour naps lately. I suppose that we could be entering into the 4 month wakeful. Not sure. Any advice?

-Also, I feel like I am covered in baby spit up 100% of the time. I change, and she spews on me again. Blech. 

-About this time every year, I start jonesing to go wakeboarding. I want to go really, really badly. So badly, that I've been dreaming about it. I know it's too cold right now, but I can't wait until we CAN go. Speaking of, we probably need to get The Lizard a lifejacket!

I Can't Believe This...

Lizzy is tripoding. Tripoding is when babies are trying to learn how to sit up, and they use their hands for balance--like a tripod. They are still tippy (hence the boppy pillow), but they can sit up like this unassisted for a few seconds to a minute. I discovered that she can do this last night, and I was SHOCKED, because all my baby books list this as a 6 month milestone. People always tell me that she's strong for her age, but I don't think I really believed them until just now. She's only 3 months!

Dancing Queen

Sorry for the graininess-took these with my Blackberry!

12 Weeks to Better Photography- Week 8

This week was all about shooting on the go--specifically busy kids, sports, and pets. The lesson offered a few tips for shooting things on the move. One thing to keep in mind is shutter speed--you'll remember from a prior lesson that by adjusting shutter speed we can elect to either freeze or blur action. However, sometimes when we're shooting in places like gyms or football fields, it just isn't possible to adjust the shutter speed the way that we want due to light.

In those circumstances, there are a few options:

Embrace the Blur--when you're shooting a moving object, the fact is that it's....moving. So sometimes it's nice to show a bit of that blur. For example, here's a football picture that's blurred out to the extreme. I didn't intend for it to be blurred (I was messing with settings on my camera), and even though it's a technically "bad" picture, I kinda like it. If I titled my photos, I would title it "Speedy Gonzalez"

But let's be honest...even though I think it's a funny picture and can't bring myself to delete it because I laugh every time I see it, it's not a great photo. And when we're talking about embracing blur, a happy medium is usually the best option:

Ouch.

Another option is to go with a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. Some of the football players don't like it when I freeze the action because it points out when they're using bad form. Or carrying the ball incorrectly. Or that no, the other team wasn't actually holding. However, this is often the type of shot that newspapers use, or that a student might use to send to a college recruiting them for sports.

I find that the same principles apply to shooting kids. Sometimes, you want to see their motion and movement. Sometimes, you want more of a portrait shot. The key to it all is to have a good enough understanding of your camera that you can take the type of shot that you want, and not just be happy with whatever auto gives you!

Also, when it comes to shooting sports, don't forget to turn your camera to the crowd every once in awhile. I love this shot that I got:

BQOTD: Last Meal

Imagine for a minute that you are on death row. Wait, that's too morbid for a Monday. Let's try again.

Imagine for a minute that you'd get to plan out your last meal (a la death row inmates). You could have anything you want. What would you pick? 

Here's my answer: I'd start with a salad of mixed greens, blue cheese, apples, strawberries, walnuts, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  I'd also have an entire loaf of sourdough bread and butter. Then, I'd have a heaping plateful of medium rare tri tip, a baked sweet potato with brown sugar, corn on the cob, and fresh strawberries. And a pineapple that had been shipped overnight from Hawaii. Cherry Coke to drink. For dessert I'd have molten lava cake with a raspberry Chambord reduction. And real whipped cream.


{Pst! Justin! Since I know you're reading this, feel free to make me this meal any time. I promise that I'd eat smaller portions, and it would totally make me swoon. Totally.}

What about you? What would you have?

A DIY Project in the Making...

A little while ago, Leslie shared the Knock Off Wood blog. And I am totally addicted. And I have a project in mind:

The Reclaimed Wood Look Headboard. This headboard was made by Nicole from Create and Delegate. I hope that she doesn't mind me using her picture. I just think her work is so stunning and beautiful!

We don't have a headboard right now, and I really want to make this one. I think this with a very dark stain, it would be gorgeous in our bedroom. Even though our dresser is white, I think a dark headboard would work just fine. Though white would be nice too. Since we have a king sized bed, I am wondering if we would have to assemble it in the room. And I'm also wondering if we'd ever be able to get it OUT of the room, lol! Would it be totally weird to sell the headboard with the house if we ever moved?!

Four Things

-Have I mentioned that J and I are playing on a co-ed softball team this year? I'm a little nervous for it (because I'm super competitive when it comes to softball and I don't feel like I'm in good enough "softball shape" to play) but we're doing it just to have fun. The first game is the 25th. Justin's band is playing a fundraiser the night of the 24th, so it should be a busy, busy weekend.

-Also, my allergies are going CRAZY this year. I have a constant sore throat from all the snot dripping down it! I've been a little nervous that we might have to cut out my allergy shots because they are just SO expensive with Justin's work insurance right now. Right now, it's a no deductible plan, but we have to pay 50% of everything. Which is just really hard. However, Justin just told me that in May, the company will be going back to their old insurance, which means that allergy shots will be $5!!! And, right now we have to pay $300 a month to keep us all on his insurance. In May, the company will start paying for us all again. Do you know how many different ways we could use an extra $300/month?!

-The above is a great example for me of God providing in our life. I remember talking a lot with my prior co-worker Emily about staying home with Lizzy. I've talked about Emily on the blog before here, but she's also now blogging, and you should totally check out her blog! Anyway, I distinctly felt like God was calling me to stay home with Lizzy--and I might add that this was strange for me, because I have never before felt like God was calling me to do anything. I was one of those people who would totally roll their eyes when people said 'God spoke to me', because I thought they were full of it (and honestly, when people say that God spoke to them about where to go for dinner, I still roll my eyes. Though that's probably bad of me). Anyway, I remember praying and praying, and feeling so confident that I was supposed to stay home. But also being really nervous about how that would actually work, because it just didn't work on paper. Yet, it has worked. In fact, things actually work BETTER than when I was working in a lot of ways. This has been a powerful lesson for me about how when you're doing what God calls you to be doing, your basic needs WILL be provided for. Do we have money to go to the movies, and go shopping? Nope. But our basic needs are met, and that's all I need right now.

-And because I love pictures, here's a shot of Lizzy over the weekend, doing her favorite thing--standing. Anyone who knows Lizzy can attest that she hates to lay down (she thinks you're trying to put her to sleep), and LOVES to stand!

A Morning in the Life

I had a post all planned out for today. It was a rant about how frustrated I am with my post-pregnancy body. And the fact that I can't seem to lose ANY weight, no matter what I do. Seriously, despite doing the 30 Day Shred or other workout videos multiple times a week, I have not lost one pound since 6 weeks postpartum. And it's frustrating as hell. As Lisa says, Uff Da.  But I'm sure you're as tired of hearing about it as Justin is. So instead, I thought that I'd do a photographic "morning in the life" post.

So. The day usually begins somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00 am. The last few days, Justin and I have been going in together to say good morning to Lizzy. I LOVE that time, and hope that it becomes a family tradition whenever possible. This morning, I walked in to see this:

Why yes, that's a sleep positioner you see behind her. It doesn't seem to do much "positioning" for Lizzy. Now I understand why people use crib bumpers! Anyway, after we say good morning, One of us changes her, and I feed her. Then, we head out to the living room. Lizzy will usually play by herself for a few minutes:

I know, this is the forbidden 'limb chopping'. But I love her little legs, and her hand on her knee in this picture. Lizzy recently discovered her toes, and now it's all about grabbing those little suckers and pulling her legs up. So while Lizzy keeps herself occupied, I usually have time to grab a quick breakfast:

This morning was hot chocolate, extra fiber bread with a dollop of PB, and a yogurt. I usually have an apple or orange around 9-10am too. I never realized how important fiber was until I had a baby. Just sayin'. I also obsessively move around our garden starts trying to keep them in the sunlight.

I'm getting a little anxious about these. It's been about 14 days, and a good portion of them haven't sprouted. I really want them to sprout, darn it! It's supposed to be 7-10 days! Do you think the rest are duds, or should I give them more time? On the other hand, the few that have sprouted are doing well. So well that I've had to move some out of the container:

Green beans. Yum! After I wolf down some breakfast, I play with Lizzy for awhile, and she goes on her belly for some tummy time. And folks? I think I may be in trouble. Because the last few days, when Lizzy is on her belly she will pull her legs up to her belly and try to raise herself up on to all fours. You know, like babies do just before they start crawling? She can't be almost crawling already, can she!?!?!

About an hour to an hour and a half after Lizzy first gets up, she'll start to rub her eyes and/or yawn. Those are her "tired cues", and my clue to get her swaddled up and laid down for a nap. When she's laid down, she's not too happy:

Notice the arm that's already out of the swaddle. She's our little escape artist. Shrieking and crying ensues. I return to the room two or three times to put her nuk (pacifier) back in her mouth and rub her belly to calm her down. Ten minutes later:

Fully escaped, and fully asleep. Although, the shutter from taking this picture almost woke her up. Not doing that again.Once Lizzy is asleep, I usually clean up a bit. Even though I clean up almost every day, the next morning, the living room still looks like a pink monster threw up in it.

Why yes, our garage door still does not have trim on it. Even though we have the trim. I think that I've become accustomed to imagining that the white strip of paint IS trim. Oh! Also, I forgot to show you the craft that we made at Mom's Group. Yes, I said craft. As in, a craft that I actually participated in. And it was so easy that even I could do it: 

Paint. Scrapbook stickers. Scrapbook paper. Glue. Easy as pie. The cube and little metal picture holder came pre-assembled. I did not however, write the verse. That's what they gave us to put in the craft to take home. I don't have cutesy handwriting like that. Moving on....

After the living room, I tackle the never-ceasing mountain of dishes in the kitchen. They seriously never stop.

Okay, so I lied...I haven't actually cleaned yet. Instead, I blogged. I usually clean in the morning though and blog at night. And actually, I planned to clean this morning after I blogged, but I already hear Lizzy cooing in her crib, so I'm sure that I won't get to do that before she starts shrieking. I wonder what weird position she's gotten herself into this time...

Burning Question of the Day: Working Out

Whew. Amazon came to the rescue with a laptop charger that cost a grand total of $16 with next day shipping! I'm back, baby :)

Anyway, today Brittany Ann answered one of my questions for her Workout Wednesday posts (regarding how many calories a breastfeeding mom needs--because I've read everything from 1800-2800, and that's a BIG difference when you're trying to lose weight!). Her post left me curious as to what y'all do for exercise, and how often. So today's Burning Question of the Day is:

If you exercise on a regular basis, what does your "routine" look like? Do you hit the gym? Run outside? Bust out the home workout programs like P90X? How often do you work out? 

12 Weeks to Better Photography- Week Seven

I'm not going to say much this week, because my AC Adapter for my laptop (our only computer) just bit the dust. I ordered a new one which will hopefully work, but in the meantime I'm trying to conserve computer battery.

I will say this--when it comes to shooting in Macro, point and shoot digital cameras are usually better than DSLR's, unless you have a macro lens. I don't. That said, you can often "fake" macro with a good crop. For example:

Original:

Cropped: 

How did this week go for y'all? Any overall comments or thoughts about photography? Do you think you'll use any of these tips, or mostly just point and shoot? How do you usually use your camera--manual, full auto, or somewhere in between? 

PS- MckLinky has changed. So if the list doesn't show up like usual, just comment that you've participated!

Letter to Lizzy- Three Months

Dear Lizzy,

You are now three months old! This past month has been really fun--you're starting to really interact with us, and are doing lots of new things. For example, you have really started to love books. We read "Mr. Brown Can Moo" almost every day, and you usually just grin and hit at the book with your hands. You also like what I call "crinkly" books, and make the cutest faces while trying to read them! I have never made it through "Hop On Pop" though--that's one book that you do NOT like.

You really like to spend time on your belly, and are usually the most vocal when you're on your belly and up on the counter. You shriek--just because you can. We sometimes call you a teradactyl.  We have to watch you really carefully on the counter though because you can roll over now--but only when you want to, which is usually when we aren't looking! You can also grab your toes, and roll from your back to your side to reach for a toy.

You HATE to be laying or sitting. You'd much rather be standing up, which you can do with pretty much no support, just by holding our thumbs. If you aren't standing, you like to fly and give kisses.

You laugh easily, and sometimes snort when you are really excited...which is usually when we are singing silly songs, or when you first wake up in the morning. I can't believe how much you've changed in just a month...and I'm sure next month I'll be just as shocked.

We love you to pieces sweet girl!

Love,

Mom

Interesting Thought--Saying Yes

Yesterday at Mom's Group, the speaker had something interesting to say, and I'm curious to hear your thoughts. She was encouraging us to be intentional about living in the moment, and appreciating the little moments with our family--especially our children.

She said that if she has any regrets in life, it's that she was involved in so many activities--lots of church groups, play dates, lots of activities for the kids, fundraisers, charities, etc. She said that looking back, she feels like she was always rushing through life, and that she wished that she would have taken more quiet time with her family.

She said that now, she lives by the motto that anytime she says yes to something, she is saying no to something else. And she just encouraged us to think about when we commit to something, what we are giving up instead. If we're giving up our TV watching time, that's one thing. But if we're giving up precious family time, that may be another. Like a good diet, our plates should be balanced with family time, time for ourselves, and time for others...but the key is to keep it balanced. Are we spending so much time organizing a Bible study or a bake sale that we're not paying as much attention to our kids or our spouse as we should?

Personally, I struggle with this a lot right now. Because Justin's work has laid off so many people, he often works 50 or more hours a week--leaving by about 6:30am and getting home at 5 or 6 (or later). It is a blessing that he's working so many hours, but it's also hard sometimes.

I also sometimes feel like our family is over-committed and over-stretched....between Justin's band, playing for church, Bible Studies, doing things with our family, making time for me to work out, and doing things with friends, there are weeks where the only day that all three of us are home before 8pm is Friday. And that can be stressful. But we enjoy everything, so it's hard to identify something to cut out. But sometimes, I just want to "call in sick" as a family, lol!

What about y'all? How do you keep your lives balanced between work, personal time, family time, and other commitments? Do you feel like you're able to say "no" when life gets too busy?

Burning Question of the Day: Books

So I am curious- what was the best book you've read in the past six months? And why would you recommend it?

12 Weeks to Better Photography- Week Six

This week's Photography lesson was all about shooting indoors. This can be tricky (between flash issues, white balance, etc), but it's something important to master. I don't know about you, but it's been snowing again lately, so 100% of my photos lately are indoors.

One of the tips that the lesson gave for this week was to try having your subject facing a window, with you standing in between the window and the subject. This will allow you to capture good catchlights in the eyes (PS--I think portraits are all about catchlights in the eyes).

Here's an example of a shot where Lizzy and I were both parallel to a window, with her turned slightly away from the window:

It's not a bad shot, but her eyes aren't as bright as they could be. And there are no catchlights. 

These next two shots were taken with Lizzy facing a window, and me in between her and the window: 

Ta-Da! Catchlights in the eyes!

I will note that I often take pictures with us parallel to a window (in all the pictures of her on a towel on the counter we are parallel to a window). I just try to make sure that she's angled towards the window!

What about you guys? What's your best tip for shooting indoors? 

Various Things

- I am trying to learn how to knit ear-flap hats. I've been meaning to send one to Kaitlin for her little guy (who I CANNOT WAIT TO MEET), along with all the boy stuff that we were given. I've successfully made one hat so far, but it isn't perfect, and so I might make another one and see if I can do better. It's big on Lizzy cause Kait's little man will be 6 months by the time winter rolls around, so I wanted to make sure it will fit!

-Sprint was having a buy one get one free deal for Blackberry Curve phones. So my sister and I each paid $25 and did the deal. I'm usually pretty tech savvy, but I am having a heck of a time getting used to the phone! I feel totally incompetent!

-We're working on getting Lizzy to put herself to sleep. Sunday night was the first night of doing this, and it only took each of us going in once to rub her belly before she konked herself out. Hallelujah!

-Somehow, I didn't manage to get a picture of Lizzy in her Easter dress! I think someone in the family did though--I hope so, because she was pretty adorable. She is getting to be so fun lately. She's all smiles, and she's figured out that she can make noise whenever she wants, so there are lots of happy shrieks and screams. Love it.

-Don't forget that we've got Week 6 of the 12 Weeks to Better Photography tomorrow! It's all about shooting indoors :)

-I am having a tough time right now. I feel like my body is so awkwardly shaped now. The jeans that I bought post-partum are now big enough that they look sloppy, but my normal jeans aren't even close to fitting. It's a GOOD thing that my jeans are too big, but I'm worried that the next size down will be too small, or will give me awful muffin top. Most of my shirts are now too short because my boobs are WAY bigger than before. Also, I tried on like 15 dresses trying to find one to wear for Easter, and couldn't even find anything that I felt "meh" about. I hated how absolutely everything looked. It has just been so long since I've felt comfortable and confident about my body (we're talking since before I was pregnant, and that's now just about been a year ago), and it's really frustrating for me.

-Has anyone done Beth Moore's study of Esther? What did you think? I am thinking about maybe trying to get a group together. I've really been wanting to do it!