What RAW can do for you...

I'm often asked whether I shoot in RAW or JPEG. And honestly, I do both. Around the house, shooting pictures of Lizzy and whatnot, I typically shoot JPEG--they're easier to process, and typically I'm not doing much retouching to those shots. However, when I'm doing an actual shoot (like for Kev's senior pictures), I usually shoot in RAW. Or sometimes RAW + JPEG depending on the day and the shoot.

Shooting in RAW offers several benefits--I don't have to worry about white balance, because I can adjust that after the fact. Additionally, it allows me to easily make tweaks that I think makes a photo really dynamic. For example, take this shot of Kevin:

It was one of my favorites from the session. But it didn't look quite like this straight out of the camera. It looked like this:

I knew that the sun was going to wash everything in the foreground out a bit, but I also knew that by shooting in RAW, I'd have the capability to get some of that color and vibrancy back. 

A lot of photographers take this, and run with it for a very desaturated look, but I didn't think Kevin would be crazy about that, so I decided to try and add some color and depth through the RAW version.

Initially, I think the shadows were around a 10 or so. I bumped them up until they looked right to me--about a 37 or so. I don't recall if I also bumped up the contrast and saturation--it was mostly about the shadows.

Adjusting the shadows slider is my FAVORITE trick to giving photos some nice dynamic range. Give it a try sometime--I'm sure you'll like what you see! 

PS- I believe that the Canon software that comes with the camera also has a RAW editor that lets you work with RAW versions, so you don't necessarily need Photoshop to give this a try!

In the Photo Friday

Watermelon Margaritas may not have been the best idea 

the night before i had to get up at 3am, but boy did I enjoy them!

Keeping It Real

Sometimes, when I'm reading blogs written by other moms, I can't help but feel like they are SO perfect in their parenting. I'm sure this isn't intentional, but sometimes, it's overwhelming.  So today, I thought I'd share some of my not-so-finer moments as a mom from yesterday. 

-I've been noticing that Lizzy has been getting increasingly fast at crawling. Additionally, she has figured out how to tip herself forward in her bouncer, which is what I previously used when I was taking a shower or such. We forgot her jumper at Justin's parent's house after the wedding, so I decided it might be a good idea to set up the Pack N Play for when I need to keep her safe and confined. As I was struggling with the set up (certainly not because I hadn't read the directions), I looked down and noticed that for the first time, Lizzy had made it into the kitchen....and was eating the cat food. Awesome.

-Later that morning, I was trying to get Lizzy down for a nap. I was babysitting one of her cousins, and she just did not want to go down. She was MAD. Now that she's over six months and showing signs that's she's able to self-soothe, we've taken a Ferber approach to naps--when she's crying her obviously MAD cry (opposed to her hungry cry or other cries), we will let her fuss/cry for a pre-determined set of time before going in to run her belly, shush her, etc. Yesterday, she was obviously just ticked. So, I let her cry for the predetermined amount of time. When I went into the room to check on her, I discovered that she was definitely mad...not because it was time for her to nap, but because she had stood up in her crib, and gotten both of her hands stuck between the crib and the wall {Just for the record, they weren't stuck in there tight, and she was obviously fine, just MAD}.

-We're usually pretty good about giving Lizzy healthy foods. For the most part, she eats whatever we're eating as long as it is fairly healthy and child-safe. Except for last night. Justin's side of the family was over looking at pictures from Kelsey and (her) Justin's honeymoon. We were all eating pizza. Lizzy wanted some badly, flapping her arms and yelling. I tried to appease her with healthy snacks that I'd brought, no dice. I tried giving her a crust of the pizza, no dice. Justin eventually brought her over a slice of pizza, and as soon as he handed it to her, baby girl turned the water works right off. And she ate every last bite, despite just having finished an entire container of yogurt. My child apparently loves her food.

Sunrise Photo Shoot

Yesterday morning, Lizzy and I got up ridiculously early (i.e. 3:30am) to drive to meet up with my baby brother to take his senior pictures at sunrise waaaayyyy up the mountain. Although the sunrise wasn't particularly colorful, the light was totally yummy. I don't roll out of bed at the crack of dawn for just anybody, but I'm glad that I did for Kev. I really like how these turned out, and I hope he does too!

Time

I've seen this several times lately, and wanted to share. It made me laugh because it is so true! It totally takes 45 minutes to do what used to take me 15 sometimes!

Goings On

-Friday and Saturday, my niece and nephew stayed with us while their parents went to go watch a Mariners game and have a little weekend getaway in Seattle. On Friday, we drove over to my parent's house to swim. They have an above-ground pool that is the PERFECT size for kids their age, and they were totally hilarious the entire time.

-My aunt also gave me my birthday present early-- The Help!!! I am so excited to read it. I feel like I have been on the waiting list at the library forever! I am trying to make myself finish the library book that I'm currently halfway through, but we'll see. I want to read it really bad.

-After Payton and Logan went home, we had someone from a traveling music ministry stay with us for the night. My sister and Justin's brother were both in the program for a year, so it was nice to be able to help out. Still, it's been a busy two weeks in terms of guests. It's been two weeks in a row of solid guests! 

-This morning, Lizzy WOULD. NOT. NAP. At one point, I walked into her room and saw this:

 I'd seen her pull herself to standing a couple of times before, but this was the first time I caught her doing it in her crib. Looks like it's time to lower the mattress!

-Tomorrow, I have to get up at like 3am. Good Lord. I'm going to shoot my brother's senior pictures, and he wants to do them at sunrise (and we have quite a drive to get where we're going). I just can't get over how early that is. It is SO early that none of the coffee places here will be open! But, in his words, I am pretty sure the shoot will be "epic".

-This next picture is technically bad (I forgot to switch the ISO and had left it at 1600), but I love it anyway.

Baby feet make me swoon.

In the Photo Friday- Week 5

This past weekend, Justin's baby sister married one of his best friends.

Sadly, I forgot my camera, but was able to steal some shots from Facebook. Kaitlin's parents were the photographers, and her mom told me that they got at least one shot of the three of us, which I'm thankful for. Still, these pictures are difficult for me to look at. It might be silly or petty, but I had kind of secretly planned in my head to have lost all the baby weight by Kelsey's wedding. And I haven't, despite my best efforts and what feels like constant working out. And I feel fat and lumpy double-chin-y and depressed about it.

Okay, those last two weren't terrible. Not what I WANT, but not terrible. But the full-body shots are what really make me cringe.

Blech. I just don't like it at all. Any of it. It kind of makes me want to cry. Truthfully, I always feel big compared to the girls in Justin's family who are naturally small and petite. Even when I was skinny, I felt "big" because I was so much taller. But now I'm taller AND bigger, and that sucks.

And on that happy note, if you participated in "In The Photo Friday" this week, be sure to leave a comment to let us all know!

Dear Subway,

My dearest Subway,

Many of my friends had recently been talking about how wonderful you and your Orchard Chicken Sandwich were and how I should give you another shot. I decided that they shouldn't have all the fun, so several weeks ago, I visited you. One thing led to another, and at the goading of my friends, I tried your new sandwich. Normally, I'm not a chicken salad girl (or a mayo girl for that matter), but I have to admit that I was swept away. Sometimes, new can be good. This version of chicken salad was light, delicious, and relatively healthy. Apple. Celery. Cranberry. Chicken. It was the perfect companion to a hot summer day.

After our first time together with the Orchard Chicken sandwich, you were on my mind all week. I couldn't wait to see you again. But, trying to be a good girl, I waited patiently. Another few weeks passed before I ventured back to see you again. I waited with anticipation until the counter girl said that all was ready.

"I'd like a six inch Orchard Chicken sandwich on wheat," I happily pronounced.

"Uh. That was a limited edition sandwich. We don't have it anymore," she replied.

First, it was your Bourbon sauce. Then it was your hearty Italian bread. Now, the Orchard Chicken Sandwich. I just feel like every time I really start to become attached, you go and change. I just don't know who you are anymore!

So Subway, I'm sorry to say that I think it's time we broke up. It's you, not me. And no, we can't just be friends.

Sincerely,
Meredith

Snippets

- Thank you all for your input and thoughts about Lizzy losing weight last week. We went back to the doctor yesterday, and she had gained weight like a champ. She had a few formula bottles over the weekend due to J's sister's wedding, which we were both in, but I think we've settled back into a routine of nursing every feeding except the last of the day, coupled with as much solids as she's interested in (which is a lot).

-I forgot my camera to the wedding. I am hoping someone got a picture of the three of us (we posed for like 50...let's just hope one actually makes it to us!). 

-Our air conditioner in our car is broken. Boo.

-Have I mentioned that Lizzy now has several teeth? Yeah, that was a fun process.

-I had forgotten how much cramps suck.

- All the lettuce in our garden bolted. It is too dang hot. I am trying to decide whether it's worth it to replant. In other garden news, we have lots of green tomatoes. I wish they'd hurry up and get red! I am ready to make things!

-I still HATE earwigs. I killed four of them on our couch this morning.

-Edited to add--I think this post sounds kinda whiny.  But really, life is good with me, my sweet husband, and Lizzy!

Want/Need

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. -Psalm 23 (NIV)

A few months ago at mom's group, we were doing a craft. The daughter of one of our friends was painting something to hang up in her room, and wanted her mom to write "her verse" on the paper. As it turns out, her verse was a version of Psalm 23: 

The LORD is my shepherd, I have everything I need. -Psalm 23 (similar to The Message translation)

This sweet girl's version of Psalm 23 has really been on my mind ever since. For me, it brought a whole new spin on things--because traditionally, I always heard Psalm 23 and thought of being "in want" as dealing with the big, extravagant things--boats, Hawaiian vacations, shopping sprees. This child's version of Psalm 23 has caused me to look at the verse through a lens of Need versus Want.

I struggle often with being in want, especially now that I am a stay at home mom. Because the honest truth is that money is tight, every month. We've dipped into our savings more often than we should have, sometimes out of necessity, and {honestly}sometimes because it's been hard for us to transition from two incomes (and thus more discretionary income) to one. I think sometimes we wanted to continue living virtually care-free about our spending. But the bottom line is that we just simply can't be as carefree with money as we once were.

It's hard because I want clothes that fit and feel flattering. I want lasagna for dinner instead of the chicken salad we have ingredients for. I want to be able to meet a friend for lunch and coffee before she goes away to medical school. I want to be able to go and visit my parents or Justin's parents as often as we want to, even if that means driving there two or three times in a week. I want to be able to occasionally buy Lizzy a cute outfit when I see it. I want to be able to put more money in savings. Heck, I have a whole tag on this blog called "I want." Justin has his own set of "I wants" as well--not extravagant "I wants", but just little things. 

Sometimes, these things that I want to do or have feel like needs. But really, they're not. I may feel like "Oh, I need to go grocery shopping, I have no food in the house." I may not have the groceries that I want, but my cupboards are not actually bare.We have food. It may not be a meal that I would typically put together--it may be a mish-mash of things, but we have food.When I think about it long and hard, I can't really think of anything that we need but do not have--we have a home, we have food, we have transportation, we have each other.

As I've said before, sometimes it is HARD to be in this place. I feel like I deserve to have these things that I want. They are small things after all. Sometimes I find myself looking up jobs on Craigslist, thinking how much easier it would be if we were back to two incomes {And yet, I do know that the grass is always greener. The additional money would come with sacrifice as well--either hardly seeing Lizzy or hardly seeing Justin}.

On the other hand, I know with every fiber of my being that it's God's plan for me to be a stay-at-home-mom right now. Justin and I have prayed about it long and often. I know it, I feel it, and I'm at peace with it. I have faith that our NEEDS will be provided for during this time, I just have to reconcile with the fact that our WANTS may not be. Honestly, this is probably a good lesson for me, even if it isn't always a particularly fun one.

This next month in particular, I really would to spend time thinking about where every single penny of our money is going--not that some of our money won't be spent on wants rather than needs, but I have a feeling that if we really continue to remember that we do have everything we NEED, we'll find a lot more discretionary income than we thought we had.

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for you heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

And why do you worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for the wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? -Matthew 6: 25-30

In the Photo Friday- Week 4

Holy cow--I totally forgot it was Friday this morning! Luckily, I happen to have a picture to post--I took Lizzy and two of her cousins to a children's craft fair this past week, and ran into ex-co-worker (and friend!) Emily. Her husband snapped this picture while we were chatting.

I am too lazy to make a MckLinky this morning, so if you're also participating, just leave a comment to let everyone know!

BQOTD- Drinks

Today's Burning Question of the Day: What is your favorite alcoholic beverage? Are you a wine person, or a martini sipper? Beer, or Long Island Iced Tea? Weigh In. 

Also, you can still vote once a day for Lizzy's nursery in The Bump's real nursery contest here! 

Current Situation...

On Tuesday, we had Lizzy's six month doctor's appointment. And I was quite surprised to learn that not only had she not gained weight from her last appointment, but she had actually lost a few ounces. I really had no idea--she's fitting into bigger clothes now, getting more little baby rolls, pooping and peeing, and is a generally happy baby (especially now that TWO teeth have popped through).

The pediatrician was obviously a bit concerned, and we talked about several scenarios that could be at play:

(a) My supply has tanked for whatever reason, or was not great to begin with and is no longer sustaining her.
(b) Lizzy is extremely active for her age, and I have a difficult time getting her to nurse--even in a dark, silent room, she is constantly pulling off to look around, sit up, etc.
(c) Something else medically.

The pediatrician has had me pumping several times over the last few days to try and gauge my supply, which is incredibly overwhelming to me. First, I don't have a good pump, which means it is time consuming, and also a pain in the butt to wash and clean several times a day. It's just an added stressor for me, because I'm already stretched on time to get the house in order for wedding guests that are arriving today. Anyway, the last few times that I've pumped, I've typically gotten 3-6 oz, which makes me feel pretty confident that it isn't entirely my supply, since I know that she's more effective than the pump, and is likely getting far more than that.

The pediatrician also gave me the go-ahead to increase solids, which she IS interested in. Before, they were wanting us to introduce solids just to get her used to flavors and textures. They had recommended no more than half of a stage one baby food container at a sitting. Lizzy always wanted more, so I'd try to nurse her. But she wouldn't nurse. So I figured that she wasn't really THAT hungry, she was just having fun with the solids. Mom fail, apparently. Now, the pedi wants me to feed her solids until she's no longer showing interest. Last night, that meant 1/4 cup whole cooked green beans, half a tortilla, and a jar of stage two baby foods. Apparently, my girl likes to eat far more than she likes to nurse.

Additionally, we've had to give her a formula bottle for the last feed of the day for a variety of reasons. My supply seems much lower by evening, so maybe this is a good thing. Also, can I say that giving Lizzy a bottle last night was the first time that feeding her was actually enjoyable? I know that a lot of breastfeeding moms feel that it's great bonding time, but it never has been for me--it is a constant struggle with all the latching and de-latching to look around.  

Anyway, I'm not really sure where we'll go from here--I guess it just depends whether or not next Tuesday shows a weight gain at the doctor. I hope that it does.

Shameless Self-Promotion

Check out my guest blog over on The Domestic Wannabe to read all about my day-to-day life as a new mom, of course, new pictures of Lizzy are included!

Do you all remember the long design process where I fretted over every little thing in Lizzy's nursery? You all were such great help and offered excellent advice. Between my ideas, your advice, Justin's labor, and a lot of help from friends and family, we ended up with a non-traditional nursery that we LOVE.

I love that the walls aren't pink. I love that Lizzy has an awesome tree mural painted by her amazing Aunt Renee that will hopefully grow with her. I love that Lizzy's bedding was made by Lizzy's Grandma Joyce. I love that her dresser was Justin's growing up (which we refinished). I love that in a moment of craftiness, I made some DIY wall art.

In all honesty, Lizzy's nursery was the first time that I was able to take an idea (or a "DESIGN CONCEPT" as I'm sure they'd say on design star) and actually implement it in real life. And we did it on budget {read all about the total cost here} And I am so proud of the nursery. I hope that you all like it too.

If you do, I hope that you'll vote for Lizzy's Nursery in The Bump's Real Nursery Contest. The grand prize is a family vacation to one of the Beaches resorts in Jamaica. I cannot even begin to explain how incredible that vacation would be.


CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR LIZZY'S NURSERY

Photo Snippets

Whale Spout

When I was little, my mom used to put my hair up in a little ponytail on the top of my head (kinda like Pebbles from The Flinstones), and she'd call it a "whale spout". I've been excited for Lizzy's hair to get long enough to do this, and have been saving a special shirt that I picked up before she was born just for the occasion. Yes, I am a nerd like that.

Letter to Lizzy- Six Months

Dear Lizard,

This weekend, you will be turning six months old, and I have to say, this has been the most interesting month yet. All of a sudden, you are doing tons of new things--sitting up all by yourself, trying to feed yourself, getting up on all fours and rocking (you are SO close to crawling), and swimming.

We haven't been doing the Mommy and Me swim classes as much this past month since your nap schedule has changed a bit, but I try to take you to the pool here or at Grandma Joyce and G-Daddy's house at least once a week. You love to be in the water, and are really brave about being dunked. Yesterday at Grandma and Grandpa's, you apparently decided that you wanted to go underwater while I was holding you upright, and flung yourself face-first into the water. I thought you'd be upset, but you were quite pleased with yourself. You're also doing really awesome with trying to blow bubbles, and are really starting to be into splashing.

We've been trying to be really good with a bedtime routine during the week--at promptly 8pm every night, we try to start of the 5 B's--Bath, Boob, Book, Bear, Bed. It has helped you get to sleep tremendously. Some nights you still fuss, but not for hours on end like you sometimes would previously. And you really seem to be enjoying story time recently. You love for your dad to read "Pout Pout Fish", and I love to read "Very Hungry Caterpillar".

You're also really, REALLY into food, and so far you've loved everything that we've tried. You get really upset if I am eating in front of you and don't give you something to eat as well. While we do sometimes do purees and baby food, we've been moving more and more towards Baby Led Weaning, or basically giving you table foods. So far, I've been trying to do each--purees and Baby Led Weaning--at one (different) meal a day.  In terms of the Baby Led Weaning, we experimented with giving you pieces of toast last weekend, and you loved it. We've also tried giving you steamed baby carrots, but you had a harder time getting those into your mouth. I tried banana, but you wanted to take HUGE bites of that, and ended up gagging a lot. I'm thinking about doing a lightly frozen banana next time, which also might help with your teething. And no, there's still no sign of actual teeth, but you continue to act like you're teething, so I'm not sure what's up with that baby girl.

Some days are hard--last night you screamed for two hours straight, and nothing I tried (nursing, changing, burping, putting you on the floor, bicycling your legs, walking you around, putting you in your crib, giving you Sophie, rocking you, and lastly giving you Tylenol) seemed to make any bit of difference. I get frustrated when you're obviously hurting and I don't know what to do to make you feel better. Sometimes, it gets to the point where all I can do is sit, rock you, and sing to you. Lately, I've been singing you a lot of JJ Heller, but also a song by a band called Sidewalk Prophets. The last chorus goes:

Be strong in the LORD and never give up hope.

You're gonna do great things, I already know.

God's got his hand on you so don't live life in fear,

forgive and forget but don't forget why you're here. 

Take some time to pray, and thank God for each day.

These are the words I would say.

More than anything else, THAT is my wish for you baby girl. Know that you are loved--we love you more than anything (even ice cream). 

Forever and For Always, 

Mom

In the Photo Friday- Week 3

We're on to week three lovely ladies. 

Here's one my mom snapped yesterday of Lizzy and I swimming.

She loves the water, just like her momma.

BQOTD: Sunscreen

During college, I worked at a rafting company. Over the course of my time there, I started to notice that on days that I applied sunscreen, I actually burnt worse than on days that I forgot to. We're talking hard-core, blistering sunburns while wearing sunscreen.

A few years later, I had insurance coverage that allowed me to see a dermatologist, so I went. And I asked my dermatologist about the sunscreen issue. She told me that I was most likely allergic to one of the chemicals in sunscreen, and getting a chemical burn from it rather than a sunburn. Ouch.

She recommended La Roche Posay's Anthelios sunscreen, which I've been using since to GREAT results. But it's expensive, and I have to order it through the mail. So I was also hoping to identify back-up sunscreens that I could buy in stores in case I'm out (or in my current case, have misplaced a brand new tube of the stuff).

I headed over to The Environmental Working Group's 2010 Sunscreen Guide, and I was really surprised at what I read. Basically, the EWG ranks sunscreen based on UVB protection, UVA protection, UVA/UVB balance, sunscreen stability, and health concerns.

I had no idea that there were so many health concerns related to sunscreen--for example, did you know that many sunscreens (41% in the US) contain Vitamin A? Vitamin A is typically used as an anti-aging agent in night creams, which is fine. However, when coupled with sun exposure, Vitamin A has been shown (by FDA studies) to speed the development of cancerous tumors. Wow. Luckily for you and me, the EWG's guide notes which sunscreens contain Vitamin A.

So I'm curious--what sunscreen are you using, and how does it score from the EWG?

What I've Been Reading/ Accelerated Reader Program

photo credit

Not too long ago, I finished reading The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, which I borrowed from my mom's elementary school library. If you've read this book, you're probably scratching your head wondering why in was in an elementary library, because while it was an easy read, the themes were way too mature for elementary school kids (much of the book was implied rather than actually stated, and it required that the reader have some familiarity with World War 2). So why is it in the elementary library? You can thank the not-so-wonderful Accelerated Reader program, which I loathe. LOATHE. If you're interested in what the AR program is about, I'll explain at the end of this post.

Anyway, the book was an easy read--well written, but absolutely tragic. Still, I'd definitely recommend it. I can't really say much about the book without giving everything away, so you'll just have to take my word for it! 

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photo credit

I'm pretty sure that I heard about this book from Alyssa at My Husband's Watching TV. This book is about a woman accidentally kills a woman that she's just met in a traffic accident. She discovers that the woman has written a list of 20 things that she wanted to do by her 25th birthday. The narrator decides that she's going to complete the list for the deceased author, and learns a lot about herself in the process.

This probably isn't a book that I'd buy, but it's worth checking out at the library. Easy, chick-lit sort of book. Perfect for pool-side lounging, in my humble opinion.

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This next book is one that I'm currently reading. I haven't finished, so I can't give a full review, but I'm really enjoying it so far.

 photo credit

I have often been frustrated by the assumption of others that because of my religious beliefs, I must also belong to a particular political party. I don't. Honestly, I don't feel like either political party is a good representation of my beliefs as a Christian. So far, this book has done a great job explaining why neither party has it right, and which political issues we, as Christians, are called to be concerned with based on scripture--and they may not be the issues that you might think. 

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Now, back to the AR program. Basically, it's a program used by many public schools that's designed to help kids self-select books to read. Kids take a test, and it gives them a numerical range. They are supposed to select books within that range to read. AR level 5 is roughly a 5th grade level. AR level 1 is roughly a 1st grade level. Naturally, you'll have some kids reading above grade level, and some reading below.

The kids read the books, and then take a test (which is almost 100% recall rather than comprehension) to prove that they read the book. They get a certain number of points for each test they pass. The problem is that content doesn't seem to be taken into consideration anywhere in the AR program--for example, Catcher In The Rye is AR level 4.7, but I think it's common sense that most 4th-5th graders wouldn't understand many of the underlying themes in the book.

Additionally, some teachers and parents don't let their kids read outside of their assigned ranges ever (I can't begin to tell you how many times I've been to the library and heard "Sorry, that's not in your AR level, you can't get that"). I am a total bookworm, and I can confidently say that had a program like that been around when I was in school, I probably would have left school HATING it. And I just don't think it teaches kids how to read, and then think critically about what they've read. End vent.

Baby Names

We spent part of the 4th of July weekend with some friends--they already have a 3 year old daughter, and are expecting another baby girl this fall. The mom was talking about how they still hadn't picked out a name.

I asked their 3-year old daughter what SHE thought her baby sister should be named.

She thought for a minute or two and said, "I know exactly what my baby sister is going to be named."

"Oh yeah? What will she be named?" I responded.

Very seriously, the little girl replied, "Tinkerbell."

Happy 4th

Justin is off today as well, so we are off to the lake! Hope you all had a great weekend!