37 Weeks with Baby Bum 3

We took maternity photos at the beginning of January, and as usual I'm so glad we did. I debated about what to wear for a while but ended up going with jeans, booties, a t-shirt, and cardigan, and I'm really happy with how they turned out. I love taking maternity photos because it's such a special time, and I take advantage of the opportunity to get a few shots of each of the kids, our family, and Jordan and I together.

I've felt so thankful for a routine, healthy pregnancy so far, but this past weekend I came down with what I thought was a terrible head cold only to find out that I somehow contracted THE FLU. I don't think I've ever had the flu before, and let me tell you it's awful. If no one else in my house catches it, it will be a miracle considering I showed symptoms for 3 days before I went to the dr to get tested. Not because I was trying to put everyone at risk but because I honestly thought it was just a bad cold!

I mean, can anyone really say "achy" is an abnormal symptom at 36.5 weeks pregnant? The dr was like, do you feel achy? Um, YES WHY DO YOU ASK. I tried to roll out of bed last week and got the worst side cramp of my life. I'm peeing every 8 seconds and basically need to just move my desk into the bathroom at this point. Oh yes, and the waddling is very real. 

Totally over all of it.

I was supposed to have my 37wk checkup today, but of course they said not to come in since I'm contagious with the flu, so I guess I'll just wait and see what's up with Baby Bum next week. R came at 38w5d, so that's like a week and a half from now IT'S FINE. The infant car seat is in the attic covered in dust but anyway.

I never once worried about how R was going to do once J came around, but I have to say, I am a little anxious about this little guy now that he's about to become a big brother. He still asks me to hold him constantly, wants Mama around always, and can be pretty aggressive, so I'm just not sure. I hate to be annoying and say it's a boy thing, but we have definitely noticed that for our kids, at least, J is much more aggressive and physical than R was at this age. But he is also so sweet and is saying more and more words and sentences every day. He's hilarious! My MIL has been watching him since I found out that officially and the flu, and I haven't even seen him in almost two full days now. I miss his sweet face!

It's strange to me that people know the gender of their babies and can call them by name before they are born. I sometimes forget that we knew with R and J! Not knowing honestly hasn't been that hard, but as my due date gets closer I am getting so excited to see who has been in there this whole time. Of course, I'd like Baby Bum to wait just a bit until I get over the flu... and until we solidify our name choices. Ha! What is wrong with us? I think we've decided on 2 girl names to choose from, and I think we have a boy name we both like, but we can't come up with a good middle name yet.

Among other things I'm feeling anxious about is going on maternity leave and then going back to work. I've done it twice, so obviously I have an idea of the challenges and how it works, and I know I can survive it and will figure out a good routine. But that will take time, and I just really dread the process of a new routine, because going back to work has been so hard for me both times, and I don't expect it to be magically easier this time.

Pregnancy is such a long process, from trying to get pregnant to getting pregnant to being pregnant to having a baby to recovering from having a baby. By the time it's almost over, I do want it to be over, but I also find that, for me at least, it's also really hard for everything to be over. Because there isn't anymore this One Big Thing you're focusing on but just that thing called life, which is beautiful and wonderful but also pretty hard sometimes.

Every time I think about actually having this baby I get surrounded by a swirl of emotions and usually end up crying. Happiness and anxiousness and excitement and gratefulness and also, I admit, fear because I really really want to be able to bring my baby home, and it's just a fact that not everyone gets to. SO. On that happy note (I'm just a treat to be around right now!), I'm going to get some more tea, blow my nose 800 more times, and sit on the couch while Baby Bum moves around--on the inside for now, but very soon (though not too soon, please!) to be on the outside.

Currently June

reading: I'm in the middle of The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder, which normally I would be all over because I have all the heart eyes for the Little House on the Prairie, but I seriously lie down in my bed to read at night and get about three pages before my eyes start to close. Some day I won't be tired, but that day is not now.

watching: Jordan and I are obsessed with The Flash. The first few episodes are super nerdy and kind of cheesy, but oh man this show is so good. Plus you can barely find good shows these days that aren't full of swearing and sex!

feeling: Anxious for Baby Bum to join the party on the outside. My due date isn't officially until the 23rd, but I keep hoping he will take after his big sister and come early. The week of R having hand, foot, mouth followed directly by a week of me having the strep totally killed it for me, and I am over everything right now. My hips hurt all the time, I basically can't roll over in bed without a colossal effort, and being at work is dumb. Motivation, where are you?

working on: The crib to toddler bed transition. And by that I mean we going to make this happen because Baby Boy will be using the crib in a few months, and we can't be dealing with this bed madness once he comes. I like to think my mom and Jordan's mom have useful and helpful parenting advice seeing as how they each raised four kids, but in this matter they give us a blank stare and respond with: "Hmmm, I'm not quite sure how we did that." Thanks for nothing, moms! It's just confusing because no one seems to have any specific advice about this. Not even the Internet, which is weird because usually the Internet has a lot to say about everything. Needless to say, we don't know what we are doing, but like everything else involving parenting, I suppose we just move forward and hope for the best! Would anyone like a post about this? I fear it might bore everyone to tears, but if there's interest I might write something up, at least for my own reference later on when we are doing this with Baby Bum #2 down the road.

eating: Let's just say if you cut up a watermelon and want to eat any of it yourself, don't tell me there's watermelon because there might not be any left after I'm done with it.

making: Gifts for our L&D nurses! I didn't do this for R because I didn't know people did things like this, but I saw a printable on Rachel's blog and thought it was so cute and also easy and cheap (important!), so I made some last weekend. I don't have a hospital bag packed, but I do have M&Ms for the nurses so I'm winning at one thing, at least. Also making padsicles for post-delivery because they were the best ever last time. I'm living a glamorous life right now, friends.

organizing: The nursery closet! I mentioned a few posts back that Jordan was going to put a shelf in the closet. I'm thankful it's a walk-in, although it isn't huge, but he did finally add a shelf to one side, and I feel like it gives me more space to work with. My mom stayed for a few days last week and helped clean my house and organize things, and I do think this is an improvement! I totally forgot to take a picture of the before closet, but I have a during and after for you. P.S. That recliner/rocker is from Babies R Us, and I looooooove it.

I don't know how many more posts I'll get up before the baby comes. My motivation and ability to stay away in the evenings after R finally goes down is dwindling quickly. I do have a couple of sponsored posts coming up that I'm excited about, and I also want to do a roundup of baby stuff I've been loving lately from around the Internet! Until then, I hope you all have a great week!

Framing Our Maternity Photos with Keepsake (+ Discount Code)

*I received the following product for free in exchange for a review. All opinions are mine.

I never do sponsored posts that aren't relevant to me or this blog, but I especially love when a product review or sponsored post opportunity comes up that is completely perfect for something I already needed or wanted. Keepsake reached out to see if I would be interested in reviewing their photo framing service, and as luck would have it, we had just had maternity photos taken, and I was looking to get one framed for our house!

Keepsake creates custom frames for your photos in a quick process that you can do either on your desktop computer or inside the free app straight from your phone. I used the app to make my frame, and it was super easy. The hardest part will be deciding what photo to frame! They have a range of size and color options at a variety of price points so you can get exactly what you want. The very best part is that all the frames are made in the United States.

All frames come fully sealed in the back with hanging hardware, so on Saturday when the UPS guy dropped it off, I literally unpacked my frame and hung it within five minutes.

You can use the code okie15 to get 15% off your purchase, and I'm seriously considering getting a second frame of a different maternity picture in a smaller size to add to the gallery wall above my desk. I should also mention that shipping is always free. If you are the type of person who takes tons of pictures but is bad about getting them actually framed and hung up in your home, Keepsake is definitely worth checking out!

Now I wanted to share a few more maternity pictures with you. We took maternity photos when I was pregnant with R, and I just love having professional photos of that special time. I knew that I wanted to get them done again with this baby, and as I've mentioned before, my blog-friend-turned-real-life-friend Beka was sweet enough to offer to drive to Oklahoma City and meet us for a photo shoot after work one day! 

I do want to say that R was crazy and would not be held, and I don't think she smiled once for any photo. But that's toddlers for you! It was also super windy, but we still got some shots that I really love. Here are a few. 

And just for fun.... Pinterest inspiration vs. real life.

Nailed it.

The Point of Everything

So, hi.

I have so many things to talk about and yet nothing I want to talk about. I reserved four books from the library and of course they all came in at the same time, so I have been plowing through books lately. It’s been nice.

I’m almost 33 weeks pregnant and just now starting to get regular comments about my bump from strangers. I was at the arts festival last week squatting down to look at a piece of pottery, and the artist leaned over and asked, “Do you do prenatal yoga?” Sometimes I forget that I’m even pregnant, so it took me a minute to connect to the point of such a random question. “What?” I said. She smiled. “You just move really well for having that big baby."

So that made me feel pretty good, even though, no, I haven't been doing much prenatal yoga or much of anything at all. I swore I would be more fit this pregnancy, but I'm really just too busy and tired to care about it. I took R on a walk two days ago and tried jogging for 3.8 seconds and got a side cramp almost immediately, so there's that.

Then there was the guy in line at the sno cone stand who looked down at my stomach, chuckled, and said, “Looks like you’ve already had four or five sno cones already.” To be honest, stuff like that doesn’t bother me. I’m not one of those pregnant women who get offended by someone implying that my stomach is big. I mean come on. Let’s not kid ourselves. It is big, and I just laugh right along with them. I'm too thankful for my healthy, growing baby to get insulted by anyone's comments, because they are just making conversation and not really trying to be rude anyway. This, of course, doesn't apply to Jordan, who isn't allowed to comment on my size unless he wants to see The Rage.

Beka sent me our maternity photos, and this is one of my favorites. My two Baby Bums. 

R was a squirmy little bean and basically refused to be held, but we finally got her to cooperate for this one by offering her a food pouch, which she is eating in the photo. Ha! Strategic cropping for the win.

I’m so excited for R to be a big sister. I think she’s going to do so great. And although I realize maternity leave is not a day at Disneyland, I can’t tell you how excited I am to be able to be off work this summer and spend some time just doing my mom role and not with the addition of work and deadlines and rush-hour commutes into the city. 

I finally talked to my boss a month or so ago and figured out exactly what my leave will look like. I got six weeks last time with R, and this time I am thrilled that they agreed to give me eight. Most of that will be unpaid but still totally worth it. I will also be able to work full time from home for a couple of additional months, which I am so thankful for. R was born on a Monday morning, and Jordan went back to work that Thursday. This time he is going to take a full week off, and I’m really excited for that too. All around I feel very blessed and thankful and excited going into this final month and a half of pregnancy.

I feel like I’ve been taking more photos of R lately but sharing less and less of them. As she gets older, I have been feeling that I don’t want to share too much publicly about her. I’m really happy with my decision not to type out her full name on the blog, although I’m sure many of you know what it is, which is fine. I’ve gotten in the habit of typing her initial in texts and emails too, even to my friends and family, which is kind of funny. I plan on doing the same for Baby Boy (yes, he does have a name)!

I guess what I’m saying in a roundabout way is that I’m just not sure what I want to write about right now, so that’s why it might be a little quiet on the blog. I was playing with R a couple of weeks ago, and she does this thing where sometimes she comes over and pats your face or your back, like she’s mimicking what we do to her sometimes. She put her hand on my cheek and looked right into my eyes and smiled, and I swear to you I’m not being dramatic. I actually had tears well up in my eyes as I thought about how much I love her.

And okay, spoiler alert: I’m about to say something that will make me look like a crazy religious nutso. But do you know what that makes me think of? It makes me think about how much God loves me. How much he loves YOU. Maybe you don’t believe that, but I do. I've been taking a lot of comfort in that lately, because life can be really wonderful but also really hard. There's so much uncertainty, and I have been stressing about some of that lately, but at least I have one constant.

I suppose that last paragraph is kind of unrelated to anything else I wrote in this post. But actually if you think about it, maybe it’s also kind of the point of everything.

We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. 

The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.

― C.S. Lewis

Social Activities Are My Cardio

I cannot believe how much stuff we have had going on recently. It's kind of ridiculous. Last week Jordan and I realized that we hadn't even turned the TV on one single time from Sunday to Sunday, and obviously it isn't a bad thing to not watch TV, but it should tell you something about how busy we've been!

R has been such a dream child, going to all these different things with us, staying up past her bedtime and still getting up in the morning at the same time to head out the door with us for work/daycare. The bright side is that she goes down for bed so easy and we don't hear a peep from her during the night. Probably because she's passed clean out with her limbs hanging out every which way (see exhibit A).

On Monday, Beka drove down from Kansas to take maternity pictures for us! We first connected online via our blogs and had a chance to meet up in person a couple of times while she and her husband lived in Oklahoma. The first time we met was at a Starbucks (isn't that how all the cool bloggers do it?), and her husband waited in the car to make sure I wasn't a serial killer. Jordan stayed home and just told me to "text him if I got killed." He loves me. 

Beka recently started a new photography business and was kind enough to offer to take our photos! I know maternity pictures aren't everyone's favorite thing, but I love them. You can see my maternity pics with R here.

My mom was here last weekend and that was awesome, as always. We made a bunch of freezer meals. We made a few from this post and also we made this (I had a 4-pound roast that we cut it in half and cooked half for dinner that night and made the other half a a freezer meal for later!) We also rearranged a few things around the house. I figured since I'm almost 32 weeks pregnant maybe I should actually start doing something about the nursery. You can check out pictures of the nursery in this post. 

We aren't doing too much to it, but I did get gray curtains (these) and I'm replacing one of the two animal art prints with a fox with yellow balloons from the same Etsy shop as I got the original prints from. The goal is just to make it look more neutral with less pink stuff and more boy colors. Easy and cheap! We originally painted the room mint green for a reason.

We moved the white cabinet out (see how it looked in the nursery in this post), flipped it on its side, and made R a little play area in our office/extra dining room. I am kind of in love with it. Now her toys and books aren't piled in the living room! 

With the space created by the cabinet, we moved R's toddler bed (that my in-laws found at Goodwill for $50!) into the nursery. Now to start the transition from crib to toddler bed... We have no idea what we are doing but at least R sleeps on a cot at daycare for naps every day so she's used to not always being in a crib to sleep. That should help, right? Help.

In other news, the Oklahoma City Arts Festival is in town this week! It's one of my favorite weeks of the year and since I work downtown, I try to go to the fair every day during my lunch hour. I have already plotted out what I want to eat, and today was this delicious BBQ sandwich. I also have my eye on the giant egg rolls (had them last year and YUM) and also trying out the bread pudding that people raved about last year. In case you are wondering about budgeting, I pretty much use up my April blow money on eating at the festival and I have no regrets.

After months of staring at it, I finally stained and hung up this "gather" sign over our kitchen table, and I love it! I think maybe I need to find something to go over it or around it or something, but for now I'm happy I at least accomplished getting it on the wall.

 With that and the nursery stuff, Jordan is all, "So, I guess you're nesting?" 

I mean, I guess so, but I haven't had the urge to scrub my baseboards yet so I can't be sure.

What's been going on with you?

Thoughts on Postpartum Weight and Recovery

This past Monday, I was 3 weeks postpartum.

I debated about writing a post about postpartum weight and showing pictures of my stomach on here because, well because it's kind of personal and my dad reads this blog (hi, Dad!).

But if there's one kind of pregnancy-related post I personally always enjoy reading about, it's when bloggers share about their postpartum recovery. It's fascinating how different people carry babies and recover after having a baby, and I was interested (and, let's be honest, nervous) to see how my body would react.

I'll start out by saying that this experience is obviously personal to me and is not a reflection on anyone else's pp journey. I knew this before, but over the past three weeks I've realized it really is ridiculous to compare your recovery period and post-baby body to anyone else. There is no "should" here. Saying you "should" be back to a certain weight or "should" be able to fit into your pants by a certain time or "should" be exercising is putting ridiculous expectations on yourself that no one else is putting on you! I'm talking to myself as much as anyone else.

Pregnancy and labor are different for everyone, and if you have an "easier" experience (easier, of course, being relative), you will probably have an easier recovery.

I carried R for 38 weeks, 4 days, and gained 30 pounds when all was said and done. I don't own a scale, so the only numbers I have are when I go to the doctor's office.

Starting weight: 135 

Ending weight: 165

At two weeks pp, I went in for a checkup and weighed 143.

Over the past three weeks, I have not done anything to assist in weight loss or stomach shrinkage. I'm breastfeeding, so cutting calories is definitely not an option at this point. I need to keep up my food intake for little R! 

Labor really drained me, and for the first week I needed help with remedial tasks such as sitting up. Taking a shower left me with shaky legs, and my tailbone was insanely sore for a while (actually it's still sore, but who's asking?). Basically for the last three weeks I've been sitting on the coach, so I am very thankful my body has been doing pretty well on its own. I would think part of that is because I was in good shape when I got pregnant. Part of that is probably genetics, which is why it's silly to compare yourself to others. We're all different!

All that to say, I wore Jordan's gym shorts and my dad's XL t-shirts for basically the first two weeks pp, so it wasn't until recently that I've been trying on my own clothes, and let me tell you: I see now why people talk about standing in the closet crying because none of your clothes fit.

And I know, I just had a baby three weeks ago! I'm not saying I expect my clothes to fit perfectly, and I promise you that I am not fishing for compliments. But it's one thing to know in your head that you just had a baby and another to put on your own t-shirts and still look like you're four months pregnant.

It's not so much the number on the scale or the fact that I may or may not be able to button my pants. It's about the flabbiness that is my stomach and my legs and my butt and my arms. It's about the fact that I put on clothes I've worn forever and they fit differently and it's weird and sad. I'm just being honest. I have a small number of shirts I feel comfortable wearing; the rest are still being shunned in their drawer.

I don't plan on trying to run until I'm cleared by my doctor, but I won't lie and say I'm not itching to get out there. It's going to be terrible, and I probably won't make it to the end of the block, but I don't even care. Registration for the 2016 Oklahoma City half marathon opens in four days, not that I'm counting or anything. I also plan on starting over with my pull-up exercises, and I have some Jillian Michaels DVDs to try out as well. So we'll see what happens. I won't be blogging weekly updates or anything, but I might post progress updates once in a while if any of you find it remotely interesting.

It's nice to finally start feeling more like myself, even if I look in the mirror and don't necessarily think I look like myself. It took nine months to stretch myself out, so I guess I can at least give it nine months to do the opposite.
______
p.s. On Monday I'll be taking a break from baby stuff and sharing a house tour, so be sure and come back!

Pregnancy Favorites

I'm not going to insult you and call this a "must-haves" list. Everyone is going to have different experiences and different wants and needs, and none of these are things you have to have or else.

But I did want to share some things that I've found helpful/useful during this pregnancy. Because trust me: if you're anything like me, you will find this entire process extremely overwhelming. Hopefully this will give you a place to start! 

1. Mustela Ultimate Hydration

Personally, I think special creams and oils that supposedly keep you from getting stretch marks is a load of crap. You either get them or you don't, and there's no way to prove that putting on a cream or oil helps. However, I do think that your skin is stretching and it gets itchy and lotion helps.

This lotion is thick (in a good way) and smells good and lathers well, and I would definitely recommend it! I bought one bottle at the start of my pregnancy and use it every time I get out of the shower, and it's lasted this whole time.

2. Liz Lange Target Maternity Tanks

I bought two of these at the very beginning of my pregnancy (size small), and I've worn them the entire time! They are so soft and comfortable and LONG (<--- important). I recommend you stock up if you know what's good for you. Don't be like me and buy two lonely colors that you rotate for 7 months.

3. Your Pregnancy Week by Week Book

I know everyone loves What to Expect When You're Expecting, but I personally liked this one better. Each week is very informative and easy to digest, and I liked the format better than What to Expect.

4. Gabrialla Elastic Maternity Support Belt

Admittedly I haven't used this a ton, but it has come in handy, especially in the later stages. I don't wear it all day or anything, but sometimes I put it on when my back is hurting or the belly just feels heavy, and I really like it. I don't feel like it's super bulky to go under my clothes.

5. Mom's Little Book of Powerful Prayers

We received this as a gift from a lady in my church. It's a book full of short devotional prayers that parents pray over their children. Some of the prayers are cheesy, some won't apply to every situation, but we've loved reading these out loud to Baby Bum before bed.

6. A pillow

Personal opinion: those giant maternity pillows everyone raves about are not necessary. Plus, they are expensive. And, have you thought about storing that monstrosity after you give birth? Where do you put that thing?

Anyway, I know people swear by them, but I didn't get one and was just fine. I DO, however, highly recommend having a pillow to put between your knees. Any pillow will work, but you are going to need a pillow.

7. Old Navy Maternity

Seriously, the entire Old Navy maternity website is awesome. Don't spend your money on expensive maternity clothes! Wait for ON online sales and go crazy. My tip: read reviews. One thing that was really hard was deciding which size to buy, and I found the online reviews on the ON website very helpful.

8. Honorable Mention (mostly because I thought about it after I already made the post graphic): Compression socks. I didn't wear them all the time, but when my legs were feeling heavy I put them on, and it was great! These are my favorite.

So those are just a few of my favorite pregnancy things!

Anyone have anything you loved during your pregnancy to add?

---> p.s. I posted a "currently" vlog over the weekend. Don't miss it!

*Nothing in this post is sponsored. These are things I purchased and used myself. However, some of these are Amazon affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I will receive a small percentage. Thanks for supporting Baby Bum and the Lady Okie Blog!

Maternity Pictures (Help me choose a favorite!)

One thing I find strange on blogs is when a blogger announces that something big is going on in their lives and then publishes their next post without even mentioning anything about it. So, before we get to the pictures, a quick update:

Yes, we moved. Jordan and I almost killed each other on Friday night, and I'm only kind of joking about that. Second option was to burn down our apartment. Third option was to make a Chick-fil-A run at 9:55 at night because we were both in a hangry packing rage and needed dinner. Our mothers are glad we did not choose option 1. Our neighbors are glad we did not choose option 2.

So, yes. We have 95% of our belongings over at the house, thanks to our fabulous friends who brought their trucks and trailers (perks of living in Oklahoma, everyone we know owns a truck) and showed up at 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday. Our fridge is getting delivered soon (hopefully), so we opted to live in our apartment for the week so we could have close access to vital life things such as dairy products and leftovers. AND ICE CREAM.

As of this Saturday, we will officially be done with apartment life! There were times when I thought this day would never come, but it's here and it's awesome, and I am so thankful.

Now for the purpose of this post.... check out our maternity pictures and please leave a comment if you have a favorite! I need to figure out which one(s) to frame.

*All pictures in this post were taken by Carli Wentworth Photography*

I always assumed we would get maternity pictures if and when I got pregnant. I have been taking weekly pictures of the bump, but I really wanted some nice pictures of Jordan and I together with Baby Bum. I almost didn't go through with it because I wasn't sure if it would fit into the budget, but I ended up getting a freelance editing project that paid for it, which was a huge blessing.

I really love how the pictures turned out, and I am so happy we did them. The day of the shoot it was super muggy, cloudy, and the mosquitos were eating. us. alive. I mean seriously. I had a giant bite on my face and at least ten bites on the back of my shoulder and down my arm (not an exaggeration). Gross but worth it!

I really can't decide which one I like the best to frame, so if you have a favorite, please help me narrow it down! 

We took these when I was just over 28 weeks, so obviously the bump has grown since then, but I didn't want to wait too long until I was feeling super uncomfortable and swollen. Plus, it has gotten crazy hot in the last few weeks, and I just can't even deal with it. The thermostat is set at 72, and I'm still walking around the apartment in shorts and a tank top. Jordan says it's because I'm currently an incubator.

If you are considering maternity pictures, I really encourage you to do it! This is such a special time, and I will love having these pictures to look back on later.

Outfit details in case you're wondering: 

white and purple tanks (Target) / maxi skirt (JCrew Factory) / Sandals (Target)

So which one should I frame? I need help deciding!
Also, did you do or do you want to do maternity pictures?

the golden hour.

If you know anything or are trying to learn anything about taking pictures, you've probably heard of a little thing called the golden hour. That magical time right before sundown when the light is golden, and you really can't take a bad picture.

Unfortunately for me, I can never find it.

I can't figure out how to use the light to my advantage and get those golden rays, and it makes me so mad. How can other people do it, and I can't?

Oh, but I can. And I did.

Back in January, by a stroke of good luck, my friend Callie and I chose the only day in a two-month window that was not freezing cold to take her maternity pictures. It was, in fact gorgeous weather, and I think at least half of Oklahoma City was at the Gardens taking pictures. That's where I found The Light.

Callie can attest to the fact that I went crazy and just started shouting, "The light! I found it! DON'T MOVE." For real. It was gorgeous. I finally felt like a halfway decent photographer and not a poser holding an expensive camera. 

Winning.

For those of you photographers (or hobbyists like myself),

here are a few links on the golden hour that I've found helpful:

The Secret to Backlighting Photography (A Video Q&A)
6 Steps to Creating a Haze Effect
How to Make Your Photos Magical

Got any golden hour tips? Do share!

Maternity Pictures of Someone Else

I had to put that in the title otherwise everyone would freak out.
I AM NOT PREGNANT. 
This is probably the single most annoying thing about getting married. I say one little thing about feeling slightly nauseous, and everyone starts giving me a knowing look. No, it was just the gallon of ice cream I ate last night at one o'clock in the morning, but thanks for thinking I look like I'm pregnant.

Anyway...

In my quest to practice my photography skills, I have been hunting down anyone who might need pictures taken for any reason. I'm like a less-scary version of the paparazzi. 

This week I got the opportunity to take some maternity pictures for a friend of mine. I had no idea what I was doing and kept apologizing every five minutes. (I really need to work on that.) Nevertheless, my friends were fun and gracious, and the sun was blazing.

Ben and Stacy also have a 16-month-old who did not want to sit still. The following is the best shot I could get of him with his momma like this. I want to get some chalkboards, which will look a lot cuter than pieces of paper. I guess you gotta start somewhere, though.

It was fun taking maternity pictures, and you can be sure I'll be on the lookout for other friends of mine who need pictures taken! I really like photography, and I can only hope I'll keep improving.