Things I'm loving right now

-This weather. Humidity is gone (for now) and it's so beautiful outside.

- That I got the lighting for my studio today. So. Excited.

- Newborns. I did my second newborn session yesterday. I feel really good about it. Here's a peek:





I love that this job allows me to get my newborn fix without having to actually have a newborn. It's much better this way. Go here to see the rest.

- Tastee Freeze. More specifically, their Strawberry cheesecake hard ice cream. Best. Stuff. Ever.

- The upcoming holiday weekend. It will be much fun with great Friends.

- Birthday party planning. I can't believe my baby will be 1 in just 2 short months.

What are you loving now??

Going, going, going

I know it's been a couple weeks since I last blogged but life has been crazy! Not an excuse, I know. And I keep telling myself I need to blog everything Amelia is doing or I will forget and I won't have those precious memories to come back and read when she is 18 and going off to college and I'm cryng because I remember when she started crawling and talking and learning so many new things. Hopefully I'll "remember it like it was yesterday". Dramatic I know, but that's how I think but I never, ever want to forget this first year of her life. So to catch up :

- Mia started officially crawling on May 1st. She is getting everywhere now! At first, she kinda had a gimpy crawl where one knee would be down but the other foot she used to kinda push off. It was adorable. She will do it now and ten still but it's mostly a normal cral now. She also pulls up and cruises around the furniture. She's not too graceful so she also has many bruises and scratches. She's not fazed most of the time and I tell her to "shake it off." ha! She did end up with a bloody nose one time but a cuddle and kiss from her momma made it all better.

- She got her first tooth. It's been about a week now that she's had her bottom left tooth coming in. I know she's in pain and she's super fussy but there's nothing I can do but hold her and cuddle her. Can't wait until she has all her teeth so she's not in agony anymore.

- We are going on vacation in 2 weeks! Gatlinburgh :) We will be going with Gabe and Trin and their kids and it's going to be so fun! Our cabin is enormous and has been calling my name for weeks. So close..

- Amelia can clap her hands now. It is the Cutest. Thing. Ever. Anytime you sing "Patty Cake" she will start clapping...even though "Itsy, Bitsy Spider" is her FAVORITE song. Seriously. She could be having a horrendous, red in the face, all out fit, but if you start singing itsy, bitsy spider, she has the hardest time trying to not smile. I love that kid.

- Life is good. I've been getting more business and am really looking forward to being in my studio by the end of the summer. It's hard for me to believe sometimes that I could actually be making a living by being a photographer in the near future. It actually makes me giddy.

That's all for now. Maybe I'll blog more regularly. No promises though.

For Funsies

Saw this on another blog and thought it looked fun. Bolded lines are things I've done.

99 things
1. Started your own blog (duh)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (I wish!)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (Not by choice...it was TERRIBLE)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightening storm (love it!)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run -
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (once again...terrible...)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (Just did!)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (total accident)
68. Flown in a helicopter (over the Rockies...soooooo cool!)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (my teddy named Chocolate, I plan to give it to Amelia for her 1st birthday)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (bleh!)
72. Pieced a quilt (Does helping my grandma do it count?)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

There's soooo many more that I want to have bolded in my lifetime. I still have a long way to go!

A Beautilful Story

It's kinda of long but if you have time you need to read this. It is absolutely beautiful and I bawled like a baby (at work) when I read it. I adore this woman's blog and her photography. She's definately one of my role models both as a mother and photographer. After reading it, go hug your babies.

I'm addicted...

to Etsy.com.

Beware of clicking on that link. Seriously. If you don't want a new addiction to Internet browsing/shopping, stay away.

It is a sight where people buy and sell handmade things. Kinda like ebay but it's all things that people have made in some way. They seriously have EVERYTHING on there from woodworking to candles to purses. I spent all day yesterday just looking at stuff on there. It's amazing. I will be buying some stuff for the nursery from there.

Don't say I didn't warn you....

And the baby senses win

For 3 days now our house has had a funky smell. Not just funky, but gross. The first time I smelled it, it woke me up at night and I have smelled it every since. It was always strongest in the kitchen but at first I thought maybe it was just the trash and it would go away when Ben took it out so I didn't say anything.

The next day, it was a bit stronger and I noticed the trash had been taken out so I went on a journey to find the origin of the awful smell just to come up with nothing. So I asked Ben if he smelled the awful smell in the kitchen and he went in there, smelled around, then looked at me and said that my baby senses are just on overdrive and it's probably just the way the house smells naturally because he smelled nothing. I told him if that is the way our house smells, I'm moving. It was horrible.

So we came home last night from my mom's (day 3 of awful smell) and when we walked in the house the smell practically smacked me in the face, it was so strong. That's when Ben said he could "kinda" smell it now. Well thank God. I was beginning to think I was going crazy.

So that's when we both when through the kitchen and living room smelling everything in sight, searching all cabinets, looking under the couch in the fridge. It was something rotting, that's all I knew. We checked EVERYTHING only to be even more clueless as to what it was. That's when it hit me. I looked at Ben and said, "it's a dead mouse." He then adamantly denied that's what it could be but he checked all the traps anyway. Nothing. Once again.

Until this morning. I had had it. I was going to find it and I wasn't leaving until I did. I noticed it was strongest in front of the fridge and stove so I made Ben move them to look behind and under. Nothing. So Ben decided to take off the bottom part of the back of the fridge to look inside. After about 10 minutes he looks up at me and says "I found it, you were right. It's a dead mouse." Aha! I knew it. I win.

I am so relieved to be rid of the horrid smell of a dead animal in my house but I can't help but wonder why in the world could I smell it THREE DAYS ago and Ben couldn't until last night. Is my sense of smell really that much stronger now? Pregnancy is so weird.

The woman knows how to

make a pregnant lady's day. I would be talking about my wonderful sister-in-law Trin.

My morning started off less than great. I got to work in a good mood because this is my short day (I'm supposed to get off at 3) but one of my co-workers called in sick so I was asked to stay until 5. Ok so 2 hours isn't that big of a deal but I was excited about that 2 extra hours to myself today. Not to mention another co-worker wasn't coming in until 10:30 so that left only 2 of us to run around like crazy getting everything done. Stressful morning.

Then Trin calls out of no where to ask what I want from Starbucks. What a great question to be asked in the middle of a crap-filled morning. I couldn't think of the name of what I usually get so I just told her to make it cold and sweet. And she did a get job of that.

So now I am sitting in enjoying my wonderful chocolate chip frappicino thingy and it is fabulous. Thank you Trin!

I'm bored so here's a random list...

Sorry if I've said any of these before.

1. I am 100% addicted to chapstick and I don't plan to do anything to get over it.

2. When someone I don't know walks past me I hold my breath because I'm afraid they will smell bad. Some people I do know I still do this around...

3. I have a great desire to have red headed children.

4. I wash my hands about 10 times a day. I'm not germophobic, I just like nice smelling hands.

5. I have the horrible idea in my head that I am going to die in a terrible car accident. No idea why.

6. I HATE bananas and anything banana flavored.

7. I hate tying shoe laces. I perfer to slip on tennis shoes. If something happens and they come untied, I have to retie both of them because they will feel different if I don't. Grrr.

8. I don't dance. Ever.

9. Heros is pretty much the greatest show.

10. I count my steps sometimes when I walk. It's exactly 82 steps from my job to my apartment.

80s night

Last night our church had an 80s night. Well Trin and I went all out and were totally excited about our outfiys we bought:

It was much fun. People went up and sang some 80's hits such as "I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore", A Weird Al song, some U2, and some REO. Good stuff. Here is picture of some of the fashionable ladies:

Gabe and Trin:

and of course me and Ben....don't we look like the classic 80s couple....ha!

Everything is gooooood

I haven't blogged in forever. Sorry. Nothing much has been going on.

Only 4 more weeks of schoool and I'm done til August. Really excited!

My new job is still great. It is everything I wanted it to be.

Oh and.....I am going to Florida in June! Jacksonville Beach specifically. I'm going with Trin. Just the two of us. On the beach. For 4 days. Need less to say I. am. so. excited. We got our flight and hotel booked today so it's a sure thing.

We decided to start tanning a little now so we have a little base for the horrible sun burns I know we will get. I can't wait though.

Admit it. You're jealous.

That's all for now I think. Have a great week everyone!

What I've been up to...

A lot actually. Projects and assignments from school are nonstop. If I'm not writing a 5 page research paper on solutions for divorce, I'm making a book cover, color wheel, or taking awesome pictures of my prego friend Andi. Yeah we had a portrait assignment and had to bring someone with us. First I took my friend Kristy, she is also pregnant. The pictures turned out really good. If only I knew how to better work my camera, I wouldn't have accidentally erased them. All. I cried. But good thing I have such a great friend like Andi. She came with me the next week because Kristy had to work. I wouldn't say she was eager, but she helped out nonetheless. I bet if you all ask her nicely, she'll let me post some of the pictures on here. They really turned out awesome. But since she hasn't okayed it yet I'll post these quite amusing pictures of my cat Shadow.

I actually bought this sweater for my dog Ozzy at Target. He is always so cold and shivering that I thought he'd like it. Wrong. After a half hour of getting it on him while he growled and snarled and snapped at me, it was to small. So what better to do than torture the cat with it. You can't really tell from the pictures but he was walking around backward trying to get out of it. Priceless. Well that's all I have time for now.

Don't forget to ask (beg) Andi to let me post some pics of her.

A Few Ramblings..

A few weeks ago I registered for my classes at school. There was a big ordeal about my admissions that day so by the time I got to the room to pick my classes I was rushed. I realized later that I had a huge 4 hour gap between my first and second classes on BOTH Mondays and Wednesdays. At first I was irritated but then decided that I could use that time to study, read, do homework, ect. But then I started thinking and that's just WAY too much time to honestly, be doing nothing. So I called the office to see if I could change my 8am-9:15am class to the 11am-12:15am class. Unfortunately, the class was full but the lady said she could put me on the wait list and that I would be the first one one there and that was a good thing. I was a little agitated but told her to put me on there. Then I started checking everyday to see if I had got in. I never got my hopes up but still checked everyday. I went to look today and I actually got in! I was so excited. So now instead of getting up at 7am I can get up at 10am and instead of a 4hour gap, I only have a 45min gap. What a relief! Now I'm a happy camper.

Speaking of camping, that is what Ben and I are thinking about doing for our anniversary. I know it sounds off the wall, especially for an anniversary, but we don't have the money to go anywhere far away for real nice, and I have always liked camping and haven't been in years and Ben really wants to go. We might go somewhere called Clifty Falls, about 2 1/2 hours from here. I've never been but Ben says it's awesome. Now I am aware that it will be October and probably pretty chilly, but we will be prepared. It beats camping in the heat anyday. We will go for 2 nights and do things such as hike, fish....the usual camping package. Anyway, that's what we are planning. I better go, there are dishes waiting for me.....have a great night all!