Phoblography

A friend of mine knows that I love taking pictures so she asked me to take some of her daughter that's graduating this year. I was a little intimidated, I admit. I've never taken portraits before, but I knew the perfect place for some great shots. I've been wanting to take pictures at this abandoned house by my neighborhood for a while. Thanks for giving me an excuse Amy!!

This was my favorite shot of them all... although I doubt it will work for what Amy wants it for. I just love the colors and composition. And especially the sun rays that show up in the pictures.

Love, Love, Love.

I didn't want to overload the blog with pictures, so I had to choose a couple that I really liked as options for Peyton to send in her graduation announcements....

And these last two were just some editing that I did. I don't have a fancy program to do it with so my options are limited.

I gotta say, the whole process was pretty awkward. I had no idea how to ask Peyton to pose or stand. She was asking me for direction and all I could say was "uhh, sit over there?" I'm glad I had my friend Maria there to point out some great spots for pictures!!

Not Sure He Was Ready

Little man has been an eating terror lately... He has decided that sometimes he doesn't want to be nursed so it forces me to pump half the time. I don't know if I can handle doing that too much longer. He also seems hungrier at night and FLIPS out when we try to put him to bed. I wanted to try giving him some cereal to see if that would help anything.

So I first tried last night... that was awful. He couldn't get it in his mouth fast enough so he was just getting too frustrated. I was so stressed out that I couldn't even get any pictures.

Tonight went MUCH better because he actually nursed before so he wasn't as hungry. Well, it was so runny that it was getting all over him... he was trying to eat the bowl again... and then he threw up everything. EVERYTHING. (as evidence from the puddle next to the Bumbo).

Probably a bad idea

I had to drive to downtown today to pick something up (upcoming post) and I decided to use my new iPhone app and take some pictures. I probably shouldn't have been driving while taking these, but it happened and I love them.

This just goes to show that with the right editing you can make any picture look cool. Man, I need some good editing software.

Need to Remember

This is more of a post for myself so I don't forget some things while Wilson is still a baby. You can stop reading here if you don't care...

This is Wilson with his Aunt Courtney. She is really adorable with him. Any time we go up to Ryan's parents house, Courtney is the first one to grab him to play. She sings songs to him and tickles him. He LOVES to be sung to. Any time you start singing a song he'll just start smiling, and you can get an occasional giggle. I find myself making words up to songs, much like my mom did with us.

It's also great to see Wilson with his dad. Ryan has been so awesome with him from the beginning. He will do anything I ask, whether it's change a diaper, make a bottle, or just watch him while I go take a nap. Today, Ryan had Wilson on his lap and he would lick his big toe (It's a little gross, I know) and then blow on it. Wilson would smile and then a little giggle would come out. Then he's get serious again and Ryan would repeat the process. It was freaking adorable. Occasionally when I'm nursing Wilson, if he hears his dads voice he'll stop and start looking for him. Ryan can get him to laugh pretty easily and I admit I'm jealous. Wilson is always so serious with me, but with Ryan he always smiles and talks. Ryan will also bounce him on the couch and he will smile really big. Man, his smile is so great. Wilson is also always really happy in the morning when he wakes up. So when Ryan was getting ready one morning and he heard a scream (I was already at work) he ran to him on the bed to see what was going on.... I had left Wilson on my side of the bed on his stomach and apparently he had leaked out of his diaper so there was a BIG, puddle around him. He did not like that....

Today Wilson had a MASSIVE blow-out that came out the front AND the back of his diaper. So much for Huggies having the blow-out proof gasket. It was the first time I could actually tell he had pooped while we were driving. The smell was THAT strong. I asked Ryan to take care of it because he hadn't changed one in a while, and I heard him yell from upstairs for some help. While trying to change him it got EVERYWHERE. On the table, on his foot, and on Ryan's hands. He had to go and rinse him under the tub faucet it was that bad. So he spent most of the day in just a diaper because his mom (read: me) wasn't prepared and didn't have extra clothes for him. Wilson is one awesome baby. I really couldn't have asked for a better one. His hair is looking really red in certain light, which I find fantastic. I love him more every day and could basically spend most of my time staring at him while he's asleep.

I mean, seriously...

... how can you not love this face? Oh, and his pajamas!?!

Monthly Baby Update!!!

Wilson man is four months old now!! Stats you ask? You ask for Stats??

Weight: 13 lbs.

Height: 24.75 inches

This kid is longer than he is fat, but he's still pretty small. I do hear he's bigger than his arranged marriage girlfriend, Lily. Which is good, because he's two months younger so he's got to make up for that somehow.

Mowgli still doesn't sleep through the night... sad face... but he is real cute. He's definitely getting more of a personality and is SUPER smiley in the mornings. Which makes it hard to leave him for work, but only 5 more days!!! (Yay!)

He's sitting up so much better and has found his hands. In fact, he's obsessed with anyone's hands. He doesn't like toys or rattles, but if you give him your hand he'll completely calm down and just look at it and feel it. If it's anywhere near his mouth he'll latch on and start sucking away. I've even gotten a hickey from it... seriously. I've caught him with his thumb in his mouth a couple of times, but he still prefers his binkie.

This pictures captures his weird toes perfectly. Can you see how dang far apart his big toe is from the others?? You could fit another toe in between easily. Creepy... errr cute?

I can't believe how happy he makes me. If I'm in a bad mood I can't help but smile when I look at him. Even when I'm furstrated with him. I can't wait for the "Summer of Wilson" when we just get to spend ALL our time together! I hope once I'm done working I can start on more of a schedule with him. I'll admit, I've been pretty lazy in that department. I would still rather hold him than let him hang out by himself or give him Tummy Time. I still love holding him to get him to sleep (although I don't do it every time, I promise).

Ode to the Ove' Glove

What was the greatest Christmas gift ever last year??? Oh, just a little thing called "The Ove' Glove"!! I first saw this baby on an infomercial right after I had Wilson, and I knew I had to have it. Kim was generous enough to buy it for me and Ryan for Christmas and I've never loved an oven mitt more. What really hooked me was when the commercial showed a hand in... A FIRE!! That's right, I have the ability to stick my hand in a fire and not get burned. I haven't tested this yet, but when I do I'm sure it will be exciting.

Thanks again, Kim! One day we'll get another one and have a complete set.

Ador-ible (said with a spanish twist)

My bleeding heart...

I watched a movie... and it changed my life. Well, maybe. I might have to watch it every day for the rest of my life to keep motivated. It all started at book club when the girls started discussing the movie, Food, inc. What did I learn after watching? Oh, I'll TELL you:

1: One in three children born after the year 200o will have type II diabetes. SCARY.

2. Major meat companies DOUSE their meat in Ammonia and Bleach to "eliminate" bacteria

3. Corporations are EVIL. He who has the most money, wins.

4. Corn product is in EVERYTHING basically as a 'filler'

Now, I'm no vegetarian, but I do know that I really do consume too much meat. Well, now I have a plan... I'm going to plant a garden. Don't laugh... I really am going to! I just need to do some research and get going on it. Ryan is going to have to build some garden boxes (okay, you can laugh at that....) and I'm going to have to look in to what plants will grow and when... but we're going to do it. I'm also making an easy goal to LOOK at labels at the grocery store and really try NOT by foods with high fructose corn syrup (you know what they say... but really, do you?). I just did a quick run through of my pantry and almost cried. I now also will have to make pancakes from scratch AND bottle my own freezer jam.

So if you're not going to watch this movie... which you should, you really should. I will tell you the things they ask you to do at the very end:

1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages

2. Eat at home instead of eating out

3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie info on menus.

4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.

5. Meatless Mondays - go without meat one day a week.

6. Buy organic foods or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.

7. Protect family farms; visit local farmers markets (SLC opens in JUNE!!)

8. make a point to know where your food comes from - READ LABELS

9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you

10 Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.

takepart.com

There... now if you ask me in a month if I'm still doing this... don't make fun of me if I'm not. I don't have a lot of willpower. Like I said, I might have to watch this movie everyday to maintain motivation.

Sadness/Cuteness

This is what I left this moring to go to work. I may have been pointing a flashlight straight at his face causing him to shield his eyes... whoops.

The kid has had a tough week... he wasn't feeling well on Monday and Tuesday and he was fussy and wouldn't nurse. So I had to pump every three hours to keep my milk supply up. I may have also had a complete breakdown when he woke up at midnight to eat the other night and he would not latch on because I had no milk. I tried to pump so I could feed him what I got, but nothing was coming out. So there I was, in the semi dark, connected to the machine... Wilson crying on the couch... and me also BAWLING. Then Ryan walked out in a haze wondering what was going on. It was awesome.

So that's been our week so far.,,, hopefully having a whole week off next week will bring better days.... And then I'm done at the end of April!!! Working.. not with Wilson...