Pregnancy: Week 7

Annie from Our Little Family told me I could borrow her pregnancy template, which some of you may recognize.  I just found her email telling me I could borrow her template:) I will try and be faithful to it, but I'm a little behind on blogging!  I have a few that I have been keeping along the way to share with you though....

Thanks Annie!

Pregnancy: Week 7

DATE: October 28, 2010 (Though we thought you were only 3 weeks!)
How far along: 7 Weeks
 Total Weight Gained: Unknown.  I never weigh myself, ha!

How big is baby? My Little Bluberry!

 Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- is growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place.
Maternity Clothes: No.

Sleep: Little Tired.

Best Moment of the Week: Visiting my Brother, Sister-In-Law, and two Nieces in Chicago with my Mother and Father.
Movement: Too soon. Though I feel strange things in my tummy and think it's you!
Food Cravings: Milkshakes, Juice, Water. Very Dehydrated!

Food Aversions: The smell of over-ripe bananas makes me feel sick.  Any amount of caffeine makes me feel sick. Soda. And too much Juice.

Morning Sickness: Starting to feel nauseaus if I don't eat in the morning.
Gender: Unknown.

Symptoms: Nausea if I don't eat.

What I miss: Cocktails, a little, ha!
What I'm looking forward to: Telling everyone!!  My sis-in-law, Tammie, asked when we were having having another baby, Eeek!  I wanted to tell her so bad!!!
And, my 1st Doctor's Appt. We have been waiting to avoid bills, ha!

Wordless Wednesday.

IHeartFaces-Pink

I love IHeartFaces, and I peruse their website daily. I have never entered a photo because, I always figured that I would wait until I learned Photoshop and honed my Photography.  But, after reading more on their website about their weekly posts and visiting other entries, I have come to appreciate that it's not just about having a winning photo, it's about sharing with others your love of photography and your love of the subject of the entry, not simply winning.

I have come across professional photographers entries sharing client work that I was awestruck by all the way to the housemom with a point and shoot that just wanted to share that special moment they captured of their little pumpkin.  I have been wanting to enter lately, and wanting to share a recent pic of Nik, and today I was finally able to. I am really excited to see everyone else's entries. They are all so unique and interesting. There are a lot this week. It's a great post week, everyone showing their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month AND their LOVE of Pink!

Coming into Reality.

It has been so long since I have shared a picture of the pumpkin with any of you, and my heart is so sad. I don't know when hubs will let me use the computer again, after the Virus meltdown, or if the pictures are fully backed up. I have yet to see them, but hubs says they are backed up to a website, or at least the codes for the photographs are, whether they means the photos can actually be accessed, I have no clue, ha ha.

But, today, I am going to try an upload some photos of the pumpkin to my parents computer to share with you because to be honest, I am starting to become really sad that I can't share them with you. I feel empty at that realization and fact.  I have always known how sharing photos of Nik uplifted my day when I went back and looked at them throughout the day, but I never realized, till now, how much it meant to me to share them and how much of a part of who I am was connected to those photographs.

I was never really an artist. I was pretty good at studies when I applied myself. When I applied myself, worked hard, and did well, I was always proud of myself.  I wasn't really into sports as a young adult. Cheerleading and dance was something I was always proud to define me, and something I was passionate about. Writing was a passionate outlet for me, somewhere I could be proud, shine.  An eating disorder defined me for too many years.  I have let realtionships define me.  I guess I haven't had anything that really defined me, or something I was passionate about in a few years other than being engaged, getting married, then a wife, then a mother.  And, I have been proud to let those things define me.  Getting engaged, married, and becoming a mother have been the MOST AMAZING things to have ever happened to me in my life. 

That's changed with photography. Photography, somewhere, surprisingly has begun to define me without my knowing. And, it's something I admit that I am welcoming to define me.  I don't have, well a usable computer right now, I don't have photoshop. I don't have a lot of camera equiptment, or even any photography books. These are all things that I can only dream of right now. Goals that I have to place in the unknown future.  I think if I had these things I probably wouldn't ever sleep. I'd probably stay up all night editing photos, working my craft. And, I think that I would LOVE that.

The other night, hubs for fun, uploaded a photo I took onto his work computer. A photo I shot in raw. Basically, we don't own a computer that can handle raw files.  I just look forward to uploading a jpeg file at this point, ha!  He used something called GIMP to edit the photo, which is like Photoshop. Before my eyes, I watched the most beautiful, amazing thing happen. To me, I would say Really great photography is 51 percent camera equiptment/computer software and 49 percent technique and talent. Those percentages may change in my eyes as I hopefully master my craft, but you would not believe the amazing things you can do with this photography software/templates.

Basically, I think my heart wept or sang, maybe a combination of both at the same time. And that sounds silly to say aloud, but I discovered a world that I could only dream of. A world that was so beautiful to me. To watch a photograph been transformed like that is something I can't even describe to you in words, but something you have to see with your eyes. It truly is an artform, and I have never wanted to master anything so much in my life.  I have never wanted to be a part of something so much in my life. 

When I look at photography I get knots in my stomach. Dinosaur sized butterflies in my stomach. Nothing makes me more excited, more giddy than to take photographs, to nail that perfect shot, and then to see it transformed on software. The photograph comes alive, and speaks to you, and I have never experienced anything like it. Truly, that moment was a defining moment for me in my life.  And, lets be honest, how many of those do you get in a lifetime.

I don't know when or if I will ever have the capabilities to work with raw files and photoshop on quality software or when I'll be able to upgrade my camera equiptment. I don't know if I'll ever find the time to learn and use photoshop.  But, I can guarantee that I have a fire in my belly now, that will not be expunged. I will own this dream and I nothing will stop me. Come computer virus, come financial challenges, come naysayers, come all.  I will take what I can. Learning free online, and taking loads and loads of photos first to become the best I feel that I can be.

I am trying to learn Manual on my DSLR now, and I know that this will be a big challenge for me. But the Aperature priority mode is proven to become dissapointing to me, so it's time to step it up.  I have used aperature priority mode for so long that I finally think I understand the relationshiop between ISO, Aperature, and Shutter Speed. Now, I just have to put that triangle to use in Manual. And after that, it's photoshop.

This is my dream, and I want to thank you all for your support.  I promise you all will see great things from me one day.  Thank you to all for believing in me and for your continued friendship which I treasure every day.

Have a Great Tuesday!

Happy Anniversary.

So, I tried to post this yesterday, but Blogger Photo was down.  My sister-in-law emailed the hubs and I this photo over the summer.  It's kind of silly and helter-skelter, but it's one of us I've never seen, which is always kind of like a surprise and a walk through memory lane.  This was taken when we were engaged, but before we were married. I know this because I was going through my spiral hair phase.  Since hubs says I still can't upload photos (which is starting to really bring me down;(, I thought I'd share this one with y'all.

The hubs was out of town Tuesday night and Wednesday on a business trip to Chicago, but we were able to go out for drinks and a nice dinner last night. Then headed to a movie.  I had free movie passes that I won on the radio, but ended up when we got there that they were only good till before 4 pm.  I don't know when I'll ever get to the movies before 4 pm, ha, but we went anyway. I have been wanting to see "The Secretariat."  Hubs wanted to see "Wall Street" (which I kind of did to, but wanted to see the "horsey movie" as I have been referring to it as for over a month now). I also want to see the new movie with Katherine Heigel and Josh Dushmel, but "Secretariat" was my first choice. Hubs let me choose which I was grateful for. Of course, he loves pony races and the Kentucky Derby and such so, it wasn't a huge loss for him. We were the only people in the theatre which was kind of nice, since we went to the last showing on a Wed night.

I thought the movie was fabulous!!  I Love Diane Lane, and her wardrobe and hair was so coiff and flawless. Made me want to be a Southern Belle in the 60's, early 70's.  Again,  just another bump towards my dream of owning a ranch, although, horse keeping I'm sure can be expensive and daunting.  What a beautiful story and a beautiful horse though. To be honest, I don't like to think about horse racing and the effects if might have on horses. Like when a racing horse breaks his/her leg and then they put him/her down. They did that a couple years ago after a big race, and when I heard about it, I couldn't help but cry and grow a dislike for the whole operation. I feel like they push them too hard, but hubs assures me that those horse are the best taken care of horses, and they get so much attention and that they LOVE to run. So, I'll try and believe hubs, and think posititively about the whole process.

Kudos to Disney though, they never dissapoint.  John Malkovich was great, and a great casting all around.  And, I got to sleep late today bc the pumpkin stayed at my parents house last night, and my mom watches her every Thursday.  Hubs, and I stopped by to see her this morning before work.  If you have a chance, this is a great feel good movie, you won't be dissapointed-I love true stories as well, just makes it that much more incredible and touches the heart that much more.

Also, I have to give credit where it's due. Apparently, the 3 year Anniversary gift is Leather. Hubs offered to purchase a new Leather Bag for me but also gave me the option to pay off some bills instead that I am needing help with instead.  Since, I still have a functioning leather bag that my mother-in-law gifted me at Christmas 3 years ago, I was more than happy to accept the help with the bills. The closer we get to paying off bills, the closer we get to me getting home, and adding to our family, so that is the greatest gift of all!  (He did gift me a leather bound calendar/scheduler as well, so that I would have something leather for our three year).

Thanks for all the Anniversary wishes!

3 yrs.

Happy 3yrs Today, my husband.
I still to this day am so happy to know that we were married during the most beautiful time of the year.
Our love will always be defined during this beautiful time, and I am so thankful for that.
It feels more like a decade than 3 yrs, and yet, it feels like just yesterday. 
Each year, I am amazed that we didn't drive each other mad, and, at the same time, amazed that I still love you even though you're mad.  You'd probably say I was too, but I said it first, and last.
Love you.

Glide Bikes Giveaway!!

What am AMAZING giveaway!!  I popped over to Tay's today, and realized that I never entered this giveaway, and I had been so excited for it.  Since I have not been uploading photos lately, blogging is getting a little away from me.  Can't wait till things are back to normal, ha!

This is such an amazing giveaway, I couldn't believe it!!  I read about the Company and the Designer on their web page when I went over there to check out the bikes, and it's a great story!  I LOVE reading these kinds of stories. I think it's amazing to learn how ordinary situations (such as purchasing your child's first bike) and every day people lead way to genius and entrepreneurship.  I think it's great that he took the initiative to discover the importance of a "balance bike" and incorporate mountain bike advantages with a child's bike, because of his own experience with mountain biking.  Logic leads way to greatness.

I would love to present this shiny PINK bike to Nik on her 2nd Birthday next Spring.  I can just see it with a Big Bow on her birthday.  She would be ecstatic!  She LOVES bikes, three wheelers, and her Little Tykes Car. Hard to believe my little pumpkin will be two next Spring. Ugh, where does the time go. I can't even imagine her being old/big enough to ride this bike, but I know it's right around the corner. 

I remember when my oldest brother taught me to ride a bike, on Grove Street, without training wheels. I remember I turned around and he was way back down the sidewalk, and I had been riding by myself and didn;t know it. I remember how scared and excited I was at the same time, when I realized I was riding all by myself.  He was just back there smiling and clapping his hands.I went straight from a Red Strawberry Shortcake Tricycle to a Pink and White "Fancy Dancer" Bicycle, with a pink horn, pink/white streamers, and a flower basket.  I used to LOVE to ride my bike, and I remember the spills and scrapes as well.

I would def purchase this little flower basket to go along with the bike for the little pumpkin, just like her Mommy had.

This is a great thing.  I am grateful for the opportunity.  Head on over to Tay's!! for a chance to win one of these fabulous bikes for your little pumpkin!

Love to all,
Lindsay