I just opened the BEST little present this weekend--- It included a few gifties from my friend, Dawn, most notably these:

These are her incredibly cute, amazingly unique and funky girly hair clips she sells in her Etsy shop, Digadig.  I am so so delighted to have a few for myself now for little Lucy. THANK YOU, DAWN!! (Everyone else, run to that shop and buy a few. She is a seriously talented Crafty Goddess!)

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Meanwhile, we had a chill weekend-- the best part of which was Saturday morning, where Joe put on a Beatles playlist and we all got crafty and artistic at the dining room table together. Joe sewed sock monsters, I stitched up wee little scrap birds for a mobile for Lucy, and Noah got heavily involved in Play Doh escapades.

(see my scrappies? I love the bits and pieces of crafting...)

Noah's intense projects.. His Play Doh'ing included ribbon, a "buried cable" flag, and some Korean coins:

And my little ham---

Who wanted me to snap a pic of him singing the piano part of a Regina Spektor song. He loves Regina Spektor.

And that was that... Us being crafty, me honoring the crafty, etc. etc. 

New week, y'all! I have a belly pic to post tomorrow.... And a LONG to do list for the week. Off I run...

Featured Photographer: Anelle Richardson From Ottawa, Canada

Name: Anelle Richardson
Studio Name: Anelle Richardson Photography
Location: Ottawa (and surrounding areas), ONT, Canada
Website: www.anellerichardsonphotography.com
Blog: www.anellerichardsonphotography.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook....155087674518164

So Anelle, tell my readers, why do you love this image?
I love the interaction between these two sisters; I love their laughs and how their fun personalities totally shine through! To me, the opportunity to capture these precious moments, is what I love most about photography.

What were your settings with this image?
ISO 200; SS 1/400; AP f2.8

What do you love about photography?
I love pretty much everything about it! I love getting to meet awesome families; I love playing with the kids and getting to know them; I love seeing the relationship between family members; I love being part of capturing the spirit of childhood.

What type of photography do you specialize in and why?
I find it hard to say what I specialize in. Because in my mind, I would then have to choose only one or two areas of photography. The truth is that I love photographing children, families, babies and newborns (in no specific order)

What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
I love photography (obviously); reading (non-fiction and fiction); my husband and kids (obviously not a hobby, but they are really awesome people I enjoy spending time with); and traveling.

Who or what inspires you?
I had to really think about this, because there are so many people who inspire me. I think it would be an injustice to choose any one person. I believe that every single person has something about them that can inspire us, if we take the time to get to know them and learn from them! If I am forced to choose only one person from the past and the present, it has to be Jesus Christ!

Who are some of your favorite singers/bands?
That is an incredibly difficult question to answer. I actually love a bit of everything. Well, if I’m honest, I’ll have to admit that I don’t like jazz! But I also don’t like music on all the time. Maybe because our home full of rambunctious boys is so busy and noisy that I don’t feel the need to add to it!

What is your favorite movie of all time?
Another one of those I can’t pick questions  

What would your ideal day be like?
My ideal day would pretty much be the same way it is now, with the exception that it will start a little later!

If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you like to pursue?
I love my life as a photographer, mom and a homeschooler, so I don’t think I would change anything. I am really blessed that I have the opportunity to the things that I love! If I had to choose anything else, I think that I would have maybe liked to have pursued journalism (which is what I studied) as a foreign correspondent.

(next week I am taking a break from the Featured Photographers, but come back the week after --barring a Lucy Arrival-- to learn about Kara Layfield from Salisbury, Maryland!)

36 Weeks: How Are We In the Final Stretch Already??

I had my weekly doctor's appointment yesterday. I'm up by 2 pounds, baby still looks great, still plenty of fluid in my belly... 

Since getting gestational diabetes, I have had to go weekly, and it is kind of a nuisance--- I have to be put on the fetal heart monitor for a 30-minute non-stress test every time, and with Noah in tow, it can get a bit frazzling to be strapped to a table and unable to accommodate his neediness. Too, the doc does an ultrasound each time, just a fast one, to check a few things like the fluids and the heartbeat, the position, etc.

As of next week, when the weekly visits would have started anyway, I begin the countdown to actual birth. And that is crazy to me. I want to go into labor naturally, despite having had a C-section with Noah. I want to try for a VBAC, and to really raise my chances of success, I need to avoid induction if at all possible. Therefore, the goal will be to wait it out til the last possible day.... and my doc will let me go over my due date (4.11.11) by 3-4 days, so the countdown begins NOW. 

Things left to do:

~ Pack the hospital bags

~ Assemble the pack n' play for Lucy's bassinet 

~ Buy some newborn and size 1 diapers (I'm a Pampers Swaddlers snob for the first couple of months! Any deals right now?)

~ Finish her quilt (SO close! I found a pro quilter to do the quilting part, and she'll have it back to me quickly so I can bind it. If the baby isn't super early, this will get done! If it doesn't get done, no big deal... It's not like she can appreciate it at 2 days old, right??)

Really, I'm not feeling too worried about the to-do list finally... I'm getting excited, and if she came this week, I'd not feel like she'd jumped the gun and taken away my prep time... That said, I'm happy to keep sleeping in a bit and playing with just Noah and having "me" time just a bit longer. So I'm in no hurry. 

Noah and I are headed to Columbia tonight.... one more spontaneous jaunt to my folks' house for an overnight... Dinner plans with my bessie and her hubs...Some good quality grandparent time for Noah... A fun midweek adventure. 

So on that note, I should probably throw our things in the duffel bag... We have a drive to get to! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow--- wear green!! :)

2010 Session Flashback--The P. Family: Twins! {St. Louis Family Baby Photographer}

Another sweet family from my 2010 sessions--- This time, with twins. These cuties were about 9-10 weeks when I finally got my hands on them, so I planned on mostly getting those cute expressive AWAKE shots... But BOTH kiddos slept a teeny bit, and we managed a couple of cute sleepy shots in that window. Always a miracle to me, to manage asleep shots on non-newborns. :)

Check out the little lady of the duo (my favorite shot of the session. I think it's all that pink again...):

And the pair of them...Both completely their own person, lookwise. See how even their eye color is different??

Sleepy little lady (You might do a double take: those are black feathers, not her hair!! :) :) :) ):

And the sleepy little guy:

And how gorgeous is their mama, so soon after having two babies?

My favorite shot of the pair of kiddos:

And lastly, a few family shots, bringing their lucky dad into the mix:

And that, folks, is just another of the zillion late-2010 sessions I never managed to blog on time... So sad. I blame that random arthritis and Betty-issue from the fall for knocking me so far off my rhythm, photo-session-blogging-wise... 

Ack!

*

Anyway...

How's your weekend been?  I have been REVELING in the hints of spring. Our daffodils are blooming!! I saw sunshine!! I felt like mopping the kitchen!! It's amazing!!

:)

Sewing as a Form of Nesting

So that whole "nesting instinct" that we preggy gals are supposed to get? Mine has been ebbing and flowing over the last several weeks, in lots of forms. I definitely get the "order and organize my nest" bug--- and try to attack while that impulse is strong... 

But funnily enough, more than not this season, it has been SEWING that has been my form of nesting. I've been itching to make things right and left, and not always for baby. Recently, we got Noah into a toddler bed (finally), and before we could set it up, I suddenly had my heart SET on making him a blanket for the bed... Perfectly sized for a toddler bed, a new, fresh look for his room... And I couldn't get it out of my mind. 

Besides, Noah was acting hesitant about the whole "big boy bed" concept ("No, mama--- LUCY can have the big boy bed and I'll stay in this crib.")... So I began really talking up his new SUNSHINE BLANKET as a way to get him pumped for the change. I had this vision of a cool grey-blue (wedgewood-ish) blanket with an off-center modern-ish sunshine on it in my favorite sunny yellow... Appliqued on... And then a pinstripe fabric for the back... Maybe some clouds on the pillow sham.... I was super excited to make the vision a reality. 

So after a few setbacks with fabric and colors, I finally collected all my supplies and got the project started:

{that's the sunshine, traced onto interfacing to be ironed onto the yellow fabric}

And after some pain and sacrifice (namely shoving this HUGE project through my machine to top-quilt it!!) I made my dream a reality!! 

(this is the NEARLY-finished blanket.... Just needs some binding!)

And for the pinstripe back? Mattress ticking stripe! Could there be anything cooler??:

I am completely in love with the finished product--- I even made a great pillow sham with two mattress ticking clouds appliqued on it... And Noah's big boy bed is set up and cute and covered in his new SUNSHINE blanket.... And of COURSE I should have a finished photo, right??

Except the soft blanket I have under the new sunshine blanket is a fuzzy one, and has spit its fuzzballs ALLLLL over that lovely dark blue fabric. It looks like Noah's stuffed animals have dandruff or something. SAD. Also, the darn toddler bed, with its rails on, is a snug, safe thing when the mattress is in it, and there is NO ROOM to tuck the nice, thick blanket I made where the rails sit. So as a REALITY, there are some issues. Darn fuzz. Darn rails. So. One day soon, I swear, I will go de-fuzz the new blanket, JAM the comforter into a photo-worthy semblance of prettiness on the bed, and SNAP A PHOTO of the finished product. Someday. 

But anyway. On to happier thoughts. This sunshine blanket was the PERFECT project to get me in the quilting groove for my next big task: Lucy's baby quilt.

I've never quilted before. Not really. I've patched fabric together, and I've used batting, etc... But a FORMAL quilt? with formal quilting techniques, tools, fabric, binding, etc? Never done it. 

So making Noah's blanket, with the precision measurements, the double layer of batting, the top-stitching, the binding--- It was all a great practice run to get me ready for the FIRST QUILT. 

Lucy's quilt... Because it's my first, it's a bit epic. Ha! The gut wrenching decisions about what fabrics to use. The nail-biting about actually making the first cuts... The nervousness about not being precise enough and it not all matching up like it should.... EPIC. 

But the quilt top is actually DONE--- and it was surprisingly satisfying and empowering to work through it. 

And while this would be the place to show you my progress, I'm not gonna. Because it's not done yet-- needs top-stitching and binding--- and I want to debut it as a final thing. 

Til then, I can tease you with the gorgeous fabric I went with for the design:

{Amy Butler's Soul Blossom Collection, with some odds and ends added in}

Seriously, so pretty!!

I am developing a love affair with fabric that is getting absurd. But makes me oh so happy!!

And while it seems amazing to me, I think this quilt might actually get done before the baby arrives. WOW!!

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Meanwhile, the nesting continues. I still have a list of projects I am half-started on, or planning, and it has been really fulfilling to sit and stitch when that nesting thing comes on strong. In a few weeks, I'll be able to do some bigger nesting things--- paint the baby room, move in the quilt and other furniture... Organize baby clothing onto shelves... Etc. But for now, the sewing is working for me. 

*

Oh, and a few last photos that make me smile. What might be one way to keep the 3-year-old entertained while I sit and sew just a bit longer?

How about resigning yourself to letting him explore an entire 7-lb. bag of cotton/poly batting? 

I mean, it's like he's sleeping in clouds!

And 7 pounds is a LOT of batting:

And ya know what? It was pretty easy to clean up in spite of the vastness of the mess. So would I let him do that again? ABSOLUTELY. He had fun, I got to sew.... 

WINNING. Total WINNING.

Featured Photographer: Rachel Aberle from Wisconsin

Name: Rachel Aberle
Studio Name: Rachel Aberle Photography
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Website: www.rachelaberle.com
Blog: www.rachelaberle.com/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Aberle-Photography/105341522830501

 

What do you love about Photography? I love that photography can draw a viewer into the picture. Looking through a book of Annie Leibovitz, you can stare for hours at some of the images she captured. Sometimes its just that glance back from the subject that draws you in or shapes and lines within the picture that are captivating. With kids, I find this can be so much fun to capture as they tend to wear their feelings and emotions of the day on their sleeves. You are drawn right into their silliness, reflectiveness or whatever they may be feeling that day. 

What is your favorite movie of all time? Bridget Jone’s Diary!

Do you have happy and depressed moments during your creative cycle? Yes definitely. I think as photographers in general, we tend to be really critical of ourselves and our work. For myself, I love getting the shot I’ve visualized, but there are times when it doesn’t come off like I envisioned.

What do you believe in? Family

If you could attend one class/workshop this year, who would it be with? I will already be attending, with Miss Wende Trew and Kandi Lamont!

If you could live anywhere for a year, where would that be? Somewhere in France or Italy. Having traveled there, they have some of the most beautiful spots to photograph.

What is your favorite charity? A lot of charities involving children. I also have been linked to “sisters” with Women for Women International for the last several years. This charity funds other women in the world who go through a program to teach them skills/educate to support their families.

What one food could you eat every day? Chips n’ salsa

What do you love about Photography? I love that photography can draw a viewer into the picture. Looking through a book of Annie Leibovitz, you can stare for hours at some of the images she captured. Sometimes its just that glance back from the subject that draws you in or shapes and lines within the picture that are captivating. With kids, I find this can be so much fun to capture as they tend to wear their feelings and emotions of the day on their sleeves. You are drawn right into their silliness, reflectiveness or whatever they may be feeling that day. 

These are Rachel’s current favorite images:

Why do you love these images? I love her cat like eyes on the first one and the variety of colors. On the second, I love this image mostly because I remember when taking it, how she loved to pose for me. Her personality was just that, pose for the camera with that grin. Love it.

What were your settings with them? The first was shot at f/1.8, 1/1250 and ISO 200; the second at f/2.8, 1/250 and ISO 200

Thank you, Rachel! 

Stay tuned for next week's Featured Photographer,  Anelle Richardson from Ottawa, Canada!

35 Weeks: Ramblings Included

How sweet is all the pink?? I had the backdrop still set up from a 3-month-old session this weekend, so I rounded up a pink shirt and went with a super girly theme this week. It's making me happy to look at it! :)

I'm in UBER-pink mode all around... I finished Lucy's quilt-top this week, and have a gorgeous pink fabric for the back of it. I've been sorting through the clothes I've gotten from my baby shower and from my friend Andrea, and that means I have piles of pink up in the future baby-room. My clever friend just shared the cutest pink PEEP banner craft with me the other evening, and so now I have a stack of pink felt bunnies waiting to be assembled into a banner.... So PINK is EVERYWHERE. 

Have I mentioned how gleeful I am to have an excuse to indulge this girliness??

35 weeks. Noah was born at 39 weeks + a day or two, so that means this is really the countdown time. I should probably think about buying some diapers. Packing an overnight bag. I DO have babysitting lined up for Noah in the event things start rolling. And I DO have newborn clothes now. We still need to buy a new pack-n'-play for the bassinet time of our lives... Still need to buy some flannel for swaddle blankets... Other random stuff. 

But things are coming together. Slowly. Lucy is being a fun little bumper and swimmer in the meantime. I am in LOVE with how much she moves around. so much busier in there than Noah was. The doc reports that everything looks good, even in spite of the random gestational diabetes thing, and my lack of weight gain. Baby is the perfect size for this time, and there's plenty of fluid in there, and she's in the head-down position for the moment. All is well. 

I feel like.... It's strange. It's been more like a second trimester for me here at the end-- more energy and motivation than I remember with Noah. I feel like I'm racing against time to get an invisible list of "wants" done before life as I know it shifts entirely. The thing is, when I became a parent the first time, it really was a complete paradigm shift. With the combo of sleep deprivation and suddenly being more concerned for another being than myself ALL THE TIME, it took about a year to get ME back. The ME I felt I knew... The ME I missed. And then it took another year to really feel like I had gotten my LIFE back--- which is funny to even say, because life has never been the same since Noah. But by the time he was two, he was more flexible, more portable... And I was more relaxed about changing things up if we needed to, so we could run errands or go play... And I felt I could leave him in the care of others more readily, so Joe and I could have some US time again. It took TWO YEARS to feel like I had a rhythm that felt authentic to me... the GROOVE I always hoped for as a parent. 

So now that Noah is 3, I've had that pretty decent groove for over a year, and I love it. But as the days of being a parent-of-one come to a close, I am having to face that I will likely be back in that year of letting go of the "ME" and the "MY GROOVE" expectations. So these last weeks, there's a mild panic-list of things I'd love to get done before the "ME" goes away.... 

Unfinished sewing projects

Outings with Noah

Outings without Noah

Photos to compile, sort, edit

Home organizing to do

Recipes to try

Naps and luxuries to indulge in

Crafties I want to try

Skills I want to master

It's disconcerting. It's not upsetting, but it does hover at the edges of my days... the Wish List, the To-Do List... The "Running Out of Time List".

Meanwhile, life moves along... I've been having a lovely few weeks-- lots of social stuff, which has been SO MUCH FUN after a winter so cold that everyone just hibernated for months. Girls' Nights, birthday parties, play dates... Lots of fun things on the calendar. 

And we had a marvelous opportunity to get maternity photos taken this last week.... By the fabulous team at Fresh Art Photography, based right here in STL. My friend Jodie had some really cool ideas, as well as a new stylist she wanted to try out, so we got to reap the benefits of this brainstorm session and get some RIDICULOUSLY awesome photos done. Even more awesome, they're working on integrating video into their sessions, so we got the most magical family home movie to go with the photos. This short movie is honestly my favorite thing in the universe at the moment. SUCH a treasure to have my little family caught in this moment, being US. To see this treasure, go visit the Dear Lucy post on their blog, here:

http://freshartphotography.com/2011/03/dear-lucy-st-louis-maternity-photographers-and-videographers/

And to see the photos, they have another post up:

http://freshartphotography.com/2011/03/emily-st-louis-maternity-photographers/

I am so so in LOVE. What a cool experience. Jodie, Kim, Katie--- Seriously. So. Cool. 

And so.... that's probably enough ramblings for the moment. I have lots of randomness in queue to post about... I want to maintain motivation to do so. Just another one of those invisible "to-do's".... I'm making it a goal this week. To blog every day, even if it is random. Even if it is short. Just so I can quiet that particular to-do. 

Til then, toodle-oo!

Featured Photographer This Week: Jillian Healey, from Australia!

This week I get to tell you about Jill Healey, a fabulous and GORGEOUS photographer from Australia. The Gold Coast, to be specific (That's on the east coast, 'round Brisbane. I had to Google it. Gorgeous area!!). 

(Seriously, if I had any money, I'd find a way to visit these gals in person and learn from them. First Niki from Finland, now Jillian from the Gold coast? I have "travel crushes" on these photogs from other countries!!)

Meet Jillian:

Jillian shared one of her current favorite images with me for her interview, here:

And then was kind enough to answer 10 questions about her image, her photography, and a little about herself as well. If you find yourself thirsty for more, she has a fabulous website and blog, and can also be found on Facebook. 

Linky Loos:

Jillian Healey Photography

Jillian Healey Photography/blog

Facebook Fan Page:  

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jillian-Healey-Photography/122301171143001

Ten Questions with Jillian Healey

About your image…

1) Why do you love this image? 

 It just screams new, young love. There's passion and the very fabric of the planet seems to be backing them up!

2) What were your settings with this image? 

Shutter Speed: 1/640 

ISO: 200 

Aperture: 3.5 

Lens: 50mm 1.4 

Body: 5D Classic

3) What do you love about photography? 

This isn't a straightforward question. I love making a record of people, connections, personalities that will give people cause to smile and reminisce in years to come. I love details. Eyelashes, fingers, eyes - all the things you come to know about a person you love intimately. I love more than anything else that I am able to take my skills and eye for detail and connection into the most heartbreaking moments in a family's life with the charity work I do with the Heartfelt organisation who go into hospitals and capture what is often the only high quality photographs of little ones who are on the verge of getting their wings or who have flown already. It is the reason I learned to take a photograph and the reason I continue to make photography my business and career.

4) What type of photography do you specialize in and why? 

Newborns, immediate families, maternity and couples are what I do most of, in that order. I have recently realised that I work best with smaller groups of people and am now really limiting myself to servicing those groups so that I am always playing to my strengths and giving my clients the very best I can.


5) What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes? 

There hasn't been nearly enough time for hobbies and pastimes in recent years as I have been so busy building my business. Through photography I have re-learned knitting in order to make lots of props for my babies, but before that I enjoyed DIY, painting and feltmaking. I also love driving out in to the countryside with my husband and kids and picnicking in remote and spectacular locations.

[Oh, LOVE this answer! The picnicking part sounds especially amazing!]

6) Who or what inspires you? 

As time goes by and I get a little older, I can see how precious life is and I am utterly inspired by being trusted to take such intimate photos of people on their journeys through love and the creation of new life. I also find inspiration in other photographers. I love the energy of Diana Palmer and Tara Whitney and Nate and Jacklyn Kaiser. I love the serenity and achingly beautiful images of a number of newborn specialists (too many to mention!!) who all have unique styles of their own.

7) Who are some of your favorite singers/bands? 

Does Glee count??? Other than that, I love Eurythmics, Black Eyed Peas, Radiohead, Beyonce and Britney Spears. I also like a variety of Britpop and all things 80s! 

[Glee TOTALLY counts. I could listen to their soundtracks for HOURS. And sing along loudly, of course!]

8) What is your favorite movie of all time? 

Danny Deckchair.

9) What would your ideal day be like? 

My staff would arrive to make breakfast, clean, do laundry, iron and make the school lunches. I would then take my three girls to school whilst said staff put the house back together, grocery shop and make me a healthy and tasty lunch. I would be photographing a newborn while they do this. After lunch, a little editing, respond to emails and then go collect the kids from school. We would then go hang out at the beach for an hour, grab some afternoon tea and then come home and do homework. My chef would have started on dinner. Eat dinner, send the kids for showers and tuck them into bed while the maid cleans the dishes and then my masseuse would give me a quick shoulder massage before bed. Other than that, I would just go with a completely chaotic day, stumbling from one disaster to the next, never an ironed outfit in sight nor a clue of what to eat for dinner. Either way is good!

[Working on your ideal day? You're a better woman than I am!!]

10) If you weren't a photographer, what other profession would you like to pursue? 

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Jill, I'm THRILLED you went into photography, so you could become a part of my circle of inspiration. Who needs more doctors, anyway? (Kidding. Seriously.)

Thank you for sharing your talent with my bloggy, and thanks, bloggy readers, for checking this gal out and giving her some love.

(Come back next week to read about Rachel Aberle from Green Bay, WI!)

*

Off to go play at a Girls' Night Out. I gotta get as many of those kinds of activities in before the newborn arrives... right??

2010 Session Flashback: Sweet Baby Kate {St. Louis Newborn Photographer}

What was that? You were wondering if I was still a photographer by trade?? You wondered where all those final 2010 sessions I promised ever went to?

Yikes.

Well, in honor of the fact that I am having a baby girl of my own in no time at all, I bring you one of my FAVORITE newborn girls I have EVER photographed--- Baby Kate, born last summer. (So behind. Shame-face over here.)

This little beauty was a DREAM for me to photograph, and made me feel just a little closer to becoming the newborn photographer I aspire to be. I have a ways to go... But sometimes there's a moment of magic. Check her out!

Oh MAN. Is it so cool that I get a girl of my own?? How cute are these little ladies?? 

Andrea, thank you again for the honor of capturing your sweet baby girl in her first days. I know it's AGES later, but I still look at these images and melt. Your family has a special place in my heart!

(Ah, babies!! Love love love!!)

34 Weeks: April is Right After March!! Ack!

34 weeks and still feeling pretty good. Have you noticed I'm not scared of color?? I think my love affair with dressing brightly really reached new heights after delivering Noah three years ago... There I was, frumpy and post-pregnancy in the dead of winter, and the ONLY way I could feel semi-cute was to put on something bright and colorful and layered to hide my blahs/my belly rolls/my frump. And so it began.

I love the orange background with that crazy shirt up above there. It is just me, or does the whole thing make you happy??

And Noah--- how cute is he? We have this silly old 1980's camera I bought for him at Goodwill, and he loves to "take pictures" with it... so when he saw his daddy taking my photo above, he had to get in on the fun. Believe it or not, the shots of Noah and I are totally unplanned, and I ADORE them. You can see his "photographer face" in that last shot--- all scrunched up and concentrating. So cute!!

It occurs to me that it is now MARCH. And I am having a baby in APRIL. AACK!!! I have so much I'd love to finish before the world flips upside down in April.... Baby projects to complete, house to organize and re-arrange, client work to do... naps to take, adventures to have, dates with Joe to fit in... Lots of one-on-one time with Noah to squeeze in...

Time is gonna fly, starting NOW. I need to be mindful of that and work while I can, getting things done NOW.

But I also need to be forgiving of myself, and let it alllllll go if baby comes early, or I simply get too big and too tired...

For now, though--- the fire has been lit, and I have things to do. Behold my cute to-do list for the week--- and the things I've managed to get done just the first two days! A pretty good start, methinks:

Tomorrow is a Noah-centered day, with his Joy School, then a fun play date at the Magic House....

Thursday is a morning play date/tutoring session with a friend, then a photo session in the afternoon...

Friday is a birthday party for Noah's friends, then a Girls' Night in the evening...

Saturday is OUR maternity mini-session, then a client mini-session in the afternoon....

This week is gonna be nuts. Pray for me that the rest of that cute to-do-list gets done somehow!!

Because suddenly, thinking of all of this makes me want a nap....

:)