A newborn from the autumn, 2010, born to this beautiful family I photographed prior to her birth:

This is Lili-- baby sister and utter angel. I was in heaven this entire session. Not only did I get to photograph a sweet baby girl, but she was perfect-- sleepy, sweet, and not at all bothered by all the messing around I did with her. I loved her session!

See what I mean? PERFECTION, that baby. 

(And don't be surprised if you see some of those same hats/props showing up with my own baby girl. I bought them mostly for myself, but thought I might as well share with little Lili... :))

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I love reviewing these sessions--- how can I NOT get more excited for my own baby girl!?

Stitching, Sewing, Playing, Growing: Teeny Scrap Fabric Bunting

Another random project for my scraps of fabric I couldn't bear to toss out?

The Teeny Scrap Fabric Bunting:

This thing is TEENY. Each triangle is no more than 2 inches across at the widest point. So you can see how small of scraps I was hoarding. I'm a dork. But... the dorkiness paid off here, because seriously?? HOW CUTE?!??

And EASY. You just layer your fabric to two layers, right sides facing, cut a triangle (really, no need for a pattern or ANYTHING. Just cut. I mean, it's three straight lines, right??) and the variety of sizes is cute to me...

Then you stitch the two sides of the triangle, leaving the top open. Trim your corners, turn right-side-out and use a chopstick or whatever to get your point nice and poked-out... Then press with your iron.

Next, you trim the top so they are even...

And then you use some prefolded bias tape to link 'em together. I used 1/2" double-fold bias because that was all I had. I went CRAZY and pressed the 1/2" in half AGAIN, and top stitched a line in contrasting thread to hold the triangles in... Just placed one triangle at a time, held it in place with my finger and presser foot as I sewed, and there ya go....

So my particular bunting has a crazy skinny band... But you could use 1" bias and fold that in half... Or whatever works for you! Ribbon, even.

And when you run out of scrappy triangle points, your banner is done. Or you could be more methodical and actually plan out how many triangles you want, the length you want, pin them carefully in place, etc...

But I was feeling scrappy and random. So I did it my way.

Fun, right?

To close, I'd like to share a photo of my chicken, a gift from Julia.

Really, no reason, except this lovely critter was on the mantle when I took the bunting photos and I just like her. She looks Italian to me.

Go now... Make a scrappy bunting! They're useful ANYWHERE in your home. (Mine is now adorning the top of the window/lace curtain in the hallway/play nook upstairs. Noah LOVES it.)

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39 Weeks: Wouldn't It Be Fun If This Was The Last One?

Goodness, I don't mean to sound eager, but I really would love if this was the last one of these... I just love the idea of Lucy coming THIS week... Not the next one. Ah well. Time will tell! 

Things I have gotten done:

* had my last session before taking maternity leave. SO much fun shooting Jodi and Scott's engagements on Saturday! It was a perfect day. 

* I have the changing table and pack-and-play/bassinet and nursing corner set up in my bedroom

* I have made burp cloths and most of a mobile, among a zillion other silly, fulfilling nesting sewing projects

* I am 3/4ths packed for the hospital

* found a "going home outfit" for the baby girl

* I've begun a crazy, ambitious, super cute giftie for Noah that Lucy will give to him in the hospital. I'm in love with this one!

* I have my old, cute diaper bag nearly all packed up and ready

* I found a baby swing to borrow, and have washed the cover to that and to the car seat

* We have our house mostly put back together after the big exodus of Kate's stuff... Just the dining room needs some help. 

* Gonna get my toenails painted tomorrow.... :)

So... Really, baby girl. I'm pretty ready. Come out and play any time! 

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Meanwhile, the spring weather has come back, and I love it! I am also getting excited to be done with the diabetes thing---- I am going to celebrate with a MASSIVE glass of cold skim milk and about 10 fresh chocolate chip cookies. I am not kidding. That is what I miss the most. (did you know milk's lactose is a SUGAR, so I have to be super moderate about the amount I drink? What a cruel joke!! I mean, MILK is GOOD for you. ARGH.)

I am getting excited to play with my own baby girl for photos... (Stay tuned this week for a session or two of OTHER baby girls I've photographed recently--- just to get us all revved for Lucy!)

And I am super excited to have Jodie and Kim (Fresh Art Photography-- the gals who rocked my maternity photos!) play with Lucy for a newborn session of their own. I love that it'll be like TWICE the props and goodies and cuteness because they have so many fun things that I don't. :)

I am getting amazingly excited for all my mutually preggy friends to begin announcing their arrivals--- Melanie and Erin and Ashley are first up... And Kelly... All you guys better text me or something, because I am almost as excited for YOURS as I am for mine!!

And I am still trucking away at my trusty sewing machine... Crankin' out a project a day, at least, just because it makes me SO FREAKIN' HAPPY. I have photos. I need to blog 'em. I love this kind of nesting!!!

(It doesn't help that Kate turned me onto Pinterest, and now I see lovely things all day long and say, "Hm... I have stuff to make that. I could do that!" ... And then.... I go DO it. Ridiculous. But so much fun!! [username: emsoutherland-- come play!])

Aaaand..... What else? Oh, darn April. I have been trying to get caught up on my business bookkeeping and BOY is that not fun. Anyone in STL have an accountant they LOVE and can recommend? I love mine, but I think I'm more of a burden to him than anything, and I'd love to try someone else out at least once...

Why must I think about numbers and sales tax and FEDERAL tax when I'm supposed to be sitting happily rubbing my big belly, thinking about flowers, bunnies and babies? Really? Blergh, you stinkin' business responsibilities. 

Anyhoo...

I s'pose that's enough rambling for now... Here's to Week 39 being THE week! And for the rest of you, here's to SPRING! (And Easter chocolate!)

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Documenting A Strange Era In My Life: All The Crazy Medical Crap In My House!

This is NOT an adventure I could have predicted--- the nutso amount of medical things I've had to keep track of during 2/3rds of this pregnancy. Just for fun one day, I gathered EVERY BIT of crap I've been having to do/take/follow/ingest/etc. and compiled it in one place, just to see... Just to DOCUMENT this era. Can you believe the pile??

It started, of course, with prenatals (below, right... "medical food". What a weird way to describe vitamins!)

But by October, things got dramatic when Betty the Breast got infected. From the biopsy and surgery this fall until just a few weeks ago, THESE have been a daily part of my life because of the infections--

Antibiotic pills (green) + hydrogen peroxide and neosporin + gauze pads and medical tape + absorbent pads

The pills? 4 times a day. The gauze? Switched out at least twice a day, especially when I had the drainage tubes lingering in my chest. The neosporin and peroxide-- all day long. And this was NONSTOP for months, since the infection has a nasty tendency to return, and I still see the doctor for this issue about every two weeks. Just last week, she aspirated some more gross stuff with a needle/syringe... So though the wounds are healed (mostly), the infection still lurks.

And then there's THIS adventure--- as of February:

YOWZA. If I thought the infection stuff was routine-altering, I was not at all prepared for GESTATIONAL DIABETES. I mean, LOOK at all the stuff that came into my life after that diagnosis!

There's the trusty blood monitor: I get to prick my finger 5 times a day. And those test strips ain't cheap. (Lucky for me, after my first $60 purchase, my dad, a type 2 diabetic, gave me a few boxes of his... He has lots to spare, apparently. Saved me at least another $60!!) And the blood monitor comes with lancets and things. 

Oh, and after just two weeks of not-great readings, they upped the ante--- and prescribed INSULIN SHOTS. So now there's the needles. And the alcohol pads. And the actual glass bottles of insulin in my fridge. 

And the tracking of food and blood sugar numbers....And the cookbooks so I can re-learn how to eat.

Oh, and those KETONE STICKS. I get to pee on one of those every morning, just to make sure I still eat enough calories after all the cutbacks in my carbs. 

I tell ya....

THIS is a weird era in my life. WEIRD. Pills. Shots. Pokes. Peeing on sticks. GAUZE FOR MILES.

Really. Next pregnancy, I deserve a free pass to painlessness and complete heath. Ya know?

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Okay, so there's the Complaint Post of the Year! :) :)

But in all seriousness, though....let me be honest: 

Much of this has become so routine that it's not a big deal anymore... And much of it has gotten better--- especially the infection/bandage part of things. I still count my blessings DEEPLY that I don't suffer anymore from that reactive arthritis I had for a month in the fall. THAT was torture. And I am learning a LOT about moderation and discipline and energy from this GD diet. I truly want to maintain some of these principles well after the baby is born. This really isn't as bad as I am making it look here. Truly.

Though I will NOT miss the shots. And the blood testing. And the reporting twice a week to the Upper Management (i.e. Nurse Jill.)

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Goodness. Week 39 is commencing. Maybe most of this will be DONE WITH by the end of the week. 

*fingers crossed!*

Featured Photographer: Kara Layfield From Salisbury, Maryland

This week I get to tell you about Kara, one of the warmest, kindest, most supportive members of my photography circle that I know. She is so sincere, that even having never met her, I KNOW she is the "real deal". And hey-- the fact that her images are gorgeous and full of life is only a bonus. 

Meet Kara:

Name: Kara Layfield
Studio Name: Kara Layfield Photography
Location: Salisbury, Maryland
Website/Blog: www.karalayfieldphotography.com

And a chosen favorite photo of hers:

About the image…
1) Why do you love this image?  

I love the feeling I get from looking at this image. It has such a timeless feel and his stare just captivates me. When I brought it up in PS, I knew black and white would be a perfect conversion for this image.

2) What were your settings with this image? 

f/2.0, SS 1/1000, ISO 200

3) What do you love about photography? 

I love how I am constantly learning every day. I love getting lost in the moment, I love the high I get from knowing that I’ve captured something special for my clients. I absolutely love the moment when a client sees their portraits for the very first time. Photography is my passion!

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

Children & Seniors! I love how kids think and always do their own thing. I love capturing their curiosity and innocence. Seniors totally rock my world. I love to incorporate their interests into a session and let their personality shine. I must admit, when a senior arrives on location with super stylish clothes and accessories…I’m in heaven!

About your life?

5) What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes? 

Other than photography, I love being a Mom! It gives me the most joy and I love spending my free time with my kiddos!

6) Who or what inspires you? 

Life! I am easily inspired by a piece of furniture, an article in a magazine, beautiful textures/patterns and the way a flower pushes up thru the concrete. It’s just those little things that make me take a second look and gets my head spinning with ideas.

7) A good portrait means:

I have done my job right. It means that the client has received exactly what they wanted and more and it means that I have used my skills to the best of my ability. A good portrait is more than looking pretty in a frame, it means that I have captured something so special that it makes you stop and take a second look.

8) Where do you go for design inspiration? 

I love to look thru magazines or online design blogs. Sometimes a song on the radio will lead to a beautiful idea.

9) What are you still learning? 

Everything! I am constantly learning about photography. We are very fortunate to have such vast information available to us at the tip of our fingertips 24/7. If I hear a new term or editing style, off to Google I go.

10) What 3 words describe you/ your style? 

Real, Fun & Relaxed

Kara, LOVE reading your insights and thoughts. Thank you for sharing your talent with me and with others. Love it!

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{Next week, if I am not having a baby, I get to introduce you to the loveliest lady ever, Ms. Holly Olsen of Utah! Come back to check it out!}

Stitching, Sewing, Playing, Growing: Meaningful Word Banners

If any of you have ever followed Ali Edwards, scrapbooker/designer/web goddess, you know she has a ritual of choosing a word of the year to live by every New Year's Day. It's kinda cool--- a word like "breathe" or "cherish".... something that becomes a mantra and shapes your actions for your 12 months ahead.

I, myself, haven't actually committed to this practice... haha! Funny I'm blogging about it without being one to DO it... But the point is, a LOT of my friends DO try to choose word a year, and really DO focus on it. So when I came across the following sewing project--- originally a "MERRY CHRISTMAS" fabric banner from a fabric store pamphlet-- I KNEW it was a perfect fit to gift some friends with banners that spelled out their word of the year... Words like:

Cute, right??

I just didn't have the mojo to try a whole "MERRY CHRISTMAS" banner for my home, plus if you remember form the last crafty post, I've been trying to use only scrap fabric I already had, and I didn't have enough Christmas-toned fabrics for a banner like that. But making these shorter words for my friends was a fun way to TRY the project, but not have to commit to too much, time AND fabric-wise.

So, one good friend has her family focusing on the word "SERVE". I love that!

But the other one of these I made is a little less..... deep.

See, my OTHER friend is preggy like me, and has had a ROUGH go of it all nine months. Her first trimester morning sickness turned into EVERY TRIMESTER MORNING SICKNESS. Add to that, she and her hubs have been trying to clean out the corners of their home to get it sellable... and because of those two seemingly unrelated facts about her, it became a joke among friends that her word of the year should be:

And when I thought about this big, not-so-pretty word in FABRIC, I couldn't stop giggling. So I made it for her. As a joke. As a pick-me-up in her miserable day. And It makes me smile.

And luckily, she gets my sense of humor, because she actually hung the thing up in her house. Ha! (Thanks, Mel!)

Anyhoo.... Just another random crafty I played with this winter, post-holidays, when trying to only use scrap fabric. 

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I don't have an ACTUAL TUTORIAL for these, but I can give you the basic steps. They're cute, and the possibilities are endless if you have patience to cute and sew letters!

HOW TO SEW FABRIC WORD BANNERS

Materials:

scrap fabric (pieces at least 7"x7" are helpful)

thin batting (but you could use light-colored fleece or felt if you wanted)

coordinating or contrasting thread (depends on your style)

Word Processing program on your computer, and a printer

pinking shears

ribbon or twine for hanging

Step One: 

Go to Microsoft Word or whatever, and type out your word. If you want a clean, straightforward font like mine above, I used ARIAL BLACK for big, chunky thick letters. Change the font size to something between 450-750 pt. font. At this size, your word will print about one letter per sheet of paper. 

Step Two:

Cut out your printed letters and pin them to your fabric. You can use all one fabric, or a mish-mash like I did. You can use the same fabric for front and back, or just go crazy and make every piece of fabric totally different. 

Step Three: 

I like to cut my letters in a stack, all at once, instead of cutting out just the front, then just the back, then just the batting. TOO MUCH WORK! I sandwich the whole thing from the get-go, so that the fabrics are facing out and the batting is in the middle, and pin and cut like that. 

Step Three A:

I used pinking shears to cut out my stack. If you want to have a little more control, you can cut out your letters with regular scissors first, but with a 1/8-1/4" seam added to the edge. Then after your letter is cut out, you can go back and pink that 1/8-1/4" edge off with your pinking shears. 

Step Four:

Once your sandwich is cut, you'll unpin it and take away the pattern paper and take out the batting piece. At this point, you want to trim your batting to be skinnier than the fabric letters. I cut about 1/4" off of all sides of the letter so that you get a skinny version you can then put back between the fabric letters. Now your batting/felt/fleece won't be hanging out the edges if you get sloppy in your sewing!

Step Five:

With your fabric sandwich pinned,  you then sew a straight running stitch (I prefer machine sewing, but you could hand-stitch this, too) around the border of your letter, around 1/4" in from the pinked edge. 

Because the edges are pinked, they won't fray, so you are not doing any inside-out sewing. What you see is what you get, so when you're done sewing, your letter is basically DONE. 

Step Six:

I used embroidery floss on the backs of the letters to create little loops to run my ribbon through. I just stitched a loop in the places where the letter needed to hang from and be supported, and then ran ribbon through them all and VOILA! 

There are probably other better ways to get your letters in a banner form--- you could sew them directly to ribbon, glue them, pin them, whatever...

And if you go back and look at the detail shot of my letter "G", you'll see that the poor letter was NOT hanging well without a little help: I had to stitch a support line to keep the lower half of the G from flopping backwards and messing up the whole thing. A way to prevent weak, wimpy letters from flopping is to either:

A. Cut smaller letters (closer to the 450 pt. font size instead of the 750 pt font size)

B. Iron on some light interfacing to your fabric first

C. Use felt or upholstery type fabric for a sturdier fabric

Anyhoo.... It's not a tutorial, per se.... But it's a start. Go make your own word banners! A kids' name for their room! Your surname for your entryway. Or your word of the year. Heck, go make one that says "MERRY CHRISTMAS", if you have more stamina than I! (Then mail it to me, haha!)

Andi's Family -Flashback Session From 2010 {St. Louis Family Children's Photographer}

Flashback 2010 session....Since Spring tried to show up and is still sputtering to a start, I thought some green and flowery photos might make us all feel a bit warmer!

This is my good friend Andi's gorgeous family--- two spunky little girls and a great set of parents. I love these guys!

Can you stand this face? *love!*

Oh how I love photographing families like andi's.... The kids are fun AND funny, the hubby is sweet and happy to comply with my bossiness, and the mama is foxy and happy... 

Andi, I know it's 72 months late, but thatnks for letting me capture these images for you last season. We're going to have to meet up soon to talk about the summer and babies and such!!

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38 Weeks ... Only a Few More of These Pics!

Just a little bit longer! And BOY am I feeling PREGNANT. For the last several days, I've just felt.... PREGNANT. Turns out, it's because my baby has dropped. And I am such a novice, I didn't realize it til seasoned mamas told me so. Ha! But it makes total sense---before, where I was able to walk around a TON without feeling too tired or BIG, suddenly I can barely walk down one aisle at the grocery store without feeling all this PRESSURE. So tiring! 

So. I have my 38-week appt. tomorrow, and we'll see how things are progressing. *shrug* 

I just keep thinking--- this will likely be TOTALLY different than my Noah experience... And I really have NO idea what is coming. Will my water break? It did with Noah. Will I go early? I did with Noah. Or will I go over my due date and have to induce? Will I wake in the middle of the night with real contractions? I've not experienced that before. With Noah, I had mild sporadic ones, but they didn't solidify into REAL, countable contractions until they pushed Pitocin on me as a remedy for speeding things up. This time, I WANT to wait for the REAL, natural contractions. I WANT to time them. Wait. See. 

But who knows? I have NO clue what is coming.

That's kinda fun. I'm not gonna lie.

And even feeling SUPER pregnant, I am still loving it. I am that woman-- the one who loves being pregnant. So I'm in no rush to end it. All is well.

Stitching, Sewing, Playing, Growing: Zippered Pouches!!

Today, it snowed.

{SOB!}

I know, I know--- it IS still March, and March can throw curve balls like that.... But seriously, last week we had 70+ degree weather. The daffodils are out. The trees are flowering. The birds are back and chirping every morning. SPRING CAME. Ya know??

So to get SNOW, and not a little bit (like 4 inches so far!).... it hurt my CHI. A lot.

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But it DID remind me that the ONE good thing I love about winter is the time it affords me to get crafty again. And I realized that I never got around to blogging my January crafty blitz. And since today felt like January again, it's a perfect time to recap the stitching, sewing and playing I've been doing all winter (and into this first week of spring.) For this post, I'll just focus on one thing I tried several versions of-- The Zippered Pouch:

 

So, back in January I was on a spending freeze... so it became a fun month to try and see how I could use my fabric stash and already-purchased supplies. I ended up Googling for "scrap fabric projects" and found lots of ways to get crafty without going out to buy new things. One thing I decided to master was ZIPPERS. Zippered pouches are relatively easy (not counting the zipper, ha!) and are mostly small, so scrap fabric is PERFECT for these things. Also, I LOVE lining pouches with surprise happy fabric, so it felt kinda indulgent to use another good scrap of fabric for the insides:

The above pouch design was found through Google (my favorite!) and has a GREAT photo-tutorial on Flickr, found here:

Zipper Pouch Bag Tutorial

I LOVE this one. Easy, clean, and PRETTTTY!

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But I cheated just now... I showed you the SECOND thing I made with a zipper. Let me show you the not-so-amazing FIRST thing I tried with a zipper:

Now, the photo doesn't look hideous, but MAN.... This was a case of Me vs. the Project, and the project WON. For sure. I have so many flaws tucked away in this pouch. Granted, it was tricky just being a round pouch... But the zipper part really kicked my butt. Ah well. Chalk it up to experience.

And I won't gift this to anyone so they can see the flaws...I'll just use it to hold my embroidery floss!

(This tutorial/pattern, by they way, was in a freebie handout from the fabric store... It gave written instructions, but no visuals. I think I need visuals!!)

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Ah, but enough about zipper failures. Let's move onto another style of zippered pouch. This one was meant to try to duplicate the amazing wristlet my friend Sarah made me in our Christmas swap last year.

(this one is Sarah's.)

I am still using that wristlet of hers as my main wallet, and I LOVE it. The size is perfect, the strap is the perfect width and length, it's lined and sturdy.... I seriously LOVE it. So I decided to try to make a fresh one for 2011 by myself, by Googling a random wristlet pattern.

And while I LIKE my finished, product, I don't LOVE it:

I think the appliqued "e" looks sloppy....The overall size of the whole thing is TOO big, yet the strap is too short.... It's just not as intuitive as Sarah's. (So Sarah, if you're reading this, I need YOUR pattern! My Google find wasn't quite it.... Not there yet!)

BUT. The one I made isn't AWFUL. And the tutorial was SUPER good-- nice photos, clean instructions.... So if you wanna give it a go, check out the link here:

Splityarn: Sew A Zippered Wristlet

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Okay. Last pouch, I promise!  This one is a super cute Box Pouch:

Raise your hand if you're in love with that polka dot lining??! Me!! Me!!!!!

This one was AMAZINGLY simple, and really looks cute and tricky when you're done. By the time I got to this design, I was feeling pretty great about zippers, and just ROCKED this tutorial:

Make It Modern: Perfect Box Pouch Tutorial

(Such a well-done tutorial! I LOVE the fabric she chose.)

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And that has been the extent of my zipper and pouch adventures... All of them used scraps of fabric I already had. Many used interfacing. And I do have to confess: After making two pouches and deciding I could handle the zipper thing, I *shh, don't tell Joe* broke the spending freeze for 32 seconds and bought a stash of cheap zippers on Etsy. I HAD to! And honestly, if YOU need zippers, this Etsy shop is THE place to go. I love all the colors, and the price is right!!

K & C Supplies: Wholesale Zippers

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Anyhoo. I have a few other fun projects I did while on the spending freeze/scrap fabric using quest.... I'll post them in the next few days. But for now, let's all take a moment to glorify the cuteness of zippered pouches, and consider a few of the following links for future projects to try out. I know I'll be giving a few more of these a shot! 

More Zippered Pouches to Try:

Make It Perfect: Zippered Pouch Tutorial (this gal did some CUTE patchwork. *swoon!*)

PurlBee: Heart Shaped Zippered Pouches (cute!!)

Sublime Stitching: Zippered Pouch With Reverse Applique (this one uses some embroidery and a fun applique technique)

The Pleated Poppy (this isn't a tutorial, but GENIUS to add a ruffle! I could do that!! Or just buy one of these cute ones. :))

LiaSpace.com: Scrappy Scaly Zippered Pouch (Holy COW this one is intense. I might never have the patience to make one of these, but isn't it COOL?)

Made: Candy Bags (oh, these have some CLEVER embellishments! Yowza! Gonna borrow that vinyl fish idea for sure!)

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Wow. If it wasn't late and I didn't have other work to do, I think I'd be back at my sewing machine right now.... Probably doing a ruffle or some vinyl add-ons. What fun Someday Projects to put on my (massive) list! 

Did I mention I LOVE Google?

Ack!

Okay.... Off I go. I need to edit. It IS my real job, after all--- the photography thing. :)

37 Weeks: Just a Belly Pic...

Not much to add.... Lucy's still in there... No signs of imminent birth...Tackling The List... Bought sports bras and pj pants for the hospital today... Finally bought some diapers.... Feeling more pregnant these days: there's DEFINITELY a baby in there. 

All is well-- Don't mind the somber colors of the pic! We're just happy to see the arrival of spring and working to get loose ends tied up and enjoy our last days with just Noah.

What's new with you?