9 Months

It doesn't seem possible that it's been nine months since our precious baby boy entered the world!

Oh, how time flies!

Right now, Noah is on the verge of crawling.  He pushes himself up on his hands and knees, then rocks back and forth for a few seconds before his belly hits the floor.  I would guess that within the next week or two he'll be officially crawling. 

Noah also loves holding onto the sofa and slowly walking alongside it.  He does the same thing around the coffee table and the perimeter of his play yard.  

Noah is teething again.  His fifth tooth just came in, and the sixth one is on its way.  For obvious reasons, I'm no longer offering him my finger to gnaw on.  I learned the hard way that he will bite. 

And I saved the best for last: Last week, Noah uttered Mama.  Be still my heart.

This Summer

 A few weeks ago, I was talking to my sister on the phone and she mentioned creating a list of things she wants to do this summer.  A summer bucket list, if you will.

I thought, What a great idea!  Maybe I'll make my own list.

Then, a few days later, what should appear in my inbox?  This blog post from Ali Edwards in which she lays out her "Summer Manifesto."

I thought, Oh, boy...I'm in!  

So, without further ado, here's what I hope to do this summer:

- Go camping as a family of three.
- Finalize Noah's adoption.
- Attend a local county fair.
- Plant a peony bush in the yard.  (Number 1 on my Life List.)  
- Cook 5 new dinner recipes.
- Take Noah to the pool.
- Write.
- Revamp my blog.
- Pick up my camera and shoot away.
- Don my cowgirl boots.
- Devour a crepe with ice cream inside. 
- Keep a list of all the books I read.  (Number 17 on my Life List.)
- Hang photographs in Noah's nursery.
- Go on a date with Brian.
- Learn more about Lightroom.  
- Spend time with family and friends. 
- Document it all in my Project Life binder.

What's on your summer list?

J

Abracadabra!

Over the past few months, I've been taking tons of pictures with my DSLR.

Most of the time, Noah is my subject, but I also love shooting parties.

In late March, friends of ours threw a magical birthday party for their boys, Tyler (age 6) and Chase (age 2).

Magician Howdy Do Dat? presented an exciting magic show, complete with audience participation, live animals, and amazing illusions.    

Just recently, I had a bit of free time to play in Lightroom, so I edited some of the photos from that special day.  

Here are my favorite shots:

It was fun for kids and adults alike!

J

For Today

Noah sitting in my lap during his first flight

THANKFUL FOR...the opportunity to travel to Virginia recently to celebrate my grandfather's life.  (Hurray for frequent flyer miles!)



WRITING...Assignment #5 for my children's writing class, which entails a) crafting a 350-word description of a child and then b) writing a 350-word inner portrait of that child.  Due date: 4/20.       

LOVING...this Worst Mom...Evah! article by Rebecca Frech, a Catholic mom of seven.  So, so funny!





READING...Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman.  A great book so far!

LOOKING FORWARD...to lunch tomorrow with friends. 


EXPERIMENTING...with Lightroom as I slowly edit photographs from several events in March.  

WANTING...to try this Spicy Sausage Pasta recipe next week.

HOPING...to plant cilantro, oregano and sweet basil outside soon.  
 
ENJOYING...using my Nikon speedlight (external flash) to take indoor photographs.  What a noticeable difference it makes!

J