Tuesday, September 30, 2008
leavin on a jet plane
We are off to Utah tonight to spend time with family, attend Jared's mom's wedding, and bless our dear babe. Asher will be meeting many family members for the first time AND taking his first plane ride! Wish us luck! See ya next week!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
please bless this dream doesn't come true
Last night I had a dream that I was pregnant. As in pregnant now, two months after giving birth! Ack!!! The thought is frightening. Although in the dream I didn't really freak out even though I am years away from wanting to be pregnant again. I guess if I got pregnant two months after giving birth, while breastfeeding and on birth control, I'd have to take it as a sign from God. Well God, please bless me with a longer break from childbearing than 2 months! I'm shooting for something more like two years!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
cry baby
Yesterday, while I was playing with my camera shortly after it arrived, Asher was hanging out with me on my bed. I started snapping some photos of him.
At first he seemed a bit intrigued by the big black camera, if somewhat concerned.
At first he seemed a bit intrigued by the big black camera, if somewhat concerned.
The concern is increasing.
"Why aren't you picking me up, Mama?"
The whimpering begins."Mama, I really want you to pick me up."
"Now!"
"What is taking you so long?!"
"Look at this sad little pout. Don't you feel bad for me?"
"I really don't want to lay here anymore."
"The pouty face didn't work. Now I'm really mad!"
"I've had enough!"
Now lest you think me cruel, this whole interaction lasted about a minute and then I rescued him. As soon as I picked him up he was fine.
Monday, September 22, 2008
i'm in love
with this little boyand
with the camera that took these photos!
My new Nikon D90 came this afternoon and it is SO cool!
I must admit that I'm more than a little overwhelmed by all it's buttons and features and settings, but I wanted to show you all real quick what beautiful photos it takes just on the auto setting. And these are straight out of the camera with no post editing. My favorite is the one above.
This was about the fourth photo I took after I got the lens on and the battery and memory card in it. I was across the room and zoomed in. Isn't Asher getting so big? Check out those chunky thighs!
The rest of these are in our living room. I feel like I was FINALLY able to capture the essence of Asher and get some good smiles because the camera is so fast.
So there is a little taste for you. I'm so excited to figure out everything I can do with this camera and get it off auto. Many more photos to come!
Friday, September 19, 2008
help pass the PROTECT Our Children Act
I didn't watch it, but Oprah did a whole show earlier this week about child predators and sexual abuse and how it is being spread over the internet. It is horrific. Please write your senators to help pass Senate Bill 1738. It makes me sick to think of how many children are being abused and exploited. Please take a couple minutes to read the following from Oprah's website and write your senators:
Hundreds of thousands of children are victims of sexual abuse each year. Due to the sheer lack of resources, law enforcement is unable to follow up on the majority of leads they have.
The PROTECT Our Children Act will:
Your U.S. senators will be voting on the bill soon, so it is crucial you contact them immediately.
Go to www.senate.gov to find contact information for the senators in your state. Search for your senator by name or state by clicking on the arrow from either dropdown menu. Contact information is provided here. To send an e-mail, click on "Web Form" below his or her name, and e-mail your letter to make a difference!
Call Your Senators
If you choose to contact your senators by phone, be sure to tell them, "Vote yes on Senate Bill 1738—The PROTECT Our Children Act."
Write to Your Senators
If you choose to write a letter, fax, telegram or e-mail, you may use the following sample letter—and modify it how you see fit.
Dear Senator:
I know that you believe, like I do, that we must do everything possible to protect children from sexual predators. That is why I am asking for your help.
Last year alone, U.S. law enforcement identified over 300,000 criminals who were trafficking in movies and pictures of young children being raped and tortured. Experts say that one in every three of these criminals has local child victims. Child pornography trafficking over the Internet has given us a trail of evidence that leads straight to their doorsteps, but the vast majority of these children will never be rescued because investigators are overwhelmed, outnumbered and underfunded.
As your constituent, I urge you to do everything in your power to pass the PROTECT Our Children Act (S. 1738, Biden-Hatch). This bipartisan legislation passed the House 415-2, but it is now the victim of petty partisan politics.
Now that we know where these children are and how to protect them, there is no excuse for the Senate to fail to take action this session.
(Your name here)
Hundreds of thousands of children are victims of sexual abuse each year. Due to the sheer lack of resources, law enforcement is unable to follow up on the majority of leads they have.
The PROTECT Our Children Act will:
- Authorize over $320 million over the next five years in desperately needed funding for law enforcement to investigate child exploitation.
- Mandate that child rescue be a top priority for law enforcement receiving federal funding.
- Allocate funds for high-tech computer software that can track down Internet predators.
Your U.S. senators will be voting on the bill soon, so it is crucial you contact them immediately.
Go to www.senate.gov to find contact information for the senators in your state. Search for your senator by name or state by clicking on the arrow from either dropdown menu. Contact information is provided here. To send an e-mail, click on "Web Form" below his or her name, and e-mail your letter to make a difference!
Call Your Senators
If you choose to contact your senators by phone, be sure to tell them, "Vote yes on Senate Bill 1738—The PROTECT Our Children Act."
Write to Your Senators
If you choose to write a letter, fax, telegram or e-mail, you may use the following sample letter—and modify it how you see fit.
Dear Senator:
I know that you believe, like I do, that we must do everything possible to protect children from sexual predators. That is why I am asking for your help.
Last year alone, U.S. law enforcement identified over 300,000 criminals who were trafficking in movies and pictures of young children being raped and tortured. Experts say that one in every three of these criminals has local child victims. Child pornography trafficking over the Internet has given us a trail of evidence that leads straight to their doorsteps, but the vast majority of these children will never be rescued because investigators are overwhelmed, outnumbered and underfunded.
As your constituent, I urge you to do everything in your power to pass the PROTECT Our Children Act (S. 1738, Biden-Hatch). This bipartisan legislation passed the House 415-2, but it is now the victim of petty partisan politics.
Now that we know where these children are and how to protect them, there is no excuse for the Senate to fail to take action this session.
(Your name here)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
i did it!
After days (or rather months with breaks here and there) of stewing, after staying up way too late last night reading reviews and getting up way too early this morning still stewing, I made my decision and finally did it. I ordered my camera! It is now on it's way to me as we speak via UPS. And you can bet I'll be tracking that sucker all the way to my front door! Oh man, I am so excited I couldn't even take a nap today because my brain wouldn't turn off. I kept imagining holding that camera in my hands and figuring out all it's magic and taking beautiful photos of my beautiful baby with lightening fast shutter speed and perfect sharpness. And let us not forget the movies! Because that's right folks, I splurged and got the D90. I just know I am not going to regret it.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
new slings
How handsome is this little guy? He is so cute I can hardly stand stand it. Love him!
Although he looks quite content to be laying on the bed in the above photo, these moments do not last very long. My child likes to be held pretty much all the time. Even if he's asleep, usually he'll wake up as soon as I lay him down. The solution? Babywearing. So here are the new slings we recently got.
First, this is a Hotsling. I got mine here on sale for just $25, but they usually sell for $30-$80. It is quite easy to use and great because I can pop the baby in and out easily, which makes it nice for around the house or for a quick grocery store trip.
This is how I ate dinner the other night. It's not really how the baby is supposed to be in it, but Asher liked it.
And this sling I purchased from an organization called H.U.G.S. (Help Us Give Slings). It is made in Indonesia and the proceeds go to tsunami and earthquake victims in that area. The fabric is SO beautiful! This is a traditional selendang sling. It is basically just a very large piece of fabric that you just tie on like you see in the second photo.
(Disclaimer: This is me without any makeup after a long walk outside [I used my beco for that], hence the shininess.)Asher spent the majority of the afternoon in this sling and had a nice long nap.
Later I used it as a blanket and he napped some more.
Again, the fabric is really beautiful and the sling is quite versatile because you can tie it different ways. Plus, you can feel good buying it because it's for a good cause!
Monday, September 15, 2008
oh the dilemma
Some of you may recall that I have been wanting a digital SLR camera for the past year or so. I had decided upon the Nikon D80 and began saving my pennies. My dad chipped in a nice chunk of change for my birthday in January. Finally last spring I ordered it. But then it was on back order and I ended up cancelling the order. Anyway, with all the drama of the summer, I never got my camera. These things are not cheap and it's been hard for me to drop that kind of change. But now I'm actually really glad I didn't even though now I have a dilemma.
A couple weeks ago Nikon released the D90. And my oh my, it is sweet! It is the updated D80 with a very huge difference--- you can shoot video! Yeah, you can make movies on this thing. It is the only SLR that does that. Now for the dilemma... should I get the D90 which with the kit lens costs $1300 or should I get the MUCH cheaper D40 for around $500? At this point, I'm not even interested in the D80 anymore. The D40 is a smaller SLR but it would certainly keep me busy honing my photography skills for now and it's WAY cheaper. Then maybe I'd get the next updated version of the D90 in a few years. Or should I could just go for the D90 now and not have to get another camera for a long time. Plus, we want a video camera, and with the D90 we wouldn't need to buy a separate one.
What should I do? I've been going back and forth for days.
Here is a little preview from some Brits in London.
And here is a longer video from a professional photographer that got to test the D90 with his staff.
Plus you can check out Nikon's website for lots of info on this. It is so cool!
A couple weeks ago Nikon released the D90. And my oh my, it is sweet! It is the updated D80 with a very huge difference--- you can shoot video! Yeah, you can make movies on this thing. It is the only SLR that does that. Now for the dilemma... should I get the D90 which with the kit lens costs $1300 or should I get the MUCH cheaper D40 for around $500? At this point, I'm not even interested in the D80 anymore. The D40 is a smaller SLR but it would certainly keep me busy honing my photography skills for now and it's WAY cheaper. Then maybe I'd get the next updated version of the D90 in a few years. Or should I could just go for the D90 now and not have to get another camera for a long time. Plus, we want a video camera, and with the D90 we wouldn't need to buy a separate one.
What should I do? I've been going back and forth for days.
Here is a little preview from some Brits in London.
And here is a longer video from a professional photographer that got to test the D90 with his staff.
Plus you can check out Nikon's website for lots of info on this. It is so cool!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
remembering
I'm remembering today my first week of college at BYU. It was a Tuesday, and crazy freshman that I was, I had an 8 am class. When my alarm went off around 7 I heard on the radio that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. At this point they didn't really know what was going on. I ran over to my neighbors in the dorm who had a TV and we turned it on to watch the news. We watched the second plane crash into the second tower. It was surreal. We watched the buildings come crashing down and the people running through the streets. It seemed like a movie. The world changed forever before our eyes. No one had answers. We would come to find out that thousands died that day.
Later, at what was supposed to be the school year's first campus devotional, we sang the hymn by William Clayton "Come, Come, Ye Saints". It brought me, and I'm sure many others, comfort at a time when so much in our world seemed uncertain. It gave me perspective and reminded me that even if we "should die before our journey's through", all will be well.
Later, at what was supposed to be the school year's first campus devotional, we sang the hymn by William Clayton "Come, Come, Ye Saints". It brought me, and I'm sure many others, comfort at a time when so much in our world seemed uncertain. It gave me perspective and reminded me that even if we "should die before our journey's through", all will be well.
Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
’Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell—
All is well! All is well!
Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
’Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we’ll have this tale to tell—
All is well! All is well!
We’ll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We’ll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we’ll tell—
All is well! All is well!
And should we die before our journey’s through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell—
All is well! All is well!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
tax plans
I was watching my news crush Anderson Cooper last night (he's so hot right now) and they did a little piece on the candidates' tax plans. I just wanted to pass this along because I found it to be highly informative. Here is the graph of how the taxes could change if their complete proposals are adopted for 2009 based on information from Tax Policy Center. You can find more information here. Sorry, the graph is being weird and I don't have time to mess with it. The first column is McCain and the second column is Obama.
| Income | Avg. tax bill | Avg. tax bill |
| Over $2.9M | -$269,364 | +$701,885 |
| $603K and up | -$45,361 | +$115,974 |
| $227K-$603K | -$7,871 | +$12 |
| $161K-$227K | -$4,380 | -$2,789 |
| $112K-$161K | -$2,614 | -$2,204 |
| $66K-$112K | -$1,009 | -$1,290 |
| $38K-$66K | -$319 | -$1,042 |
| $19K-$38K | -$113 | -$892 |
| Under $19K | -$19 | -$567 |
Monday, September 8, 2008
craigslist love
Who doesn't love Craigslist? Craig, you are a genius. What a fantastic way to use the internet. The past couple weeks I had some great success.
Exhibit A.
Baby swing for Asher. 20 bucks. Picked it up 5 minutes from my house. Lovely.
He won't stay in it for long periods of time, but it has allowed us some nice time to ourselves when he's in his tired fussy mood. In fact, he is sleeping in it right now.
Exhibit B.
Remember how I mentioned that our TV died?
This TV was given to me 4 years ago by my parents after they moved and didn't have room for it in the new house. It went with me to several places I lived in Utah and then came out here to NC. Well, 2 weeks ago the picture went out. Sound still works, but the picture is gone. Although in some ways it's been nice not having a TV, I really have missed CNN. I even resorted to listening to CNN during the conventions some. With the fall television season soon upon us, a post partum body to get back in shape via several exercise dvds, and plenty of time spent on my arse nursing my boy, we decided it was nice to find a replacement. Of course I turned to Craigslist. My first several checks proved very fruitless, but then Saturday morning I got lucky. A six year old 32 inch Sony tv had just been posted. I called and told the guy we wanted it. And this is what we got for our 50 bucks. Not too shabby, I say.
It's pretty much just the newer version of the tv we had. We are moving up in the world. And dvds look great on it!
What good deals have you scored on craigslist?
He won't stay in it for long periods of time, but it has allowed us some nice time to ourselves when he's in his tired fussy mood. In fact, he is sleeping in it right now.
Exhibit B.
Remember how I mentioned that our TV died?
This TV was given to me 4 years ago by my parents after they moved and didn't have room for it in the new house. It went with me to several places I lived in Utah and then came out here to NC. Well, 2 weeks ago the picture went out. Sound still works, but the picture is gone. Although in some ways it's been nice not having a TV, I really have missed CNN. I even resorted to listening to CNN during the conventions some. With the fall television season soon upon us, a post partum body to get back in shape via several exercise dvds, and plenty of time spent on my arse nursing my boy, we decided it was nice to find a replacement. Of course I turned to Craigslist. My first several checks proved very fruitless, but then Saturday morning I got lucky. A six year old 32 inch Sony tv had just been posted. I called and told the guy we wanted it. And this is what we got for our 50 bucks. Not too shabby, I say.
It's pretty much just the newer version of the tv we had. We are moving up in the world. And dvds look great on it!What good deals have you scored on craigslist?
Friday, September 5, 2008
notes
Note 1. On Sarah Palin. I like her. She's likable. She did a good job with her speech the other night. Do I agree with all her politics? No. Will she make me vote for McCain? Probably not. But I do like her. And how cute is her baby? It was fun to see her family on the stage with her after her speech.
Note 2. On babywearing. I'm a fan. My baby is very happy when held. I think he gets bored when he's hanging out by himself. Heck, he even gets bored when he's just with me sometimes and I'm not paying enough attention to him or not moving around. And then he thinks he must scream to get my attention. I recently ordered a Hotslings. I'm excited to try it out. I'll let you know what I think.
Note 3. On post-partum check up. I went to the doctor today. Things are good. I'm glad I don't have to go the doctor again for like another year! (barring illnesses or something) Also, glad that my body lost the baby weight without any effort on my part. Good job, body! Before I got pregnant I was convinced I'd probably get huge during pregnancy and have a hard time losing the weight after. How nice that my body has recovered well. Unfortunately, weight loss doesn't equal toned. I have one squishy belly! Nor does it equal the same pants size. My favorite jeans definitely don't fit me yet. Time to start working out again.... sigh.
Note 4. On sleeping baby. Asher is actually asleep in his bassinet! That's a rare occurance around here. How nice it is to be able to type with both hands!
Note 5. On Costco. I love that place. I really love their cheese pizza. Have you tried it? So delish and cheesy and huge! And it has the perfect crust--crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Also I love their chocolate/vanilla swirl frozen yogurt. It was especially good when I had it on Tuesday.
Note 6. On smiling babies. Is there anything in life better than a smiling baby? I think not. Mine has been smiling up a storm this week and it melts my heart every time. He even smiled at Dr. S today which was super darling. He's already a charmer.
Note 2. On babywearing. I'm a fan. My baby is very happy when held. I think he gets bored when he's hanging out by himself. Heck, he even gets bored when he's just with me sometimes and I'm not paying enough attention to him or not moving around. And then he thinks he must scream to get my attention. I recently ordered a Hotslings. I'm excited to try it out. I'll let you know what I think.
Note 3. On post-partum check up. I went to the doctor today. Things are good. I'm glad I don't have to go the doctor again for like another year! (barring illnesses or something) Also, glad that my body lost the baby weight without any effort on my part. Good job, body! Before I got pregnant I was convinced I'd probably get huge during pregnancy and have a hard time losing the weight after. How nice that my body has recovered well. Unfortunately, weight loss doesn't equal toned. I have one squishy belly! Nor does it equal the same pants size. My favorite jeans definitely don't fit me yet. Time to start working out again.... sigh.
Note 4. On sleeping baby. Asher is actually asleep in his bassinet! That's a rare occurance around here. How nice it is to be able to type with both hands!
Note 5. On Costco. I love that place. I really love their cheese pizza. Have you tried it? So delish and cheesy and huge! And it has the perfect crust--crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Also I love their chocolate/vanilla swirl frozen yogurt. It was especially good when I had it on Tuesday.
Note 6. On smiling babies. Is there anything in life better than a smiling baby? I think not. Mine has been smiling up a storm this week and it melts my heart every time. He even smiled at Dr. S today which was super darling. He's already a charmer.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
what do you think about palin?
*I really do want to know what you think. Our TV died and I'm having CNN withdrawal. Since I don't get to watch all the pundits debate the issue, I need you! Spill your political guts!
Ah, politics. Exciting stuff sometimes. Most of the time pretty lame. But I'm curious what all you ladies out there think about McCain's VP pick Sarah Palin. She's a woman which is cool, but is he just trying to get the Hilary folks? She's young and attractive and rather inexperienced, but so is Obama. She's a working mother of five kids, including an infant with Down Syndrome and a 17-year-old unmarried pregnant daughter. She certainly has a lot on her plate!
I think there is a whole lot to like about Palin, but I do think it is a risky choice. I see why he did it and it could be brilliant, but it's also risky. I think she'll be great on the campaign trail but what does she bring to the job if McCain is elected?
So what do you think? Is this a good choice? Does it make you like McCain more or less? Do you care about VP picks? Do you think Palin as a mother of young children is taking on too much as this article suggests? How do you feel about the fact that she went back to work 3 days after giving birth to a special-needs baby? Do you think she's ready to be President should something happen to McCain if he is president?
Ah, politics. Exciting stuff sometimes. Most of the time pretty lame. But I'm curious what all you ladies out there think about McCain's VP pick Sarah Palin. She's a woman which is cool, but is he just trying to get the Hilary folks? She's young and attractive and rather inexperienced, but so is Obama. She's a working mother of five kids, including an infant with Down Syndrome and a 17-year-old unmarried pregnant daughter. She certainly has a lot on her plate!
I think there is a whole lot to like about Palin, but I do think it is a risky choice. I see why he did it and it could be brilliant, but it's also risky. I think she'll be great on the campaign trail but what does she bring to the job if McCain is elected?So what do you think? Is this a good choice? Does it make you like McCain more or less? Do you care about VP picks? Do you think Palin as a mother of young children is taking on too much as this article suggests? How do you feel about the fact that she went back to work 3 days after giving birth to a special-needs baby? Do you think she's ready to be President should something happen to McCain if he is president?
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