Project Venting

I missed posting anything last week; what a slacker I am!!!  Really no excuse for it since I only make like 1 post a week!  I thought about it a few times but never sat down and did any blogging.  A small part b/c I didn't have anything specific to blog about but mostly b/c I just didn't make time for it.  NO EXCUSE!  On another note I am currently in a mood.  My 2 year old has taken quite well to whining and since the hubby works 2nd shift I get to listen to this and be entertainer, disciplinarian, cook, maid...etc. all by myself and I'm just frustrated w/ it right now.  So I put in a movie and am getting a few moments of peace; who knows how much time I will actually get though.  Trying not to complain as I have the best blessing in the world in the form of a 2 year old and I'm prego w/ baby boy #2 and a great hubby and all this great stuff but of course in the middle of all these blessings life is moving really fast and I feel a tad overwhelmed.  For whatever reason I thought that after Christmas I would have 3 months to prepare for baby...that is more than enough since it's another boy and I have pretty much everything I really need but then my stepmom pointed out that I actually only have 2 months.  Holy Moly!!!  I'm also growing at a ridiculous weight!  I gained 60lbs w/ my first son and swore I wasn't going to do that this time.  I "try" to eat better and I am exercising this time around but that doesn't seem to matter..... I feel like such a failure in this.  We broke ground for the addition being built to our home and it's moving right along but there is a long road ahead as my hubby, dad and granpa are doing it themselves, I'm fine w/ this b/c we can pay as we go but it's still overwhelming to think of all the money we still have to put into this!  I did get a better photo editing software thanks to a tip from a lady I know that is trying to get into photography as well.... I haven't used it much but then again I haven't taken many pictures either.  Where to find the time!?!?!  So there is my venting party.....I do have a project to share but in that is some frustration as well.  Ugh, I'm a load of cheerfulness I know and I'm sorry!

So I'm not sure if I mentioned that I decided to knit a baby blanket for baby boy #2 who is Zachary.  I started one w/ my first son but I didn't get far at all!!!  This time I actually finished it!  I get carpal tunnel in my hands induced by pregnancy so I paced myself a little doing a couple of lines a night.  I have a vision of a navy and gray theme to Zachary's bedding but it's not as easy as you would think to find so I decided to knit him a gray blanket to match the gray hat I bought him for newborn pics.  (Okay now it's coming back to me that I have mentioned this in another post...anyways!)  So I wanted it to be larger than a scarf of course so I did like 100 stitches and just took off from there and here is the result to share.

Do you see the issue?  It's long...it's like a wide scarf!!!  Yes I'll be able to swaddle Zachary in it until he gets too tall and it will do for pictures but not my idea of a blanket so I'm a tad frustrated by it.  Of course I'm sure I could add to it but at this point I'm not feeling it plus as time goes by my carpal tunnel gets worse and I have other fish (projects) to fry w/ holidays and then baby coming quickly afterward.  So yes this blanket will get used and everything but I'm not thrilled w/ it at all!

Just a pictures to show that it is gray and knitted since the other picture was mean't to show more the shape.  Sorry no fancy new camera pics....too lazy to pull that camera out I guess.  One down fall to a really nice camera is that you can't just whip it out and snap a shot.... that is why my point and shoot will be sticking around!!!

So now that this project is done I get to move on to working on the Batman cape for my son.  Not happy that I'm signing off on a project that I am not super happy w/ but I guess you just gotta move on something!?

Inspired by Zachary's blanket....swaddler?

Not to brag but.......

I'm so spoiled!  I am so blessed to have a husband who works so hard on his job and here at home; who also will do whatever he can to give me anything and everything w/ in his grasp.  I don't often go for big or exquisite gifts; I'm a pretty simple girl plus I don't like spending a lot of money on something unless it's truely necessary but I know for my husband there is nothing he wouldn't do for me if he could.  So when I decided I really do "need" a new camera b/c my little pocket size point and shoot is about 3 1/2 years old and believe me in that time I've used it a lot. Now we are expecting #2 and going to be taking even more pictures!  The pictures from my old camera for me have become less than flattering to say the least.  Not sure if there is actual ware on the camera or technology is just so much better that it makes my little old camera's pictures not so great in my eyes!?  Anyways.... I began asking around and looking into cameras and became really wanting something nice.  But should I go all out for a SLR or get a really nice point and shoot?  This really became more of a money issue for me.  I could get a nice point and shoot for around $400....I'm not talking a little $100 one this time around!  An SLR your talking more....quite a bit more.... I did some research on the best ones and the cost and a SLR seemed out of my price range b/c I'm a cheapo!!  I did talk to my husband about this and our neighbor allowed us to check out and play w/ his SLR which is a slightly older model but wow the pictures were nice and my dad let us borrow his nice point and shoot!  You know my husband is all about fancy technology but this purchase would be way more for me than him as I take 95% of the pictures around here!  I was still so torn.... the photographer we used this last time jacked her prices way up but we could always find a new one.  If I got a SLR that means I have A LOT and I mean A WHOLE FREAKIN LOT to learn aboutt he camera, about lighting, about editing....WOW!  I did know one thing if I were to get a SLR I was commiting to learning all this so I could take our own pictures, no more studios and photographers.  We would be spending the money and I would be the photographer and maybe one day I could be good enough to do pics for friends maybe!?  But would definitely be doing our boys pictures as w/ our first son we always do a birthday and a Christmas session and w/ two kids we would be doing 2 birthday sessions and a Christmas session every year!  This would save us some money but again...WOW!  However my hubby told me in so many words that he believed I could learn it and be great at it and was ready to run to the store and get a SLR for me!  That is exactly what we did.... He bought me the camera I wanted and got all the goods and the extra lens I wanted which was based on my research of the best SLRs out there and that I know 4 people personally that have this camera and would help me if I had questions about the camera.  Lucky for us they were running a promo on it but the price has stung for me ever since we bought it!  However for him when I was ready to tell him to take it back he has stood his ground that he does not regret his purchase!  For days since my heart has overflowed that my husband wanted to do this for me despite how hard he works to just provide for our family!  And how much faith he has in me in being able to learn this camera and take good shots of our children and he is positive I'll be getting paid one day.  I guess I don't have that kind of faith in myself but it's so great to know he does!  I have done a lot of research, reading and watching videos and I've learned quite a bit but Lord I have a lot more to learn.  (Any and all suggested techniques and/or websites to check out would be greatly appreciated!)

Yeah so obviously this pic wasn't taken w/ the new camera but w/ my old point and shoot!!! 

I've played around w/ this camera a few times but I'm not great or even good but I'm trying to learn how to use it manually instead of just using the automatic setting.  No editing done yet as that is a whole other thing to learn but I took some pictures playing w/ my large lens taking pictures from my backdoor to my sons swing set which is every bit of 100 ft!

Here are the guys playing w/ G on the swingset after setting a bunch of concrete.  From left...my great husband Michael, my son G, my grandad and my dad! 

Now please remember I'm a total Novice w/ this camera and this is taken from at least 100ft away!

Gregory and Grandad.... I have learned enough about editing to know this picture should and could be straightened out as they look crooked!  However I haven't done any editing.  However I think the lighting is looking even better than I thought in the original shot!

One of the main reasons I did tell my husband I was really "wanting" to go for the SLR is the ability to take motion shots w/ out blur.  Obviously Gregory is very much in motion in this picture and NO blur!  With 2 kids soon I thought this was a very important aspect!

Grandad's turn!

He was not falling do not worry, he went down the slide.  Another great action shot and I cannot wait to show him his face in this.  Amazing to be able to see the facial features so well from such a distance!

I just thought this was really sweet!  Gregory LOVES these three men!  I'm going to have to definitely play w/ editing on this one and some of the others!

Gregory and Papaw, another action photo!

Like I said this was a play around w/ my large lens which is a 55-250/4-5.6 lens but I feel I got some keepers!  As a play around this is actually my FIRST time really taking pics w/ this lens!  And in all honestly I have only taken like 5 pictures before taking these w/ this camera!  I'm a tad....or quite a lot intimidated by this gadget!  I feel like I need to learn all this stuff about the camera before really useing it.  I don't have the knowledge to get the best out of the camera but these pics make me feel hopeful I think!  I actually felt that when I had these pics enlarged on my computer they looked even better so I think that is good if I wanted to make larger prints too!
I by no means will be discarding my little point and shoot.  It's very nice to have tucked in my purse and/or to be able to pull out quickly when the kids are doing funny things which is ALL THE TIME!

Anyways....you saw my first mini-session if you will!  They knew I was taking pics but it was all just snapping pics of them doing whatever, no poseing involved.  At least I have taken pics of real live subjects, I had been sticking w/ objects!!

Inspired by my CANON!