This post is a little over a week overdue, but better late than never right? If you've been following along, you'll know that my brother and sister-in-law were expecting their third child, and that it was a long-awaited girl. Well, last Thursday, June 6th, at 4:43 am, Maddison Grace was born, weighing 9 pounds 12 1/4 ounces.
We got to see her when she was just 9 hours old. Apparently the umbilical chord was wrapped around her neck four times when she was born, so she had some trouble breathing at first, and her blood sugar was low (which is apparently common in ginormous babies). She was in an oxygen-regulated bassinet in the nursery until shortly after my mum and I got there for a visit.
It was love at first sight the moment I saw her crazy-ass hair and her fat little arms and cheeks.
The pediatrician came to check her out and then we were allowed to take her back to Amanda's room.
Amanda fed her and then I got to hold her while Amanda went to shower. It felt like such a special time because her eyes were open part of the time and she was staring at me. Auntie loved her bonding time!
My brother left to go get something to eat and awhile later Amanda's parents came with the boys. They were so excited to see their new baby sister. Logan held her with help from Amanda and then Noah sat and held her for awhile. It was so sweet. Noah said really quietly to her, "Hi Maddison Grace I****, I'm your big brother." My heart melted!
So, that's it. I finally have a niece! I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot more about Maddy in the weeks and months to come. ;-)
A couple months before Logan was born, I bought a new camera. I've always loved taking pictures and I decided I should have a good camera to take pictures of the new baby. I wanted to test it out first and I thought it would be fun to do a maternity shoot with Amanda. She couldn't afford to have professional pictures done, so I figured it would serve us both - I could play with my new camera, build a portfolio of sorts, and she'd get pictures out of it. The pictures turned out really well (even though I ended up hating that camera), and we had a lot of fun. The only thing that sucked was that it was January and we had to do pictures inside. We got my brother to move a bunch of furniture and we used a plain wall as a backdrop. I got Amanda to pose in different ways and we used props like flowers, baby shoes, and stuffed animals. Here are a few examples from that shoot:
You can see all the photos from this particular shoot in this album
I've learned a lot in the last 3+ years about lighting, angles, framing, etc. I've also got a much better camera (a Canon PowerShot A810 for anyone interested - nowhere near the professional type of camera I'd love to have someday, but for a point and shoot, plus a price you can't beat, I'm very pleased with it).
If you can't afford professional photography but want maternity pictures, it is possible. If you know someone who can work a camera and who's willing to take pictures of you, there are all kinds of ways you can do DIY maternity photos. Pinterest is a goldmine for ideas on poses and props. You can do themes, wear costumes,use props, or do things very simple and clean depending on your style and what's available to you.
My tips for DIY maternity photography:
Aim for natural lighting. If it's possible to do it outside, that would be your best bet unless you have professional equipment. If you have to do it inside, try to work near a source of natural light so you don't have to use your flash. If you do have to use a flash, be aware of shadows and other lighting elements.
Tell the mommy-to-be to relax and be as natural as possible. The focus should be on her natural beauty and the glow she's rocking from carrying a tiny person inside her! Work with that - she doesn't always have to be looking at the camera. Some of my favourite shots are when the mommy is looking at her belly or even looking away from the camera in contemplation. Give her some prompts to get a small, natural smile out of her - tell her to picture seeing her baby for the first time, holding it for the first time, seeing those tiny little fingers and toes. Or tell her to think of the immense power she has - she's created life, and that's an incredible thing.
Outside shoots are not only fun, they're beautiful. Find an area that doesn't have a ton of people around, whether it's a forest, a field, an orchard, a beach, whatever (just make sure it's not private property!).
Poses: there are endless possibilities here. You can have Mommy sitting, standing, lying down - just make sure she's comfortable, and make sure the belly is visible. You can do head-to-toe shots, shots from the waist up, or just focus on the belly. If you're somewhere scenic, try doing a few shots from far away so you get some of the scenery in the background. You can also have Mommy stay in one spot and have whoever's taking the pictures move around - squat, lie down, stand above her. Play with angles and light.
When working with kids...good luck! Seriously. But really, unless you have kids who will actually sit and pose, candid shots are likely your best bet. Get them talking and playing and then just snap away. You might get one good shot for every five, but hopefully there will be a few gems in there. When you're working with kids, I say don't be above bribery - promise them something in exchange for posing for a few minutes. Unless they enjoy posing and are working with you, keep their shots to a minimum or they'll get restless.
As for editing, I recommend keeping it to a minimum - again, you want to let Mommy's inner beauty shine through and not get lost in the effects, filters, etc. I discovered this editing trick a few months ago and since then I've been using it on most of my photos. It's simple, it's clean, and it basically just makes the colours pop without being too much. Black and white or sepia are often nice for maternity shots too. Obviously it's your preference and what you think looks best, but these days I tend to like simple editing, or even no editing at all. Don't have editing software? Don't worry! There's absolutely nothing wrong with natural shots.
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I wanted to do several other shots with Amanda this time around but it just didn't work out that way. These were impromptu - we were on family outings and decided we liked the scenery so we just went with it. These were taken two different days in two separate areas. Both shoots were done in the evening with softer light, and we ended up heading into sunset both times, which was really pretty. The silhouetted shots were just pure luck and ended up being among my favourites. Let me reiterate: I am not a professional photographer. I have a simple, inexpensive point and shoot camera. You do not have to be a professional, spend a fortune, or have a studio to get really lovely maternity shots.
Have you ever had a professional photo shoot done? If you have kids, did you have maternity pics done? Have you ever done a DIY photo shoot? Have any questions for me?
This is the first time in over three months that I can genuinely say I had a good week. A really good week. After 13 weeks with a back injury and other various health issues, I finally got out and had some fun this week. I'm able to move around better and I was hardly in pain all week, which feels like an absolute miracle to me. It's surreal...I've been walking around waiting for the pain to come, while at the same time praying it never returns. I've been so used to hurting whenever I do the least little thing that it's strange...but wonderful! On Tuesday, a couple of my mum's friends (who I've known my whole life, so they're my friends too) asked us to go out for lunch. We went to Lonestar, which is pretty much like a Texas grill. I'd been to the one an hour away when I was in college, and when they suggested we go there Tuesday I was kind of meh about it, but it ended up being great. I had a chicken quesadilla (my first time ever) and fries and it was SO GOOD and the price was great. Afterwards, we stopped to do a little bit of shopping, which was also fun since I haven't been able to do much shopping other than for groceries.
On Wednesday I had to go have some tests done on my heart, which wasn't exactly fun, but then afterward Amanda (my sister-in-law) took us back to her place and we got to visit with my brother (Jamie) and play with Logan (my three-year-old nephew). Logan got his very first bike and he's so excited about it. He can't figure out how to peddle so he just propels himself along yelling "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" It's SO cute.
Look at this little face! Couldn't you just eat him up?
He has a tiny wheelbarrow to be like Daddy...Jamie is doing a bunch of landscaping and gardening at their house, and Logan has to do everything Jamie does. The puppy is Moe - he's the cutest damn thing, but they're not keeping him...their dogs had puppies and Moe's the last one to be sold. I want him!
More smiles: spring has finally arrived! The weather this week has been gorgeous, and everything is starting to bloom. The grass is really green and flowers are popping up everywhere. That's definitely helped with my outlook on life. Also, we've been able to have the windows and balcony doors open all day and night, which is wonderful. I've been cooped up in the apartment for three months and it's so nice to finally get fresh air in here...and to be able to go OUT in the fresh air!
Buds on the trees!
After we played with Logan and chatted with Jamie, we went to Amanda's latest doctor's appointment. She was 35 weeks pregnant on Thursday so she'll be going every week from now on. I got to go in with her and see the baby on a sonogram. The doctor predicts she's about six pounds already and Amanda just wants her to come out because she's afraid she'll end up being a 9 or 10 pounder, haha. Last night, Amanda messaged me just before six and asked if we'd eaten yet and if we wanted to go out for ice cream. We don't normally eat until seven but that didn't stop me...that's one of the great things about being an adult: you can decide if you want dessert before dinner! Plus it's been a LONG time since I did anything spontaneous. She and the boys picked up Mum and me and we went to Reid's Dairy (a locally owned dairy with the best ice cream ever). We sat inside to eat and then went out to the playground and farm. The animals aren't out yet but we saw some fish (which Logan pronounces 'bitch'...I just about died...'Mimi, I wanna go see the bitch...where the bitch Mimi?') and some Canadian geese.
Since the playground there is a death trap (it's like 8 feet high), we finally left and went for a drive. We ended up down by the bay and went to take some of Amanda's maternity pictures. We were taking pictures and 4 ducks came over and were swimming really close. We've all been to that park a million times and the ducks rarely come that close. Then a swan came over and was swimming a couple feet away and they never come close. It was so amazing! The swans usually stay way out in the bay, so it felt like all these birds were coming over just for us.
This is just a sneak peek of Amanda's maternity pics...I'll post more later!
And finally almost three hours later when the sun started to set, we figured we should head home. All in all, it was an amazing week with lots to smile about, and I hope it's the beginning of a wonderful spring and summer!
What made you smile this week? How's the weather where you are?
On Wednesday night, Amanda (my sister-in-law) and I went to see U23D in the theatre. It was originally released in 2008, but it didn’t come to my city’s theatre. The movie is a concert that was filmed in Buenes Aires during the Vertigo tour. U2 has been my favourite band for many years. They’ve gotten me through good times and bad. Unless you have a favourite band, you might not understand the impact one can have on your life. I lead a pretty lonely life as a writer, and I don’t have many friends, but U2 has been there for me through everything. When I’m lonely, they’re there, when I’m happy, they’re there, when I’m sad, when I’m angry, when I’m celebrating, when I’m grieving, they’re there. They have a song for every mood and every occasion, and they’re always my go-to band when I need a pick-me-up or on a day when I’m mad and feel like holding onto that mad. I was listening to a U2 song when I found out my Grama died. They’ve been the soundtrack of my life, and for that I’ll always love them.
They’ve also been a big part of my relationship with Amanda. Things between us haven’t always been easy, especially in the beginning, but U2 has been one of the things that brought us together. I’m not sure how it came about but one day many years ago I discovered one of her favourite songs was With or Without You, and then came to realize she didn’t know it was by U2. We got talking about their music, and found out we had more in common than we realized.
In 2005, we went to our first U2 concert. We were about 18 rows from the stage, on the side, and it was one of the best nights of my life. People say seeing U2 live is like a religious experience, and I’d have to agree. It was uplifting, inspiring, and just mind-blowingly amazing. Three months later, we saw the band again, this time from the 300s (aka nose bleeds), and seeing them again was like coming home. That was the Vertigo tour, which was when U23D was filmed, so it was really exciting to know the setlist and remember little bits and pieces of the show that carried on throughout the entire tour.
Getting in line at 6am paid off!
Our third time seeing the band was July 2011. I had tickets for over a year and a half because Bono was injured during the tour and they had to postpone part of it. When it finally rolled around, I definitely needed a U2 fix. I had general admission (floor) tickets, and I was determined to get inside the pit. On their last few tours, they’ve had a catwalk that stretches out in a circle from the stage and some fans are inside, some outside, and the rest are in seats. I knew the spots inside the circle were coveted and that people would be lining up early, if not camping overnight, so we were in line by 6am. I think that shows what a dedicated fan (and general crazy person) I am, that I would wait in line in the scorching July sun for twelve hours to see my favourite band. It was so worth it though because we made two new friends, one of whom had been to tons of U2 concerts and took us under her wing, and helped us not only get into the circle, but into the third row. It was amazing - every U2 fan’s dream come true, and certainly mine. I won’t go into much more detail because I’ve talked about it, and them, before (here, here, here, and here, just to name a few), but it was incredible.
As for what I thought of U23D...If you’ve never seen U2 live in concert, this is the next best thing. It’s like being in the first row, only better because you get to see things you wouldn’t even from the closest vantage point. Close-ups of Bono, Edge, Adam, and Larry, different angles, and things you’d never see otherwise. When Bono reached out toward the camera, it took everything in me not to reach back – it was so real. They did a fantastic job of producing it. It really was like being right there – I got just as emotional as I normally do at their concerts (when we were leaving, Amanda said she knew I’d cried, and I was like ‘duh I always cry when I see them live' lol). Also, Amanda is 21 weeks pregnant, and I wondered how Baby G would react to the loud music, and apparently she didn't move until With or Without You came on, and then she started kicking. I thought that was incredible - we think of that as 'our' song, the song that brought us together, so for the baby to kick right then was really fitting. We've created a U2 fan in the womb!
This was exactly what I needed. I’ve been saying for a while that 2013 is going to be epic, but let me tell you it hasn’t felt too epic the first few weeks. It was nice to get out, have some fun, see my favourite band, and feel that hope that only they have the power to instill in me. There are rumours that they’ll be releasing a new album in September (and maybe more than one, which would make me burst from over-excitement). Plus there’s the fact that I’m currently looking for signs that mean I’m supposed to go to Ireland this year (you can see what I mean by that here - 6th one down), and I feel like seeing U23D and knowing the band might be releasing a new album(s) this year are signs (they’re from Ireland). It may sound silly, but anything that keeps me going and keeps me believing can’t be a bad thing, right?
Last month I shared the news that my family will be expanding this summer when my brother and sister-in-law have their third child. All of us - even Noah, my ten-year-old nephew - were hoping for a girl, and on Monday we found out the sex...
I'm so excited I could burst. I've waited for this for SO LONG. I love my boys more than anything and I wouldn't trade them for the world but I'm so freaking glad they'll be having a sister lol. I went shopping on Tuesday and it took everything in me not to start buying dresses and shoes and booties and stuff. My sister-in-law is just 19 weeks pregnant today so I don't want to get stuff too soon and then have it sit around. I'm sure I won't last long though and some cute little outfit will make me cave. And toys and games...I'm such a little girl at heart, I can't wait to play with her and buy her dolls and have tea parties and do her hair and play dress-up and do all kinds of girly things...although with my luck she'll probably be a tomboy. I figure having two older brothers will either make her a tomboy or will make her a girly girl because they'll be super protective of her and she'll be the little princess of the family. Either way, I can't wait to find out!
I don’t really know how to describe 2012. It was better
than some, and I wouldn’t even go so far as to say it was worse than others, it
was just…a lot of the same. A lot of monotony. However, I’ll take that over tragedy and
heartache any day, so I don’t feel right complaining. But…there were
times it felt like these four walls were closing in on me and that nothing would ever
change. I got tired of the same routine day in and day out, but I didn’t really
do much to change it…I didn’t know what I could do.
2013 will be different. I can feel it. I can feel the possibilities, the change in the air, the change in me. 2013 is going to be EPIC, I just know it. I haven't felt this hopeful in a really long time.
A few highlights of 2012:
*Achieving my lifelong dream of becoming a published author
in January, and then publishing two more books throughout the year
*Going to Cobourg with my sister-in-law to meet Gail
Vaz-Oxlade
*Watching one of my best childhood friends get married and
having my other best childhood friend as my date
*This is out of chronological order, but…Jenn’s bridal
shower and bachelorette - day drunk, old friends, crazy dares, and dancing
*Going to Watertown for a day of shopping
*Finding out I’m going to be an aunt again!
*Spending so much time with Logan. I didn’t get to see Noah
nearly as much as I wanted to this year, but Logan was here a lot between Amanda going to
school and then working. I got to see more of him this past year than I ever
did of Noah at that age, and I feel like I got to shape his mind and turn him
into the crazy, wonderful little person he is. He was so receptive to
everything I taught him, and he’s just the best baby ever. I feel so blessed to
have both him and Noah in my life, and soon another little niece or nephew!
2013 Goals
Get healthy
I say this every year, but this is something I have to do. No more excuses. I'm going to do this differently than usual though: I'm not going to put as much pressure on myself as I usually do. I'm going to work steadily but not make it my main focus or become obsessive about it, because that's always my down-fall - I burn out. I'm actually going to be talking more about my health-related goals in a post later this week.
Journal
I’ve journalled on and off since I was little but I’ve never
really stuck with it. My Grama kept journals from the time she was a young
woman until she died. We have dozens of them, and I cherish them like you
wouldn’t believe. I want my children and grandchildren to have mine someday,
but it won’t be worth it if it’s a few random, inconsistent entries. I’m
determined 2013 is going to be the best year ever, so it’ll be incentive to
keep a journal regularly. I’ve actually already started. :-)
Take more pictures There were times this year when I was really camera-happy,
and I even learned a few new tricks just from playing around, but next year I
really want to use my camera as if it were an extension of myself. I want to
capture moments, feelings, memories, and even if no one but me ever sees the
pictures, they’ll be my little moments in time to look at and remember.
Go out more! Go out, have a life, do things, LIVE. I didn't do enough living in 2012. I want to have adventures and take chances and laugh til I cry and dance and be silly and HAVE FUN. I'm tired of being a hermit, I'm tired of letting my social anxiety hold me back. Life is meant for living and I need to get out there and live it!
Make this blog more of a priority The times when I go for weeks without posting are usually
because I don’t really have anything to share. 2012 was a pretty quiet (read:
boring) year in my personal life, but I’m determined to change that in 2013, so
I will be posting about my adventures, posting more pictures, and talking about
projects and maybe even sharing a few recipes or how-tos.
I feel like 2012 was the year I really got my professional life started. I wrote almost non-stop, published three works, and wrote several others to publish in 2013. I feel like I'm getting that aspect of my life under control and it's all coming together nicely, and now 2013 is the year to carry that on but also get my personal life going. It can't all be about work, and I'm ready to detach myself from the computer a bit and have some fun!
Wishing you all a healthy, happy, love-filled, prosperous, AMAZING 2013!! <3
