Hi. I'm a mac.

Santa left a huge surprise under the tree for me this year in the form of a new 15 inch MacBook Pro. I was hoping for a MacBook, but had no expectation of receiving the literal "Macdaddy" of them all. I've only had a few minutes to play with my new toy, and already I'm smitten. Rob loaded this bad-boy up today with tons of cool software, and I can't wait to get some photos loaded on here and really start messing around. I guess this answered the question of whether or not I've been a good girl all year long.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

From our family to yours, we hope that you have a safe, healthy, and very merry Christmas.

Dancing Aldermans

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Mothering From the Floor

Our family was hit with the dreaded stomach flu this week, and I've spent the morning mothering from the kitchen floor. You'd be amazed at how well you can care for children while laying on the kitchen floor, as long as milk refills and snacks are limited to 1 per hour, and as long as your 4-yr old cooperates by bringing diapers and wipes for the little ones to you. This has been a particularly nasty strain of the virus, striking Casey first last Friday and then slowly making its way through the rest of us. Thanks to a few doses of Zofran and ginger ale, I've kept down some toast and crackers and feel like I'm on the mend, and praying that everyone else is too.
And it has made me realize that no matter how old you are or how many of your own children you have, when you're sick you still want your Mommy. I would have hated for mine to be here and risk catching the bug with us, however I would have given anything last night for her to sit by my bed, push my hair behind my ear, and bring me chicken soup and a Cherry-Limeaide from Sonic (Why? Dunno, just sounds good. I don't even know where a Sonic is in this God-forsaken city). Oh well, I'm headed back to the floor to do some mothering of my own, to push hair behind some little ears and tell them everything will be alright.

The Perfect Shot

Now that our Christmas cards have gone in the mail, I can share some of the outtakes. I've lamented before how much easier it is to take pictures of other people's kids, and it was especially true this year with 3 kids at these ages. I basically set the camera on the tripod and danced around the room singing "Jingle Bells" in a silly voice while clicking the shutter with my remote control. They cooperated by smiling and laughing, just not all at the same time or while looking at the camera. I feel like I got some great shots, but that I might be perpetually in search for the perfect Christmas card shot because every year I feel like I fall short of getting exactly what I want.

Going to Great Lengths

Over the weekend I bit the bullet and had 9.5 inches of my hair chopped off. I had decided this spring to grow it out long enough that I could make a donation to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program, which makes & donates wigs to patients who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments. I just figured if I was going to cut off 6 inches, I might as well grow it out for a few more months and cut off 8 so it could be of use to someone else. I enjoyed having it long, but I was ready for a change. It was hard to take care of and took forever to dry. Tangles were a daily battle, especially if I went for a run and forgot to braid my ponytail. And the worst thing about really long hair and 3 small kids is that there seemed to be a chunk of something - food, spit-up, pirate swords, etc - constantly caught in my hair. So I was over it, but found myself surprisingly nervous as the stylist cut my ponytail off. I like the new 'do, and it has been clear of all foreign matter all weekend, and so I think it's a change for the better. And hopefully my donation will make someone else feel better. And yes, I did make sure the ponytail was chunk-free before mailing it in.

Santa's Missing Elf

Happy Thanksgiving

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas?

Perhaps it's beginning to look a little bit like Christmas. Rob's mom sent the kids this adorable Little People nativity set from Fisher Price, and I've had multiple discussions with the boys about how we really shouldn't be playing with the nativity people and pirates together. About how having Spiderman and Captain Hook capture Mary & Baby Jesus and force them aboard the pirate ship really isn't in the true spirit of Christmas. I've read them the Christmas Story from their picture book Bible several times, but somehow the temptation of having the the First Family walk the plank overwhelms the desire to simply set the nativity up according to the picture on the box and then play nicely with it.

Anyway, Christmas preparations are underway around here, and I'm really excited. Since I had to spend the bulk of the last Christmas season laying on my left side because of pregnancy complications, I think I feel like I need to make up for all the things I wanted to do last year but didn't get to. I have at least a half-dozen gift projects started or in the works and I'm so anxious to get decorations out that I may start on that the day after Thanksgiving (I've seen several houses in the neighborhood with Christmas lights already up, so I'm taking some comfort in not being the only one around here ready to go). And if I can get the local pirates to quit raiding the manger looking for booty, then we'll really be ready for Christmas.

Wash with Joe

As much as I love drinking coffee, I'm debating about whether or not I would love bathing in it. This coffee-infused foaming body wash from http://www.washwithjoe.com/ purports to repair damage from UV rays, reduce cellulite, and absorb odor. Sorta' like taking a shower in Starbucks, which is strangely appealing to me.

Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone has an "Incredible" Halloween!

Fall Babies

As I mentioned in the previous post, I've had the opportunity lately to photograph some really beautiful children, and I couldn't help sharing this one of gorgeous Kinsey. That red hair, blue eyes, and lovely skin - she's going to be a heartbreaker for sure! And if you think she's cute, you should see her older brother and sister.

All of the families I have had the pleasure of working with this month have been fantastic, and each session has been completely unique & reflective of the personalities of each family. That makes me feel like I'm on the right track with my work, and I want to say thanks to everyone who has hired me for giving me the chance to do what I love!

3 Kids

I've been pretty busy lately taking photos of other people's kids, and I realized that I hadn't taken any of my own 3 in a while. Yesterday we attempted a little photo shoot in the backyard, and I even put the camera on the tripod and took some of all 5 of us. Those weren't quite as successful as the ones above but I'm still working on them. I had hoped for a great Christmas card shot, but I may just have to settle for some cute fall pics of my little pumpkins.

Early Learning

Just wondering if I should be proud or embarrassed that my 2-yr old son exclaims, "Mommy Coppee!!" whenever we drive by a Starbucks. Just wondering.

Political Games

I am fighting the urge to download the free patterns from Lion Brand and crochet these little candidate finger puppets. Because then I could hold my own debate, and there would be no mention of hatchets, scalpels, or plumbers.

Bye, Bye Binky

Staying true to his dental professional roots, Rob has been persistent in reminding me that now that Connor is 2, it is time to say goodbye to The Binky.So for months I've been trying to determine the best way to separate boy from binky. I imagined us all sitting in a circle like an episode of "Intervention", with someone starting by saying, "Connor, your family is here because they love you, and they think you might have a problem with the binky...". I researched the "Binky Fairy" story on the web, which is basically the Tooth Fairy for pacifiers, and bought a new toy car and had an elaborate "binky gathering" ceremony all planned. But on Saturday night Rob suggested as we were putting Connor down that we just put him to bed without it and see what happened. I hadn't considered going cold turkey with the binky, and I had doubts about the success of that strategy, but I went with it anyway. And with the exception of a few plaintive, "Where da' binky go?" questions, he did great. There have been some tough moments since then, like last night when he cried for 10 minutes at bedtime, saying over and over, "Wanna' my biiiiiiinkyyyyyy!!!". It was one of those moments as a parent you dread, because you know you're doing the right think for your kid in the long run, but in the short term all you know is he's crying and all it would take to stop him is to pop that little plastic peacemaker in his mouth. And he's been dragging his favorite stuffed dog & giraffe with him everywhere, which makes me wonder is he's afraid if he lets them out of his sight we'll take those away too. I know that he'll forget about Binky by next week, and that we're doing the right thing by taking it away now, but I have to admit it makes me a little sad to give up the binky. Its just more evidence that he is getting bigger everyday, a little closer to being a boy and a little further away from being a baby.
So, fairwell to Binky, we hardly knew ya'.

Christmas Boots

I recently became obsessed with the crocheted boots made by Ugg, to the point that I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the internet researching how I could make my own pair (why spend $150 on boots when you could crochet your own for a third of that?!). I guess making your own boots isn't that common of a hobby, because it was pretty difficult to find any information on shoe making or boot making, however I did find a company who sells the heavy rubber Ugg-type soles that you can stitch your handmade boots into. And crazy as it sounds, I was thinking of ordering a pair...until these landed in my inbox via Nine West. These look way more cozy than their Ugg counterparts, and at this price I don't feel guilty for adding them to my Christmas wish list.

Welcome, Fall

The high here today was 60, so whether I am ready or not, the weather is changing. I love the fall, but I hate saying goodbye to summer. Goodbye, flip-flops and tank tops. Welcome, fall.

3 Birthday Wishes

Sometimes, when you close your eyes and blow out the candles, you get exactly what you wished for.

Tutorial: Baby Jeans

One of my favorite things to do when I should be doing something else (i.e. cleaning, etc) is to surf around on the Internet looking at tutorials on other blogs for instructions and inspiration for crafty things. I very rarely attempt any of the tutorials I see - I mainly just read them for the entertainment value, I guess in the same way you watch "This Old House" with no intention of ever restoring a beautiful old Victorian in Boston.

Anyway, I got a little crafty myself this week and thought I would try my hand at writing a tutorial. The weather here is supposed to get cool next week, and I realized that Riley doesn't own a pair of jeans. The ones I've found in stores are either too big or too expensive, and my rule is to never spend more on baby clothes than I would spend on my own, and I think $40 is a little high for baby jeans! I realized that I had an old pair that didn't fit anymore, and with nothing to lose I decided to try and make her a pair out of my old jeans. They were really easy to make and turned out pretty cute, so I thought I'd share the how-to in case anyone else wanted to give it a shot.

A quick disclaimer: I am by no means a master tailor, and I'm sure if I were a contestant on "Project Runway" Nina Garcia would give me a hard time about the jeans not being perfectly executed, but the upside of sewing for someone who doesn't walk upright is that the fit doesn't have to be perfect!

Step 1: Trace one leg of a pair of your baby's pants on a piece of tissue paper to make a pattern. Add about a 1/4 in for a seam allowance in the leg and crotch and about 1.25 in on the waist to make the drawstring waist:

Step 2: Lay your pattern on the leg of a pair of jeans with the outside edge even with the outside seam of the jeans and the bottom even with the bottom hem. Cut out 1 pattern piece from each leg :

Step 3: Pin the 2 pieces right sides together and stitch the front & back crotch seams.

Step 4: Match the front & back crotch seams and pin together. Pin the legs together and stitch the leg seam:Step 5: Press open the crotch & leg seams. Fold the waist down 1/4 in, and then over again 1 in. Stitch around waist close to folded edge.

Step 6: Turn the jeans right side out. Using a seam ripper, open up the middle seam on the front of the jeans in the casing you just sewed:

Step 7: Insert a ribbon or cord into the waistband and pull it through. A tip I learned from my grandfather - attach a safety pin to the end of the ribbon to use as an anchor in guiding the ribbon through the waistband.

Step 8: Put the jeans on a very cute and happy model!

P.S. You could sew in an elastic waist instead, but I like the versatility of the drawstring for fit & to change with her outfits.

Deep Breath

A deep breath is what I'm taking this week after a very busy weekend. First, we celebrated Connor's 2nd birthday. Quite appropriately (since we suspect Connor to be part simian), it was a monkey themed party, and I made banana cupcakes with dark chocolate icing to match the theme. I learned that if you are going to serve banana cupcakes at a birthday party, you should clearly identify them as such. The general consensus was that they were delicious, but the first bite was quite a surprise to those expecting traditional yellow cake (sorry, Dad!). Connor had a great birthday and he really enjoyed the cupcakes (or at least the icing on top).

Then, on Sunday we had Riley baptised. It was a really beautiful ceremony, and of the four babies baptised with us, Riley was the only one to be immersed. I don't think I'll ever forget the moment that Fr. Ted dipped her in the water and brought her back up - it was almost like watching her being born again. We had four generations on Rob's side there to celebrate with us, which made it all the more special.
It was a really wonderful weekend, but I am very relieved to have things slow down here for a week so that I can catch my breath before we get into another busy fall.

Girly Girl Room

Here are a few pics of Riley's finished room...

The window treatments made with the much anticipated fabric...

The hippo paintings I made based on Sandra Boynton's "The Belly Button Book" (my inspiration for the room)...

The pink & green theme translated in the bathroom...

And look! I made this for the room too!!

Another First

It was another first day of school here, and Casey was ready to go. He insisted on holding this football (autographed by the "Orange Bowl winning" Louisville Cardinals, not to be confused with the "28-2 humiliating loss to Kentucky" Louisville Cardinals), which is just one of many unexplained acts Casey has performed lately. Like stashing his poop in the bathroom sink. I can't even fathom what would possess an individual to put his poop in his sink, but then again I've never been a 4yr-old boy, and I have a sinking feeling that this is just the first of many things that will happen around here that I will not understand.

Take a Picture

Just a heads-up for Alderman Photography clients - check out the "New Developments" button on my website for all the fun stuff I'm rolling out. First is a "Onsie" session, where I print your newborn's birth information on a onesie and then use the resulting photos to design a totally unique birth announcement card. The package includes 25 cards and envelopes to get you started. Also coming soon are 3x3 accordian photo books and 5x5 photo brag books, both of which make great gifts for family and friends.

School has started and that means school pictures. If yours didn't turn out as well as you hoped this year, ask me about my fall special. It's a great value and alternative to the packages offered through school.

Enjoy the last days of summer!

That Woman

I am that woman. You know, the one you see in Target at 9am on a Thursday morning pushing the giant cart full of kids who are beaming each other with Pop-Tart pieces they pull from the opened but not yet paid for box while their mother continues to meander through the clearance aisles drinking her massive cup of Starbucks while blissfully unaware of her screaming children? Yep. I am that woman.

Sorry, Target, for the disturbance. And all the crumbs.

Recovered

The company we contracted with to recover our hard drive was successful in their attempts to extract our files, and last Friday we received the new drive containing almost everything the old drive held. Luckily the damaged files were ones we didn't really care about, and all the pictures of the boys that we feared were lost were recovered. Now everything is triple backed up and I'm looking into online storage for my business files.

FYI - the above photo is Connor at 3 weeks. It's hard to believe he was ever that little (or that quiet!).

Baby Shiny

I can hardly believe that six months have passed since Riley joined our family, but its true. And although I whine a lot about her not being a good sleeper, not taking a bottle, and just being high maintenance in general, she is still an absolute joy and I am trying to enjoy every minute of this delicious baby stage. Right now she's all smiles, and is so generous with her silly grins and giggles. She is equally fascinated and amused by both of her brothers, although she already (wisely) regards Connor with a bit more caution than Casey. She's still a girl who knows what she wants (and, yes, that often includes not wanting to nap or be held be anyone other than me), but she also seems to be developing a very sweet personality. We still refer to her quite a bit as Baby Shiny, and I think it might be a nickname that she'll be stuck with for awhile. Which is OK, it seems to fit her just fine.

Baby Love

One of the victims of the "Hard Drive Crash of '08" was a newborn photo session I had almost finished editing. Luckily, the client was a neighbor and was super gracious about the problem and we quickly scheduled a make-up session. I couldn't resist sharing this one - so sweet and so cute!

P.S. The latest update on the hard drive recovery is that initial attempts to recover any data failed, but they asked for another week to keep trying. Everyone keep their fingers crossed for us.

Fair Game

I loaded up the kids this morning and joined some friends for a trip to the Indiana State Fair. I haven't been to a state fair since I was a junior in high school, and I have to admit that I recall the motivation for the visit was to gawk at all the rednecks. But it was a beautiful day here, and I knew the boys would get a kick out of the animals, so off we went.

And I was right, they did love the animals. Connor was especially taken with these baby chicks, and Casey was greatly impressed with the World's Largest Pig (to which he exclaimed, "That's the biggest pig I've ever seen!" as though he's spent a lifetime on a farm caring for livestock). As you can tell from the photo, the aroma of the fair animals offended Casey's delicate palate, and Connor hardly seemed to notice.

Casey's other favorite part of the fair? The rides. I cracked up at how serious they were riding these motorcycles - it was as though they had suddenly become junior members of the Hell's Angels. Fair rides are serious business, folks.

And of course, we indulged in some fair food. A pork tenderloin sandwich for me and a massive corndog for the boys. Riley had mashed pears, but I noticed when we got home that she still managed to somehow smell like a BBQ sandwich. All in all a good day, and I was so busy watching the kids that I barely noticed the rednecks.

Four

Guess who's four today?

Nope, not this guy. This guy:

Yep, today is Casey's 4th birthday, and I know I say this every time someone around here celebrates a milestone, but he seems so big. Like such a big kid all the sudden. Like a BOY. Almost all traces of baby are gone from him, and he's a boy. Sigh.

He started his day with chocolate chip pancakes, had pigs in a blanket for lunch, and now hopefully we'll all survive the day to make it out for ice cream this evening.

And if you looked at the picture of Connor and thought, "Gee, it looks like Jen put his PJs on backwards", then you thought correctly. And no, I wasn't half in the bag last night when I got him ready for bed. It is now the only way to keep his clothes on at night. So, thankfully, there's still enough baby going on around here to keep me from getting too misty-eyed over Casey's continued journey into boyhood.

Crashed

Last week our external hard drive mysteriously bit the dust, and took along with it the vast majority of our family photos & important documents from the past 2 years. There was a bit of miscommunication between Rob & I regarding the purpose of the external hard drive, and I think somehow we both thought that the back-up fairies were taking care of everything and making sure that our precious files were safe from destruction, but we were wrong. Now we are sending the drive off to a data recovery company and for a sum they will attempt to recover the lost data. If I told you the fee for the recovery it would cause you to shriek in horror, so suffice it to say that if the drive didn't contain every photo of Connor's first year of life that would otherwise be lost forever, we wouldn't bother. All I can say now is this: Back Up. Back Up. Back EVERYTHING up as though your life depended on it.

Promotion

While googling myself the other day (oh, like you've never done it), I made an interesting discovery. Apparently during the past 4 sleep deprived years, I found time to get a PhD in organic chemistry, as evidenced by my listing as a member of the Louisville Society of Coatings Technology. Wow, and I was just proud of myself for getting my teeth brushed before noon. http://www.lsct.org/membership.htm

Might be time to update the member list, folks. Just sayin' .

Career Path

Casey announced at the lunch table that when he grows up he'd like to be a pirate. Or a rock star. Or a pirate rock star. Which has me fearing that he's destined to be the next Keith Richards. And I'm sure somewhere Keith's mother is quite proud of him. However,

I've seen Keith Richards in concert recently, and I think I'd rather if Casey's future didn't involve him stumbling around stage, mumbling incoherently, and chain smoking while playing "Jumping Jack Flash" for the 12,457th time.

Me Connor. Me Eat Blueberry Muffins.

Brothers

The lovefest between the boys and Riley continues, and they really dote on their little sister. Casey loves to make her smile, and is so proud of himself when she does ("Mommy! The baby smiled at me!!!"). Even Connor, who was slow to warm up to her, likes to help out with her, and hates when she cries ("Bebe cry, Momma!").
We've all been pitching in on the effort to get her to take a bottle, and it's been a battle. It seems like she wants to drink from the bottle, but for some reason can't get the hang of it, gets frustrated, and pushes it away. I feel sorry for her, she has developed no ability to self-soothe, and nursing is the only way to calm her when she's upset. I tried to let her "cry-it-out" a few times to get her to sleep, and she just cries and cries. When I go to retrieve her, she has tears running down her little cheeks and it breaks my heart. I don't think I have the emotional fortitude to try "Tough Love" with her, as has been suggested by the pediatrician and others. This being said, I am desperate for a little "me" time, and at this rate she might be in college before I get any.