On a Sling and a Prayer

A few weeks before Riley was born I made a fabric sling to carry the new baby around in. I experimented with the sling when Connor was a newborn, but the one I made then was poorly constructed and too small, so he only fit in it for a little window of time. However, I liked the hands-free carrying option, and my babies are always too small to fit in the Baby Bjorn right away.
You can tell from the fabric I chose (an Amy Butler pattern - in flannel!) that I was hoping "girl" when thinking about the new baby. Baby Shiny snuggled right in her pouch and napped while I was able to play with the boys and get a thawed casserole in the oven for dinner. I highly recommend the sling for anyone with a new baby who has to simultaneously chase other small children. There are all kinds of articles out on the web about the benefits of "baby wearing", but all I care about is having a fighting chance at keeping everyone reasonably happy around here, and the sling (and some prayers!) definately help that cause.

Shiny = Happy People

Happy happy

Put it in your heart

Where tomorrow shines

Gold and silver shine

Shiny happy people holding hands

Shiny happy people laughing

-Shiny Happy People

R.E.M.

Riley Louise was born last week, and her arrival has certainly turned us all into shiny, happy people. Especially Casey, who continues to insist that her real name is Baby Shiny and her nickname is Riley. Aside from being irritated that we all keep getting her name wrong, Big Brother #1 is smitten with his baby sister, and loves to give her kisses and pat her belly when she cries. Big Brother #2, however, has taken every opportunity he's had to get close to her to try and whack her on the head. He doesn't know what she is, or why she's here, and he wants to know when she's leaving. I'm hoping with time he warms up to her. I hate the thought of them passing each other in the halls in high school and him giving her a good whack on the head.

We had a long and rather unpleasant delivery (as if any delivery can be described as "pleasant") but we were so relieved when she arrived healthy, and certainly surprised she was a girl. Already I have noticed that there is just something different about a baby girl as opposed to the two boys. There is already something softer and sweeter about her that I can't really describe, and like Casey her father & I are smitten with her as well. She's been battling some jaundice and currently resembles a large squash, but she is sweet all the same.

A new baby in the house, and a little girl to boot. We're all just so happy, happy.

Birth Day

So, tommorow is "B Day", the day we're going to the hospital to have Baby Shiny. I still haven't completely wrapped my brain around the idea that by this time tommorow we may know whether Shiny is a boy or girl, and as a result I don't feel particularly anxious or excited. Maybe I'm too focused on the fact that Connor has chosen this week to decide to stage an all out strike against his crib and climb out 50 times a night before finally conking out. He really has impeccable timing, truly.
Anyway, I made these shirts for all the kids - the fronts of the boys' shirts say "Big Brother" with their respective numbers, and the backs obviously have their nicknames - Slugger for Casey & Humpty for Connor.
My bag is all packed and ready for our 6:30am trip to the hospital, and I'm hoping for a good night's sleep for us all.

The First Cut is the Deepest

We finally gave in yesterday and took Connor for his first big boy haircut. I loved the "surfer dude" look he had been sporting, but it was getting in his eyes and on Thursday the nurses at my doctor's office mistook him for a little girl, so I relented. He was a little wiggly (as was to be expected) but overall he did great. He looks like such a big boy - I even got a little teary during the cut because it was as though he was transforming instantly from a baby to a little boy right in front of me. He seems to really like the "new 'do", and to be honest so do I. Just another item to add to the list of all the changes happening around here...

Waiting is the Hardest Part

There comes a point in every pregnancy when waiting on your new arrival becomes slow torture. I don't mean that in a, "Good Lord, will this thing ever be over??!!" way, although with all the ailments associated with the third trimester (plus all the complications I like to toss in there for good measure) there is a smidgen of those feelings. I find the torture is more about not being able to wait anymore to meet the little person who has been taking up residence in my body for so long. Is it a boy or girl? Will the baby look like me or Rob? Will it look like it's brothers? Will the baby be a good sleeper or a cranky mess (more importantly - will I be a cranky mess once it arrives??!!)? At 34 weeks, I have definitely reached this point. One of my girlfriends once commented that pregnancy lasts about a month too long, and since my kids typically come a month early I guess I should be in good shape, but this waiting is killing me all the same. Just three weeks to go...
I set up a little session this morning with Casey and these were the best of the bunch. I would love some with Connor as well, but at 16 months trying to handle him and an expensive camera on a tripod and get some decent photos is really asking too much. But since Casey showed up around 34 weeks, I guess it is fitting that we took these, just the two of us together. I know he's tired of the waiting game as well, this morning he asked, "But when is Baby Shiny going to be here? Will it be soon??". Soon enough, bud, soon enough.

28-24

I. Don't. Want. To. Talk. About. It.

Cabin Fever

I believe the combined effect of it being ridiculously cold here in Indy (causing me to use my Dad's phrases such as, "Colder than a well-digger's butt," which I have to admit I don't really understand, having never been a well-digger nor felt one's behind, but it seems to really capture the feeling of temperatures in the single digits) and me being on light bed rest has created true winter cabin fever in the boys. Casey has been out of school for holiday break, and we've mostly been cooped up here. In an effort to combat "the fever", Rob brought our old tent up from the basement and set it up in the family room so the boys could "camp" this weekend. By far the best part was the effect the static electricity in the tent had on Connor's hair, and it was alot of fun until it became a bit of a safety hazard when the boy's excitement levels escalated (which seems to be the direction most activities take in our house when both kids are involved. It's no wonder that Casey recently surprised us by randomly dropping the phrase "safety violation" in conversation.). Anyway, it was enough of a distraction to get us through the weekend and the UofL vs. UK game (Go Cards!), and with Casey back to school this week and temperatures warming a bit, I'm hopeful that we can keep cabin fever at bay for a bit.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

I hope that everyone had as merry a Christmas as we did here in the Alderman house. Casey said he received, "Everything I ever wanted!", so we deemed the day a success.

First Snow

I woke up on Wednesday morning at 7am to Casey prying open one of my eyes and asking, "Mommy, can you bundle me up so I can go play in the snow?". We received 4 inches on Wednesday and a few more Friday morning, and Casey played outside until I forced him to come in the house and warm up. Fortunately, he was content to run around the backyard by himself without a playmate, as I am not nearly as fond of the snow and Connor is just a smidge to little to get out there in it with him. My little Christmas elf was quite happy to stay inside and play.

Christmas Photos

I have often lamented that it is much easier to take pictures of other people's children than my own, and that is certainly never more true than at this time of year. Even with a little help from Rob to try and wrangle the boys into sitting still and looking at the camera (both at the same time, no less!) it is nearly impossible. I've had a couple of sessions with them recently in an effort to capture the perfect image, and I think I've come as close as I'm going to get. I've given up hope of the "perfect image" and settled on one that is "pretty good". I committed to a design and image today and sent it to my printer, so there's no going back now. I thought I would share a few outtakes just so you can appreciate the one I chose when it arrives in the mail.

So cute - if only his brother wasn't hiding behind the tree.

Again, adorable - if only his brother wasn't around the corner climbing the stairs.

Letter to Santa

This morning Casey & I worked on his letter to Santa. He colored a picture for Santa, and then dictated to me what he wanted to write. He asked for a Spiderman, a train table, and in a very sweet gesture, something for his brother. We folded them up and put them in an envelope, and his letter is in the mailbox waiting for our postman to take his letter to Santa. If you'd like to write jolly old St. Nick a letter, you can send it to:

Santa Claus

P.O. Box 1

Santa Claus, IN 47579

Make sure the return address is clear and legible, as Santa will write back!

Post-Thanksgiving Post

I do love Thanksgiving - it's my favorite meal of the year. But, whew! After all the shopping and cooking and cleaning and eating, I'm a little glad Thanksgiving is over for another year. The four of us had a nice quiet meal together on Thursday, and we all wore our best PJ's to the occasion (Hey - don't judge! I was too busy cooking & watching 2 kids to get dressed!). By some small miracle Rob's pager didn't go off during our dinner, and he actually managed to spend the majority of the day at home.

I stuffed our bad boy with a bunch of citrus and fresh herbs and rubbed sage butter under his skin, and man, it was good! And I tried the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for a Pumpkin-Banana Mousse Tart, and it turned out even better than I expected - kinda' zingy for a pumpkin-pie dessert. I wish I had taken some photos of the boys enjoying everything, but I was too busy stuffing my face to pick up the camera. I think Casey & I are going to tackle putting up the tree today - we have to strategically place it somewhere in the house where Connor will not try to climb it.

Fashion Fantasy

I'm pretty excited about the new season of Project Runway premiering tonight on Bravo, and to celebrate I'm playing the Project Runway Fantasy game on www.fafarazzi.com. You pick three designers each week, and receive points based on their performances (6 points for winning a challenge, 3 points for crying, 2 points if Tim Gunn has to tell them "Make it work"). I love this show because, as someone who sews strictly by following a pattern, I can appreciate the talent it takes to create something out of thin air. Plus, I love all the bizarre backstage drama that takes place when you toss 15 crazy creative people into a small space and make them compete!

Walk Tall

What's up with the strange furniture configuration in my kitchen? Has some random poltergeist invaded our home and moved things around? Uh-uh. Are we going for some sort of new Feng Shue arrangement? Nope. See that fuzzy little guy in the corner of the photo? That's Connor, and he's been walking tall for a few weeks now and wreaking havoc ever since. He climbs from the chairs onto the kitchen table. He scales the couch and the coffee table. Just this morning he realized he was tall enough to reach door handles and opened the kitchen pantry and began to climb the shelves inside ("If I want those animal crackers, I'll just have to get them myself, damn it!"). We thought Casey was an active toddler - my Mom once likened spending the afternoon with him to trying to care for a spider monkey - but he can't hold a candle to Numero Dos. I can't believe that when we brought him home from the hospital I thought he would be my "laid-back" child. I guess there's always hope that the new baby will be the one to play quietly in the corner and take no interest in pulling out electrical plugs or digging in the garbage can (both current faves of Connor). In the meantime, I guess we'll just continue to try and lock this place down like Ft. Knox and keep saying prayers that our future holds a little less activity and no trips to the ER.

Quick Business Note

For anyone who has found themselves here from the link on my website and are considering a photo session for Christmas cards or gifts, keep in mind that the holidays are rapidly approaching! The USPS deadline for cards is December 20, which means that my deadline for card orders will be December 10. I have lots of great ideas for photo cards, so contact me soon to schedule your session!

Label Me

My brain is already working in a bit of a Christmas overdrive (how can I help it - Lowe's had Christmas trees on display in September!!) and I'm elbow deep in a few projects for Christmas gifts. Now I can't stop obsessing about ordering some of these cute personalized labels to sew into all my handmade gifts. I'm also lusting after this site's personalized wrapping paper and ribbons, but am still in enough control of my sanity to not pay $25 for a single roll of wrapping paper that will only find it's way into the bottom of a trash bag come Christmas morning.

Tricks & Treats

Halloween 2007 was a raging success, and we have a pumpkin jar full of candy to prove it! Our brave knight and cookie-inhaling dragon had a great time at their first Halloween block party in our new neighborhood, so check out the photos here of last night and Casey's preschool Halloween party to see all the fun.

Sir No-Pants-Alot

A sneak-peak at Casey's chosen Halloween costume. I'd say a half-naked knight is a step up from a fully-naked boy, wouldn't you?

And here's another sneak-peak, this time at Alderman Baby #3. Just like it's older brothers this baby was very active during the ultrasound, and we even caught a glimpse of the baby sucking it's thumb (this scan is actually a profile shot of the baby and the blur just above the face is it's little hand). And since I just finished an interesting article about birth order, I don't want to leave Connor out, so here's a shot of him enjoying the pumpkins on Mom & Dad's porch last week during our visit to Alabama.

Best Friends

We said goodbye this morning to our good friends Amy & Abby who came to visit from Nashville. The Hills used to live across the street from us in Louisville, and Casey & Abby were best friends who played together almost every day before we all moved. It's been a little while since we've been able to visit with them and I was a little worried about how they'd get along. My fears were put to rest within 5 minutes of their arrival as the best friends picked right up where they left off and spent two solid days laughing, playing, running, and just generally enjoying each other's company (and us Mom's enjoyed having a little "adult time" too!). Many tears were shed as they pulled out of the driveway, and Casey just said to me, "I'm so, so sad my best friend left me."

Boooooo!!!

I finally had a chance to watch the season finale of "Top Chef" and I am so bummed that my girl Casey didn't walk away with the big prize. And to make matters worse, they chose Hung as Top Chef, whom I detest. Besides being completely obnoxious, apparently Hung is best friends with the equally obnoxious Marcell from Season 2. Boooooo!!!! Booo to you Top Chef judges. So the elevation got to Casey in the last challenge - isn't the fact that she kicked ass and took names all season enough to win the whole thing? If I ever make it to Dallas you can bet the first thing I do is get a table at Shinsei, where she is executive chef.

The Hodge-Podge Post

It's a rainy, overcast day here in Indy and although it looks like fall, and although it feels like fall is almost here, we're supposed to have a high of 78 today and they're saying we'll be pushing 90 by the weekend. So in the spirit of the randomness of the weather this time of year, I have a slightly random post today.

Pictured above is the sad remains of my tomato plants from this summer. They had to come out of the ground to make way for the new landscaping, and I felt it was really too late in the season to attempt to replant them in containers. There were several fairly large almost ripe ones left on the vines, but before I could get to them the landscape guys had made off with them. I had no idea I had to keep such a careful eye on produce while workmen were at the house, but you learn something new all the time. Anyway, the landscaping looks great and we're very pleased with it and the accompanying irrigation system (I need to take some better pics, this one doesn't really do the yard justice).

I celebrated my 32nd birthday over the weekend, and I keep having an internal discussion in my head about that number. It just doesn't seem right. 32? Really? Are you sure? OK, well, if you're sure. I received some really lovely gifts - these beautiful flowers from the boys, this awesome coffee mug from Christa, a great slow-cooker cookbook from my in-laws, and a much needed donation to the "Baby #3 winter maternity clothes fund" from my parents.

Mom also gave me these wonderful facial wipes from Boots (Target carries them now). They are the perfect skin care solution for a tired, lazy woman such as myself who can't even summon the energy at night to wash her face with soap and water. I highly recommend them.

We continue the ongoing discussion with Casey about what he wants to be for Halloween this year, and this morning when I posed the question he declared "Naked!". Somehow I don't think that one will go over so well. Halloween on Bourbon Street? Yes. Halloween at Christian preschool party? Not so much.

Driving Me Crazy

The commercial for the new iPod nano features a very catchy song that manages to wedge itself into my brain and stay there for days at a time. I finally relented and found out from the apple site that the song is "1234" by the band Feist. Not that it offers any relief from running a constant loop in my head, but it is nice to know who created this annoying yet addictive tune. And by the way, while browsing the apple store last week with my Dad to drool over the new iMacs, I caught a glimpse of the new nanos in person, and they are super cool.

One!

It's hard to believe, but Connor turned one last week! He was super cranky early in the week before the big day, which I chalk up to either teething or a minor 1/80th life crisis. But since the big day, he's been an absolute joy to be around. He's smiling and laughing and pointing and clapping and making sounds that resemble actual words. He is on the brink of walking, and in fact I'm keeping the video camera charged up and ready at all times because it seems that at any minute he could take off. He has the funniest little personality, and I can't even describe it, you just have to spend some time with him. Casey enjoyed his brother's birthday as well, especially the special "birthday muffins" I baked for the occasion.

First Day

What has two arms and was excited about the first day of preschool? This guy! We were running a bit behind schedule, so I only had time to snap this quick photo of Casey before he headed off to school, and this was his chosen pose for the occasion. Rob had a rare day off work and was able to join us to drop off Casey, who happily hopped right out of the van and headed inside with his teacher, stopping only to look back when we called out to him. He must have had a great time, because the only time tears were shed was when I picked him up and it was time to leave. Tommorow he has his first "show & tell", and is planning to take his bug catcher cage & tools to show his new friends. On the one hand, he seems like such a big kid going to school with his backpack on, and on the other hand he seems so small still. It was a strange brew of emotions for me yesterday - a little pride mixed with a little heartbreak as he headed into school, and I know that this is just the first of many first days like this.

We Are the Champions

On Sunday we took the boys to the Children's Museum, which was awesome. I think we're going to get a year membership, because there is so much to see and do there that we will be returning frequently. There were several highlights, not the least of which was getting to touch the Colt's Super Bowl trophy and have our picture made with the trophy. The lighting was poor in the room and it confused my camera (one of my least favorite features of my camera) but it was still fun. Casey loved the train exhibit and said his favorite part was the dinosaur exhibit, even though the dinosaurs scared him (in a good way, he later explained). I loved the Chiluly glass installation, and am anxious to go back and really spend some time in the areas we didn't cover well. I had heard so much about this museum and how wonderful it is, and so I was so glad that it lived up to all the hype.

Satisfied

Did you know Snickers has a limited edition dark chocolate version? Me either, and let me tell you it totally validated a trip to Wal-Mart over the weekend when I discovered it in the check-out lane. It was like a little bit of chocolaty heaven, and it made me wish every candy maker out there would dip their most popular bars in dark chocolate. Just imagine - 3 Musketeers, Reese's, Butterfinger - all in dark chocolate! I plan on hunting down a stash of these Snickers and paying homage to my late Nana Casey by hiding them at the top of my closet and enjoying them only after the rest of the family has gone to bed. Mmmmm....

And look! I have roses in my backyard. I know next to nothing about caring for roses, so I'm going to have to coax Mom back up here to help me out.

We had our first Parent's Meeting for Casey's new preschool last night, and I'm not sure who is more excited about preschool, Casey or me. I ordered him his first official backpack from L.L. Bean this morning because I am convinced that the Bean backpacks can survive a nuclear holocaust and that he'll probably be able to use it as a diaper bag for his first born child. I have to admit there is something so incredibly satisfying about back-to-school shopping and I am totally living vicariously through Casey while stocking up on socks, jeans, new tennis shoes, construction paper, tissues, and all the other preschool essentials. His classroom is decorated in a frog theme and I already love his teacher, and I can't wait for him to meet her and his classmates. I keep singing the song from "Billy Madison":

"Back to school, back to school.

Gotta' show Dad that I'm no fool."

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Just a reminder that college football kicks off tonight. The Cards will stomp Murray State tonight and the Vols take on Cal Saturday night. Aaah...college football is back, and all is right with the world again.

Little Smile

Ok, so I ask you: Who wouldn't have baby fever after spending a few minutes with this guy?

I Do & I Don't

I just finished editing and loading the photos I took this past weekend of the wedding of a sister of a close friend, Terri (did 'ya catch all that?!). Shoo! It was a bit of a workout for me as there were nearly 200 photos to edit down, and I'm not used to working with that volume. I also learned quite a bit in the process, most importantly that I do love photographing people, but I don't neccesarily love doing it on their wedding day.

Even the most laid-back of weddings become a bit hairy down the stretch, and there are no do-overs in wedding photography. I definately prefer the pace of working with kids and babies taking their portraits. Kids can certainly be unpredictable, but you almost always have a second chance to get the shot right. If you miss the first kiss or blur the cutting of the cake, well, you're SOL. But I did enjoy watching a young couple start a new life and family together, and to help document that special moment in time for them.

Anyway, I'm pleased with how the photos turned out, and I hope the couple are as well. Every wedding I attend now brings back memories of my own wedding, and things I would do different and things I wouldn't change for the world. I do love our photos from that day, both the professional album and the candids turned in from friends and family. I don't think I would alter any of them a bit. It almost cracks me up to go back and look at them now, and to think those two people had no idea of the journey they were in for together, the journey that we are still pleasantly traveling together.

I had a newborn session this morning, and let me tell 'ya it's a good thing I'm pregnant because I have a terrible case of baby fever. He was so cute and pink and little and soft I almost couldn't stand it, and I am now impatient for the arrival of our new little one, even though the baby wont arrive for another 5 months or so. I don't think I ever expected to be pregnant at this point in time, but I do think we are very lucky to have this little blessing. Funny thing how those two little "I do's" turned into so much more...

Live, Baby Live

After much work and many, many emails to coordinate the effort, my new photography website is finally LIVE! It got a bit sticky last week when I discovered that the company that registers my domain forgot to register it this year, and that potentially it could cost me $100 just to use my URL of aldermanphotography.com. Thankfully, I finally got someone on the phone who knew what they were doing and fixed the issue, and the final connections to the new server were made this morning. Check out the new digs at www.aldermanphotography.com and let me know what you think!

Gone to the Dark Side

What is that thing parked in my driveway? Surely, it can't be a minivan (it is, and don't call me Shirley - just for you Court). And if it is a minivan, it most certainly can not belong to me. Because I said I would never own a minivan. Never ever ever ever ever. In my group of girlfriends, we affectionately refer to the purchase of a minivan as "crossing over to the dark side", and indeed I have done just that. Last week we bought a new 2007 Nissan Quest, and the worst part of it is, I love it.

It was hard to drive away from the car lot and wave goodbye to the X-terra, which I had loved so dearly for so long. But the simple truth is we had outgrown the X-terra. We needed a vehicle that would accomodate 3 car seats, and the X-terra couldn't hack it. Are you silently doing the math in your head and trying to figure out why the car needs to hold 3 car seats when I only have 2 children? I'll give you 3 guesses and the first 2 don't count.

Yep, another Alderman is on the way. We found out the Tuesday of moving week that I am expecting again, and let me tell you, it added a whole new dimension to the move! I'm due at the end of February, and we are very excited about adding another member to the family. It will be total chaos around here, but I have been assured there is something freeing in that chaos, and so I am taking some comfort in that.

So, other than that, there's not a whole lot going on around here - ha! I have been enjoying the tomato plants that the previous owners left behind, and I even had a chance to make some tomato sauce last night...mmmm, so good.

Movin' Out

We're here! We're really, really here in the new house in Carmel, IN. And let me tell you, it wasn't easy. The wound is still a little too fresh to recount the entire saga of our "move from hell", but I can offer these three criteria by which to judge if the moving company you hired is run by a complete psychopath:

1) At 12:30pm on moving day, with nearly half of you belongings packed up on his truck, does your mover suggest, "If there was anything you were thinking of leaving behind, I'd go ahead and do it."

2) At 8:30pm on Day 1 of the move (which is the same time the mover had promised he would have you moved and unloaded to the new house) does your mover pull away from the old house with all of your patio furniture and your grill bungee-corded to the back of his truck to store your belongings at his house overnight?

3) Does your mover (who also happens to be president and owner of this moving company) arrive on Day 2 of the move (there was never supposed to be a Day 2) three hours late and still drunk from the night before?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then your mover is definately certifiable. On the good news side of things, we haven't found any major breaks with any of our stuff, and everything did make it here (so we think).

We love the new neighborhood and have already met many of our neighbors - Casey even attended his first birthday party last week for a little girl across the street. I'm starting to locate where everything is and can now find the essentials (Kroger, Target, Costco, etc.) on my own. I have to admit to feeling a little homesick for the old house and Louisville - I miss the familiarity of the city and having my things in all their places.

I've also been working hard this week on the new photography website, and I should have it live by the end of the week. It's really looking good, and I have already lined up a new client (a neighbor is due with a baby boy in a few weeks and asked me to do a newborn shoot). This area is full of small children and so I am hoping it will be a good move for my business. I have ordered some new equipment and am working on a marketing campaign, so stay tuned for updates on Alderman Photography.

I need to get back to unpacking and trying to keep the kids off the boxes (my living room is a bit of a death trap right now!). We're here, and I guess we're Hoosiers now (I even have the Colts license plate to prove it!).

Mutual Respect

Some mornings when the boys get up at the same time Casey likes to crawl into Connor's crib and hang out for a bit. I took this pic this morning and the way they are looking at each other just kills me. I know they're my kids and so I'm a wee bit biased, but they're so damn cute sometimes I just can't stand it.

And guess who decided to start climbing the stairs last night? Yep. Add that to the list of "Learning New Skills at the Least Convenient Time Possible for Mom."

Saturday night I saw The Police in concert with Christa, and a very good time was had by all (a better time was had by some, but that's another story, right Cree?). I have decided to go vegan and start daily yoga sessions because Sting looked way too good for his age. He just might be one of the sexiest human beings on the planet. Next to my husband, of course. :) I'm still trying to understand how I develop all these crushes on rock stars (John Mayer & Dave Matthews being past victims) and yet I managed to marry a dentist. Oh well, c'est la vie!

Winner

I very rarely enter contests, because I have so rarely ever won anything. But last week this company, Blu Domain, that designs websites for professional photographers (I have been lusting after their designs for quite some time) was celebrating their anniversary by hosting a bunch of photo contests. Late last Friday I entered one, and could hardly believe my eyes when I checked their blog this morning to find that I had won! My prize is a free website design, and a discount on a year of hosting. According to the post on their site, they had over 500 entries for this contest and picked just three winners! Here's a link to check out my goods if you're interested:http://76.163.83.176/blog.cfm?catID=4. The image I submitted isn't a new one, but it's a goodie and it was an amazing boost to my self-esteem to be chosen. I can't wait to get the new site up and running - I will be completely revamping the entire look of Jennifer Alderman Photography. Stay tuned for links to the new site when it goes online, and beware that the current site will probably go offline starting tomorrow.

Bad Dog

Sure, she looks innocent enough. But look closely at this photo. Notice the ears laid back. The tail tucked under. The look in her eyes that says, "I'm sorry I was a bad dog."

I woke up this morning to find my diaper bag knocked over on the floor with a mutilated and empty box of baby cookies lying on the floor next to the bag. The suspect soon presented herself, and it was quite obvious from her entire body language that she was guilty. I gave her a stern admonishment, and sent her outside for a doggy time-out. I took this photo after she had some time to think about what she did.

See, this isn't the first time Ani's performed this sort of crime. While we were at the grocery store on Thursday she knocked over a box of her own cookies and managed to eat half of them (without destroying the box, so I didn't notice for several days - she might be bad but at least she's usually clever). And a few years ago when I was pregnant with Casey and Rob was in Texas for several months she chewed a hole in our couch while trying to chase a sleeve of graham crackers that had fallen under the couch. Do you see the pattern of criminal activity here?

Rob was gone all last week, and he came home yesterday for a quick visit and left again very early this morning. I can only assume that Ani's compulsive cookie stealing is the result of some sort of coping mechanism to deal with missing her Daddy. I guess we all have our means of coping - Casey throws tantrums, Connor cries for two hours straight in the afternoons, Ani steals cookies, and I drink boxes of wine after everyone goes to sleep. So I suppose I shouldn't be too angry with her. She's just trying to get through the next few weeks like the rest of us. She's not really a bad dog, just a lonely one.

P.S. I stepped out on the deck Friday night after getting the boys to bed and snapped this photo of the beautiful colors in the evening sky. I'd love to paint the ceiling of my bedroom to look like this, but I'm pretty sure Rob would have me committed. I might have to settle for a painting - I wonder if Sara is up for any commissions?

I Lub You. You're My Best Friend Ever.

Overheard today from Casey talking to Connor.

The Big 32

Today is a big day for Rob. I mean, major, huge, big-time big. He was up at the crack of dawn this morning to drive to Ft. Knox to officially sign out and discharge from the Army. He then changed clothes and pointed his car north and is on his way to Indy to begin the first day of his new residency, and he has his first night of call tonight. All this, and today is his 32nd birthday! I guess if you're going start something new, start big!

And just in case anyone was wondering, I have tried a few recipes from the much-anticipated Rachel Ray cookbook. The best was this Spinach & Artichoke Pasta, which tasted like the appetizer you get in a restaurant but with cheese raviolli in it. As Rachel would say, "Yummo!" (and then I would slap her because I hate it when she says that).