PART ONE
5 objects, 5 arrangments, same shooting location.
Part Two
5 objects, one arrangment, different shooting locations/angles.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Homework - Still Life
Okay, so here is my waaaaaay overdue homework from Week two! If this was high school, I'd flunk. And have some serious explaining to do to my parents. Anyway, the assignment in a nut shell:
PART ONE
5 objects, 5 arrangments, same shooting location.
Part Two
5 objects, one arrangment, different shooting locations/angles.
PART ONE
5 objects, 5 arrangments, same shooting location.
Part Two
5 objects, one arrangment, different shooting locations/angles.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Choo-choo Tracks
I was thankful that my hubby stopped the van on the way home from Grand Prairie last weekend so that I could take some shots of a train trestle. The stipulation that he gave was that I could snap away until the kids started to demand they be set free from the confines of their dreaded car seats. Soooooo, I only had 5 minutes. Lol. This is what I managed to capture….
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
An "Egg"cellent Morning
Last Wednesday, Ethan cracked his first egg and my camera was ready to capture every moment. That, and some playful time with his sister.
(Btw, for all those that are natural light fanatics….you know who you are…. the lighting in my house is awful. With only two measly windows in the living area of my home, flash is all that is available. So until I have softboxes set up in every corner and reflectors randomly placed, the harsh flash will have to do. Or, until I learn how to use my bounce flash effectively. Whichever comes first, lol)
I hope you enjoy the pics though!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Gratitude
We recently had an appointment with my Midwife, Cathy. This brought back a flood of memories for me from Daysha’s delivery. I really wanted to thank Cathy for everything she did for us on that day because I sincerely believe that if I wasn’t in her skillful hands, things would have been a lot different. Yes, even in a hospital. The delivery would not have been as quick and there would have been a lot more trauma than needed to be. I can say this, because I now have had 2 deliveries of babies with shoulder dystocia.
I did not go into this birth blind. I did all the reading I could on shoulder dystocia and made sure my caregiver knew how to handle it if it occurred again. Unfortunately it did and now because of it, my delivery options have dramatically changed.
Shoulder dystocia occurs for no particular cause. It can happen to large babies, it can happen to small babies. With whatever risk factors are associated with dystocia come recommendations none of which have had any proven decline in the amount of dystocias diagnosed or the after effects, like brachial plexus injury, contusions and lacerations, and birth asphyxia. There is no way to predict recurrent shoulder dystocia other than a good guess. And the good guess for me is that it’ll probably happen again.
So before having another pregnancy there is a lot of things to consider. I now have to plan on this actually occurring and have another plan of action if it does. Do I have another child? Do I have midwifery care again? Or do I subject myself to the scrutiny of doctors and risk interventions? Either way, the risk is shoulder dystocia and fetal injuries that accompany it.
So that’s all the technical data. The emotional data is something I will deal with every time I think of having another child. Shoulder dystocia is hard. As smooth as my labor went (twice over), the actual delivery is something that is very emotionally draining. So it was very important to me to have people surrounding me that I trust and I am beyond words with the amount of support I received that day.
To Cathy,
Thank you so much. I am so indebted for all of your encouragement, support, and energy that you gave me and my family. I don’t know if I have enough words to tell you how grateful I am for being a part of bringing Daysha into this world. I feel as if everything that occurred throughout my pregnancy was meant to put me into your safe hands. Thank you for delivering our baby girl to us and not giving up on her. Thank you for staying near me when I needed and listening to my concerns. This is only a small token of our thanks to you but you are forever rooted in our hearts.
Many of God’s blessings to you,
Love, Heather, Glen, Ethan and most of all Daysha.
I did not go into this birth blind. I did all the reading I could on shoulder dystocia and made sure my caregiver knew how to handle it if it occurred again. Unfortunately it did and now because of it, my delivery options have dramatically changed.
Shoulder dystocia occurs for no particular cause. It can happen to large babies, it can happen to small babies. With whatever risk factors are associated with dystocia come recommendations none of which have had any proven decline in the amount of dystocias diagnosed or the after effects, like brachial plexus injury, contusions and lacerations, and birth asphyxia. There is no way to predict recurrent shoulder dystocia other than a good guess. And the good guess for me is that it’ll probably happen again.
So before having another pregnancy there is a lot of things to consider. I now have to plan on this actually occurring and have another plan of action if it does. Do I have another child? Do I have midwifery care again? Or do I subject myself to the scrutiny of doctors and risk interventions? Either way, the risk is shoulder dystocia and fetal injuries that accompany it.
So that’s all the technical data. The emotional data is something I will deal with every time I think of having another child. Shoulder dystocia is hard. As smooth as my labor went (twice over), the actual delivery is something that is very emotionally draining. So it was very important to me to have people surrounding me that I trust and I am beyond words with the amount of support I received that day.
To Cathy,
Thank you so much. I am so indebted for all of your encouragement, support, and energy that you gave me and my family. I don’t know if I have enough words to tell you how grateful I am for being a part of bringing Daysha into this world. I feel as if everything that occurred throughout my pregnancy was meant to put me into your safe hands. Thank you for delivering our baby girl to us and not giving up on her. Thank you for staying near me when I needed and listening to my concerns. This is only a small token of our thanks to you but you are forever rooted in our hearts.
Many of God’s blessings to you,
Love, Heather, Glen, Ethan and most of all Daysha.
Thirty days have September, April, June and November...
There has been an incredible amount of things going on in this household lately. I still haven’t found that balance, lol! The morning of my last post, a dear friend of mine, welcomed her beautiful baby boy into this world. We were all on pins and needles waiting his arrival and sending so many good-delivery vibes her way. I was very proud to know that she had the home birth she dreamed of.
So to help her out a little, my hubby spent a few hours in the kitchen doing what he loves to do. Cook. He cooked up a few hearty meals for them so that they could spend their time resting and enjoying their new bundle. We had meals delivered to us after my homebirth and now, I swear, that’s the gift I am going to give every new mom. Forget the pretty outfits…. food is the way to go!
Not only did a birth occur, but so did a birthday (his big sisters), a follow-up appointment with my midwife, two dental appointments, immunizations for Daysha, a DLS workshop, a Dr’s appointment for myself, bloodwork, and follow-up tomorrow, a Dr’s appointment tomorrow for Ethan, Kindermusik, and a wedding this weekend that we have to travel for but it means family staying here tomorrow night. 3 with us, 3 with mom, and 5 more to join the caravan the next morning. On top of all of this, I finally did up Thank-you cards for Daysha’s gifts, created and mailed out 56 announcement cards (I told you we had a big family), raked up the dead grass in the backyard, vacuumed the house, made a Walmart trip for groceries with the kids, uploaded photos from my workshop that I need to re-upload, and still managed to feed the kids and get them to take their naps, while still potty training a toddler.
This was one week.
You wonder why I sometimes lose my insanity. If what you are wondering about is the mound of appointments condensed into this one week, it was just timing. The dental appointments we’ve put off for a long time, the midwife appt was overdue by 2 weeks, and Ethan has one with a specialist that we’ve had book months ago.
Ethan has two “very” small bumps near his stomach and his pediatrician wants to screen it for possible hernias that may have developed congenitally. If this is the case, there is a possibility of surgery. It would be the tiniest incision, more than likely done by laser which equals a much faster recovery, but still, the idea of surgery scares the bejeebers outta me. I know how Ethan is leary of doctors already and I really wish I didn’t have to take him. So it’s a toss up. I can leave it and it turn out to be something else or end up causing him some pain of some sort, or we can go and take him to a specialist. I am crossing my fingers and toes that it turns out to be “nothing”.
The rest of this month continues to be busy. A little slower than this past week but still crazy nonetheless. I am hoping upon all hope that May will be at a standstill. HA! Who am I kidding??? That’s summer! There’s Ethan’s birthday, my SIL’s birthday, a camping trip…..
So to help her out a little, my hubby spent a few hours in the kitchen doing what he loves to do. Cook. He cooked up a few hearty meals for them so that they could spend their time resting and enjoying their new bundle. We had meals delivered to us after my homebirth and now, I swear, that’s the gift I am going to give every new mom. Forget the pretty outfits…. food is the way to go!
Not only did a birth occur, but so did a birthday (his big sisters), a follow-up appointment with my midwife, two dental appointments, immunizations for Daysha, a DLS workshop, a Dr’s appointment for myself, bloodwork, and follow-up tomorrow, a Dr’s appointment tomorrow for Ethan, Kindermusik, and a wedding this weekend that we have to travel for but it means family staying here tomorrow night. 3 with us, 3 with mom, and 5 more to join the caravan the next morning. On top of all of this, I finally did up Thank-you cards for Daysha’s gifts, created and mailed out 56 announcement cards (I told you we had a big family), raked up the dead grass in the backyard, vacuumed the house, made a Walmart trip for groceries with the kids, uploaded photos from my workshop that I need to re-upload, and still managed to feed the kids and get them to take their naps, while still potty training a toddler.
This was one week.
You wonder why I sometimes lose my insanity. If what you are wondering about is the mound of appointments condensed into this one week, it was just timing. The dental appointments we’ve put off for a long time, the midwife appt was overdue by 2 weeks, and Ethan has one with a specialist that we’ve had book months ago.
Ethan has two “very” small bumps near his stomach and his pediatrician wants to screen it for possible hernias that may have developed congenitally. If this is the case, there is a possibility of surgery. It would be the tiniest incision, more than likely done by laser which equals a much faster recovery, but still, the idea of surgery scares the bejeebers outta me. I know how Ethan is leary of doctors already and I really wish I didn’t have to take him. So it’s a toss up. I can leave it and it turn out to be something else or end up causing him some pain of some sort, or we can go and take him to a specialist. I am crossing my fingers and toes that it turns out to be “nothing”.
The rest of this month continues to be busy. A little slower than this past week but still crazy nonetheless. I am hoping upon all hope that May will be at a standstill. HA! Who am I kidding??? That’s summer! There’s Ethan’s birthday, my SIL’s birthday, a camping trip…..
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
On the Run!
I know where my stress comes from, and it is not just from my crazy children (whom I adore just to be correct). It is from the basic fact that my hubby and I are by no question flooded with things to do; things to accomplish. It's our own fault. We know this to be a true and absolute fact. And it is not that we don’t acknowledge it or even try to change it. We have. Many, many, many times. As another fact, this is one of the same “arguments” we have. Why it is, why we do this to ourselves and each other, how to stop and get off this merry-go-round.
I now come to the conclusion that we each get a certain amount of enjoyment of keeping ourselves busy (actually, I’ve come to that conclusion a long time ago. I am just re-acknowledging it). For my own self, I hate sitting still for too long. Either I am occupying myself with life and family tasks or I am sitting and my brain is occupied in a book, writing, or in a discussion with whomever will listen to me. It killed me when I was enormously pregnant and could not literally move to do much of anything. Drove me insane. So as soon as I had my energy back, I did way too much way too soon, in turn giving me a case of Baby Blues that I still deal with.
Anyway, my hubby is the same go-go-go force. We each have huge social circles, and huge families that we so lovingly give our attention to. We LOVE entertaining and putting off a good meal or two (dying for BBQ season!) and love being in touch with people that are important to us. Which is literally, everybody. On top of that, we are organizational nuts. I love to label. I’m sure I’d stick one on your forehead if I thought you needed it… joking (sorta’), and my spouse loves things in “its place” even though half of the time it isn’t. We also love being on the go, taking our kids to places, trying new things, enjoying activities. On top of THAT, we each have hobbies that we struggle to maintain. And now I’m adding a new one to my list BUT I am not relinquishing that one as it has been years I have secretly been addicted to it.
So, we are busy. We both realize that we don’t spend enough time with just the two of us, or even the four of us, doing nothing but enjoying the “quality” time. So it is breeding ground for arguments and tension when we barely rub shoulders with one another and throw a passing “Btw, remember to do….” We have tried many times without success to schedule time for ourselves but always something interferes. ~sigh~
And today was another example.
Glen has been working like crazy the past few months trying to pay back mutuals and pick up OT before the summer, and next month is no different. So TWO months ago we planned for 4 days at the end of March, beginning of April, to spend together. Going nowhere, having no one over. It was going to be a catch up week of time together, a bit of laundry and bill paying, potty training and playing with my new camera. All which could have been done in these 4 days.
Except….
The Grandparents showed up.
We do love them and all. Really. And to be fair, they have called us over the past few weeks trying to schedule some time in to see their grandkids (they live 2 hours away) and we have always had some conflict arise. So they decided they’d just show up. Smart for them, frustrating for us. Now our days have turned into preparing meals on TV trays as we sold our dinette set and are STILL waiting for the delivery of our new one (c’mon Leons!), cleaning dishes, arranging the guest room, splitting up our “quality time” with the kids, and small talk with the in-laws.
So now we literally will not get to spend time together without having something “to do”, until the beginning of May. ~bigger sigh~
April is filled with a Weekend Wedding, dental appts, Dr appts, immunizations, birthdays, Kindermusik, Gymnastics, workshops and other get-togethers. We do love those times (except the dentist), (okay and the shots), but we are dying to spend a few days doing what we need and want to do.
So if ever asked why there is suddenly no answer to phone calls and emails, our house has no lights on, the windows and doors are boarded up and the sound of two yappy weinerschnitzels is missing from the backyard, just assume that we’ve packed our bags and moved to Liechtenstein.
Abschieds!_svg.png)
I now come to the conclusion that we each get a certain amount of enjoyment of keeping ourselves busy (actually, I’ve come to that conclusion a long time ago. I am just re-acknowledging it). For my own self, I hate sitting still for too long. Either I am occupying myself with life and family tasks or I am sitting and my brain is occupied in a book, writing, or in a discussion with whomever will listen to me. It killed me when I was enormously pregnant and could not literally move to do much of anything. Drove me insane. So as soon as I had my energy back, I did way too much way too soon, in turn giving me a case of Baby Blues that I still deal with.
Anyway, my hubby is the same go-go-go force. We each have huge social circles, and huge families that we so lovingly give our attention to. We LOVE entertaining and putting off a good meal or two (dying for BBQ season!) and love being in touch with people that are important to us. Which is literally, everybody. On top of that, we are organizational nuts. I love to label. I’m sure I’d stick one on your forehead if I thought you needed it… joking (sorta’), and my spouse loves things in “its place” even though half of the time it isn’t. We also love being on the go, taking our kids to places, trying new things, enjoying activities. On top of THAT, we each have hobbies that we struggle to maintain. And now I’m adding a new one to my list BUT I am not relinquishing that one as it has been years I have secretly been addicted to it.
So, we are busy. We both realize that we don’t spend enough time with just the two of us, or even the four of us, doing nothing but enjoying the “quality” time. So it is breeding ground for arguments and tension when we barely rub shoulders with one another and throw a passing “Btw, remember to do….” We have tried many times without success to schedule time for ourselves but always something interferes. ~sigh~
And today was another example.
Glen has been working like crazy the past few months trying to pay back mutuals and pick up OT before the summer, and next month is no different. So TWO months ago we planned for 4 days at the end of March, beginning of April, to spend together. Going nowhere, having no one over. It was going to be a catch up week of time together, a bit of laundry and bill paying, potty training and playing with my new camera. All which could have been done in these 4 days.
Except….
The Grandparents showed up.
We do love them and all. Really. And to be fair, they have called us over the past few weeks trying to schedule some time in to see their grandkids (they live 2 hours away) and we have always had some conflict arise. So they decided they’d just show up. Smart for them, frustrating for us. Now our days have turned into preparing meals on TV trays as we sold our dinette set and are STILL waiting for the delivery of our new one (c’mon Leons!), cleaning dishes, arranging the guest room, splitting up our “quality time” with the kids, and small talk with the in-laws.
So now we literally will not get to spend time together without having something “to do”, until the beginning of May. ~bigger sigh~
April is filled with a Weekend Wedding, dental appts, Dr appts, immunizations, birthdays, Kindermusik, Gymnastics, workshops and other get-togethers. We do love those times (except the dentist), (okay and the shots), but we are dying to spend a few days doing what we need and want to do.
So if ever asked why there is suddenly no answer to phone calls and emails, our house has no lights on, the windows and doors are boarded up and the sound of two yappy weinerschnitzels is missing from the backyard, just assume that we’ve packed our bags and moved to Liechtenstein.
Abschieds!
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