Practice better make perfect

I have been practicing my photography skills in low light situations for the last week. (hence the overload in Sam shots) I have relied fully on natural lighting up until this point, but now that it gets dark at 3pm and outdoor sessions are less likely to happen due to weather, I need to work on indoor/darker situations.

Of course my favorite model is Mr. Sam. How could I not love this masterpiece!? Those elbow dimples, that lumpy bum and that Buddha belly. He is the epitome of perfection :)Matt will hate me for pointing this out, but even his ears are adorable. Those lashes! I covet them.So, although I have a lot to learn, and probably a few things to master, I think these "practice" shots turned out OK.

Now, to answer Laurels question, I do not have a waterproof camera. But I do have a trick that I have been attempting.

Try putting an aquarium or vase in the water with your camera inside, and viola! Instant underwater shots. I have not been able to get "great" quality pictures this way, but you should try it at home too :)

rain, rain go away.

Dear Washington,

Oh how I love you on a sunny summer day. Your beautiful lakes and awesome hiking trails become a craving for me from June to September.

But here we are in November. Rainy, windy and cold. Today you are not my favorite State.

There is a new dog park that I want to explore. There are outdoor pictures waiting to be taken. There is a baby who is beyond bored of being inside.

And then there is me. Its noon and I am still in my pajamas.

Days like this drown my motivation to do anything but nap or eat, two things not included on my to do list.

So I blame you Washington, for the fact that I am wasting time on my computer blogging instead of cleaning house, organizing junk or working on my editing. I'm telling Matthew on you.

-Holly

Pictures from the week

I caught this shot while driving through Snohomish the other day.It was one of those times where I HAD to pull over and get a picture. It was so beautiful. You cant see it, but it was hailing to the right of the shot, and a wonderful sunset to the left. I wish I would have thought to take a panoramic, but I was too worried about getting hit on the side of the road. Great picture though, right?

Speaking of good pictures, check these out. I have been trying over and over again to perfect this idea, (underwater pictures) but I just cant get it right. I think that my bathroom is too dark, and my Son is too active. Oh well. They are still worth a thousand words if you ask me.

Oh, how I love those dark eyes. They are the exact color of 70% cocoa dark chocolate. We've compared.

Oh yes, and this one. Sam loves watching daddy cook in the kitchen. Hopefully the Aprecio genes will be passed on, and Sam will be as good a chef as his dad and grandpa.Speaking of passing down skills, Sam has shown a lot of interest in Jiu-Jitsu. Here he is wrestling with his buddy Eli. The game would have gone on longer, but Eli soon realized he had an advantage on Sam.
Teeth.

6 Months

Sam is 6 months! Its hard to believe, but boy is he showing it. He is learning to crawl, he can sit up on his own, he puts his own binky in and his appetite has grown about as much as he has. He will eat anything that you give him, and he doesn't mind new flavors. He has even started using a sippy cup, and loves his apple juice.

Sammy got his first tooth on Sunday, and his second is following close behind. He is sleeping better at night, but we still struggle with bed time.

He is as happy as can be. People comment all the time that they have never seen a happier child. We cant agree more. He is so much fun.Sam weighs 16.8lbs and is 28.5 inches long. He is in the 32% for weight, and 97th% for heightHe is babbling non stop now, and his laugh is the best sound in the world (and heard often). He loves the dogs, his family and his toys. He still doesn't really like the bath, but his eczema may make it uncomfortable for him.We saw a dermatologist today regarding his eczema, and we are going to try a new routine. She didn't seem very concerned about him, and gave me tons of new information regarding this condition. Hopefully his skin will clear up soon.

We are loving our time with Sam, and although we love this stage, we are excited to see what he will do next!

Happy Halloween

a little gripe

I am using this post today to whine and vent a little. Once its down in words, I will move on and stop feeling sorry for myself.

Tuesday:
Sam gets vaccinated
Upset and fussy all night long. (awake every hour)

Wednesday:
Sam is sick and in pain from his vaccines. He is crying all day, with no real naps.
Barely falls asleep when the FedEx man wakes him up with the door bell.
Brimley vomits on the carpet. (most puke I have ever seen in my life)
Brimley comes into the house with diarrhea. Needs bath. (I haven't even showered myself yet.)
Sam is upset and fussy all night long. (awake every 1/2 hour)

Thursday:
Not as fussy, and takes a 2 hour nap at Noon.
Sam sleeps again at 6pm, but only for an hour.
Matt gets sick and wakes me up with his loud puking.
A loud crash downstairs forces Matt to search the house, shotgun in hand.
Adrenaline adds to my frustration.
Sam decides not to sleep until 4am!!
We watch "Funny Farm" together.
Continues to be fussy all night, waking up every hour from 4-8am.

Friday:
Sam is awake early, but happy. I actually get some things done.
He takes a 30 minute nap so I can shower.
Princess vomits roast beef outside the door, I step in it.
I put Sam in his Bumbo chair while I clean. Sam poops.
He poops 3 days worth of poop. Needs bath.
I need another shower.
Laundry is added to the to do list.

So, here I am. Blogging about my week while Sam sleeps off that incredible BM. I'm sure it will be comedy to me soon, but I think Ill have to catch up on some Zzz's before I laugh this one off.

...and scene.