2 Months Old! Growing So Fast

Well, it has been a while since I updated on Tristan. My little man is not so little anymore. Today he is two months old. As of yesterday, he weighed 12 lbs, 7.5 oz and measured 24 inches long. He is growing so much every day.

Tristan smiles so much now and giggles and laughs. He has a whole vocabulary of little sounds and coos. He loves his play mat, especially the little black and white musical cat that hangs over his head. That thing will get some really cute smiles out of him and always holds his attention. He gets stronger every day during tummy time and hold his head higher, steadier and longer all the time. Everyone is really impressed with his strength. He holds his head up so well, tries to support his own weight on his legs, holds his head in line with his body when you lift him up by his arms, and has started doing little mini sit-ups (well that's what I call them) He is getting smart, too. He knows that when I say "Are you ready?" it means I am going to pull him up and he braces himself and starts to pull himself up all by himself. And he likes to play this game in the car seat with his pacifier. He sucks on it for a moment then looks right at me and spits it out, then he gets this huge smile on his face. I put the pacifier back in, suck, suck, suck, patooie! And every time he looks at me with this cheeky little grin on his face.

Better than all of that is that he recognizes me now. He sees my face and he just lights up with a huge smile on his face. It makes me feel like the most special person in the world. I cannot express enough how much I love my little boy! He is growing up so much and I am loving it. I always look forward to his next big milestone or achievement, and all the little ones in between.

My little man the day before 2 months.



Practise Makes Perfect

And now for some photos from this morning's shoot with my son. I got some good ones that I am really quite proud of. No editting involved.

I just love his expression in these this one and the one below. He is such a silly, happy, little baby. He is cuddling the bear I made him in these pictures, too. Okay, I lie, the bear was just kind of there. I had a hell of a time trying to get him to hug it, but he just refused to keep his arms around the darn bear. Hahaha! I just wish I had a reflector to take away those shadows.

Practise Makes Perfect: These two (top and bottom) are my favourites from the shoot. Same picture, just one in colour and one converted to black and white. I love them both. I will definitely be printing then off and hanging them in my house! The exposure is a bit high, but I love it in this particular picture. It makes his skin look all soft and creamy and perfect. It looks like a real, professional, newborn photo. These are the kind of pictures I want to be able to take all the time.

Not quite as in focus as the others. He kept moving. Wiggly little worm. But who cares, I just can't resist that face and that crazy hair. <3

All in all, I think it was a successful shoot. The background of my couch in some of the pictures is a bit distracting and takes away from the pictures, though. I really can't wait until I can get some back drops and props. I've been scoping out some sites and already have a list of what I want. However, practical equipment comes first and that means no props until I get the important stuff, like a reflector and maybe a flash with a soft box, and definitely photoshop. I want to take my pictures as natural and unaltered as possible, but sometimes you need that little something extra that altering can give. I don't know very many photographers who don't alter in some way, even if it's just a little. 

Vent

Can I just say how discouraged I am by the number of photographers in this area? I mean, it is a ridiculous number for a small town. Twenty, that I have counted, and plenty more that I have missed. How is anyone supposed to make a living in this place?

Obviously, I am not quite ready to start a business of my own. I'm still just learning, getting the feel for things. I have a long way to go and it will be a while before I am doing paid shoots. But, one day (hopefully by next summer), I do want to have my own business and make a living from what I love. And when that time comes, I want to be able to actually get a job or two without undercutting everyone else.

Photography

I've been working pretty hard on improving my photography. I really want to get serious about it. I would love to take an online course this fall, but I'm not sure if that will happen. For now, I am just working with what I have. It is frustrating sometimes. I often feel limited by my equipment (bad excuse?). However, I do think I am improving.

These are some of the pictures I have taken of Tristan in the last couple of weeks.

I love this photo, just because it looks like they are really having a conversation.

I loved doing the shoot outside. I hope that when (and if) I get in to newborn photography I have some parents who will let me do outdoor shoots. I just love the effect.

These were from a practise/recce shoot I did the other day. I was getting a feel for the location of my husband's brother's wedding and testing out some shots. My patient husband and son graciously modelled for me. Haha.

Experimenting with my new 50mm f/1.8 lens that Erik surprised me with. There were a lot of bad shots from this shoot. It's hard getting used to a prime lens when you are so used to the zoom. But there were a couple of decent ones, too.

The second shoot with the 50mm. Much better results. :)

 I still need work. There is always room for improvement. However, I can see the improvement and I can see potential. I really think that I have found what I want to do as a career, a living. I've always been told to find what you love and then find a way to make money doing it. Well, I love photography and I think I want to be a photographer.

Little Fowler

Just a few of the pictures we took of Tristan in the owl hat I made him. 

Week 10: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

GAH! Hated making these! I hate making pancakes in general, so these were ten times worse...

But, they did taste delicious according to my husband and my brother, so I guess that counts for something.

Since all I ever do anyway, is copy and paste the recipe, I'm just going to give the link here: http://simplefeasts.tumblr.com/post/10451146385/mohopgold-cinnamon-roll-pancakes-yield-4

And here are the delicious, but PITA, pancakes.

The first attempt. Why is the first attempt always an epic fail? I burnt this one while I was taking pictures of it!

Much better.

I made these for Father's Day (Erik's 1st!) and he loved them. As did my brother. I was too angry at the pancakes to make myself one, so I couldn't tell you how they tasted, but judging by the reactions of the men folk, they were pretty damn good.

For those of you who are not inept at making pancakes, this is definitely a must try recipe. However, I don't think I will be making them again any time soon... or any kind of pancake for that matter!

Week 12: Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

Okay, this was made quite a while back. I've been so wrapped up in my little man that I haven't posted it yet. This was Week 12 of 52 Weeks of Pinterest.

Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

Ingredients

• 10 ounces dried cheese-filled tortellini (2-1/2 cups) or two 9-ounce packages refrigerated tortellini

• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, halved crosswise

• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1/3 cup chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed

• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 cup milk

• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese or light cream cheese (Neufchatel), cubed and softened

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

• 1 small red or green sweet pepper, coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook tortellini in boiling salted water according to package directions, adding the carrot during the last 5 minutes of cooking and the sugar snap peas during the last 1 minute of cooking; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat margarine or butter in a 12-inch skillet. Add chicken and mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet.

3. Shake together chicken broth, oregano, flour, garlic salt, and pepper in a screw-top jar until smooth. Add to skillet along with milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; add cream cheese. Cook and stir until cream cheese is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Add pasta mixture, chicken mixture, tomatoes, and sweet pepper. Toss to coat. Turn into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole.

4. Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Stir mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Transport in an insulated carrier. Makes 12 main-dish serving

Sorry I didn't feel like summarising, so this is copied and pasted right from the Better Homes and Gardens website. http://www.bhg.com/recipe/poultry/tortellini-and-garden-vegetable-bake/

So, I can't take credit for making this as my Mum was the one who did. Also, I can't quite remember the changes that we made, but I do know there were a few omissions. What I can say is that it was delicious and I loved it! I will definitely be keeping this recipe around for a nice summer day! Yummy :)