My first photo shoot

A few weeks ago I had the chance to photograph my friend's month-old daughter, Olivia; this was my first time doing any type of photo shoot for a kid that didn't belong to me.  Technically I was on bed rest when I took these, but I staged and photographed everything in my bedroom, so that should totally count for something as far as I'm concerned.

Once we figured out what made her happy/sleepy (hint: a full belly and a very warm room--I was sweating like a stuck pig), the photos practically composed themselves.

I still have so much to learn but I'm sure my little guy will give me plenty of practice opportunities as soon as he decides to make an arrival.

Olivia's big brother, Javier, joined in on the fun after spending most of the morning running around and playing with Sammy.  He's such a loving and sweet big brother--hopefully he'll give Sammy some pointers when the time comes.

Covering your tracks: pool noodle to shower door track cover

When we first moved in to our 1978 rental home in El Paso, I was charmed by its many quirks and design features, such as the lovely shell sinks and matching toilet seats in all of the bathrooms.  However, I quickly grew to hate the original sliding glass shower doors that were located in the guest bathroom (aka Sammy's bathroom as it houses the only tub in the joint).  Have you ever tried to bathe a mobile toddler when only half of the tub can be accessed at any one time?  Yeah, not so fun, especially when said toddler thinks its hilarious to go to the end that is just out of your reach and sit there laughing hysterically as you struggle to get to him.

Our initial solution to our bath-time dilemma was to remove the sliding glass doors, which was simple enough to do--they are currently leaning against the wall in our garage, collecting dust and waiting for the day that we move out so that they can be reinstalled.  While Captain Husband and I were now able to reach Sammy no matter where he might be in the tub, we were also faced with the rather unpleasant reality of just how uncomfortable it is to have to lean over those door tracks in order to play with and bathe Sammy during his tub time.  We tried placing towels on top of the tracks, but those usually slid off into the tub (or a certain toddler would pull them into to the tub, ahem), which left us not only uncomfortable but wet, too.

We had pretty much consigned ourselves to suffering with a painful midsection for the rest of Sammy's bath times until I had an "eureka" moment as I was strolling the aisles at Target--a pool noodle!  It was soft and water-resistant and just about the perfect size to totally cover up the tracks once it was split down the middle, which incidentally was the hardest part--I recommend taking a yardstick and then tracing along it with a sharpie to ensure a straight line from which to cut with an exacto knife or scissors.  I figured if the whole thing didn't work, I'd only be out the $1.50 it cost for the pool noodle.

My mom and Sammy tested out my new contraption last night and it was a rousing success; my mom was able to lean over the side of the tub comfortably (and stay dry) and the noodle is such a tight fit in the existing track that not even Sammy was able to budge it loose while he played.  Now if you excuse me, I'm off to go pat myself on the back a bit more for coming up with this ingenious (and cheap) solution.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: A trip to the zoo

{Yesterday was one of those rare days in El Paso where the temperature wasn't expected to climb above the low 90s and it was overcast for most of the morning--basically, it was downright pleasant outside, which is unusual for the end of July around these parts.  We had nothing planned for the day so I suggested that we head to the zoo and take in the sights while taking advantage of the break in the weather.}

{This parrot spent the better part of the morning perched like this and squawking loudly at anyone and anything that walked by; it was almost like he was saying, "HEY YOU!  CHECK OUT WHAT I CAN DO!  I BET YOU CAN'T DO PULL-UPS WITH YOUR TOES."}

{Sammy's favorite exhibit at the zoo is the sand cat display--he loves going up to the glass and talking to the "kitties."  I thought it was kind of funny to see the cardboard boxes and paper bags scattered amongst the more natural aspects of their enclosure; I guess all cats love curling up inside of boxes.}

{We then made our way over to the sea lion display so that we could all sit and relax for a bit (and enjoy a snack or two).  I could have sat and watched the sea lion's underwater ballet for hours; it was just so mesmerizing and hypnotic the way he moved through the water.}

{It's amazing how much different this trip to the zoo was compared to the last time that I took Sammy there in December; he's so much more aware of the different kinds of animals that were on display and was really putting two and two together based on what he remembered from his picture books about animals.  Plus Sammy is now tall enough that he can see over most of the fences and barriers, which I'm sure made the visit all the more interesting for him now that he can actually see the animals in their enclosures.  What a difference a few months makes!}

Looking for something?

I'm going to try something a little different with the blog for the next few months...For the last two years, I've gotten into the habit of posting something every day during the regular work week.  But with baby #2 on the horizon (and no longer breech, hooray!), I think it would make the most sense if I start cutting back now rather than trying to keep up with the schedule that I'd established for myself.  So to that end, I'm only going to be posting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (unless something happens that's just so awesome that it can't wait until then).  Hopefully by scaling things back now before the baby arrives, I won't feel so pressured to keep up with everything while I'm juggling two kids at once.  I know I didn't really get into a true rhythm with Sammy until about two months after he was born, so I'm going into this whole second baby thing expecting more of the same.  Thanks for understanding!

Snooze fest

Hey everyone--guess who's back, off of bed rest and still pregnant?  This gal!  I've spent the last two weeks in my bed with a few visits to the kitchen for some goodies here and there and it appears that all of my good behavior has done the trick--no more surprise visits to the hospital since the Fourth of July, yay!  Now that I'm full term, my doctor has allowed me to take up some limited activity here and there, although I'm still trying to take it easy--I'm in no rush to go into labor after all.   All of this rest and and taking it easy means that there's not really all that much new and exciting going on around these parts, although I have managed to organize and prepare all of Sammy's baby clothing for his little brother.  So what have you been up to these past two weeks?

The best of all medicines is resting

Well, I'm home again and on strict doctor's orders to take it easy and stay in bed as much as possible for the next two weeks.  No one seems to know why this kid is so adamant about making an early arrival; granted, I don't have much longer to go before I'm considered full term at thirty-seven weeks, but I'd like to let baby #2 cook for as long as possible (and hopefully give him time to flip around from the breech position he seems to like so much).  Because I'm going to be limited to such fun activities like showering, using the bathroom and surfing the web, I think it's best if I take another impromptu blogcation, unless you guys really want to see a series of my feet artfully photographed from my recumbent position in bed for the next two weeks.  I'll definitely be using my down-time to catch up on all of your blogs, so you won't be rid of me entirely.  I'll also try to post updates on facebook and instagram from time to time because I'm hopelessly addicted to social media and can't go completely cold turkey for that long of a period.  Here's hoping that I'm still pregnant when I'm back in two weeks--see you then!

Hmmm, this seems familiar

I spent last night in the hospital again; early contractions were the culprit once more.  I was given injections to slow things down, as well as steroid shots to help the baby's lung development on the off chance that he decides to arrive before he's full term.  I don't know what triggered things this time around, as I've been taking it very easy the past week and staying well-hydrated, but I have the feeling that the double whammy of a full moon and a sizable thunderstorm late Tuesday night may have something to do with it.  I'm rather curious as to what the doctor will have to say when he comes to see me today and will do my best to keep you guys posted.  Thanks for keeping me and my family in your thoughts!

Sewing machines

{With my mom here, I've definitely noticed a drastic increase in the amount of sewing going on in this house.  It's just so nice having someone else to work with, especially when that other someone can cut out patterns because you're too cumbersome to get down on the floor any more.  It also helps that a bunch of friends are expecting babies or just recently had babies, so I've got a lot of gifts to finish up and send off--my mom and I have been turning out blankets and car seat canopies like an assembly line.}

{We haven't forgotten about Sammy, though--my sewing skills still revolve primarily around sewing straight lines, but my mom is considerably more advanced, so she's making Sammy a pair of summer shortalls, complete with a pocket embellished with a vintage Grover iron-on.  He's going to be stylin'.  What projects are you working on?}

Hangin' with grandpa

My father-in-law came down on Friday for a four-day visit and Sammy just ate up the extra attention (not that he's been hurting for any since my mom's been here).  There was a lot of running and jumping and all sorts of playing going on in the house, especially since Captain Husband had a long holiday weekend to spend with us, too.  The three of them ran countless laps around the house while my mom and I looked on and laughed--I think my father-in-law is going to need a vacation to recover from this vacation.

I'm so glad that our families are able to come and visit us, even if it's only for a little bit; my dad is coming down for a visit in about a week--Sammy's going to go into grandpa overload!

On my mind

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but it's a cute moment between Sammy and my mom that I wanted to share with you guys.  So, on to the post:

Last week's surprise visit to the hospital still has me somewhat rattled...I thought having had one kid already would make me a pro at this whole baby bit, but this go-round has been so completely different than from being pregnant with Sammy that I honestly don't know what to expect and that has me a bit scared.  I'm thirty five weeks and some change today and this baby is breech, which has me trying to come to terms with the fact that I may very well have to undergo a c-section if he doesn't flip around soon...especially if I find myself experiencing early labor issues again.

I've been trying to take things easy since Monday--my doctor gave me orders to stay on bed rest for a few days following my discharge from the hospital, which I did (even though all that rest seemed to do was make me feel tired all of the time).  I've got an appointment to see my doctor today and hopefully that will go well, although I'm afraid that he might tell me I need to really get serious about staying off of my feet for the next few weeks, but if that's what it takes to keep this baby happy and healthy, then I'll do it.  Thankfully my mom is here to help out with Sammy now that I'm no longer able to lift him or get him into his car seat.  He's been handling my diminished activity level pretty well, although it does break my heart a bit to have to tell him no every time he asks for me to pick him up for a quick hug.

I know things have a way of working out so I'm trying not to dwell too much on the what ifs surrounding this pregnancy, even though lying in bed for most of the day kind of gives a person a lot of time to think.  Phew--thanks for listening, everyone; it felt good to get some of this out.