We're Back!

I've been a bad, bad, bad blogger :oP

Who knew that having an infant could be so time consuming?! Lol

Not only is he time consuming, but any "free time" that I do find myself with is already claimed by household chores and the very few leisure activities that I have left to enjoy. Between caring for Owen, doing the laundry (baby laundry included), washing the dishes (baby dishes included), cleaning the house, and squeezing in some hobbies here and there... I am quite overwhelmed.

First of all, here is a pic that was taken shortly after my last post:

A lot has gone on in our lives since that last post, which was [wow] over a month ago and was the announcement of Owen's birth! He has since celebrated his 1 month birthday and is currently preparing for his 2 month birthday!

He also celebrated his first Halloween!

Owen is 8 weeks old tomorrow and growing so fast, I can hardly believe it! He smiles now and not only can he lift his head and hold it fairly steady, but he can do a lovely little pushup during tummy time :o) He coos and "talks" to us, grabs our hands - he's got such a little personality already, a real little person.

A majority of those "leisure activities" that I mentioned before, has been learning to use our DSLR camera to take photos of my newest little model :o) I am trying to get the camera out as much as possible (I want to capture every little moment of his life) and improve on my amateur skills in the process. My current goal is to have a formal photo shoot with Owen each month, on top of his obligatory monthly birthday shot (see above).

Here some pics from his 1st month shoot:

I still cannot believe how much he's grown even since these pictures were taken! Looking back through all of his pictures, I can definitely see a difference - it's hard to see it from day to day, especially since I am his primary care taker and see him all day everyday - but other people notice a difference the minute they see him.

So for comparison, here are some pics from his 2nd month shoot:

We even got outside to take some fall pictures the other day:

I also like to think that you can see some minor improvement in my photography skills as well. Trying to learn about composition, my camera and practice in between caring for a 2 month old is quite challenging. But I think we're getting there, slowly but surely.

Not so much a testament to my photography skills alone, but we also recently attempted DIY family portraits. We hung a back drop, attached the tripod, and set the timer! Between my husband and I, this is what we were able to come up with:

(our absolute fave - we're very proud of this shot!)

My next project is Christmas photos :o)

I've already taken some of Owie alone, just for practice (coming soon) - several of them actually came out so well, that I may end up using them. I'll try for some more soon and hopefully get a couple holiday family shots as well. I need to start designing our holiday cards, if I have any intention of getting them out on time this year.

I am expanding my photography equipment this year and have purchased a few new toys as an early Christmas gift to myself :o) Most recently I have become the proud owner of a LightScoop, backdrop stand, clamps, several backdrop colors and props. With winter quickly approaching and the natural lightly disappearing just as fast, I am turning to portrait photography for practice. Hopefully by next spring, when the sun graces us with its presence once again, I will have improved my skills enough to really make use of the natural light and outdoor opportunities.

In other news - we've also been making great strides in our master bedroom remodel! Bottom line, we've begun painting and have ordered the carpet to be installed!!! We are hoping to be all finished, moved in, and living up there come Thanksgiving!!! I am sooooooooooo excited! With Owen came a lot more stuff around the house lol and we are quickly running out of space. This new bedroom (350 sq ft) will give us the extra breathing room that we so desperately need right now.

Just for a recap (since it's been so long) here is the journey our master bedroom has taken:

(this is how be bought the house - uninhabitable)

(so we gutted the place)

(and now we're building it back up again, the right way)

Hopefully I can post a finalized pic very very soon!!! It's come a long way - new electrical work and light fixtures, new walls, new railing, built-in shelving units, boxed in exhaust pole and chimney. I can't get over what a difference it has all made already, it's a whole new room. Now that we're putting paint on the walls, I can almost see us living up there!

Well...

That's our current life in a nutshell! I guess that wasn't so nutshell-ish, but you get the idea :o)

I promise to try and be a better blogger from here on out. My current goal is at least one post per week, but I will of course strive for above and beyond that ;o) With the impending holiday season upon us, this proves to be a challenge but I promise to try my best.