Today I fell asleep in the middle of the hallway while my sweet husband finished bathing the girls and then tucked them in bed.
I will clearly never fully understand Mary's sacrifice to bring Christ to all of us. But this Christmas I cherish the reality that I too am tired, and round, and loving a precious little one who makes me so.
And I love, love the fact that my children can make that connection too.
It has been on my list FOREVER to put these photos up. I love these families, and the neglect doesn't correlate with the percentage of love that I feel. Swear.
It does, however, correlate with the percentage of round-ness in the mid section.
If you know what I mean.
What a special experience to work with this family and their sweet little V. 
With tears and a hidden face in my shirt:
"Moms are much more better than friends."
Be still my over hormoned heart.
I love. This. Girl.
To Do List Before Infant Comes To Town:
1. Redo living room.
2. Redo guest room.
3. Redo nursery.
4. Redo girls room.
5. Mend B's socks.
Mph, this list is way too long.5. Mend B's socks
This picture is going in the guest room. In the most lovely of beat up frames I can find.
So is this baby.
And don't worry too much about B's socks, which are seriously overrated.
1. babies
2. pink 
3. and an occupied uterus, so I can relive 1 and 2 all over again.
We love this family so much. Really, so so so so much. Lucky me for getting to take their pictures again.
You remember the time when you said something to your kids to make them start laughing? And then they started saying it over and over and over again until you're like "Okay! Never mind! It's not funny!"
Yah. That was awesome.
The End.
You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, and then you think about your lighting cause that's what it's all about. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!
When you take a picture, dear friends, before you even start to worry about your exposure, check your lighting.
Where is your light?
Do you have enough light?
Do you have too much?
How can you use your light to give you the effects that you want?
Pay attention to your light. Go outside and look at your beautiful baby's face. If she has shadows all over her face, don't take the picture there! Just don't do it. Baaaaaaaaad lighting.
Pop her under a tree with her back facing the trunk. Have her look up at you. Now that's gooooooood lighting. Nice and even and what is called "open shade". We love open shade. It makes eyes sparkle, like diamonds.
I love diamonds.
SOOC image (straight out of the camera) Chichi, in open shade. DIAMONDS!
SOOC image Queen NaNa, not so much. In fact, facing the opposite direction. She's naughty.
After a little bit of photoshop love: 
Think think think about your light. Look at your subject's face, make sure the lighting is even, and then pat your self on the back because you thought about your lighting. Awwwwwe, you missed the shot.
And give some love to open shade. Word.
Sometimes life gives us exactly what we need:
1.
2.
Pause..............
3.
And sometimes it comes with a theme song. Which B has been singing for 4 days straight.
I love it when he belts out "I'm an or-din-ary WOOOOOMAN with feeeeelings"
Dear people who have taken pitty on me and subcribe to this blog,
(Hi Mom!)
In the next few weeks I will be teaching a photography class (someone should have their head examined) and it's going to be all about the basics.
Your mission:
HuuLP Meh! Give me some pointers. What things would you like to know? What do you struggle with? And what sort of tutorials would you like to see on here?
Thanks! And for answering my question you'll get a personal comment from yours truly giving you a very enthusiastic thumbs up.
Also, the meaning of life.
A young miss who was supposed to be pondering the wickedness of her refusal to help her older sister clean up the toy room. Instead she found a great opportunity to catch up on some zs.
Would some one put me in a time out, please?
Also, thank you thank you to all the well wishers out there! I'm feelin' the love, people. This baby will be well squished, I can promise you that.
A few answers to some FAQs:
1. Yes, that is me in the photo.
2. No, I do not bite my nails. I like them short, short 'n sassy.
3. B took the photo. He nearly threw out his back crouching down low enough to get the right angle. Personal sacrifice, that's what a marriage is all about.
4. I'm feeling great. As strong as an ox. (If you see B tell him my back aches, my feet are blue, I might be having twins, and I'm in great need of homemade pancakes and caramel popcorn.)
5. With a side order of bubble bath.
6. I am due early February.
7. No! I can't hardly stand it! I am so happy. I just grin and hold my breath while I feel little thump thumps all day long. Lucky lucky me.
I miss Kristi.
I miss her so much that I haven't thought about poopy diapers in 3 weeks! That's how much Kristi I lack in my life. I loved Ivy's little poopy diapers.
One consolation is that she's online. A lot. I am so thankful for that.
The other day our chat conversation went something like this:
Kristi: Hey! I miss you so so much. How are you doing without me?
Ralphie: Bread! I love bread!
Kristi: I want to come back. Pleeeeheheheeease take me back!
Ralphie: I love rolls and pitas and naan and scones and
Kristi: Um. Hello?
Ralphie: and cinnamon rolls! Oh man I LURVE cinnamon rolls.
Then I proceeded to drowned her in links of picture upon picture of cinnamon rolls and cried on to my keyboard because I really wanted her to come over and make some with me. Which she would have, easily forgetting the fact that it was 10:00pm.
The next day I found these at my door:
With an accompanying note:
I am so grateful for good friends. I love it that Kristi was thoughtful enough to mention to Jeannie that I have been craving bread. And I am so humbled that Jeannie would take the time to make these most fantastic cinnamon rolls ever ever ever and sneak them over to my house.
What wonders good friendship does to a person. I feel comfortable, cozy, and very full of happiness and cinnamon rolls.
A couple of days ago I was desperate for something to give Miss Naughty to do.draw smiley faces on Chichi's stomach, arms and faceteach introductory class on booty shaking (still thinks this is hilarious, still waiting for the phase to be over, or not)stress out the neighbor's dog by barking back for 30 minuteseat bowls of sugar
It seems like when left to her own devices, my daughter is far too creative for the good of the human race.
So I grabbed the point and shoot and told her to take pictures of all her favorite things. Lots and lots of pictures, for hours if she wanted.
Um. Wow.
In no particular order, a few of Queen NaNa's favorite things:
Albus. "I could have been a contender."
Squeal inducing happiness.
Young impressionable girls love Barbie. Just look at Chichi's expression. "I'm enamoured."
Backpack.
A cookie with a strong will to live.
Duh.
The apple falls far from the tree.
Or not!
I asked and she said, "I don't know. I just love that picture Mom. I look great."
Successful booty dance instruction.
Ack!
And last, my personal favorite:
Pairs of missing shoes.
Delicious simple meals.
Obscure view of my feet.
