Brand New

I just did my first newborn shoot and my subject could not have been more dapper. He is an amazing little one and I can't wait to see how he grows. His sister already seems to be a big fan.

Torturing Her Mom

This little angel's mom Tanya is dying to see their session photos. I am not holding out. I just want them to be perfect. Since she is a good friend of mine, I thought I would post this just to drive her a bit crazy. In the way that friends like to do.

Let It Be Known

Let it be known throughout the land that today was the first time I did the awful deed. It is the first time I said to one of my children "Your brother likes to . . . why don't you?" Oy! It's official. I have turned into my parents.

Just Another Day at the Office

11:00 pm: Go to sleep.1:00 am: Sam wakes up to nurse. 2:15 am: Ben climbs in our bed. 2:30 am: Josh takes Ben back to his bed. 2:35 am: Ben asks for me to lie down with him. I immediately fall asleep in his bed. 3:15 am: Sam wakes up to nurse. 6:00 am: Sam wakes up to nurse AGAIN. 7:00 am: Ben decides it is time to get up and comes in our room. Rise and shine!

The Flake

Okay. Now I've really done it. I had only one errand to run today. I needed to go to HEB and buy carpet cleaner because I woke up to doggie diarrhea ALL OVER THE FLOOR in the toy room. That's it! I am getting new floors if I have to sell myself on the streets. And we all know how scary THAT would be.So I leave to go to the store at noon, totally forgetting that my friend Tanya was coming by around noon today to pick something up. "Leave it at the door" she says. I figure, no, I want to see her. So what do I do? I don't leave it at the door AND I leave the house right when she is supposed to come over. For those of you who didn't know me in California I SWEAR I used to be organized, prompt, conscientious, all sorts of good things. And then I had children. I know, I know. Everyone uses their children to excuse the things they do. But I really used to have a good game. And I don't know if it's having kids and/or turning 40, but I see huge doses of Ginkgo Biloba in my future. I have been an oh so bad blogger lately and I have so much I want to post. I hope to catch up very soon, so stay tuned.

The Bare Naked Doggies

Yep. We did it. We had the dogs shaved for summer. And the groomer put these funny little scraves on them afterwards. Oh the humiliation level was HIGH. Sierra and Lula seem okay with it but Tucker won't show his face around these parts anytime soon. Park? I can't go to the park looking like THIS! I am NAKED!And ewww! Look how gross our carpeting is. Can we PLEASE get hardwood floors now Josh?

One of Those Days

Today was one of those days. The days that you feel like you worked really hard and at the end of it there is not much to show for it AND the dishes still aren't done. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.Josh came home with the boys and Ben came running in and asked me if I would come with him and Josh to his swimming lesson. Normally I just stay here and hang out with Sammy. I kind of like the peace and quiet and a little alone time with the baby. But I couldn't turn down my little man. So I lugged Sam and my camera to the Y and watched him learning to swim. He had such a good time. Sam and I sweated in the non-air conditioned room and I took photos while Sam ate my camera strap. Then we stopped by Whataburger. It was a special night indeed.

Doggie 911

I have been involved in two doggie rescues two days in a row. What are the odds of that? Yesterday Tanya, Daryl, Mia and I found Blue (pictured above) roaming the streets. We called her owner and no answer. Asked around and no one knew her. Luckily her owner came to get her. He had no lease and an untrained (but so sweet) dog. Not the sharpest tack in the jar. Then this morning I was driving back home and a cute Chow mix named Jenny was in the middle of the road. Called her owner and no answer. But I found her address on her tag and saw the gate ajar at that house, so I put her in the yard and shot the gate (*yes I CHANGED it!*). Tried the owner again and got her and she was very nice and appreciative. I know how she feels. Lula has taken to slipping out the doors undetected. We bought an anti-barking device that emits a high pitched noise when the dogs bark. Lula is terrified of it. It works. She doesn't bark, but now she tries to run away from the machine (which happens to be located in the house) at every opportunity. So our neighbors have brought her back twice now saying that she is lying in the road and they have almost run her down. Oh the shame. I feel like such a bad doggie owner at times like this. Hopefully finding Jenny and Blue will help my dog karma.

Laissez Les Bons Temps Roulez

On Saturday we went to one of the BEST kids birthday parties ever. Andrea's daughter Sophia turned two and boy do her parents know how to host a fete. They had a crawfish boil, which was a blast and yummy to boot. And there was a pinata, which the kiddos loved. And lots of beer, which I loved. This is just a small sampling of the oh so many photos I took. Thanks Andrea and Mike for one of the best times I have had in Texas.

Sneak Peek

I pretty much never do this. Post photos from a client shoot the same day. But I had so much fun with this trio that I couldn't help myself. These are three of my favorite people in Austin. We had such a nice evening together. And now I will always remember it.

G.I. Lame

I have never done anything by halves. I am the queen of all or nothing. I am either a total couch potato or in really good shape. And right now I am a big, huge potato. So with my impending visit back home I figured that I'd better get my butt in gear and I signed up for a boot camp at the Y at 6:00 in the morning. I know. Boot camp. What was I thinking?So I show up on time in my exercise gear that has not seen the light of day in a very long time. I am expecting a bunch of middle aged, overweight women, but no. It's a bunch of trim, 20ish women looking way too fit. And I instantly knew I was screwed. So we start with, what else but, jogging in circles in the gym. And I think "I am doing okay. I don't feel too bad. It's like riding a bike". And then the real fun starts. Suicide sprints, tricep dips, push ups, oh so many and oh so fast. All of a sudden I know what's coming. I am going to puke. It's been 30 minutes and I am already heading for the toilets. Quel wimp. So I go into the bathroom and do my business and the teacher follows me in and very nicely says that boot camp is for people who are already in an exercise routine and maybe I should start off more slowly. I've just had a baby...yada, yada. And she's right and I know she's right. But I am crazy and not so good with moderation. So I drive home the short mile between the gym and my house. I can barely drive. I am seeing double and then I start throwing up over and over again in my lap. Sorry you started reading this aren't you? I can't stop. I finally make it home and park the car cock-eyed in the driveway and stumble in the front door where I peel off my puke encrusted sweatshirt having already forgotten the tee shirt covered in vomit at the Y. Boy I really ruined some poor sap's day. I fell onto the entryway tile and lay there like a dead person and that's where Josh found me. Looking like a dead, beached whale. I then proceeded to sleep until 11:00 that morning. So if you see an overweight, middle aged, pasty faced woman next to you at the Y on the treadmill going really slowly (or more likely in the pool) be sure to wave.