5 Things That Make Me Drool

No this is not an early hint for Christmas, it's just a few non-baby related things that I think would be nice. It's actually fun to look forward to getting things that you can't afford now, but hope that someday you can. I feel sorry for people who make so much money there's nothing left for them to dream about. Anyone else have a list like this in their heads?

Normally this might not be necessarily on the top of the list except for the fact that my back hurts so much now. Ironically the time that I most want to relax in a jacuzzi is the exact time when I can't because the hot water may hurt the baby. A jetted tub's a different story though because I can set the temperature myself and make sure it's not too warm. Also one drawback to being tall is that with our current tiny bathtub I fold myself at awkward angles to fit into it and even then only about half of my body can fit under the water. Realistically of course it would be a long time if ever that we could afford one of these, but if I get desperate enough I may convince Derek to book a weekend getaway in a hotel that has one. Ahhhh.

The Nikon 55-200mm VR has gotten some great reviews for photo quality and has awesome zoom capabilities which is great for me as I tend to like close, detailed shots. Better yet it has vibration reduction which means that I can get clear photos without needing a tripod in lower light settings. One of the biggest flaws with my pictures is blurriness caused by camera shake because I don't have a tripod. At $220 it's one of the less expensive lenses available so it will probably be my next camera purchase.

Okay, so I probably could afford this one, but $40 seems like a lot to spend on 1 pan. Still, we got a set of these for our wedding that I really love. They're heavy, but they cook so evenly and nicely. The only drawback is that it only came with 1 saucepan and sometimes it really would be nice to use 2 at once. Unfortunately it never goes on sale but eventually I may just break down and get it anyway.

We have a space above our stove for a microwave, but no microwave to put there. It would really be nice considering that we don't have much counter space and that would free some up. Also our stove doesn't have a fan above it and buying a new range hood would cost as much or more than a microwave.

A Mediterranean cruise. Do I really need to elaborate more on this one?

The Final Stretch (Literally)

Now that I'm officially into my 3rd trimester I thought I'd post a pregnancy update as well as a picture of my growing waistline as requested by some of you. I had another ultrasound that showed not only that baby still appears to be healthy, but that he's also grown 2 weeks ahead of schedule (up until now he's measured exactly on target). If he keeps it up we can expect him to be pretty big which would be no surprise considering my family history.

The couple months of having energy and feeling relatively normal I had are now a thing of the past. It doesn't help that between an aching back, overactive bladder, and baby's nighttime acrobatic routine I think I spend more time tossing and turning than sleeping. And if you try to imagine how easy it would be to toss and turn with a bowling ball strapped to your stomach it might give you an idea of what a workout sleeping has become. Veteran moms have tried to console me with phrases that begin with "If you think you're tired now..." but somehow knowing that my next good night's sleep may be a year or more away isn't very comforting.

Truthfully though I really don't have much cause to complain. I may not be comfortable or well-rested, but I also haven't had any complications or problems that any other pregnant woman doesn't experience. And so far both baby and I are healthy which is really the important thing.

Finally, I'm planning on sending announcements/holiday cards but I need to update my mailing list. If you have moved in the past 3 years or are not sure if I have your address, please email me at aweil06@gmail.com if you would like to get an announcement. Thanks.

Compact Camera vs SLR

Last year, as many of you already know I became really interested in photography. Even though my pictures are far from perfect I do enjoy learning and experimenting with photography. Once people find out about my hobby I'll get questions about cameras, specifically digital SLRs. Lots of people figure that a more expensive camera will make getting good photographs easier which is absolutely not true. To tell the truth I still struggle to create an exposure with my Nikon D-80 that is as good in quality as a regular compact camera would do. In fact, the above picture was one I actually took with Derek's compact camera. Since it's something I get asked about somewhat frequently I figured I'd post a quick blurb about the 2 camera types and the pros and cons of each for any who are interested (if not just ignore this post).

Compact cameras are the standard kind pretty much everyone owns. Their main advantage is how easy they are to use. Whether digital or film basically all you need to do is frame your shot and press a button. The camera automatically adjusts all the settings for you and usually creates a pretty decent exposure, especially if there's enough light to avoid using flash. Most cameras actually do allow you to do some minor tweaking such as changing the white balance (warmer vs cooler tones), but most people don't want to bother with reading the instructions to find out how. Also as their name implies, compact cameras are much smaller and lightweight. Many can even be carried around in your pocket. Obviously this is much more convenient, especially in situations where carrying a large camera around your neck is either cumbersome or embarrassing.

Compacts have a huge advantage in regards to cost. You can find really good quality compact cameras for around $130-170 and if you pay much more than $250 or so you're probably overpaying for meaningless features such as unneeded megapixels. Just to give you an idea, a decent entry-level SLR with a basic kit lens will cost upward of $500. Additional lenses can range from under $200 to over $1000. If you add tripods, filters, flash equipment, and countless other accessories you can see why many professional photographers actually struggle to break even with the cost of their equipment. Of course you don't need all of those things, especially while you're still learning. My photographic equipment extends to the camera and kit lens which has been great for learning. The kit lens isn't ideal, but that forces you to pay extra attention to your technique. Also I have a much better idea what lenses would be most useful to buy now I'm more familiar with my shooting style.

Despite the high cost and decreased convenience, I really do enjoy using an SLR. For one thing you have precise control over depth of field, focus, shutter speed, white balance, etc which provides more room for creative expression. It's also easier to avoid using flash indoors or in lowlight settings. Flash can often cause unnatural glare or shadows or may startle young children or animals. Also in some settings flash isn't allowed or your subject is too far away, so it definitely is an advantage not to have to rely on it. Unlike a digital point-and-shoot which generally has a few seconds lag time between depressing the shutter and actually taking the picture, an SLR captures the shot almost instantaneously which is an obvious advantage for moving subjects. Also as was mentioned before you can change out the lenses based on what you are shooting. But of course before you can do any of these things you have to take the time to study the fundamentals of photography and read user guides and manuals and then practice a lot.

Whew, sorry that's such a long post and I hope I haven't bored you all. Really that just scratches the surface, but the bottom line is this: If you're really interested in spending more time taking pictures and learning about photography you might want to consider getting an SLR, but if you don't have the time or interest a pricier camera will probably be disappointing and a waste of money.

Inside and Out

What do painting your bathroom and planting shrubs both have in common. It depends on your point of view. If you are like Derek they are both unnecessary projects and a complete waste of time. On the other hand, if you are like me they are both imperative items on a rather large preparing for baby checklist. While at first they may appear to have nothing whatsoever to do with caring for an infant, the reasoning is quite simple. These tasks have long needed to be done but we could never find the time. I figure that if we can't find the time before becoming parents, we never will afterward and therefore better get done before.

The bathroom was our first project. The walls were all a boring off-white with mildew stains and peeling paint. At first I'd planned to paint the top of the chair rail blue and the bottom white, but as we were almost finished with the blue paint I realized this had been a mistake because it made our closet-sized bathroom look even smaller and darker. So we started over (and covering blue paint is a huge pain), but it looks much better this way and was definitely worth the extra work.Our flowerbeds have been our other major project of the past couple weeks. When we first moved in all the flowerbeds were completely overrun with weeds and filled with old landscaping fabric. Of course this all had to be completely dug up before anything new could be planted. My in-laws have helped us a lot with this when they've been out to visit, but there were still a couple beds in our back yard that we hadn't gotten around to. Also we had a pretty rough winter and a few plants didn't make it and some of those that did needed to be moved.

Derek was nice enough to rip up the 2 beds out back and transplant the cranberry bushes from under our front windows to there. The cranberries looked nice enough, but I wanted something that would grow tall enough to hide the faded bricks under the front window so we planted some baby shrubs in their place. Then there were some flowers that would have looked nice except they always looked wilted and dry, even with the sprinklers. Since I'm not the type to remember to water anything by hand I moved them to a shadier spot and planted some more drought resistant flowers in their place. It's kind of fun to see how tiny our new plants look to last year's. I hadn't realized until now how much they've actually grown.

Where Babies Come From

Recently my sister and her two boys came out to Utah. We had a lot of fun. We camped in Heber for my Dad's family reunion and Michelle and the boys stayed with us for a couple days to take advantage of our city's annual summer festival, complete with a carnival, parade, and fireworks.

At just under 1 year, Matthew was unable to appreciate most of the festivities, but he did test out our newly furnished nursery. We're glad to report that our baby's crib can safely accommodate a sleeping baby without major mishap. He also was happy to show off his new walking skills for us and demonstrate that the rest of our home is nowhere near baby proof yet (luckily nothing was damaged though).

Brian, age 4, on the other hand loved everything although I think the carnival rides were his favorite. He also was very fascinated by the idea that Aunt Angela has a baby in her tummy. For the rest of their trip he barraged me with questions about his little baby cousin. One such conversation went somewhat like this:

"Aunt Angela, do you have a baby in your tummy?"
"Yes, Brian."
"Is it a baby boy cousin?"
"Yes, he will be your cousin."
"Is the baby going to come out?"
"Yes, in December."
"Where will he come out?"
"Um... "
"Is he going to come out at the hospital?"
"Oh yeah. That's where. Babies come out at the hospital (whew!)"

It just makes me wonder just how many parents jump into long explanations of where babies come from when their kids are really asking something much simpler. I've always said with my own kids I'll be honest and straightforward when the dreaded questions come, without any confusing stories about storks or birds and bees, but only after I'm darn sure what it is they want to know.

The Ultimate Kitchen Accessory

How many people have you known to say, "Gee, I love my kitchen except that we have way too much cupboard space." Probably not many. It seems that no matter how large the kitchen, extra cupboard space is always welcome. That's why it's so amazing to me that pot racks are so underused.

They not only free up cupboard space, they make pots much, much easier to get to. You don't have to empty out the entire cupboard to get that bottom pot in the back because they're all hanging and easily accessible. Plus a rack full of gleaming pots definitely looks nicer than a blank wall. Decor that's functional in addition to looking nice is doubly great. Of course if your pots are old and rusty with teflon flaking off they probably won't add much to your decor, but what better excuse to get nice new ones?

Pot racks can be pricey, but they don't have to be. The above picture shows the rack haning in our kitchen that we found online for around $50 and IKEA has a basic model starting at $20-30. So for anyone who wants to free up some cupboard, I highly recommend considering a pot rack.

The Halfway Mark

I am now in my 20th week of pregnancy which any woman who's been pregnant knows means I'm halfway through. It also means that I'm feeling better than I ever have since becoming pregnant or ever will until long afterward. Sure my tummy's expanded to the point where my regular jeans won't cut it anymore, even with an elastic to close the waist (luckily Old Navy has tall sized maternity clothes!), and my ability to lift just isn't what it used to be. Really though I feel pretty close to my non-pregnant self. I have energy again and my appetite is definitely back with a vengeance.

I've decided to take advantage of this "eye of the storm" to get as much ready for the baby as I possibly can. The baby's room's painted and we've set up his crib and dresser/changing table. One problem still to be solved though is that we live in an older house and have lead paint chips on the window sills and in the bathroom that have to be sanded down and then spackled and painted over. Being pregnant, I of course have to defer at least the sanding to Derek and wait until he has the time to do it so I've reached somewhat of an impasse which is frustrating considering how much energy I have at the moment.

Everything is looking good as far as the baby goes though which is a relief. He passed his 20 week ultrasound with flying colors and is quite an active baby with lots of kicks and movements. I've been feeling him move for quite a while now, but last night Derek felt it too for the first time. I'm not counting the time a couple of weeks ago he got pretty excited over feeling my tummy growl. That's the pregnancy update for now. Hopefully in 20 more weeks we'll have some much more exciting news to share.