Posted by Alli on April 5, 2009
Damon took this picture of me yesterday and it is the first picture of me where I feel like I look like myself again. As a result, I feel like things are normalizing and evening out in a good way. Sure, I still feel sleep deprived (falling asleep in the church nursery after nursing Tebow is a pretty good indication), but there are small things I’m acknowledging and adjustments I’m making in order to pave the way to my “new normal.”
For one thing while I have been missing my solid 8 hours of sleep each night, I must also acknowledge I have adjusted my caffeine intake to way less than before Tebow. So, less sleep plus less daily caffeine may have a bit more of a negative effect than I realized.
Another thing I’m acknowledging is how I’m allowing myself to be paralyzed by the variable named Tebow. Once he’s fed, I’ve kind of just been sitting there not know what he’s going to do next. So my adjustment is to feed him and then get moving to the next thing. I can put him down or wear him while I attempt chores or focus on Fuller.
It feels good to feel a little bit like I’m more in control and moving forward in our new normal.
Posted by Alli on March 28, 2009
Last June I was celebrating my brand new appendage- the Nikon D40. It was something I had been coveting for quite some time. And since it was a gift, it was even more special. I remember sitting around, thumbing through the manual and just wishing I could have a magic digital photography Genie pop up every time I wanted to ask a question about how to get the outcome I wanted. I think I would call her Pixie. Yes, a Genie named Pixie. It works, right?
I digress.
I remember sitting in my kitchen and taking these pictures:
It was press the button, turn a dial, press another button, look at the LCD screen, press the button, look again, turn the page… over and over again. And it was fun!
While having an artistic eye for lining up a shot is important, understanding your artist’s tool is important too. Taking pictures over and over, being ok with having lots of crappy shots, and even just going back to shooting in Auto for a while is part of the learning process. And it isn’t always an instant process. I just figured out white balance a few days ago! And there is still so much more to learn.
The point of all of this is while I am still wishing for my Genie named Pixie, there are opportunities out there for people to learn from experts and maybe learn a bit more quickly. One of those opportunities comes from the folks at Digital Days, a traveling photo workshop. The prices are totally reasonable and they cover the country, so you might find one near you.
I found out about Digital Days through my friend Drew because he is hosting a photo contest where the winners get passes to attend one of the Digital Days two-day workshops. And while you would think I would be entering, I’m not. (Nursing a baby is more my priority these days.) Instead, I’m one of the judges!
So, if you think you would like to wow me with your best shot, head over to Drew’s blog and get the details. (You have to join the Ben Spark’s Digital Days Photo Contest group on Flickr to upload your best picture.)
The contest ends on March 31st. When posting your picture, make sure you include the city where you would like to attend the workshop. One entry per person.
I’m so looking forward to this!
[tags]digital days, digital photography, BenSpark, photography contest[/tags]
Posted by Alli on March 26, 2009
After a decent night with almost the right amount of sleep, I did a spontaneous thing and took the boys to the Creative Discovery Museum. It was a delightful trip, where Fuller enjoyed himself, we enjoyed each other, and Tebow behaved beautifully.
What made it even more delightful, besides just being out of the house, was picking up the camera again. I have traveled twice in this month, which is always exciting for new subjects to capture in megapixels. But going back to a place I have been to before and finding new ways to shoot, it was kind of exciting.
(Here’s where it might get boring if digital photography doesn’t make your fingertips tingle.) I recently learned more about white balance and even more importantly, I learned how to do it manually. It seemed to be the piece of the puzzle I was missing when shooting pictures in the Creative Discovery Museum.
Example… which is the better picture?
Ok, both of them have problems. But the one I prefer is the bottom one (the first one was shot on auto). And the more I experimented with settings, resetting the white balance in different areas of the museum. It made me feel a little bit more like myself.
P.S. Since I might have looked a little silly taking a picture of a white space, I think someone needs to get me this lenscap.
P.P.S You can see my pictures from today on flickr.
Posted by Alli on March 25, 2009
I’ve always heard the transition from one kid to two kids is hard. I’ve also heard the transition from two kids to three kids is easy.
I would like to go ahead and request we have our third child so I can get to the easy.
Being part of the parenting team of two kids- a four year old and a one month old- is pretty much kicking my butt. Instead of a foot, the weapon is sleep deprivation. Sure, I get some sleep, in blocks of an hour or two, but it isn’t the same. And during the day, when Tebow sleeps better, I spend those minutes trying to get stuff done or focus on Fuller.
However, since Tebow is a second child, I have been able to visualize the future and know this will get better. It won’t be exactly how it was with Fuller, but things will normalize in some way. So when it’s 2 a.m. and I’m holding a Tebow who would prefer to cry instead of sleep (and I’m crying along with him), I’m also telling myself it will get better. And at 7 a.m. my proof will open his bedroom door.
Posted by Alli on March 17, 2009
Well, this digital mom didn’t mean to be on national TV and then suddenly disappear off the blogosphere. After the Today Show segment aired, our family packed up and went on our family vacation to the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament. It was in Tampa this year, which was a wonderfully warm treat.
The hotel we were in had internet fees of $15 a day and we refused to pay that, neglecting our blogs until we returned home. And today being the first full day home, I knew it would be a bit rough, so I didn’t plan any big blog stories about what did or didn’t happen on our trip.
Taking a vacation with a three week old isn’t all fun and games, and recovering from traveling with a three week old is a bit worse than that. I spent most of the day holding and feeding Tebow, while trying to keep Fuller occupied and not neglected. Tomorrow should be better, but only if I head to bed right now.
Posted by Alli on March 9, 2009
I’m very happy with the editing and amount of Tebow they showed. And, I didn’t look too bad for someone who gave birth a week and half before this was filmed! My mom called me to tell me how pretty I looked, so that made for a great morning.
Posted by Alli on March 8, 2009
Today I stayed in my PJs until one-ish. Then I took my shower and changed into clean PJs. Around 5 I decided Fuller had to get some outside time, so I put on real clothes, put Tebow in the Baby Bjorn, and headed to the park.
I felt kind of like a super mom, dealing with two kids at the park. One I had to nurse, the other had to be encouraged, disciplined, helped, and loved. We stayed out for an hour, enjoying the warmth and fresh air.
As the days go by, maybe I will get the hang of this two kid lifestyle.
Posted by Alli on March 7, 2009
This morning our family went out for some errands and fun. I took Tebow with me to Wal-Mart, his first non-church outing. He slept in the Baby Bjorn the entire time, which was perfect, because really, I was living on the edge.
We left the house with Tebow in his car seat, and nothing else. I didn’t bring diapers, wipes, a nursing cover, or anything. We had the pacifier and a blanket, and that was all.
I was a little appalled at myself for heading out the door that way. I guess it shows how many years it has been since we had a newborn. Or it shows how confident I was in knowing my son, thinking he wouldn’t need any of those things. But, I’m pretty sure it just shows how sleep deprived I am and I totally wasn’t thinking.
Fortunately, he was fine and slept for about an hour longer after returning home. I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again, but it will probably be a while before it does.
Posted by Alli on March 6, 2009
This past Monday I was holding on to a little secret. We were expecting some special company, which meant we needed to have a clean house and I needed to be wearing something other than postpartum pajamas. Fortunately my house was in a mostly clean state since my mom had recently been visiting/ cleaning/ cooking. And on Sunday I ventured out to find clothes that fit me and looked presentable.
The special company was a kind gentleman from NBC representing The Today Show and he was there to interview me on being a “Digital Mom.” When I told Damon the interview would be about that, he concurred, “Yup, you are definitely a digital mom.” (That may not be a direct quote, but it was his sentiment.)
My digital mom qualifications are: I have two blogs (this one and our family blog), am active on twitter, facebook, flickr, and a few forums. I spend around six hours a day online. (This actually has gone up recently because I sit in my recliner and flit around on the internet while nursing Tebow. It might go down as we pick up our homeschool efforts with Fuller.)
Yet, with those qualifications, I think I am on the low end of being a digital mom. There are plenty of other moms who are way more involved with the online world than I am. Some with four or five blogs, more hours in front of the internet, thousands of followers on twitter, and possibly making a living from their efforts.
Maybe one of them should have been interviewed, but the Today Show reached out to me! In response I said, “Sure! Bring your camera into my home! I just had a baby two weeks ago, so I’m sure I will look great and make complete sentences in my sleep deprived state.” (Again, not an exact quote, but it was my sentiment.)
All this is to say, please watch the Today Show on Monday, March 9th from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. I have no idea exactly when it will air, so just bring your coffee and breakfast in front of the television and enjoy three hours with Matt, Meredith, Ann, and Al. Eventually, you will get to see me!
Posted by Alli on March 5, 2009
Adjustments and acknowledgements
