18 weeks and baby ponderings

18 weeks means 6 more days until our gender ultrasound.
18 weeks means my belly is finally growing... although to most I just look chubby... not pregnant.
18 weeks means we are ALMOST half way there
18 weeks means the baby is getting BIG!
18 weeks also means I've been pondering a lot of baby things...

Our Nursery Bedding

Source: buybuybaby.com via Peyton on Pinterest

Cute Baby Poses

Source: iheartfaces.com via Peyton on Pinterest

Nursery Decor

Source: etsy.com via Peyton on Pinterest

And of course....

Boy??

Source: flickr.com via Samantha on Pinterest

or Girl??

Source: None via Leah on Pinterest

17 weeks

17 weeks equals a scattered brain and a splitting headache that I can't shake.

17 weeks equals refusing to wear pants. No no, I don't run around half naked.  I just wear skirts or dresses.  Maybe I should invest in maternity pants...

17 weeks equals giddiness about finding out in a few days what our baby is.

17 weeks equals wishing I got to spend more time with my husband.

Chelsea and Troy's Wedding

Here are some pictures from Chelsea and Troy's wedding.  I've been playing with them in Lightroom and I'm now officially obsessed with it.  Prior to today I felt totally lost in it... but I'm loving it now! I also feel like I know a lot more about photoshop after today and I can't wait to put my new photography skills into place along with my editing skills! 

Workshop Day 1

Just got done with day one of my photography workshop.

I loved getting to learn from Jennifer aka MckMama all sorts of tips and tricks to take great pictures.

For instance, how to take pictures of water:

How to take pictures of people jumping:

And my favorite... the blurry background!

Most crazy thing of all is that I shot for 4 hours in manual!! So awesome! 

Also I'm a celebrity now! 

Check out her blog and see if you can spot me!

Drum Roll Please....

We have reached a verdict...

The baby names are....

For a girl:
Madelynn Anne 
Significance: Lynn is my mom's middle name and Ann is William's mom's middle name.


For a boy:
Levi Christopher
Significance: Christopher is my dad's middle name.

Guess what I get to do this weekend?!

I'm so excited that I have to share!!

I just got an email saying room opened up in a photography workshop this weekend! I tried to get into it a few weeks back, but it was full.  But now I get to go!! I'm so excited!

Saturday will be a 4 hour workshop on shooting and Sunday will be a 4 hour workshop on editing! I'm thrilled! I love photography so much and I can't wait to learn even more.  With our baby on the way, I want to learn as much as I can so I can take amazing pictures of it!

Want to see who is teaching me?? It's this amazing photographer... Jennifer McKinney from the blog MckMama!!!

CAN'T WAIT!

Our World Changed

As a freshman in high school, I was greatly affected by September 11th, 2001.  Like so many people, something inside me changed as I watched our country struggle to respond to the grief and loss of that day.

But America became United.  We stood as one.  Ready to bring justice to the men and women who lost their lives that day.  Thousands of men and women have vowed to give their lives for our freedom since that day.  My brother in law is one of them.  And so is my husband.  They chose to join the military knowing exactly what the risks were... deployments, separation from family, death. They do not think about those things though.  They joined because the 4,000 plus lives lost on this day 10 year ago, along with every other American life, are worth the price our military pays.

It is no coincidence that this anniversary falls during a time of turmoil, fear and political separation in our country.  We needed this.  We need to remember this day.  How we felt after that day. How UNITED we were.  We were determined to be a better America after that day.

And here we are 10 years later.  A generation of children is being born that will not have any memory of September 11th.  I'm carrying one of them.  How will they know this day? Will they know it as the day America began falling apart? Or will it be a great day in America history?

Never forget.  Remember. Be intentional. Be United.

A work in progress...

Everyone has been asking... so here are some picture of our house with our stuff in it!

These pictures are not my best work... but oh well!

Our Bedroom (Bonus points if you see Lucy)

Looking in from the hall

 Bedroom looking toward the hall

 Master Bathroom

 Master Bathtub

 Master Shower

 In this picture you can see our secret escape door covered up by a strategically placed mirror

 Nursery with crib!

 Nursery

 More Nursery complete with bookshelf.  

 Long Hallway to Bedrooms

 Middle bedroom... currently the catch all room!

 Hall Bathroom (It's beige... not yellow)

 Study (totally unorganized) Also with big piece of plywood waiting to be upholstered. 

 More Study.  New filing cabinet!

His and Hers Diplomas

 Guest room

Entry way looking into the dining/living area

Dining room and living room

New Dining Room Table!!

Living room... a little bare 

 From the front of the house looking back through the kitchen

Kitchen

Looking from breakfast area to front of the house

Third bahtroom... there is also a full size shower right across from the toilet

Our awesome laundry room!

More laundry room with folding area!