PAUSE

Can we please just push the pause button for a minute? Owen is 8 months old today! Yikes. It really feels like a month ago we were coming home from the hospital with the little guy. And how can Thanksgiving POSSIBLY be next week? ARGH. It has been a very busy month, and Owen is changing every day! I just wish we could push pause because he is SO much fun right now and it feels like these moments are passing by too quickly! Here is what my little buddy has been up to this month:

CRAWLING. He went from scooting to full blown, tummy off the floor, crawling this month! If you haven't seen the scooting video though, you must check it out. Make sure your volume is up because Ben picked the best song to go with this!

WAVING. He won't always do it on demand but it's pretty cute to see it when he does. He waves towards himself instead of toward the other person. I'm guessing this is because when he sees us wave, we are waving towards him, so he waves towards himself too!

PULLING HIMSELF UP! Ben and I lowered the crib last weekend because he started to pull himself up and would always stand up and bounce. It made me crazy with worry that he'd wake up and I wouldn't get to him in time. Well this morning he decided to show me what a big boy he is and that even at the lowest level he can still see over the railing. Those pictures below are a play by play, in reverse because I can't figure out how to post pics on this dumb blog.

Owen- 2 Crib- 0.

PS He looks different b/c I had to use the icky flash due to the light blocking drapes doing their job this AM.

So, it's been quite a month! The photography business is off to an amazing start! Thank you ALL for your referrals! I've sold out of all of my sessions for November and only have 2 more for December! I even have some bookings for Jan, Feb and March! God is so good!! We have our family photos next Friday and I'm looking forward to getting some with the three of us.

Owen, you are the best little buddy that we could ever ask for! We both love you so, so much and cherish every second with you!

Love, Mom and Dad

7 months?!

Today my little babycakes is 7 months old! It's so hard to believe!! I'm a big fan of the baby stage but I have to say that this is so much more fun! He is such a little man and I love every chubby inch of him! He is snoozing it up on this first nap of the day (yes our day starts at 5am so naps start early!) but when he wakes up I'll snap some photos.

This last month has been full of new adventures for Owen. He loves to sit and play with his toys, he's big on bouncing, he can hardly stand up because he wants to bend those knees and bounce bounce bounce! It amazes Ben and I how much Owen learns without us "teaching" him. He is so inquisitive and can figure out how to maneuver and make gadgets work. These are the little moments that parents love... sitting back and watching your child grow. It's heart warming.

This month you have gotten your first tooth, eaten meat for the first time, and stood up (while holding on to something) I love you little buddy!

Bad news bears

Is it true that bad things come in threes? I'm really hoping so. I had all of mine in one day. Friday. It was a bad day. 1st, I got a letter from my "employer" stating that they overpaid me on my last commission check. Well, this has happened several times, but really, 6 months later? While I'm on leave of absence? Ugh. Killing me. So, I now have to write a large check to IBM. love it. Good thing I never got around to buying those appliances! 2nd, when Ben got home from work I got into the shower so I could shave and get ready for my spray tan so that I didn't look goth for the weekends festivities... a few minutes later I had Owen sitting in the MIDDLE of the bed while I got dressed. I turn away for literally 30 seconds and I see something move in my peripheral I rush over to... LOUD THUD... yep, he fell off the bed. He is really into bouncing on his bottom and I guess he bounced into a roll and rolled right off. OMG, I have never been so scared in my entire life. I was shaking and trying to be comforting while panicking inside. All of you know how neurotic I am, and so I checked every nook on that child and not a scratch or bump in site. Then I followed this by hours of watching his pupils. lol. THANK JESUS he is fine. It took me a full 36 hours to believe it, but he is really okay. I am sooo lucky. It could have been SO much worse. He landed on the rug under our bed that is on top of carpet so it's the most cushioned landing that we could have hope for. SO lesson learned here, floor only from here on out buddy. So I'm sure you're wondering how it can get worse than this right? Well, after a few hours of observation and leaving him in the good hands of his doting father, I gathered my stuff and went down to the car. I hadn't unloaded it from the photo shoot so I removed a few items from the trunk and when the trunk closed, I heard the "lock" beep. My car has this feature that allows you to lock, unlock and start your car with your key just on your body. (pocket, purse, etc) This has been very useful while holding a diaper bag and a 20lb baby but what my intelligent car didn't' realize was that my bag was INSIDE the car and I was OUTSIDE the car when it decided to be helpful and LOCK. Okay, no problem I think, I have a spare key... oh sh$*. the spare key is the pocket of the diaper bag that is also INSIDE the car. Now, I'm still torn up about the falling off the bed accident and I just can't wrap my head around what has just happened. It's Friday evening, my phone, purse, and 2 sets of keys are locked inside the car. UGHHHH. I drag myself upstairs and tell Ben what happened, while searching for my roadside assistance card. I find it, dial the number and tell them my predicament. The guy is like, OH. well, hmm. Did you pay to subscribe to the "remote unlock" feature when you purchased this vehicle? "What?" I ask I don't know, why do you have to "subscribe" to this? Shouldn't it just come with it, if the car is able to do this? He puts me on hold, and when he comes back on a lady has joined him. I have already mentally prepared myself for the tow truck that will shortly be arriving at my house and then driving out to the dealership, etc. etc. But to my surprise, BMW service comes through! The lady takes the call over and within 5 minutes my car is unlocked. YEA! SO it was a rough day, but all in all, we came out okay! So amuse me and agree that bad things come in 3's and I'm covered.

Shots!

Owen had his 6 month immunization shots yesterday so we're spending all day at home cuddling and keeping up with the tylenol until his fever breaks. (which means no storytime at the library today) I'm so glad we don't have any more shots for 6 whole months! We are so lucky (knocking on wood now) that Owen hasn't been sick his whole life. He hasn't had any ear infections, colds, stomach viruses... nothing. He's pretty much happy and healthy all the time (as long as you keep cow's milk away that is!) So that's probably why after shots we really coddle him because we aren't used to him acting so pitiful.

Everyone tells you that 6 months is the best age and even though at 4 months, I didn't think it could get any better... IT DOES! The subject of baby #2 comes up quite a bit and last night Ben and I were saying, "if only we could give birth to a 6 month old" we'd be ready tomorrow! If only.

On to our big boy's 6 month stats:

28.5 inches long (90%) 21.1 lbs (92%) and 97% for head circum. He still has a big big brain :D

Teeth: Yesterday the doctor said she wouldn't be surprised if we woke up tomorrow to TWO teeth.. but today still no sign of them. I have to say, I'm not in a hurry for this. For some reason, it makes me feel like he will be forever changed. When I see kids with teeth I no longer think "baby" I think toddler. I'm not ready for Owen to be a toddler. I'll get over it, obviously. But for today, he's still my "baby"

Crawling: who needs it? not him. He can get from point A to B without even getting on his knees! It's hilarious, he uses his feet to scoot himself, he hasn't quite figured out that this would be much easier if he got up on his knees. Again, not quite ready for him to figure this out yet so we are content with his modified army crawl he has going on.

Feeding: Needless to say, this kid eats A LOT. He would eat more than one 4 oz jar of baby food at each sitting (3 a day) if we'd let him. He hates formula, so I think he tries to fill up on solids and hold out until the next time I pump. He's a smart cookie. He also can feed himself his own bottle and bananas in those little feeder mesh thingys. I have to say, this is life changing! It is so nice to be able to hand him a bottle and fold laundry or hand him the banana thing while I eat a sandwich. It's heavenly. Btw. If you don't have one of those meshy thingys you must get one. He loves it. I think it makes him feel independent.

Sleeping: still. not. sleeping. He has really become a great napper though! He has 1 two hour nap a day now (this is AMAZING) and then he has 2 30-45 min naps, and then pretty much just "naps" all night. (aka wakes up every 2.5 hrs) SO doc says we must intervene here and try cry it out. he needs sleep for development. so, we're going to after we go to OKC on the 16/17. There is no reason to do it twice this month and since we are already scheduled to go out of town we are waiting until after we get back so that we don't have to do a "refresher" course so soon. Wish us luck.

Encouraged!

I just have to share what is probably the nicest email I have ever received -- This note came at the perfect time and I feel so overwhelmed with thankfulness!

Addie!

Wow what a talent you truly have. EVERY single picture from the party was simply amazing and what a treat for me not to have to be scattered party planner and try to run around and get pictures that would be of much lesser quality!!!

I am not much of a crier-like never a happy crier, (but as a mom I'm sure you know babies can change that some times), and I was brought to tears by how well you captured the little looks and personality of our Finley. It goes by in just an instant and I swear before I know it I will be typing you telling you what a great job you did with her second birthday party pics :) (as soon as I get it on the books I am calling you)! You have found yourself clients for life!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I do not doubt that you will be ridiculously successful in your new business venture and I am glad to have the inside scoop! It looks like most of the pictures were up, but if you are adding more, just let me know so I can tell my friends to remember to take a look as well. There were some fabulous shots of their kids.

Have a great day!

(leaving her name off in case she didn't want me to share this!)

Isn't that wonderful?!! I mean, I wanted to cry I was so happy that they are pleased with the photos! That's better than any payment I could ever receive!! It was just so sweet and it has really made me feel wonderful about my decision to dive into this business. (By dive in, I mean use money I had in savings to purchase equipment that probably cost more than my first car) I was starting to stress out about it a little bit and then poof, I got this lovely note, and I suddenly remembered the reason that I wanted to do this: The photos I take of Owen have become timeless treasures for our family to cherish for years to come... I wanted to be able to capture those kind of memories for other people! And somehow... I think it's working! How perfect is it that this could become a career path for me that allows me to work on weekends when Ben is home with Owen, and edit during the week... oh and the fact that I LOVE IT, is just the biggest bonus EVER! I just think God is so amazing! I am so thankful for all that God has done for me this year. I am blessed beyond measure!

It's live!

Hello friends! The website is now live! Please take a look and let me know if anything looks or sounds odd:

www.addiescott.com

I shot my first event this weekend and it was a blast! A precious first birthday party for a darling little girl named Finley. I'll post photos soon or you can go to proofing and the password is one. For now, I need a break from the computer. :P

Love to you all!

new toy

Yesterday I purchased a new mac so that I can use the photoshop I purchased a week ago (my current mac was outdated and couldn't run the new ps) This is my new baby. I am in love. Every nap time I run to the office to learn more and play with my new toy. I know that I work for IBM... that should make me a PC girl, and for word documents etc. I do prefer PC but, my goodness... Apple really knows what they are doing. Ben and I both thought the last mac was pretty spiffy, but this new one is beyond expectations. I went with the iMac (desktop) version because it is faster, has more memory, oh yeah, and it was $900 less than the 15 inch laptop I needed! Since we already have a macbook pro, and pc laptop, the iMac made the most since. This thing has better resolution than our HD flatscreen. I might start watching tv on here! So why am I rambling on about this? Well, I have decided that I am going to pursue my passion for photography and start my own business! Yes, I am aware that there are hundreds of photographers here in Tulsa. I'm not trying to get rich or anything, just trying to pay for my very expensive hobby and I LOVE doing it! I am currently looking for models to start building my portfolio. This won't be you posing like you are at Olan Mills. I want to capture lifestyle portraits. Basically pictures of families, kids or couples doing what they do everyday. So if any of you are looking for some party pics at your kiddos birthday party or baby shower, give me a call! Need photos for Christmas Cards? Let me know!

Wonderful Wednesday

Today Owen and I went to storytime at the library. He LOVED it. He was so excited to play with other babies and clap along with songs. It was precious. Once he gets started with his funny giggle, it's hard to stop him. Sometimes this goes on for hours! We are SOO blessed and thankful that he is a joyful, happy baby! Aww. Love him. Here are some pics from the last 24 hours. Yes, that's how often I take photos. I can't help it. It feels as though he is posing all day and I MUST capture it. It's an obsession, I know. I'll get help later, but for now... enjoy!

Last year, we saw a chandelier hanging from a tree down the street. We presume that they were hosting some sort of wedding shower, engagement party or whatnot due to the elaborate decor and catering vans. It was so beautiful! I not only wished for a tree to hang a chandelier from in my own front yard, but I also longed to know those people. Their lives seemed so luxurious. The reality is that there is no reason we can't all do something to make ourselves at home... outside!

Lost camera ?!

So, I am in LOVE with photography right now and I am always wishing I had my camera with me. One of my biggest fears is that I'll leave my camera somewhere. This might be because of it's size, I think it's not exactly travel friendly. So I'm taking cues from Andrew McDonald to prevent my dreaded fear. He saved a series of cheeky self-portraits on his camera's memory card in hopes that Finders Keepers couldn't resist a humorous plea!

Make your own ice cream in 10 minutes!

This is quick, easy and tastes sooo yummy and the best part, it's not even ice cream! Frozen yogurt has to be the best invention since the light bulb. (For those of you that thought I would say sliced bread, think again... the light bulb is much more convenient than slices in bread!) I became a HUGE fan of the ben and jerry's fro yo while I was prego, but this stuff is even better. For those of you feeling extremely adventurous I have another tip to make this low-cal treat portable (frozen yogurt sandwiches!) Make it yourself, OR just pick up a package of the delicious pizzelle "so chocolate" cookies next time you are at whole foods. These things are light and delicious on their own but pared with this yummy fro yo... double swoon.

Healthy Makeover- I found this in the Good Housekeeping (July 2010)

Serves: 7

Update

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Yields: 7 (1/2-cup) servings

Total Time: 1 hr 10 min

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients

• 1 pound(s) frozen strawberries
• 1 cup(s) 2% plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup(s) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• Strawberries, for garnish

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Directions

1. In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse 1 cup strawberries until finely chopped. Transfer chopped berries to large metal bowl.
2. In food processor, puree yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and remaining strawberries until smooth. Transfer to bowl with strawberries; stir until well combined.
3. Cover and freeze about 1 hour, until firm but not hard. Garnish with strawberries.

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An Argyle how to!

I've gotten several questions about the argyle pattern we did in Owen's room. Here is a link to very detailed instructions plus tutorial. I gave these instructions to the painter that we, ahem, fired... he didn't exactly follow them but we are happy with how it turned out. My biggest complaint was that he used pencil when I asked him to use chalk lines because the pencil smudged EVERYWHERE. In any case, I think if one were to follow these they would be happier (we still have a lot of pencil marks on our walls even though we finished the painting ourselves and did our very best to touch up) Also, I highly recommend using the calculator at silver spoon murals... The calculator gives you the diamonds, which is the most difficult part. We almost quit after the diamonds because we just wanted to be finished, but I strongly suggest that you persevere because the argyle is a much more finished look! Enjoy!

5 months!

So my tip of the day is for you iphone goddesses. Camerabag app is AWESOME! I love being able to capture a current image and make it look as though it was taken in the 70s... or 60s even. Swoon.. I just got it this morning and I am already in love. Those pics above are some of the fun filters on a photo I snapped on my phone yesterday of Owen in his big boy seat! The new iphone's camera is so much better so I can only imagine how good those would look with these filters. Oh, AND it's only 2 bucks!

Yes, he is over 18 lbs and has almost outgrown his baby carseat so we had to use the seat that came with the Quinny for our maiden voyage without the carseat attachment..

5 months... I can't believe it! We have been busy little bees, at OKC last week and sleep training this week... but I wanted to post a quick shot of Owen's 5 month old shoot (part 1) he was cranky so we'll try again this afternoon. I was able to get this one before the #5 went into his mouth and then he spit up all over his tie.

ch-ch-ch-anging... He is changing every day! He can now sit up by himself and tries to crawl! He can't of course but it doesn't stop him from trying. Owen is such a blessing and I am sooo thankful that I am able to stay home and watch him grow!

Homework

Just finished my photo class (I had to bail early to get back to my lil man so I missed the practice shoot, so I did my own...)
Not bad for my dumpy lens! ;)