what the?

Today was kinda rough. Monkey Pants has been a tad bit crabby lately and last night she cried and cried when I put her to bed. She was droopy today and screamed at nap time. So, knowing that she gets ear infections really easily and just had one a week and a half ago I figured we better head to the doctor. It turns out that her ears are just fine but the doctor showed me that she is getting 4 big teeth at once. Poor Monkey! I didn’t even think to look for teeth. She is a toothy kid and already has her one year molars in so it didn’t even cross my mind. I guess these are her 2 yr molars? Man, she excels in teeth growing. On the way home she screamed at full throttle the entire way. It was the longest 25 minutes of my life. Anybody out there have tips for teething? I gave her Motrin and put some of that numbing goo on her gums. Is that about all you can do?

I finally got Marlie fed and in bed and I hopped on the old computer to do some work. In the process I found out that someone hacked in to my Paypal account and tried to buy an $800 computer. Are you kidding me! So, I spent most of the night on the phone with the kind people at Paypal working it out. It turns out someone from, get this, Lithuania, was the hacker. What in the world? Anyway we got it worked out. But man that’s just weird and scary. I mean, I’m all for Lithuanians having computers, but I am not going to donate $800 to the cause.

Tomorrow will be busy busy. I have Mista Nug in the morning. Beth and I have to get some name collages packed and shipped and then Bridget the amazing babysitter is coming so I can do some work. Uncle Sam is expecting a sales tax check from me so I have to tackle my boxes of unrecorded receipts and I have clients waiting for photos so I have got to get crankin. And now, to bed!

Good Morning Wednesday

Alrighty. A few days ago Jodie posted a challenge on her blog. Photograph the real stuff, not just the picture perfect moments so we can remember what life was really like when we look those photos years from now. Now remember people, we just moved so we recently purged lots of junk. Also we haven't lived here long enough to make really super embarrassing piles and messes quite yet. Ok, here we go...I really hate putting away laundry. It drives Shane nuts. This basket of Marlie's clothes has been sitting here for approximately 5 days.
Argh. The kitchen table always has some random crap cluttering it. Here we have a bottle of Mod Podge that I keep forgetting to put away. Also, a box that was supposed to be returned to Charter like two months ago. And two sweaters that need to go in the wash. On Monday I draped this beach towel over the shower bar to dry and the whole thing came crashing down. I'm too short to put it up without a step stool and I'm too lazy to go get one, so there it lays. And when the curtain is down you can see this lovely hole in the shower surround. We had a leaky pipe in there the day after we moved in and have been avoiding getting it fixed because well, that takes money. Ah yes, my business records. As you can see record keeping is not something I'm not very good at. I haven't gone through and recorded anything since before we moved. My quarterly sales tax payment is due this week so I am going to have to tackle this in the next few days. And finally, my office. It got a little out of control in there. Bags and paint and boxes. Shane and I are supposed to be sharing this space and I promised him I'd keep it clean so I did clean up after taking this photo.

Jodie posted a photo of her stretch marks. She is a brave brave lady. Sorry folks, I just can't do it. Lets just say that Shane once told me it looks like my stomach was scratched by a cougar. Cute. Alright, I'm outta here and off to edit!

Good Night Monday

This weekend was a full one. We dropped off Monkey Pants at the in-laws on Friday night and headed to a baby shower. We got to catch up with some old friends and have hotdogs at the same time. Old friends, hotdogs, and cute baby presents, what more could you ask for in a Friday night?

On Saturday I helped Jodie photograph a wedding. It was hot and sticky and hot but you are absolutely right Jod, we totally rocked that wedding. Here are a few of my favorite shots…

After the wedding I FINALLY had a little girls night out with my friend Beth. We needed a GNO really badly. We have been trying and trying to find a time when both husbands or someone, anyone, could watch our chillins at the same time so we could hang out and buy each other ice buckets for our birthdays. Yes, we are dorks and are fully aware of it. So, mission accomplished. We also managed to fit in a manicure and a margarita as well. NICE.

On Sunday we had grand plans for a family outing to the park. But Monkey decided to cry instead of nap and when we finally did get in the car I realized that I didn’t have the baby sunscreen. And then Shane and I got in a fight and I was all "Why are you mad at me?" and he was all "I'm not mad at you, you're mad at me." and then we were like man its stinkin hot out here. So, we went to the ice cream fountain instead. Sometimes you just need ice cream.

Today was a full day of work and play. Beth had Marlie for a bit today and I got some work done. And tonight we even snuck in a little pool time with friends.

This week there is a lot on my plate. Lots and lots of editing to do. Secondly, I need to evaluate this crazy schedule of mine and simplify some things. Late night working is wearing on me and then that effects my day with Marlie. And then we are both whiney and thats no good. The work has to get done, but we need to make some compromises here. What’s the solution? I don’t know yet, but I’m looking. Good night Monday.

Noah update

Praise God! Noah is doing much better. Deb has updated her blog and you can go there to read what is going on. Please continue to pray for them as it looks like he will be in the hospital for the rest of the week.

Please Pray

Hello again readers. I wanted to pop in and tell you that we all need to pray for baby Noah. Many of you may have linked to his mom's blog through mine. You can click on his pray for me button in the sidebar to get there. I found out on Friday that Noah is in the hospital in Birmingham. I don't know many details at all and I don't want to give any misinformation. I just know that he was rushed to the hospital on Friday morning. The Lauers are an extraordinary family going through something that I cannot even fathom. Please pray for Noah and his parents Deb and Josh.

some favorites

Nothing too exciting to report these days. Lots of Monkeying around during the day and lots of photo editing at night going on. Marlie is so cute that I want to squeeze her all the time. And I do.

I can’t think of much to write today so I thought I’d show you some of my favorite things.

This dress from Target is my newest favorite thing. All you moms out there, go get one! Or order it online I guess because they are out in most stores. I hate shorts so I'm always struggling to find something to wear in the summer heat. I got this dress in two colors last week. Shane will be sick of seeing me in this dress by the end of the summer. These shoes by See Kai run are so great. I love the colors. Sadly Monkey Pants has just grown out of her pair. They are wide for chubby feet and have squishy insoles. Love them!

I believe that hospitals should send all new moms home with a pair of Spanx. They are pricey, but worth every penny.

Go to etsy.com and check out the shop called Lassie Girl. Marlie has two of these adorable reversible pinafores. They use amazing fabrics and the pinafores are great all year round. you can put it over a long sleeved shirt and pants in the fall or winter or just with a diaper cover in the spring and summer. Love this apple and pear print for fall. And Finally, peach Fresca. It is so good and is my new favorite summer drink. I don't think regular Fresca tastes like anything but this stuff is good.

Thats it folks. I am exhausted and I will, I must go to bed early tonight. I am always exhausted when I put Monkey Pants to bed, I do some work and then I get this surge of creativity at like 11:00. Why is that? Anyway my body is mad at me so I've got to get some sleep.

a stomach bug and more of Bean and Nug

I've been out of commission the last few days with a nasty stomach bug. I guess this is what Monkey Pants had last week when she puked all over me. She probably was feeling as bad as I was and I didn't even know it. Poor thing, she can't say "I feel like junk mom, and those meatballs you keep trying to make me eat make me want to be sick."

Three cheers for Shane for taking off work Monday so I could pull the covers over my head and moan all day. Of course now he is not feeling so hot so that is no good. Whatever this thing is, it is taking the Duggins out one by one.

So, I don't have much to say today because I've been curled up in a ball the last few days. But here is a photo of Bean and Nug's last adventure that I keep meaning to post.


This was on the 4th when they went to the Cards/Cubs game together and sat in the luxury box. Mista Nug has his pinky on his mouth like he is about to demand one meellion dollars for the return of Bean's pacifier.

My friend Amy called a few weeks ago to tell me that I should write a children's book called The Adventures of Bean and Nug. I am pondering it. I think it could be cute.

Alright I'm off to get a shower and tackle the day!

Come get your picture made!

First of all, I want to thank those of you who left encouraging comments after my last post. When I woke up the next day I had a little bloggers remorse. Like, what have I done?! I wrote too much. But, your kind comments made me feel better. It was a bad day, there will be more bad days amidst all of the great ones.

Monkey is feeling better. I have no idea what that random puke was about but she bounced back.

This weekend we went to Kansas to visit some family. That is a long drive for a Monkey Pants. She did really well and entertained the troops all weekend. It felt good to get away for a bit and good to come home.

Before we left on Friday I had a photo shoot with Mike and Beth. They are the cutest couple expecting their first baby. It was like a bazillion degrees outside when we shot these and they were real troopers. Here are a few of my favorites so far...

I love shooting in my new neighborhood! Come on down, what are you waitin for? Come get your picture made. I love how they say that in the south.

our new place and today's mama drama

People have been requesting that I post some pics of our new place. I finally got around to picking up a bit and taking some yesterday. No this is not how my house looks everyday I definitely picked up each room as I took these. So here we go. We own the second and third floors of the building so when you walk in you go straight up these stairs. Come on up!

This little sitting area is at the top of the stairs. I love it. The office is next to the sitting area. Its the perfect size for a desk and my work counter. This is my studio room from one angle. I love the fireplace. Its non functional but its beautiful.A different view of the studio. All the stuff you see is props. The firetruck was Shane's when he was little. The green child's chair I picked up at an antique store last week. On top of the hutch is an awesome old suitcase that I can't wait to put a baby in. I am working on getting a white couch and some of those carpet squares you put together to make a rug. The dining room is right next to the studio and can be separated by closing the huge pocket door that you can see. I love that because I can close it off when I'm doing a shoot and its white so it bounces the natural light in the room. This is the living room. This is the kitchen. Stairs up to the third floor. Little living space at the top of the stairs. master bedroom. Here is Monkey Pants , I mean Monkey no pants in her room. And Monkey no Pants destroying her room 5 seconds after I picked it up. This brings me to the rest of today's post. I had a bit of a melt down today. I think mom's all have days where you think, I don't think I can do this. I can't pick up that same shoe one more time or put the same books back on the shelf. I can't clean up any more sticky off the kitchen floor or step on one more cheerio. I spent a lot of time cleaning the kitchen yesterday and by the end of today it looked like a disaster again and I just kind of lost it. We haven't gotten the child locks on the cabinets yet and so Monkey came through there like a tornado, then she kept trying to climb inside the dishwasher, and the sink was overflowing with dirty dishes. Then I spilled sweet tea on the floor. Then I started crying.

I spend most of my time picking up after Marlie. Seriously, all day. She's just at that age. She's in everything. She doesn't really want to play with toys, just anything else. It is wearing me out. I must say no 100 times a day and I know she gets sick of hearing it and I sure am sick of saying it.

We have always talked about having more kids. When I think about adding another baby to the mix it sounds like a horrible idea. Of course I don't know what it is like to have a husband who is home in the evenings because Shane has been in school the whole time we have had Marlie. But, sometimes I wonder if I am just a one kid mom, and this is making me sad. I always imagined myself with a big warm comfy house, lots of kids around the table and homemade cookies for dessert. Now I'm not so sure. Am I just a selfish person and I can't handle all of the sacrifice? I'm not as good at this as I thought I'd be. I look at people like Jodie and think if she is handling 3 I shouldn't be struggling with 1.

My mom took Monkey for a few hours tonight and not a moment too soon. I am so thankful to have family here to help when I am on the edge. So, I took that time to pick up shoes and stuff and run to the hardware store.

Then, guess what happened when we got back home. I got Marlie out of her car seat and was slinging bags over my shoulders when she barfed everywhere. All over herself, me, all the bags. The perfect ending to a rough day. I am hoping it was just something she ate that didn't agree with her. She was driving me nuts all day and now I'm just worried sick about her. Thats being a mom in a nutshell I guess.

Bridget Jonesness

This morning Monkey Pants took quite the tumble. She just got going to fast and her feet couldn’t keep up. But I must say I was impressed with her recovery. She did a little roll and hopped right back on her feet. Nice. I must say that I think I she inherited this skill from me.

When I was about 7 months pregnant I had a photo shoot in a park with an engaged couple. I was a little nervous because I had never met them before and I felt so huge and awkward in my prego body. But I put my shoulders back and got my game face on and walked up to meet them. I had my comfy red Dansko clogs on which I love, but they are flawed in one way. They are so clunky and kind of tall, so it is really easy to turn your ankle when you are wearing them. Especially when your tummy sticks out two feet in front of you and you have totally lost your sense of balance. So, I am walking up towards this cute couple and their backs are turned to me (luckily). About 10 yards away from them my ankle turns and down I go. Pregnant self plus camera bag all in a blur of a rolling ball. My pride flashes before my eyes and I somehow quickly hop up and see that amazingly I have managed to tumble right behind a large shrubbery in between me and them. I dust off my pants, ignore the gravel stuck in my palms and keep on walking toward them. They had no idea. Or at least they pretended not to know.

Sometimes I feel a lot like Bridget Jones. I can just see that scene in one of those movies. One time someone said to me “You remind me of Renee Zellweger.” Wow, I thought, really? But then it was quickly followed up with “when she played Bridget Jones”. Hmm, didn’t she have to gain like 50 pounds for that role? Is it my tendency to do barrel roles on photo shoots or the huge panties that you imagine are in my drawer that makes me remind you of her?

I have a busy day ahead of me. Lots of errands to run today and a bunch of work to get done tonight. I’ll try to stay up on my feet.

love is in the air

Friday night I had shot a wedding and had my trusty assistant Jen in tow. It was my first wedding with an older couple. I don’t mean that in an offensive way, by older I just mean older than 30. Mary and Paul are the sweetest couple and they are so obviously in love. Here is my favorite shot at first glance.

Just a reminder, if you refer someone for wedding photography and they end up using me for their wedding then you my friend get a free photo shoot! Spread the word!

Then Saturday morning I headed out to Soulard Farmers Market for a top secret photo shoot. A few weeks earlier an old friend, John, contacted me to help him with a project. We had a little photo session to help him make a flip book of photos. The flip book would be a gift for his girlfriend Lindsey and in the book was photos of him asking her to marry him. How cute is that? It was all his idea too. So Saturday I hid to catch the whole thing on film…

Aww. It was so fun to watch. Congratulations John and Lindsey!

29 and counting

Well today is my birthday. I am 29 now. This weekend and today was full of b-day shinanigans. Dinner with the fam, dinner out with Shane, shopping with my mom. It was nice. Yesterday Shane's parents took Monkey Pants and we got a butt load of house stuff done so I can actually breathe a little in this place. It is finally coming together. People have been asking for photos and I promise I'll post some soon.

Here are four reasons why I know I'm getting old. I realize that I'm not even 30 yet, but still I feel older.

1) I hate this whole low rise pants thing. Seriously, down with the low rise. These pieces of clothing were not made for people like me with a post monkey pants tummy. It is just wrong. When will high rise sweatpants be in? Sign me up.

2) Is Eddie Bauer getting cuter stuff or is it me? I used to laugh at the stuff in those catalogs and now I order it.

3) Beth's birthday is 4 days after mine and this year we decided to buy each other ice buckets because we both need one. How exciting is that? Pretty soon we'll be buying each other prune juice or something.

4) And lastly, the other day I referred to a group of kids at the mall as "rif raff". Seriously it just came out of my mouth like I was an 80 year old woman. No offense 80 year old women.

Oh well, 29 feels pretty good. Except for Monkey Pants apparently didn't get the memo that it was my birthday today. She was extremely crabby tonight and when trying to escape my grasp at bedtime stood up when I was bending over to pick her up and slammed me in the cheek bone with the top of her head. That part didn't feel good. She didn't seem to notice and went of screeching like a spider monkey. Oh that kid. She's a pistol.

I did some work this weekend as well. I shot a wedding on Friday night and had a shoot Saturday morning. I'll post about those tomorrow. Right now I've got to go clean my dentures and hit the sack.

p.s. Thanks for all of the comments! I love that. You're the bees knees.

And the winner is......

Alrighty here we go. To be fair I let Monkey Pants choose the winner of the giveaway...And the winner is... DEB!
Congrats friend! Deb and I go way back. But I promise, it wasn't fixed! She is an amazing lady with an extraordinary little baby boy. You can check out her blog by clicking on Noah's pray for me button in the sidebar.

And to everyone else, thanks for all of the comments! I loved finding out who you are. You might be wondering what Monkey did with your names...


They made a good snack! I have no idea why the type is ginormous right now, but I cannot fix it so lets pretend that I am just this excited!

Today and a WHO ARE YOU GIVEAWAY!

TIME IS UP! I'll post the winner later tonight!

Hey there. Today was great. I got house stuff done, had a little breakfast with my mom and Monkey. Then Bridget, a.k.a. World's Greatest Babysitter, came over to watch Marlie so I could work. I got a ton of editing done at my favorite new coffee shop. To top it all off I made an actual dinner in contrast to last nights PBJs so that made Shane happy. Ah, I love a good day.

And now on to the GIVEAWAY! I was checking my site stats today to see how many visitors I had and today there were apparently 39 visits to the site, 23 being first time visitors. That is if this thing is accurate. Anyway, 39 visitors and 0 comments! I understand this totally because I used to be a annonymous blog stalker, I mean reader myself. But I just want to know who you are. So heres the deal. Leave a comment in the next two days and you will be entered to win a free name collage like this one...
Any name or word you want. So come on, who are ya?!

scalpels and stuff

Well my day started out with a trip to urgent care. You know things are bad when the doctor says to the nurse “Man this thing is in here deep. Can you go get me the scalpel?” 4 pain shots and 20 minutes of digging later she finally got the splinter out. Fun times. Then she sent me home with instructions to stay off it for a day or so. I thought that was comical because we all know there is no such thing as one legged monkey wrangling.

This weekend was great before the foot incident. Shane won 4 tickets to the cards game in the company luxury box. Can you say free hotdogs? So we spent the 4^th at the game. Then we headed to my mom’s cabin with some friends of ours and their little girl for some relaxing. Love this photo of Monkey Pants and Shane..

And now I must edit. I have a wedding deadline in a week and another wedding this Friday so I have got to get to work. I have a new strategy this time though. I learned a few ways to streamline the process from Melissa Jill’s blog. I love when other photographers have blogs and I can learn from them.

I did get this little guy’s shoot edited. Grayson is the drawer baby from a previous post. Here are a few others I love..

Welp, I’m off to edit.