Thoughts....

Are any of ya'll Tara Whitney fans? I really enjoy her blog and I really enjoy her wonderful photography. She has really been the one to inspire me the past year or so.

Well, if you read down her blog a bit you'll see that she shares an impactful story about a family who lost their newborn son, because his foot tangled in his umbilical cord.

Click HERE for the story.

Its really just had me thinking the past few days... see~ remember Lucas' cord was wrapped in a knot, and we didn't discover it until after his birth. The story Tara shared makes me realize just how serious it could have been, and now Lucas is even more precious to me.

And on a related note, have any of you seen the new Gerber Baby commercial? The one where the women are laboring and giving birth? Then Gerber closes by saying they are "proud that they come in a strong second for working hard for babies"? That commercial makes me cry.

every. time.

New Discovery....

Some from yesterday... kinda Urban in feel! I just discovered this garage door... and its been in my backyard this whole time, ROFLOL! Can you believe that?

This first one is in response to me asking him to show me his "Mommy Face." LOL!

I can't get over how grown up he looks in these photos! Where has my first baby doll gone?

This is the 2nd night in a row of bad nights with Lucas.... we were doing so well with him getting up at 4 and then again at 7! Man~ the last 2 nights its been 2, 5:30, and 7. We are pooped! We are thinking of switching him from the cradle in our room to the crib. We kept Seth in the cradle till he was 5 mos! (But he was sleeping through the night by 10 weeks.) Maybe we'll do the switch at 8 weeks for Lucas....

IE: Lucas' portraits, I was able to somewhat re-create what I wanted at home yesterday, but need to do some touch ups today.

I "jogged" for the first time yesterday, I did 1 mile and then speed walked another. I am sore today but am anxious to get out there again.

I am so procrastinating... There is alot of work for me to do!

Disappointed....

Ok~ So I took Lucas to A Picture People yesterday.

(sigh)

I should have known better. BUT~ I don't have lights and backdrops, and I wanted my new little one's "official" photos to go up and be similar to Seth's first photo's KWIM?

Anyways, the pics were NOT that great. Thier whites were pretty hot, and they caught alot of weird faces that Lucas made... along with chopped limbs and edges of the blanket exposed, and their close ups of his face were waaaay too dark b/c the "photog" (HA!) cast a shadow.

I do admit that I did buy a pose, just to get his pic up on the wall next to Seth. But I am mad b/c of these poor quality pics, and I can't afford my own light system yet, NOR afford the kind of photographer who is quality, KWIM?

So I am going to try and recreate what I REALLY wanted today.

A photog aquaintance told me to "to the chalk board and write 100 times..... I will never give money to the picture people again......."

LOL!

Yesterday wasn't a total bust. Old Navy was having a great sale and I picked up 3 shirts for $30. I am loving that flowy empire/ kimono shirts are in style right now! Perfect for post-partum bodies!

And on that note, I had my 6 week post-partum check up yesterday, and am all clear for everything! RUNNING here I come! I start today. I plan on running one mile and speed walking a second. I'll do this for 2 weeks and add another mile to it.

I stuck a Running Updater over to the right, so ya'll can keep up... and hopefully keep me motivated! I have got to shed 15 lbs by July. Totally doable!

So Snuggly!

Here is the newest of my 12 lbs chubster in all his chunky glory. I love his chunky thighs, LOL! I wanted to get some shots of those too... but being a boy he wanted to display proudly...urm... other things, LOL!

Have Some Lemonade....

Pink Lemonade Complete Collection (click me)

The Pink Lemonade Charity Collection was designed in loving memory of Lorenzo Bela Rissolo who lost his battle with neuroblastoma on May 21, 2004 at just 16 months of age. We honor his memory with this beautiful kit that so many talented designers generously contributed their time to help create. All proceeds from this collection will be donated to Alex's Lemonade Stand.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (a registered 501c3 public charity) is a unique foundation that evolved from a young cancer patient's front yard lemonade stand to a nationwide fundraising movement to find a cure for childhood cancer. Since Alexandra "Alex" Scott (1996-2004) set up her front yard stand at the age of four, more than $10 million has been raised towards fulfilling her dream of finding a cure for all children with cancer. Lorenzo had the same form of cancer that Alex had. She lost her battle not long after Enzo.

This complete collection includes all 32 patterned papers, 11 solid papers both complete element packs and the pre-made album at a considerable savings over buying them separately. Contributing designers include:

Amanda Stevens
Andrea Burns
Barb Speck
Bree Clarkson
Bren Taylor-Boone
Helena Jole
Kathy Moore
Katie the Scrapbook Lady
Kim Hill
Lena Brandenburg
Sherrie Looper (SherArt Designs)
TaniaJPS
Theresa Hernandez

Chubby Chunkerson....

I had a long day filled with stuff yesterday, so I thought I'd fill you in.

We had Lucas' 1 month appnt yesterday morning. Can we say CHUNK?

12 lbs 4 oz
22 in

Four pounds in one month!

The doc was like, "You don't supplement?" I just LOL! Then he started talking about how he doesn't want Lucas to get "fat" so he suggested that when we feel the time is right to go ahead and start some cereal. He said that BM is much more caloric per ounce than cereal. Dude, whatever, I'm not feeding cereal quite yet.

He also suggested we use some Hydrocortizone for Lucas' baby acne, and that we wash some of our (adult) shirts in Dreft to see if that helps.Then, I asked him about Lucas' u.r.e.t.h.r.a. See I've noticed that his u.r.e.t.h.r.a is like a round hole, rather than a split. Doc took a look and said, "Yep, thats gonna be a problem later."

He says that if the hole doesn't grow with Lucas and "split" like it should, we are looking at having to see a Urologist and some surgery to "widen" it up.

Heaven help me!

You know... I don't think it is very often you ask your Doc if your one month old will be able to have a family one day, LOL!

After that I drove to Pittsburgh for the day. Nate is there a few days this week at Conference and I wanted to catch up with a couple other Youth Pastor's wives in the district.

Oh! Lucas only got up once last night.. at 4 am.. then again at 7... so hopefully thats progress.

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I heard the neatest make-up tip the other day on the Today Show. You know how sometimes you knock your blush or eyeshadow off the sink and then it shatters into a million pieces? And then you think its forever broken and ready to be trashed b/c of the fall?

Well, some make-up lady on the Today Show said to take a couple drops of rubbing alcohol and pour it into the broken mess. Then use a butter knife to press it all back down and together. After a couple minutes, when the alcohol has dried/ evaporated, it should be good as new!

Isn't that a neat trick?

Happy Thursday!

The Crocs Have Landed....

In the mail a few days ago we recieved a pair of Lime-Green Cayman Crocs for a certain little 2.5 yr old at our house.

Can I tell you..... Seth is in LOVE with his new shoes! He hasn't taken them off, LOL! He wore them all day and then insisted in wearing them to bed. I took this below picture at about 11 pm, while Seth was sweetly snoring.


After I took the pic, I quietly removed the shoes and put them on the floor. At about 6 am, Seth woke up and started screaming. He wanted his shoes! LOL~ he was so upset that they weren't in the bed anymore.

Since then he has worn them everywhere! He tried wearing them to church too, but I was able to talk him into his cowboy boots at least.

And here he is, just yesterday afternoon~

LOL~ Can you tell Daddy dressed him for the day? In a shirt too small. Now, I do believe that Seth was the one who unsnapped the Onsie.

And just b/c I can't leave him out... look who loves his Pooh Mobile? LOL~ doesn't it look like Lucas is going "YAY!"

And here is sweet Lucas at one month old. I'm telling you, this baby boy has really chubbed up the last week, and he's lost a lot of that newborn look. His One month Checkup is tomorrow and I am anxious about hearing his weight. (This is his first checkup... our Ped doesn't do the one or two week check like most docs do.)

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In my personal world, I am feeling stressed out. Taxes are due today, and we are getting them in the mail as I type. We owe, again, but thats not really a surprise b/c Nate is considered Self Employed. This is where its a bit discouraging being Clergy... our taxes are so complicated. We are considered Slef Employed... even though a church employs us. We also live in a Parsonage (a house that belongs to the church ) that is a perk and benifit to us, yet we have to pay taxes on that. Uggg.

I am also stressed b/c Nate is leaving for 3 days and nights for Prayer Conference in Pittsburgh. He was gone for a few days last week too, and it is hard work to mind after a toddler and a newborn by myself so long.

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I posted this a couple different places, but in case you missed it.....

I know that the country is focused on the terrible tradgedy that happened at VA Tech yesterday....

and when I called my mom (In MD) to talk about it, she mentioned another story making headlines in Baltimore. I wish it was National News too, b/c How SAD and Heartbreaking is this?

Some MONSTER went to a playground and poured Sulfuric Acid on a slide. And then a sweet little 2 or 3 yr old boy slid down the slide, and is now in the Hossy with 3rd degree burns on his bum and "other" area.

This really makes me ill and so sad! My mom warned me to check the slide before we let our son go down, and I warn you to do the same. Just make sure it is dry!

Here is the newspaper story on it~

Boy burned by acid on school slide

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Scrap-Related~ I have a huge and fantastic Collection Idea! Just letting you know that something neat is coming your way... ;)

Profound....

Lately, I've been spending much more time over at ILP. You know...... you think you know things, or you think you have a talent for something. And then you stumble across a forum of professionals and hobbyists... and you realize there is SO MUCH MORE to learn and grow. I am just in awe of some of the images created and posted over there. It makes me feel truly humbled as a photographer. It makes me ITCH to do more. Make my images come even more alive. I am thirsting for more, more, more.....

And then I found myself getting frustrated. By lack of equipment, lack of time, lack of... "whatever."

Until I read this. I am about to share something profound. You can read it as a photographer, as it is meant... or very easily apply it to digital scrapbooking, or whatever art form is in your life.

A very cool and very different photographer wrote it~ her name is Cheryl Jacobs... be sure to check out her site.

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What Every Aspiring Photog Should Know


- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don't look outward for your style; look inward.

- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It's like money; you only have it when you don't need it.

- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a concensus.

- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don't fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you're stressed and anxious.

- Learn to say "I'm a photographer" out loud with a straight face. If you can't say it and believe it, you can't expect anyone else to, either.

- You cannot specialize in everything.

- You don't have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don't have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.

- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don't, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that's tough.

- Accept critique, but don't apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn't not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.

- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business "Precious Chubby Tootsies"....but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?

- Remember that if your work looks like everyone else's, there's no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you're cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as "the cheaper photographer".

- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.

- It's easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you've got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don't spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you've outgrown your current equipment and you're being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.

- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.

- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.

- Never compare your journey with someone else's. It's a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never "arrive". No one ever does.

- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacence.

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wow.

Did I Say Sale?!?!?

Its a BIG Sale! 40% off of everything! PLUS 50% off saome items I am retiring forever. Yup, forever. So go stock up!

Andrea Burns Designs

50% Off Retirement of

April Day

Blue Nile

Little Miss Me

Little Rascal

Mudpuddles

(And sppppt! I am pulling the seperated paper and elements packs of my newest kits... so if you were eyeing , say just the Lovenote Elements, go grab them before you can only get them in the whole kit! :c) )

Easter 2007

What a day yesterday was, LOL!

Lucas gave us a horendous night's sleep Sat night/ Sun morn. He was up from 1:45 till 3:30, then again at 5 and 7. It made for a looong day yesterday.

But then last night he gifted us with an Easter Miracle, and slept till 4:30, and then was up around 7:30, and we all slept till almost 9.

Despite our exaustion yesterday, we had a good time with everyone. Nothing like your 2 year old Hopped up (hee hee) on no nap and all chocolate. We had a few time outs.

Anyways, dinner was great. My Pear & Raspberry Cobbler was divine! Recipe at bottom ;)

Anyways, here are some pictures from yesterday...

And the customary Family shot!

Pear-Raspberry Cobbler

Filling:

1 c sugar

3 TBS flour

1/4 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger

4 lbs firm, ripe Bartlett Pears

1 TBS lemon juice

2 c frozen raspberries

Dough:
1 1/2 c flour

2 TBS + 2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c butter

1/2 c + 1 TBS buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350*.

Filling: In bowl mix sugar, flour, and spices. Peel and cube pears to core. Add pears, juice, and raspberries to sugar and mix. Pour into 13x9 baking dish.

Dough: In bowl mix flour, 2 TBS sugar, and salt. Cut in butter. Add 1/2 c buttermilk and stir to form dough. Between 2 sheets of floured wax paper, roll thin. Invert dough over filling, and cut a couple vents on top. Brush with remaining buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake 45-50 minutes, till the top is golden brown and juices are bubbling.

YUMM!

Good Friday

I love Spring & Summer. I'd love it even more if they ever decide to show up, LOL!

On this gloomy Good Friday it is currently 30* and snowing. I've never in my life before seen a snowy Good Friday. It is supposed to extend till Sunday, so I guess the Easter Egg hunt Gramma has planned for the kiddos might be inside... then again, maybe it'll be a neat memory if we take it outside, LOL!

Another reason I love Spring & Summer, are the skirts! YAY! I am very much a girly girl (if you haven't noticed by now, LOL!) and like to dress the part... when I actually leave the house. The last couple years I have very much been into wearing skirts during the summer. One, they are comfy and you instantly look pulled and put together. Two, shorts are really an unattractive piece of clothing! For me anyways.. they are just not flattering to my body type.

So, THANKS to my mom who gifted me with a bit o' post-partum-new-clothes-money and a gift card I already had for The Gap, I got the following the other day~

LOVE this stuff! I am ALL about the white skirt and the orange & yellow!

Want to know something funny? I had just gotten my Bath & Body Works mailer, and saw this purse~

Oh my word!! It totally matches my new outfits I got, and it is so cute and summery to boot. The best part? It was free! All I had to do was order ANYTHING on their website, and the bag (with some samples inside) was a promotional freebie with the code FREE4U . Go ahead and use it for yourself! I bought some Warm Vanilla Sugar & Mandarin Mango Bubble Baths. (We love bubble baths in the Burns house, and our B&BW had been out of these scents since before Christmas!)

Speaking of Purses... here is my current Princess Purse Insert that I am sporting in my Memory Purse~

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On this Good Friday, I pray that we all take time to remember and reflect what this day means. The sacrifice that our good Lord Jesus made on our behalf, just so that we might have a lifetime with Him later in Heaven.

I encourage you to spend some time in prayer today, thanking Jesus Christ for that gift of salvation, and repenting for wrongs we may have done Him.

Blessings to you all!

Recent Snapshots....

Hi everyone, I thought I'd share some recent snapshots of the kiddos!

I love this first one... it shows Lucas' size, and how little he looks on the bed. I have a similar one of Seth, and it amazes me when I look at it, to see how he's grown and stretched out. Don't you love the toys? LOL~ that is Seth so graciously sharing.

And here is Big Brother Seth, when I went to wake him from a nap. Goodness me, I opened his door and burst out laughing, b/c this is how he greeted me....

It made me giggle!

Just to let you know, I have a thing for the meanings of names. Lucas Elliot means Uplifted Light. Seth Edward means Appointed Guardian.... very appropriate for the eldest child... and these next 2 photos....

Aren't those just so sweet?

And finally, here is a picture of all the Burns' side cousins. Aunt Gen brought my beautiful nieces and nephew to meet Lucas last Monday, and I was able to get this cutie patootie shot. You might recognize them from my Photog website, LOL!

I can hardly believe that Lucas is almost 4 weeks old. It feels like it flew AND that it has been forever at the same time. Last night he gifted Nate and I with sleeping from 11:30 till 4 am. How precious those 4.5 hours were, LOL!

And can I tell you quickly how much I hate nw PA weather?!?! It was close to 80* on Monday and Tuesday. This morning we woke up to Snow everywhere, schools closing, and interstates being shut down. This is really when it gets on my nerves... like the weather can't make up its mind. The real kicker? All the beautiful Weeping Cherry Trees had just bloomed. And now they are covered in snow. (sigh)

Good News though! I am very excited to say that I ordered a Pantone Huey Monitor Calibrator this morning!

I can't wait to fix my colors! This calibrator is one of the cheapest on the market... but it is also one of the most Award Winning. Fun Times!

Happy Thursday!

The Rainbow Roper....

So, I'm about to yell at Seth for playing in the computer room closet.... when I see that my boy has gone and captured a rainbow....

Isn't that just like him?!?! <3

First Bit of Independence....

Guess who lost his umbilical cord yesterday? Awww... that makes me teary a bit. I feel like its their first declaration of independence... by shedding that lifeline.

Things are starting to get better here. Its taken 3 weeks, but I'm finally just starting to get the hang of 2 children. Adjusting from one to two was much harder than I thought!

Lucas is doing great... he is nursing very 2.5 to 3 hours. He actually had a few nights in a row where he has slept a 4.5 hour stretch. He still has a bit of baby acne and his bum is pretty sensitive, regardless of frequent diaper changes.

Seth still loves his brother, and he adores his father. Its his mother he is acting out against. I'm not sure if he is jealous or what, but Seth has taken to yelling "NO" at me, willfully disobeying, and even told me to "shut up" once. Its breaking my heart. And I know that by typing it... it may just look like terribly twos... but its not. Its his tone and the way he glares at me when he does it.

This morning when I was getting Seth dressed for church he was yelling at me... and it made me well up. I told Nate, "Why did I become a mother again? One child hates me, and the other solely looks at me for dinner."

This is just a stage right? I'd really like my darling Seth back.

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Thanks for all the well wishes and compliments about my website. I am still tweaking it here and there. I already have 2 more possible clients, and a possibly wedding in September. Fingers crossed!