Do you know that most days, I marvel at how the heck I deserve you guys. From baby shower gifts to blog comments to stealing me away for a night of wine and Harry Potter to dropping everything to come over when I spontaneously burst into Percoset-level pain on Monday and couldn’t finish the morning feeding, YOU GUYS SAVE ME on a regular basis.
Case in point: My ePeep Travis B, for whom at least five baby sheep* are named and who, several weeks ago, read my long, random facebook rant about Nikon’s FLIPPIN FLARPIN FUDGITY-FLARTY software updates erasing several weeks worth of photo work – and arranged for my very own copy of Adobe Lightroom to drop on my doorstop like a second stork.
I know. PROBLEMS, right?
Except, it is. Because when you barely have time to eat or sleep, and you choose to use some of that time to work on photos you know you’ll never really get to finish, it is EXTREMELY ANNOYING the next time you carve out an hour for yourself, only to find that Nikon changed their shit and ALL. YOUR. WORK. IS. GONE.
I’m no photo-Picaso. But I like to try to make nice pictures. And trying these days involves shooting when I think of it, when they’re awake, after they’ve all eaten and before they go down for naps. Which, on a side note, all has to happen in 90 minute blocks* or they DO NOT SLEEP. PERIOD.
It also involves lots and lots of flash. Because this is Seattle. And it’s been overcast and cold almost all summer. Which means the house has been D.A.R.K. and all my pictures look like this:
Ashley
Sarah
Emma
And this, THIS is what I wanted. Behold, the god-like magic that is Adobe Lightroom:
Ashley
Sarah
Emma
I just wanted some decent pictures of my kids. Thank you Travis B, Thank you Adobe, and Thank YOU, for all being awesomely you.
*Annual Spring “Name the Baby Sheep” List filled during lambing season at the sheep-herding field across the street from eBay CS. Featured gems included: Travis I, II, III, IV, V; John, Paul, George and Ringo; Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe; Curley, Moe & Larry…
**I know. I KNOW. Everyone who hears this thinks I am INSANE. But I tell you what: excepting hunger or a demon-stuck burp, IT FLIPPING WORKS. SO I’M USING IT. Lemme ‘lone. MWAH.
Back in January, my good friend Rose sent us three outfits all the way from Ireland. She knitted these herself and are so darling they’ll be going into the girls’ keepsake box along with their NICU bracelets and delivery beanies. Since Seattle has had a whopping 78 minutes of summer temps this year, I’ve been waiting for a single sunny day to photograph the girls wearing them. I don’t know whether I waited too long or if I was just really sleep-deprived that day, but oh my god, they made me laugh:
“So I sez to Mabel, Mabel, I sez…” (L to R: Sarah, Emma)
“…don’t you roll over for no one. *sigh* I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready, Midge.” (L to R: Emma, Ashley)
Ashley & Sarah Rockin’ the Irish Yarn
Parents who saw my post last week about The Sleeping! And The Me Time! (I HAVE A LITTLE!) probably took one look, shook their heads and thought “Isn’t she cute.”
Because, and I’m sure you’ll be shocked here - THE SLEEPING HAS STOPPED.
Last week, it was like a switch went off that triggered a sleeping frenzy lasting for DAYS. It was awesome. They napped in the morning. They napped in the afternoon. They SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE NIGHT AND I MEAN *ENTIRE* NIGHT LIKE 7PM to 7AM OH MY GOD ENTIRE NIGHT.
It was WONDERFUL. And I want it back.
This week they have decided not to nap AT. ALL. Not in their swings. Not in their play crib. So, for the last few days, I have been putting them down for naps in their regular cribs. Which are upstairs. Where they usually only go for bedtime.
Apparently, this isn’t making anyone happy, because naps (of which there have been two per day) have been lasting all of twenty minutes. As in, two-zero. As in, just enough time for me to throw on clothes, and nothing else.
That’s three happy-yet-tired-yet-i-want-to-play babies to either keep fed & entertained upstairs all day, or fed & entertained downstairs and carried upstairs UMPTEEN TIMES A DAY.
You guys, I’M FREAKING TIRED.
One of my neighbors made the comment at our Baby Shower in January that folks should take a good look at me and say everything they needed to say, because once the girls came, no one would see me again for another five months. I chuckled and thought to myself “PFAUGH! I WILL SHOW THEE.” And then they were born. And I DID get out of the house. In fact, I got to go out ALL FLIPPIN’ DAY.
Once. In April.
Oh yeah. I had Triplets. …quite some time ago. And even though I started writing about it in my head 15 minutes after surgery, I haven’t had a minute to breathe since.
However.
Interesting thing about babies: You literally see them change the day they turn another week older. And this week, we hit 6 months. And it’s like some sort of baby lightbulb went off and said “NAPTIME! BEDTIME! WE GET IT! …sorta. almost. kinda.”
So I’m thinking I’m going to be able to get back here a little more often now.* Which makes me glad. ‘Cuz I have SO MUCH TO TELL YOU.
Here’s a look at the beginning of our journey:
Click here to view this photo book larger
* Interesting thing about babies #2: never Never NEVER brag about how well they sleep in writing. Because that kind of karma will bite you in the ass the second you hit ‘publish’ and three scream-filled hours later you will find yourself at the grocery store starbucks begging them to stay open just five more minutes and staring into your green tea frappicino thinking that there couldn’t be enough whipped cream on this if they sold you every last canister in the fridge. But you never know until you try.
