I’ve been really trying to learn more Adobe Photoshop and work on the editing process of photographs. I am using a new software from Nik Software* and so far am loving the results. I mainly use the Dynamic Skin and Glamour Glow filters, but have dipped into some of the others as well. I am also using some new Actions from The Pioneer Woman (they’re free so go get them). My favorite so far is the Boost Action.

It takes this photo:

And turns it into this:

The following two photos have the Dynamic Skin, Glamour Glow Filters, and Boost Action applied (I took the opacity of the Zing Layer down to about 54%…I also bumped up the Curves a bit). I think the new version looks much crisper, brighter, and cleaner without looking too photoshoppy…what do you think?

Original

New

Original

New

A couple of extra filters added to this one

I am also practicing with some new Actions that I bought. Vintage and Urban Processing. You can see some samples of the Actions here. Let me know what you think.

*I’m using the 15 day free trial version. After using it for a week I’ve decided not to purchase it. I don’t think it is worth the hundreds of dollars for the few filters that I actually like.

Brandy is once again collecting donations for this wonderful cause (THANK YOU BRANDY) and any little bit you can give will help save the life of a baby. Please help raise money for such a great cause. You can donate from her page or from the main March of Babies page.

Handsome Little Dude Edition:

Since Shenzie got the spotlight all to herself last Friday I thought I’d give Heaten his turn. It is not an easy thing to get him to actually look at the camera. When he sees me holding it (which is all of the time) he looks down or away. Sorry little man…I just can’t stop.

*Yes, Heaten is playing with I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter. Thanks Erika for busting me out! =) Dinner had to get cooked and he was content with his bottle and lid…and trust me, that stuff tastes awful so I know he wasn’t going to eat it.

And no little dirty minded ones….not that Groove. The crazy toddler groove.

It seems like just when I finally get the groove of things they change. We were in a really good groove for the last 2 months. Did you catch the were in the last sentence. No more. Things are evolving and when things evolve around here it takes me awhile to get back into the new groove. And right when I get the new groove it is time for it to change again.

Our old schedule was awesome. The babies would wake at 7:00/15 and lay playing in their cribs until I got them up at 7:30. We would head to the park at 9:30 and burn off all of that toddler energy. Lunch at 11:00. Nap from 11:45 until 2ish. Even if they woke before 2 they would lay quietly in their cribs playing and waking up for at least 20 minutes. Errands or playdates in the afternoon. Dinner at 5:00. Upstairs for baths and milk. Dada comes home at 7:00. Wrestle, wrestle, play, play. Brush our teeth, read a book, sing some songs, and off to bed at 7:30.

Our new schedule not so awesome. The babies (mainly Heaten) wake anywhere from 5:15 to 6:15 (today he let me sleep in until 6:45 which was nice). There is no play/wake crib time, it is immediate screaming and crying until I go rushing in there to get him. It is already 90 degrees by 9:30 so the park is a rare treat. We instead do storytime, totnastics, and indoor playdates in the morning. Lunch and nap are still about the same. And then the afternoons hit. It is 105 or hotter most days so we are forced to stay indoors. NOT FUN. I really try my best to keep them entertained, but with 5 minute attention spans the afternoons seem to drag on and on and on and on. Our night routine is the same except instead of going peacefully to bed at 7:30 the babies have decided to rebel and are crying, asking for drinkie or snackie as a way to get out of bed. They sure learn quick don’t they. Two times we got them back up and let them play until 8:00 and WHAM! Nighttime chaos. Won’t make that mistake again.

Now before you say boo-hoo, poor Lesley, who still gets to sleep through the whole night and wake up refreshed. I KNOW that we have been very lucky on the sleep front. The babies both sleep through the entire night and if they do wake they can put themselves back to sleep 99.6% if the time. It is just that I need to get my groove back with our new schedule, but I’m finding myself getting very frustrated with the constant crying, whining, fighting, tantrums, and general toddler crazy.

Lately the tantrums have hit an all time high. The screaming is louder. The meltdowns are more frequent. Clingy baby x 2 is in full effect. The fighting is now two way since Heaten learned to hit back. Luckily no more biting (Eva, I’m crossing my fingers as I say this), but holy bejeezus. The crazy is making Mama crazy! It wouldn’t be so bad if there weren’t two having fits at the same time. And of course they refuse to share my lap so one is left crying while I tend to the other. This of course results in the first one crying again while I tend to the second one. I’m not sure if it is jealousy or just a new phase, but I’ll be glad when Clingy Mania is gone. Weirdly enough I don’t mind Clingy Mania when I have one on one time with them. We cuddle and lay together with no drama. It is nice and sweet and usually tantrum free. Then the second baby wakes up and all hell breaks loose.

So there you have it…I’m over here really trying to get my groove back and not finding it an easy task. I’m sure every mother reading is shaking her head in agreement that babies are just crazy and Mama’s need to stock up on the wine! Or in my case Vanilla Stoli and Coke since wine is like drinking sewer water.

And of course eating is still drama although it is getting better, slowly but surely.

I’m experimenting with my Black and White Conversions and need your help. Which Conversion do you like better? Please answer for the #1 series and the #2 series. I personally like the B’s of both, but wanted to hear what others think. Thanks!!!

1a

1b

1c

2a

2b

2c

As far as sickies go I think we’ve been pretty lucky. I’m sure my not leaving the house for the first 4 months after they were born and then being SUPER anal about germs helped. I carry Clean Well hand sanitizer everywhere we go and after parks and grocery carts I sanitize both me and the babies. When Jeff gets home from work he washes his hands, sanitizes his hands, and changes his shirt. The babies have each had a few minor colds and Shenzie had a more serious case of RSV. I’ve been DREADING the first stomach flu. Poor little babies wouldn’t know what hit them….belly aches, body aches, throwing up, and worse. Turns out either we got a very mild case or I’ve been dreading it for nothing.

Friday after our first Totnastics Class (more on that fiasco later) we visited Grandma and Grandpa. The babies ate cantaloupe (Heaten’s first time, Shenzie’s second). Later that night they both had a case of the stinky, runny variety diapers. I thought is was the cantaloupe and dismissed it. That night for dinner Shenzie had a boiled egg. She loved it and asked for more so she had another half after. By far the most eggs she has eaten. Saturday morning comes (WAY too early) along with throw up in her crib…poor little girl. We all head downstairs where she proceeds to throw up 2 times and Heaten has the gross diaper again. At this point I’m thinking the eggs or cantaloupe did them in. Neither baby was running a fever or acting sick at all. For that matter Shenzie was running around laughing…she stops, burps a couple of times and then BLAH…throws up all of the water and Pedialyte she had just drank. I called my sister who is a pro at sickies and she informed me that not always does the flu mean they will have a fever. Later than day Shenzie was tired and looked pale so I have to conclude it was a small stomach virus. Heaten still had icky diapers, but no more throw up episodes since Saturday morning. They both took really long naps and when they woke they were right as rain (whatever that means).

On a bad note I’m not feeling all that well…hopefully if I caught the bug it will be as mild as theirs. I’m sure waking with Heaten at 5:15am isn’t helping my case. So there you have it…..all the dreading and worry over the flu and it turns out it was for nothing. The babies handled it like it was nothing. Super babies!

Oh So Pretty Edition:

For the cutest hand sewn flower hair clips, baby headbands, and more visit Tot Blossoms. She makes the prettiest hair accessories….Shenzie LOVES her hair bows. She even puts them on Baby Bear.

Shenzie has always been the feisty baby/toddler. Where Heaten is more laid back, mellow, go with the flow type dude, Shenzie is the exact opposite. She is NOT mellow, NOT go with the flow and can really do some damage when she wants to. From the time the babies were very little we have done the gentle sign. I must do this sign a hundred times a day. They both know the sign and what it means. Actually being gentle however is a whole different story.

The past three days Shenzie has been in time-out 5 times before 10:00am. She even put herself in time-out twice! She has always been aggressive towards Heaten, but this week it is above and beyond. She started biting again. Only this time she is really biting. She bit his hand SO hard it left marks and made it swell. I wanted to spank her so bad that day. Both Jeff and I decided this will be a non spanking household, but man oh man, that day I was really upset with her for hurting Heaten so deliberately. I am not in the “bite her back” camp (no offense to those that are). I just really feel that when teaching not to hit, bite, or scratch I don’t want to reinforce the act by doing it to them when it is the very thing I’m trying to teach is a no-no (again, no offense to those who discipline differently). I’m very consistent with the time-outs. There is a corner downstairs and a corner upstairs designated for time-outs. So far they seem to work with her, but the more aggressive she gets I’m worried they aren’t going to be as effective. She doesn’t yet understand the concept of having something taken away so for now we are in the re-direct, play gentle, time-out camp. Hopefully she’ll get over it soon.

Poor little Heaten Bear. Yesterday while playing at their cousins house Cousin Trever asked if we abuse him because he had scratches all over his face. Ahahahahah. I don’t abuse him, but sissy does. Heaten is so gentle and loving and sensitive. Even when he is angry he doesn’t lash out and hurt…he taps me on my shoulder and cries. He has been in time out 3 times that I can remember in his whole life. Shenzie is in time out 3 times a day or more at this point. At least she is the only crazy one, because having two feisty little crazies might be more than Mama can handle!!

On the positive side she is recognizing when she hurts him and gives him Muah! to show me that she is being gentle. She loves to kiss him and hug him and tickle-tickle him. She will give him kisses anytime I ask and kisses him on her own all of the time. He gets WAY more kisses from her than I do - lucky little guy. She sticks her bottom lip out and does the Muah! sound….most times she’s not even touching him when she does Muah. He tolerates her loving and sometimes even likes it, but lately he’s been really fussy and just cries when she loves on him. Poor little dude, all smothered in love.

She has started “mothering” him. During bath times she will scoop water up and “wash” his hair. After bathing she will help me rub his lotion in. She brings him toys and is always chasing him around wanting to play with him. She’s even started getting concerned when he cries (which is pretty much all the time). Sweet big/little sister.

And a bunch of random photos because I have been taking way too many and I just love them all so much.

We had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend. It was very relaxing, full of take out, and lots of fun. Jeff took Monday off so we could have a long weekend together. Hurray for long weekends!!! We took the babies to breakfast at our favorite breakfast joint, The Omlet House. Yum! We ordered a breakfast fit for a king!!! Stuffed French Toast, Biscuits and Gravy, Potato Spuds, and Eggs Benedict. I was stuffed!

Saturday we took the babies swimming at Grandma and Grandpa’s which was a HUGE hit for Shenzie, not so much for Heaten. Shenzie loves the water, loves to take showers, loves to get wet. She went right in and had a blast. Heaten on the other hand was not diggin’ the water. He made poor Daddy hold him the entire time and only wanted to get his feet wet. Like Father like son.

Monday we took them down on the strip to the Mandalay Bay to see the Shark Reef. At first I think the babies were a little scared of the giant fish walls, but they soon warmed up. They loved all of the fishies and sharks, and sting rays. I think Shenzie may have loved her new hat even more. She didn’t take it off all through the Shark Reef, all the way home, and all the way through dinner. We finally had to sneak it away. First thing this morning she was asking for her hat. That girl loves her some hats!!!

It was a late afternoon so we stopped on the way home for some good old fast food. The babies had their first fast food experience. The french fries were a hit, the hamburger not so much, and the ketchup was the biggest hit of them all! Who knew ketchup could be so much fun!!!

There were lots of kisses, hugs, cries, fights, and of course picture taking.

The babies picked out Daddy’s Father’s Day card. I swear when they were newborn and so tiny they looked JUST LIKE those Orangutans. And the Orangutans are twins too!!!

For more fishies Shark Reef Photos go here.

For a gazillion more pictures of Shenzie and Heaten from this month go here.

You know what really, REALLY sucks?

When your wonderful sleeping babies decided that 7:30 is no longer their wake up time and 6:15 is. When your wonderful babies decided that laying in their cribs for 20 or so minutes after waking up and playing quietly was no longer fun and now wake and immediately cry to get up. When your wonderful babies add an extra 1.5 hours to the already long day so now Mama has to work even harder to keep them happy and entertained. When your wonderful babies decided that 7:30 is no longer bedtime and even though they stay up until 8:00 they still wake WAY TOO EARLY. When your wonderful babies sometimes want to make you pull your hair out and run away screaming.

That really sucks!!!

You know what’s really great?

When your wonderful babies love each other and give kisses and hugs.

That’s really great!