Okay - so I’m not really packing much yet - but I’m doing lots of sorting, and contemplating and deliberating. Moving from a house with a two car garage into a house with no garage means that lots-o-stuff has gotta go, but I’m having a rather hard time deciding what.

After the sorting and contemplating and deliberating I’ve actually got to start with the packing and moving. We get the keys on Saturday and have to be out of this house by next Friday (04/06). We’re trying to decide if we’ll get a UHaul and attempt this ourselves, or hire movers, or heavily hint to all friends with large vehicles that we could use their assistance.

Either way - I’m going to be a tad bit busy for the next few weeks. In the interest of keeping my dear readers occupied - this there anyone out there who’d like to do a guest writing gig till I get settled in my new digs? Come on, you know you want to……try this blog thing on for size without having to commit to your own?

If you’ve got something to say and just need a platform to say it - email me and let me know.

J.

- Coalition for Improving Maternity Services Public (cims_public) email list:

OPPOSING BANS ON VAGINAL BIRTH AFTER CESAREAN (VBAC)

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a long history of supporting a woman’s right to make reproductive choices; and

WHEREAS, Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) has repeatedly been shown to be a safe and reasonable choice for women; and

WHEREAS, VBAC labors that are not induced or augmented with drugs proceed without the need for emergency surgical intervention 99.6% of the time; and

WHEREAS, unnecessary cesareans pose serious risks to mothers, including two to four times a greater chance of maternal death; increased risk of emergency hysterectomy; injury to blood vessels and other organs; chronic pain due to internal scar tissue; increased chance of re-hospitalization; complications involving the placenta in subsequent pregnancies; and

WHEREAS, unnecessary cesareans pose risks to the infant, including an increased risk of respiratory distress syndrome; prematurity; the development of childhood asthma; and a 1-9% chance the baby will be cut during surgery; and

WHEREAS, over 300 hospitals within the United States have banned VBAC, including at least one hospital in every state; and

WHEREAS, it has been reported that some women seeking care in hospitals that ban VBAC have been forcibly anesthetized and C-sectioned when they try to withhold consent to surgery; and

WHEREAS, the right to refuse unwanted and unnecessary medical treatment is a fundamental right; and

WHEREAS, the right to bodily integrity is a fundamental right,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW oppose institutional and healthcare policies that deny women’s access to VBAC; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW’s policy statements, brochures, and fact sheets concerning reproductive freedom include information on VBAC; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW and its chapters work with national and state health care organizations and providers to oppose legislation and public policy that would restrict women’s access to VBAC and to medically accurate and comprehensive information on childbirth and the right to choose VBAC.

—–
I couldn’t find this on the NOW website - but apparently this is the final wording and according to the email list message:
“the resolution is in effect and will stay in effect until no longer needed.”

I was in the kitchen the other day while Bella and Julianna are down in the family room. Suddenly I hear sounds of great annoyance, and the following tirade:

“BABBBBBBBYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

I am SO tired of this.

Stay away from ME!

Stay away from MY TOYS.

YOU have gotten very troublesome.”

I guess that Bella has learned a universal truth – that younger siblings are much more enjoyable before they are mobile.

Let the fighting begin.

We sold the house.

In the last 2 months we have gotten four offers. The first three offered us full asking price, but wanted us to pay their closing costs (to the tune of $8000). Since we were in no hurry to sell, we declined. We could stay in this house during construction on the new house if we wanted – but we’d prefer to sell and move into a rental downtown sooner rather than later. Despite my yearning to get out of suburbia, I wasn’t in a hurry to hand over almost 10 grand in equity. None of the potential buyers had any money to put into the house (100% financing even – can that be wise?) so the deals fell through.

Last weekend we had a showing on Saturday. Our agent told us the woman who saw it fell in love, and wanted to bring her husband the next day. Later that night we got the offer – and were not surprised to learn it was the same as the others, they wanted 8 grand towards closing. These folks didn’t want to leave it at that though, they also asked for all our appliances, the HOA transfer fee and the Home Warranty. Oh – and they wanted to close on April 7th. The difference here was that these people actually had some funds to put into the house, so we finally had a potential buyer we could negotiate with. After some back and forth, offers and counteroffers and counter-counter offers – they finally faxed their acceptance to our agent today. We’re giving $4000 flat towards closing costs, no appliances, no other fees.

And yes – we agreed to close on April 7th.

Holy &^%$. I’ve got find a rental home, pack my entire house and move in three weeks time.

What were we thinking?

We went 144 days without rain. My girlies and I were shriveled up like prunes. Our skin feels like sandpaper. I was parched, yearning for water. Everyone is sick, like the drought has dried up our immune system along with everything around us. The grass in our backyard is so dry and brittle it hurts to walk on it barefoot.. Phoenicians were watching the sky for rain clouds with almost manic obsession. My lovely Marybeth and her girls did a rain dance.

And then it rained. And it rained and it rained and it rained for a whole entire day.

In the desert, people don’t get grumpy when it rains. Here we rejoice. We come alive. We celebrate. Bella couldn’t wait to get on her raincoat and boots and dance in the downpour. She jumped in every last puddle she came across on Saturday, and I jumped right along with her.

That would have been enough for me. Truly it would have. But you know what else happened this time? It snowed.

It snowed in Greater Phoenix, Arizona, USA. A city where you could catch the annual rainfall in an oversized bucket. A city where summer temps can exceed 110 degrees and we wear t-shirts outside in February. A city where they sell bumper stickers that say “I’m not afraid of hell, I live in Phoenix.” It snowed. Here.

It is official ladies and gentlemen, this time hell really has frozen over.

Sam and I were amazed when we were out and about yesterday and saw that the Superstition Mountains were completely covered in snow. Our jaws dropped to the ground when we saw an SUV in front of us at a red light with snow covering it’s rear bumper. You just don’t see things like that here. Sam sent me a link to photos this morning that I wouldn’t believe if I hadn’t seen the snow myself.

We were wearing shorts and tank tops a week or so ago for goodness sake!

Just a MWAC

That’s ‘Mom With A Camera’ in case you are wondering….

I’m going to take the easy way out and answer the photography question first. I’ve had several questions about my photos/camera that I’ve not gotten around to answering, and I just came off a head spinningly busy week – so I’m afraid I don’t have the mental capacity to tackle the birth stuff right now!

Aimee asked:
What type of camera do you use? Just curious. I want your camera and photography skills.
I currently shoot with a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex): the Canon 20D. I also have the 18-55mm ‘Kit’ lens, a 50mm Macro Lens, and a 75-300 zoom (which I’ve never even attached to the camera body).

I finally made the switch to digital right before Christmas, when I received some funds from a savings bond my grandparents had put away for each of their grandchildren years ago. Figuring I’d never again get a windfall like that with no strings attached, I decided to treat myself.

I’ve always loved photography (and have about eight billion photo albums to prove it). The landscapes on my photoblog were taken years ago, before we even moved to Arizona, but most of the photos have been taken since I got the DSLR.

I’ve had a film SLR – the Minolta Maxxum 5 – since Bella was a baby, but never got the guts to take it out of automatic. I was always stingy with my pictures – tallying up the costs of film and developing in my head every time I clicked the shutter. Consequently, I never moved beyond the point of taking good snapshots. Although I’m still partial to film and the capabilities of my beloved Minolta, I knew that I couldn’t possibly have the freedom to experiment and truly improve my skills without going digital.

My main cheerleader was my pal Jen – who I ‘met’ through an iparenting.com email discussion group while trying to conceive Bella . We’ve been great friends ever since. I actually believe that, at one time, I shared my big secret to getting better pictures – a wrinkled white bed sheet thrown over the back of the sofa (I cringe now just to think of it). Check out her business website, and you’ll see that she’s gone far beyond the white sheet and has proven herself immensely talented in the field of photography, as well as graphic design. She is an inspiration to me.

After a million back and forth emails with Jen, picking her brain and driving her nuts with my questions, I finally ordered the 20D and the collection of lenses I currently have when Canon was running their big triple rebate before Christmas.*

I have to admit I was underwhelmed with my camera in the beginning. I had spent a TON of money, and I felt like my pictures were better with my relatively inexpensive film SLR (on auto no less). Part of it was the huge learning curve switching from film to digital, but the other part was my own mistaken assumption that just owning an incredible camera would magically make my photographs incredible. If there is one thing I have learned for sure thus far; a great camera does not a photographer make. It takes a real pro to turn out consistently good images shot after shot, and a real pro could take better pics with a point and shoot than I could get with the most expensive camera on the market. Lesson learned.

How do you get such beautiful, candid shots?
Behind the scenes:
Lots and lots and lots of practice. Lots and lots and lots of reading. Learning to look critically at photographs – really, really look at them and decide what I like and what I don’t like. Giving thought to what want my style to be, finding really good photographers who have the same style and spending time absorbing their photos. Asking questions. Understanding the exposure triangle. Learning the techniques involved in having control over a camera, and the art of seeing creatively. Patience. Watching light dance. Trying different techniques and settings. Taking bad pictures and learning from them. Getting used to seeing the world as it looks through the viewfinder.

In the moment:
Getting down to the level of a child. Being cognizant of light, reflection, shadow. Trying different angles, unexpected vantage points. Getting close. Getting closer. Moving away. Staying steady. Capturing everyday moments. Setting up special moments. Always, always carrying my camera. Paying attention to eye contact. Watching for catchlights. Hoping my subjects forget I am there. Taking pictures. Taking more pictures. Taking even more pictures.

After the fact:
Becoming my own toughest critic. Posting my results for commentary – even when it hurts. Photoshop. Learning from my mistakes. Blowing the photo up big on the screen and scanning each part for details I missed while shooting. Using creative cropping to add more impact. Asking for help from those more experienced.

Seriously though– I have so far to go. Photography seems to be one of those areas where the more you know, the more you realize you have to learn. I love the compliments you all have sent my way – ego stroking is always a happy thing – but I have to admit that I look at my pictures with a very critical eye now. Many of the pics posted on my photoblog I would never post for critique because there are so many thing wrong with them (trust me). The more I learn, the more I am able to see I have to work on.

I’ve only been shooting fully manual for about a month, and although I’ve come a long way since December, I have so far to go. My biggest challenge thus far is definitely focus. You don’t realize how hard it is to get truly sharp images until you have the ability to blow up said images until just your one eye fills your screen. I’m working hard on it – but have to admit that I’ve gotten really frustrated and discouraged lately. Tack sharp focus eludes me on the majority of my photos. I know I can do it, because I’ve gotten a few tack sharp shots (mostly of other people’s children – kids who actually stay still for more than a fraction of a second at a time).

I’ve also learned that my reflexes are not near as fast as they should be - I miss a great many shots because I’m just not fast enough to click the shutter in time. Exposure it tough too, but I’m beginning to understand the relationship my camera has with light and how to work with it. I think I’ve got a decent eye for composition – although I’m trying hard to shift myself from cropping in camera (which you do when you shoot film) to leaving room to crop photos after the fact (which gives you more creative options with digital).

One thing I am not right now is at all consistent, and consistency is essential in a photographer.

The style I aspire to is totally candid, almost photojournalistic style photographs – which are far harder to capture than one might think. With my experience so far, I actually think that setting up a backdrop and getting someone’s attention to take a stationary photo is far easier for me than really seeing everyday moments with creativity and originality (and then being good enough to shoot them correctly). To really be good at this type of photography you’ve got to work with ever changing backgrounds and lighting conditions – and you really have to have a handle on quickly getting your camera set to obtain correct exposure. There is a great possibility with this type of photography of turning out nothing more than appealing snapshots – and I want to do more than that. My main inspiration to develop this style are photographers like Jinky and Tara Whitney. If I could get to be a fraction as good I’d be content – but right now I’m a long ways off.

Which brings me to the next question…

Do you take a million pictures to get those really great shots on your photoblog?

Maybe not a million – but lots and lots and lots. That is the beauty of digital; I have the ability to take the same picture from different angles, with different settings as many times as I need to in order to get what I want. Of course, because I’m still a fumbling amateur, I’m still not getting what I want most of the time, but I think I’m inching a little bit closer.

My camera organizes pictures into folders, each folder holding 100 images. I am on folder 22. You do the math. So, I’ve taken over 2200 images, and it really is trial and error at this point.

The other important thing to realize is that Photoshop (or similar editing software) is an essential tool in digital photography. At first I thought I was cheating if I used Photoshop, but the more examples I have seen of real photographers before and after post processing pictures, the more I understand that good photoshop skills are to the digital photographer what good darkroom skills are to the film photographer.

Even more importantly, I’ve learned that you can’t fake sharp focus or correct exposure after the fact. Sometimes, in the case of things like underexposure, colour casts or white balance issues, you can come close – but the best photographers get it right in camera. Photoshop can make a good photograph great, but it cannot make a mediocre photograph anything but an obviously fixed mediocre photograph. The best photographers get it right SOOC (straight out of camera) and then make it amazing with a few simple adjustments or conversions.

Photoshop is a very complex program, and I’m not even close to understanding the majority of the tools. I’ve seen some examples of photoshop enhancements that have amazed me. So – I’m not only trying to learn the basics of photography, but of a very powerful piece of software as well. This short journey has humbled me, and made me realize what a mix of art and technique go into the making of photographs that stop you in your tracks. Photography is an art AND a science. It ain’t as easy as it looks.
I have no plans to become anything other than a MWAC. My day (and night jobs) keep me busy enough. But photography fulfills me in much the same way that writing fulfills me, and pushing myself to improve is challenging and exciting and fun. So, I want to keep learning and growing and improving…I hope the photos I post in my photoblog will reflect that growth.

For the closet MWACs out there:
Thought I would share some of the most helpful resources I have come across:

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It does assume a minimum amount of knowledge – but is incredibly informative and easy to read. I learned a huge amount by reading though the book and playing with my camera settings as the author describes.

www.ilovephotography.com
I am completely and totally addicted to this site. Check out the Just Starting Out forum. This is where I have learned almost everything I know at this point. I’ve spent far too much time reading and rereading the forums, posting my photos for critique and learning from the constructive criticism given to others who are working to improve their skills. There are some very talented and experienced photographers who spend a great deal of time helping newbies like myself. Although the majority of people here are either professional or on track to becoming professional photographers, they are very welcoming of people who just want to learn photography for personal fulfillment. Go ahead, work up the nerve to post a photo for cc (constructive criticism) I guarantee you will learn from it, and take better pictures next time.

Beware: when I first started lurking here I got really depressed. When you see the caliber of photos being posted in Just Starting Out, you may feel as if there is no hope for you…but when I went back into the archives and looked at photos posted by my favorite photographers a year or so ago, I was amazed at their progress. Everyone has to start somewhere, and you don’t become a good photographer without a lot of hard work and a healthy dose of humility.

http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/
I’ve spent a great deal of time at this site as well (admittedly less since discovering ILP). They’ve got a great Photo Gallery for posting photos for cc, as well as a pretty good message board for questions. This board does not move nearly as quickly as the Just Starting Out board at ILP, so I think it is a little less intimidating to start out with.

Any more questions:)

* Hindsight being what it is – I wish I’d done more research and not been swayed by the big rebate, because I would have chosen different lenses if I had known more about what I would want and need. If you want to invest serious money in a camera set up, I can’t stress enough that you should learn as much as you can about photography and what you want to accomplish before sinking a bunch of cash into a system. I would have ditched the kit lens and the zoom entirely, bought another small, fast wide angle zoom, and gotten a better, faster 50mm, or another prime lens like a 35 or 28mm.