I kind of feel like blogging again. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m in the 2nd trimester. Yeah, you heard that right.

2nd TRIMESTER, BABY!!

[I made it two whole weeks of wearing the same shirt for pictures, ha]

Anyway, I have a bit more energy, things are getting done, and I have the holiday spirit. Gifts are wrapped, the tree is lit, the oldest girl is super excited – she’s most excited about opening one present on Christmas Eve night – and we are thinking of our many blessings this Christmas season.

We haven’t forgotten the reason for the season, and I’ve been talking to Emma about the birth of Jesus. But she’s four and a half and, welllll …

Oh, dear.

I think part of the reason I want to blog more is inspiration. I have been so inspired by photographers, bloggers and friends lately, so I thought I’d share some of my latest inspirations:

* Stacey’s “list of happies”

* Xanthe’s “i love …” series

* Xanthe’s “one day on Earth” series [I love Xanthe]

* lila was here

* Sarah’s amazing ability to capture people as they are

Who or what is inspiring YOU lately?

please don’t hate me for saying this, but I love love LOVE that picture

And don’t forget that tomorrow is the last day to enter my most fabulous Kellie Hatcher LR preset giveaway!

Do any of you read Apartment Therapy? or ohdeedoh? They are two of my “when I have time” blogs, and I always really love looking at the kid’s rooms on ohdeedoh.

Anyway, a friend of mine pointed this out to me today …

Recognize that bed? Or the cute little girl holding the owl pillow!?

It’s me and Emma!! Thanks for the quick little feature, ohdeedoh!!

And by the way? That bed takes quite a licking and keeps on ticking.

See why we need solid wood [and not particle board] in our house?

Having a 3 year old and a 2 month old can be a little hairy when I’m out and about. Okay, it can be a lot hairy. I normally babywear the 2 month old everywhere so that I can stay hands-free, but it’s always nice to shake things up a bit.

Thanks to Mom Spark Media I was given the opportunity to review the líllébaby EuroTote.

The versatile EuroTote is the perfect travel companion. It easily converts from a cradle carrier to a bunting bag to a toddler stroller bag. It can even be used as travel bedding or a play blanket. Hard carriers can have negative effects on babies, making traveling uncomfortable and even unhealthy. Spending long periods of time in a car seat can cause colic, bad posture, neck injury and other infant health problems. The EuroTote weighs only 1.5 pounds, giving parents better balance and more stability. líllébaby’s innovative EuroTote is the only carrier to reach for, whether calming a fussy infant in your home and being out and about in your town. [credit]

I didn’t use it as a cradle carrier in public, simply because I prefer having my hands completely free so I can chase down my 3-year old or push a grocery cart, but I also live in suburbia where we have to drive everywhere. I think if you lived in the city where you walked a lot, the cradle carrier would be useful. But I did use the cradle carrier a few times around the house to move her from room to room.

My husband was concerned that the strap would slide off your shoulder much like a gym bag when you carry it around, and that would be a concern of mine in public, as well. Or maybe we are the only people who have ever had a gym bag slide off our shoulder and catch on our elbow. Especially in a crowded area, I feel like the baby has the potential to get jostled around quite a bit. So in public, I prefer babywearing upright and close to me in a carrier or wrap or sling.

I also used it as a play blanket for my 2 month old, and it was very soft and cushy on our hardwood floors.

I didn’t feel like I needed to put another blanket under it to cushion her.

She is still too young to roll around on it, but she enjoyed laying on it while her big sister sat beside her and played.

I think the travel sleeping bag is one of my favorite features of this product. It’s so warm and cozy, and it would save us from having to lug a pack and play around while traveling.

Overall, I really like it, and I’m glad we have one now. It’s not something I would have ever thought to buy for myself, but it’s a nice addition to our baby items.

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media … I was not compensated for this review; however, I was given the product mentioned above so I could form my own opinion.

What happens when you try to take a picture of a 3-year old who has to go the bathroom (with a river flowing nearby).

And if you’re reading this in Google reader, then you should click here to see my new header. I redid it for the fall, and if I say so myself, it’s kind of awesome.

And yes.

My shoulder DOES hurt from patting myself on the back, thankyouverymuch.

See this kid?

Okay. Now, stop staring at his perfect little curls and listen up.

His name is Bridger (aka BB), he is 7 years old and he’s amazing. (His mom is pretty amazing, too)

You see, all he wants for Christmas is to build a well and bring clean water to people who need it. I know I take for granted the ability to turn on a faucet and get clean water. I am certainly not thankful enough about the ability to take clean showers whenever I want. When Emma was bottle-feeding, I didn’t even think twice about paying 99 cents for a gallon of filtered water. Actually, I probably complained a little bit about paying for it when there are people all over the world who would give their right arms for a gallon of clean water, much less filtered.

All BB wants to do is fund water projects to get clean water to these people. He doesn’t want Christmas presents.

Let me say that again.

HE DOESN’T WANT PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS.

A seven-year old. Who doesn’t want presents.

So won’t you help?

Here are a couple of ideas …

donate whatever amount you want to donate – $1 or $1,000, it doesn’t matter

grab a button for your blog to help spread the word

And post a comment on Lissa’s blog to show her how touched you are by her amazing and generous kid. She raised him, ya know.

Love ya, BB!

So I’m taking the August break.

Here’s the plan for the August break: you simply share one photo (or more!) per day on your blog – Monday to Friday, or every day. Or whenever you want. Using any camera – DSLR, compact, Polaroid, Holga, iPhone (my choice), Instax, 35mm, video – with or without words – anything goes – for the whole of August. No pressure -  just looking at August through your camera lens as a way to be more present this summer. And to have a little break from the pressures and expectations of regular blogging.

Eight weeks until our baby girl arrives … less than 2 months until Emma becomes a big sister … an unbelievably small amount of time until our lives are drastically changed … and I am just needing some peace and quiet.

Numero uno, so today’s the last day to vote for my little blog space in the BlogLuxe awards. But I will honestly say the other blogs in the eye candy are so fierce (ohmygoodness, did I just use that word?) that I am truly honored to even be nominated among them. Seriously.

Secondly, I am working on answering the questions that were asked in this post, so I should have that post up sometime in the next couple of days. Or weeks.

You know, coming back from vacation is always hard, because you have to unpack and get right back into the swing of things (and driving 12 hours is really not good on the pregnant uterus, so I have spent most of the day just trying to recover and let baby girl stretch out) but luckily, my mother in law stayed here while we were gone, so we came home to a spotless house. And fridge.

Yes … my fridge is spotless.

No … you can’t have her.

But the reality of going back to normal life is setting in, so it may take me a few days to answer those questions.

In the meantime, enjoy my ham …

She needs to work on being more photogenic, don’t you think?

So we’re on vacation this week. As you’re reading this, we are probably in the car. Listening to the most annoying voices ever from the backseat (die, Max & Ruby … DIE!), eating our picnic lunch WAY too early (ahem, Keli), having your adorable wife read emails and facebook posts out loud when she’d much rather be reading a book (ahem, Ken) and stopping to pee every 15 minutes (she’s 3 … I’m pregnant … your guess is as good as mine).

I’m always nervous to post that we’re away from our house in case someone decides to break in, but let me set some things straight.

a. we don’t have anything worth stealing,

b. trust me, we don’t buy expensive electronics or gadgets or artwork or jewelry,

b. if you do break in, please clean up after yourself, because the *last* thing i want to do is clean up YOUR mess when we get home.

Besides that, we are too cheap to board our dogs, so we have someone staying at our house with our two ferocious dogs.

No, seriously.

They’re, like, insanely mean. See?

No, wait.

Okay, here’s Macey in her most heightened state of awareness.

Oops, that’s not it, either.

All right … just make sure you do NOT throw a stick!

Well, unless you want her to chase it over and over again.

Okay, okay.

Whatever you do … don’t let your kids anywhere near them! There is no telling what they’ll do!!

Ugh. NEVERMIND.

While we’re away, I’ve got some scheduled posts ready to go, including one from one of the coolest chicks I know who I pretty much want to be in another life. I mean, besides the fact that we’re practically twins already.

But I thought I’d do something a little different on the blog this week …

That’s right. Anything. Shoot me some questions.

Within reason. Nothing perverted. Or weird. Or about my current weight.

You can ask about photography or camera equipment or editing programs or what I did before I had kids or sewing or how I can lick my own elbows or what I do in my spare time or exactly what I did to become so awesome. You know, the usual.

At the end of the week (probably during the 10-hour drive back home next Saturday), I’ll go through and answer them.

And please ask something. Because there’s really nothing more embarrassing than opening up the floor for questions and then hearing … *crickets*

In the meantime, watch out for these two.

They will totally rip your head off.

You know, after they roll around in some dead grass and lick themselves.

So I was just twittering the other night while Ken was away watching baseball, and I noticed a few of my friends mentioning that they had been nominated for the 2010 BlogLuxe Awards. I moseyed on over to vote, and ummmm …

This sounds so cliché, but I’m completely honored beyond belief to have even been nominated. Seriously. Look at that list of amazing blogs! I’m even a contributor on one of those blogs (but I am selfishly pulling for my own blog, thankyouverymuch.)

So thank you to whoever nominated my blog. Thank you thank you thank you.

Anywho … you can totally vote once a day until July 12. Just sayin’.

But I am TRULY blown away to even be on that list.

I literally feel like I am in the midst of greatness.

Canon 50D • 85mm • ISO 125 • F2.5 • shutter speed: 1/2500

… and I’m stuck inside for most of it. Stupid allergies.

I decided to bring spring inside with an updated blog look – inspired by Beth’s beautiful new design. Oh, the adorable bumblebee PS brushes and beautiful green background are from Pixels & Ice Cream.

And a special shout out to plain m&m’s for keeping me from losing my mind while working on the custom css. Holla!

So … what are your weekend plans?