Finally doing it...

I keep being asked, when called about taking pictures for people, "can we see a sample?" 

I have not had time to build a full-on website yet. That takes a lot of time. And, as it turns out, money.

So, here we go: a photo blog. All the pros have a website and a blog. I'd love to be a pro. While I'm waiting for the 10-15 years of experience that it takes to be considered professional, I'll start here!

I had one shoot today and five more photo shoots this week, so this blog should be constantly updated!

Enjoy! 

Alaina Dooley Photography

And now, for reading, here is your reward:

Nathan made the funniest faces for me today!

 No teeth yet!

He is also turning into quite the crawler. It makes him happy. It makes us babyproof!

This post brought to you by my latest study break

Ahh...a ten minute rest. That's what my brain needs the weekend before finals week. Most of my classes are online, so a lot of the finals are available to take anytime between now and the end of next week. Which makes me want to get the easy ones done early so I can focus more attention on the hard stuff next week. 

Mitch and I are great at rewarding ourselves during finals week. It keeps us going, especially this semester when most of his classes are online, too! We switch off answering Nathan's banshee cries and feedings, etc. Right now he's napping and I'm at a great stopping point. Let the Facebook and blogging commence!

We stocked up on candy bars and treats this week. Whenever we finish a couple hard assignments we get a treat. Right now Mitch is eating a 100 Grand bar, watching an episode of something action-y on hulu. Then it's back to work!

So I've been doing this photography thing like it's nobody's business...I love it so much I feel like I have never had a hobby before! Which is awesome! I have earned enough so far to invest in some things that will make the business of making money easier once winter takes over Idaho again (which is bound to be in, like, three weeks, with our luck). I found a set of two backdrops (black and white) and their frame on Amazon for super cheap. Then I found a set of two continuous-light 5200 Kelvin (as bright as the sun!) fluorescent lights and their stands for even cheaper than the backdrops! This still leaves me with money left over to "support the cause at home" a bit. We thought it would be smart to invest now, since winter will inevitably be here when we get back from our two summer trips, and I want to keep making money throughout the year. 

On Wednesday two of my best friends, Rachel and Amy, and I played with the backdrops. We all have kids 14 months or younger, but they weren't being so cooperative. So, I snapped a few of Nathan, who also decided not to be cooperative. This was the best I got of him. Don't judge the coloring...they're actually just test shots before he started crying!

I can't wait to get the light stands in here. Because they're as strong as sunlight (or can be), they can mix well with natural light and add to it if we don't have enough. Our windows are tiny here and we normally don't get great natural light. 

Right now I'm trying to save up for a portrait class that focuses on newborns and children. I can't wait to take it! I also booked three newborn shoots (well, two, the third is penciled in, pending the mama's schedule). They'll feature a boy, a girl, and a set of twin girls! I'm so excited to have finally found something I love to do, can do from home, and that can fill my spare time!

Well, break's over. Thanks for letting me share it with you!

Big Ol' Blues

Everyone who meets Nathan comments on his eyes. They have always been big and wide, and VERY blue!

Although they don't actually look all that blue in this one!

Every day I have his dad to thank for those great big blues! I had blue eyes as a baby, too, but Mitch had BIG blue eyes! Even in our engagement picture people would comment on his eyes! It was the first thing a lot of people noticed about the picture!

In about a month we will have been married for 2 years. Wow, how time flies! Things haven't gone exactly how we expected, but when do they ever in life, right!? We couldn't be happier. We can't wait to be done with school so we can get settled in our more traditional roles!

I can't wait to stay home with this little man. Those big ol' blues melt my heart.

(If you click on the picture you can see the little bit of cereal on his shirt, up by the collar. I almost photoshopped it out, but it's so him! It just makes him look real to me. I didn't edit a thing about this picture!)

It will be so great just to focus on him for awhile, not juggling him and school and two jobs (while trying to build photography as a third). Then, who knows, maybe we'll be ready to handle more than one kid! 

All I know is, I can NOT handle going to school while pregnant again. Once is enough. So is having a c-section in the middle of a semester where you're taking 12 credits, 10 of them online. Welcome home! Homework's been waiting for you!

I've been reminiscing today, since we're coming up on two years soon. Our anniversary always gets skipped over because we're either traveling or our budget is gone from all the fun we've had traveling. Last year it was spent in the car, I think. I don't even remember--how sad is that?

One day we'll enjoy where our anniversary falls during the year. We'll get to recruit grandparents to watch our kidlets and we'll get to take a trip somewhere for some time away from everything!

Until then, I'll just be grateful for big blues and my loving husband :o)

I wish, I wish...

...I wish I was a fish!

That is what Nathan has been singing all weekend, I'm sure! (And we just watched The Amazing Mr. Limpett...what a cute old movie!)

This Fourth of July weekend was spent with Mitch's family in Gillette, Wyoming (our favorite place for a quick weekend escape from school and stress!) We worked REALLY hard and got all our homework done for the week & weekend by Wednesday, packed and cleaned Thursday, and left Friday at 6:30 am. We love not having any classes Fridays and Mondays: it allows us four-day weekends whenever I don't have to work!

This weekend, there was a surprise waiting for Nathan at GG and Papa Dooley's house...a new hot tub! Mitch's dad had turned down the temperature a few days in advance for Nathan and it was perfect for him. He is so spoiled: he has always loved hot tubs, heated pools are just "not good enough", and I'm sure he's going to think every bath from here on out is just lame!

We picked up a floatie and he just loved it. On the last night he decided it worked better to lounge in than sit up in. It was SO cute! Just floating around on his back with his feet kicked up over the edge, sucking on his little water gun. (I didn't get any pictures because I was in the hot tub, too!) This boy was in heaven!

We had so much fun! Thank you, Dooleys, for always taking us in! I won the in-law lottery!

Here are some fun pictures from last weekend. Sadly, we drove home all day on the Fourth and didn't get to have fun with fireworks, but we watched the Macy's fireworks special on tv...that counts for something, right?

Showing Papa Dooley the love:

Awww, little hot tub toes :o) They were raisins every night!

Note: all the safety precautions were taken: sunscreen, gripping that floatie and helping him balance, not letting him bake too long, etc. We always went out after the sun went down!

PS--way to go, Blogger! This new photo uploader is awesome!