This is the Post Telling You What's Up. It's a Doozy.

Okay.

I'm not even sure where to begin. It's crazy really. Yet I know God's hand is firmly upon it. At least I think it is. Sheesh.

Welcome to my world lately. My crazy, exciting, feel-like-I'm-gonna-throw-up-at-any-second-I-can't-believe-I'm-doing-this world.

And no....the feeling like I'm gonna throw up is not because I am pregnant. But I am dealing with pregnant women if that counts for anything.

Vomiting by osmosis. Who knew.

Part of me is a little embarrassed to admit this. Why? Well, it has to do with photography and while I've really become rather obsessed with photography over the last year, I'm still very much a beginner. Or amateur. Or beginning amateur. And there are some people who read here occasionally that have some absolutely STELLAR photography skills. (Hi Andrea! Hi Mindi!) And me? I'm a schmuck.

A beginner beginning amateur who is still learning about f-stops and apertures and white balance and whatever else I can learn, absorb or inhale about digital photography. I am a photography sponge. Well, with the exception of the whole Photoshop boob thing where I obviously have some sort of creative block. Or. I'm just a boob.

Anyway.

My "plan" was to take this year, while Charlie is still nursing, and just learn all I could about photography. Take classes, read books, scour the internet, send long emails to photography bloggers asking long questions and making them think I'm some sort of weird, creepy, fertile, stalker mother and just learn, learn, learn. ( I really did send an email, y'all. Or two.)

Then, AFTER I had done all of this research and practice..... I was going to start a birth photography business.

There. I said it.

Me, the very, very, very, very, beginner beginning amateur-lame-o-can't-even-understand-Photoshop photographer was going to start a birth photography business. I had a plan. I never have a plan, so the fact that I actually had one was a miracle in and of itself!

My plan crumbled 3 weeks ago. That's when the whole pit the size of a grapefruit took up residence in my stomach.

My wonderful friend and midwife, Ann knew of my aspiring photography plans and was very happy for me. After all, she is in the business of birthin' babies, owns a birth center, etc.., so I knew she could hook me up. Eventually. I'm not sure if she knew about the whole I'm-gonna-take-a-year part or not.

You see where this is going, right?

Three weeks ago, while eating hamburgers and baked beans at a cookout, she informs me that she gave out my name at her last birth class as a photographer who was willing to do birth photography for free while building my portfolio. Wha??

(This would be the part in the movie where the stunned expression comes across my face, my burger falls from my hand and the sounds of tires screeching to a halt can be heard in the background.)

But in all honesty, I sort of laughed it off. Who was going to call some schmuck photographer with no experience to take pictures of something as precious and as priceless as a birth? ::thought while chuckling to herself::

I got the first call on Monday. I met with the people on Tuesday and they hired me on the spot. (Is it truly hired if you're free?) Then, in a moment of utter insanity I offered to take maternity pictures and do newborn shots as well. Gratis.

I am building a portfolio, after all. Oh my.

Since that day I have done three sets of maternity photos, booked a second birth photography client and photographed my very first birth this past Friday night! All while screaming on the inside, "what the heck am I doing????".

::excuse me while I go throw up::

The plan is to start a photography blog in the next few weeks that will act as my "portfolio" of sorts ( I feel so weird and grown up using the word port-fol-io). It will be there that I record this crazy mixed up photography journey and post pictures as I am given permission to do so.

All the while learning more and more about photography. While still nursing a baby. A baby who by the way, went with me to photograph my first birth (a homebirth) this past Friday night AND who slept through the WHOLE ENTIRE THING thankyouverymuch!!! Ah yes, Charlie is a gem!

And there you have it. The Big News. It's a dandy, ain't it? I bet y'all were thinking I was pregnant again, huh?

I'm sure y'all want details about this whole "photographing the first birth" thing, am I right? Well. You're gonna have to wait. It's a good story ~ maybe not as exciting as my own hilarious tale of birth, but a good one nonetheless. And it deserves it's own post. You're thinking murderous thoughts of me now, are you not? Anyway, I'll try and elaborate on that one a little later in the week.

But I'll leave you with this picture. Just cause I'm nice. And you love me. And little Baby R is so precious I just can't keep her to myself! She was staring intently at her daddy in this picture.



So? Is there a stunned silence out there? ::cricket:: ::cricket:: Whadda y'all think?

(Not about the picture, but about e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g? But the picture too if ya want.)