Childbirth (the whole enchilada)...

I had no idea how involved the whole process of childbirth could actually be... especially for new parents. So, it's a good thing Ryan and I signed up for a weekend crash course in the subject.

I had heard mixed reviews about these types of classes. Mainly that they weren't really worth your time because they pretty much just state the obvious. And let's face it... most of us already know the basics. Our parents taught us that when they sat us down to discuss the proverbial "birds and the bees". However, I doubt your parents ever got this deep....

As with most things in life... the more you know about a particular topic, the more comfortable you feel. So, it only makes sense to get a quick preview of what is likely to become the most important day of your life.

In our case, our childbirth class at Palomar Medical Center was not only a great prep course, but it also served as an important dress rehearsal for the big day. We mapped out our route to the hospital and determine the best place to park (including after hours). Then, we toured the hospital for the first time, which included a stop in both the private delivery rooms as well as the recovery rooms. We were even able to pre-register for the big day.

And all that was really a bonus! The material covered in class was also extremely helpful. It's what I like to call "the whole enchilada".  It's packed with lots of good "stuff"... and yes, at times it can get a little messy. Especially some of the videos... so eat a light lunch :)

Really nothing is off limits in these classes, which is great. Most of the couples are first-time parents, so we're all asking the same silly questions when it comes to labor and delivery. Common topics of discussion include pregnancy comforts/discomforts, stages/phases of labor, comfort techniques, hospital procedures and caring for a newborn. For Ryan and I, these topics were a great starting point for discussions outside the classroom. Believe it or not, deciding what is best for your family and comparing that to what your OB and hospital want for you, can be overwhelming. There are many choices to make, and having a partner to share that responsibility is extremely helpful.

It definitely made us stronger in the end. And Lord knows... I need all the strength I can get come D-Day.

Our Childbirth Class at Palomar Medical Center

Photoshop: Behind the Mask

Ah, the ability to momentarily escape reality. It's just one of the perks of this week's Photoshop project.

Our final task was to create a book cover, front and back, illustrating our ability (or lack thereof) to manipulate images using masks, a tool in Photoshop.

As with all my school projects, I pick themes that actually mean something to me. I'm 29 weeks pregnant, so my main focus right now is food, specifically anything containing sugar. So, naturally, I decided to create a book cover about... well, cakes.

Those of you who know me well, know that I am skilled at many things, but cooking is NOT one of them. This is where the whole "momentarily escape reality" thing comes into place. For my project, I decided to pretend I was the author of this book, which meant I was also a skilled caterer, pastry chef and food stylist. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

Man, just looking at this book cover makes me hungry. Doesn't that count for something?

Photoshop: Using Filters

This was probably my most challenging Photoshop project to date. Our assignment was to create a CD cover and back while experimenting with filters. I'm going to sound like a complete geek when I say this, but completely distorting images by applying crazy filters is a lot of fun. It's almost as fun as changing your voice by appyling audio filters in Garageband. If you haven't tried that yet, I highly recommend it.

What made this project challenging (besides coming up with a good concept) was applying enough filters to complete the assignment, but not making them so crazy that they detract from the overall design. The video equivalent would be applying crazy transitions every time you have a scene change. If you don't do it right, it just looks amateur.

For my theme, I decided to appeal to pregnant women who might need a little extra rest and relaxation. I guess you could say this is a case of art imitating life... or is it life imitating art?

Whatever.

The Cover

The Back

By the way, I just registered to take an advanced Photoshop class being offered online this summer. Technically, the class ends August 2nd, which is about a week after my due date. I'm hoping the instructor lets me complete some assignments early. I doubt I'll be in the mood for Photoshop with a newborn crying in the background. Although, having this CD might help :)

Photoshop: Getting Canned

I originally titled this blog post, "Photoshop: Using Layers". But, I nearly fell asleep after reading it, so I thought it best to spice things up a bit.

As you know, I'm taking an online Photoshop class. This week's project was to create a label for can. The goal was to help us better learn the concept of layering and creating patterns. Most of the examples I saw were pretty boring, so I ventured outside the box... or in this case, "outside the can".

And by the way, I totally stole this concept from a cheap, Ft. Lauderdale souvenior shop.

Here's a close-up of the "nutrition" label.

Photoshop: Correcting and Coloring Photos

It's weird. I think my last school assignment was tougher than this one. Aren't classes supposed to get harder the further you progress in the semester? Not that I'm complaining....

For our second assignment, we were asked to make some major corrections to a black and white photo, color it and add some text. When complete, the image should look like an advertisement.