I do not come from a very photo taking family. You see there are approximately 3 pictures of my life growing up. My mother was too busy raising children to care to take pictures, so I have none. I do not want this same fate for my child…who knows if he looks anything like me when I was a child; my mother says he does, but I have no proof! I am a middle child, so the picture selection is even worse for my brother and me (#’s 3 & 4 of 6). I was not very great at documenting my school years, my marriage, my son’s birth, or his first 9 months. I clearly need to remedy this problem…enter my new Nikon D5100 DSLR! I am super-duper excited about it! I have probably snapped oh say 650 pictures in 3 days (maybe an hour of actual camera time).
I chose the Nikon over Canon on the recommendation of my professional photographer friend/neighbor and a LOT of online research. They offer many camera and lens options and “packages.” I opted to go with the Nikon D5100 body and the Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR DI II LD Macro for Nikon. I did this so I would only have 1 lens to deal with while learning the ins and outs of a DSLR. Most of the packages through Nikon come with 2 lenses that cover 18-55mm and 55-200/300mm. I really wanted to be able to just use this right off the bat kind of like a point and shoot…so this works for me!
It is wonderful…I do not have to learn when to change lenses before I can start taking photos, I can go from far to close to in between very rapidly, and it is just so fun to zoom in and out like I am some kind of photog! Bahaha, that will never happen, but I sure will pretend! Anyway, thus far I LOVE the camera/lens that I purchased and would definitely recommend it to any beginner.
I plan to take some photography lessons at some point…until then here is what I have snapped and “edited” in either iPhoto or Picasa on my computer. I really have no idea what I am doing, except looking for what I think looks pretty. Enjoy…
Dr. Seuss!
I just love this face!
Ice Cream with Daddy!
Lip smackin’ good!
My happy boy 
So, what is your pick…Nikon or Canon. What is your favorite lens? Any tips for this first-timer? I hope all have had a great start to the school year and that you were able to capture these memories.
Hey there, we are Kirbie and Jackson, mother and son. We love breastfeeding and believe in the benefits of breastfeeding; we feel that every mother and child should have the choice to do so, without criticism or ridicule. We are here to support you in your journey of breastfeeding, for documenting our family's happenings and to discuss whatever else I may find interesting. I hope you enjoy my perspective! 
So glad you’re getting pictures! Yes, I think he looks very much like you did, especially around the eyes. Now, let’s wait and see if he develops those blonde curls like you had.
Thanks Pam! I see Stephen in him the most