How come my friends are such good photographers and I am not?

So I am frustrated today because recently I gave up on going to the portrait studio and getting professional pictures every month. I have to drive all the way to Tucker to take them, usually wait 30 minutes (because they run on 'baby time'), and then drive all the way back two weeks later to pick them up. On top of all that, I am NEVER happy with the photos! The screen that you view them on is really bad and unclear so I kind of guess which picture I like best. The reason why I go to JC PENNY is because I always have coupons which give me an 8x10, 5x7, and 4 wallets for less than $5. And since I go every month, I need it to be cheap. Well I decided to start doing it myself and editing them and sending them off to winkflash/snapfish to be printed. This only takes a few days turnaround time and I don't have to leave my house. However the pictures are turning out AWEFUL! I am using a super nice camera so I don't understand why all my friends are taking beautful pictures of their kids and mine SUCK! There are always bad shadows and the skin looks bad! I am doing it outside to get natural light. I mean can I only take pictures during a certain time of the day to get pictures without shadows? So I give up. Back to the portrait studio next month...

Some videos

Here are some videos we've taken in the last 6 months.

Jada Chuckles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhbDeJ2lx4Y

Riley the monkey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etj0HPCHHRs

Riley and Jada Sleeping
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYrQWfj1kxo

Riley saying some words
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOQBgfst4Oo

Riley on the Trampoline
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeqKdAb4WsM

Riley at the Park - 18 months
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0oi8xlpsN4

Riley Boarding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cye9Z1OQW2E

So we got Riley a wakeboard, yeah, we are crazy - well I am crazy. I just wanted to get him comfortable swimming, floating, wearing a life jacket, and of course wearing a wakeboard.

He did have some fun. He freaked out a little in the middle. But overall, I think he had fun.

Thumb Sucker

Recently I went to get Jada out of her new room, the laundry room, and I saw her sucking her thumb. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was to see her sucking her thumb. I have been trying desperately to get her to take a pacifier since the day she was born but she has always refused one. Jada cries ALOT and needs some sort of pacification. It seems to be helping some. She will start screaming and then put her thumb in and be calm for a few minutes but often will continue screaming. She likes to have her left thumb in her mouth and then hold on to something with her right hand. Usually her clothes or a blanket, but today it was her toes (or maybe her socks is what she was going for).