Also worth investing some time in getting really familiar with the camera, since both of the above shots are a little on the soft side. Great thing about digital is that the learning curve doesn't cost anything in terms of film and D&P. Check out the second url in my sig.
Yes, that's a little sharper. It's all low-light (indoors is always low light), so camera-shake plays a part too...try some shots outdoors, and see how they turn out.