Harrison

I've been doing some babysitting lately for a certain little guy, who is the son of some of our good friends.  He's three months old.



Yep, it's busy with two little kids.  Yes, we totally rock out a double stroller when we're out in public.  And yes, it's fun to spend time with a baby who actually likes to snuggle.


Anyway, I had a little fun with him + my camera this past week.

How adorable is this child?


Dimples!


He's totally sweet.

Tough guy pose.

The bumbo seat was a new experience for him. Clearly.

But he warmed up to the idea.


It provides a great angle from which to watch a very busy 14-month-old.

Diaper blowout = new outfit!


This one makes me laugh each time I see it.

And this one's my favorite:

Almost Done!

Even Josh had to ask me, "are you still taking weekly pictures of her?"

Why yes I am.

Maybe they sit on my camera for weeks.  Maybe she's too wiggly to get good shots.  Maybe I take them in bad lighting just to get 'em done. 

But wouldn't you know it?  I've got them all good and updated.  A certain someone is turning one in a month, and I'd like to involve the pictures somehow in her party decor.


Although I've had moments of UGH when it comes to this project, I'm so thankful that I've done it. Now that Caroline is crawling/climbing/sippy-cup using/into everything, it's precious to me to look back and remember her rocking on all fours (34 weeks) and sitting in a Bumbo seat (19 weeks) and learning to hold up her own head (8 weeks).

These past few sessions have been extra fun since I've gotten to capture a little more of her personality.  She loves, loves, loves to play in the dishwasher (45 weeks) and spoons of any size and shape are her personal favorites.  She's also particularly hard to photograph because she's so dang mobile (44 weeks).  Last week she started clapping (48 weeks).  A lot.  As in, pushing a button on a toy and clapping to the music.  Even the 42 week shot will be fun to remember someday, because I find her standing in her crib so very often.  Because she's a terrible napper and would rather stand there than go to sleep.

At this very moment, it's not so heart-warming.  But I'll look back on it and smile, I'm sure.

The 47 week shot will never be heartwarming for me, since the Michigan-Michigan State game is on the in background.  We lost.  Again.

And there we have it.  Just FOUR MORE WEEKS!

9 Month Pictures

A certain someone is 9 months old today...



My friend Lora was gracious enough to take time out of her busy life to help snap some pictures yesterday. She's the one who helped me with Caroline's 3 month shots.



Get ready for a whole bunch of pictures, since I can't possibly decide on my favorite.



I'm guessing I'll enjoy most of Caroline's ages and stages, but this one might be my favorite so far.



She crawls. Not too quickly yet, thankfully. She's curious. She can turn the pages of her board books... and then shove them into her mouth, of course.



She still loves to swing, and giggles every time we put her in.



She's got two teeth now. And man can she shovel in the table food these days. It's best to strip her down to a diaper prior to dinner.



I made this dress. Thank you Prudent Baby for step-by-step instructions. The material is from a duvet cover I bought on clearance from West Elm years ago. You may have also seen it used in our kitchen.



On a more serious note, let me just tell you that I've never experienced the hand of God in my life like I have with this child. I have no greater proof that He exists. He grew her, out of nothing, right inside me. Knit her together. Perfectly. I had very little to do with the process. And then God gave her to me and Josh.



I'm not even speaking about our infertility struggles, and the low chances we had of conceiving. Nope, I'm talking about the miracle that is every baby. Perfectly formed features. A little body that moves and breathes and eats... and smiles. And snuggles. And laughs. And grows.



Nothing and no one but a very powerful, very loving God could do that. There's a lot I don't know about Him and this world, but this much I'm confident of.

We're humbled and thankful that He blessed us with this child. We've so enjoyed her these last nine months.

Getting some photos off the dang computer.

As you're probably aware, I like to fiddle around with my camera. I especially enjoy capturing the little life of our girl - as many moments as I can.

But then, I get SO MANY pictures. Like these. And these:

Sure, they're fun pictures of Caroline. But if I have them all printed in 4x6's I KNOW they'll just sit in a folder and rot.

Let me tell you, I get really overwhelmed by a bunch of pictures sitting on my hard drive. So overwhelmed that they sit there for a long time, untouched. I can hardly bring myself to even weed out the bad ones. Clearly, it's not the best strategy.

However, I'm making a few strides. Here are some things I'm currently working on, and am pushing myself to keep up with:

1. Caroline's Baby Book. A traditional scrapbook, which I'm trying to keep simple and sweet. Birth stats. Milestones. A few notes about each month. Pictures with each grandparent and great-grandparent.

[Don't mind the grainy iPhone shots, by the way]

2. Shutterfly Photo Books. I'm just starting this one, but it gives me a chance to get a bunch of pictures into a single book, QUICKLY AND EASILY. For 2011, I think I'll make a Caroline-specific one, and a broader book of our family's adventures.

3. Up on the wall. I, along with the rest of the Internet, was inspired by this post. So we took a baby step and put up a few photos. I wanted family shots, and Josh wanted vacation pics. You see the result.

We've included a variety of pictures, including three from Rome, one from Oregon, one from Paris, and another from Copenhagen. As far as family shots go, we've got one of Riley in our backyard, one of me and Josh in Bloomington, IN, and two of Caroline.

We figure we can add to it here and there with updated photos, and expand the collection.

This is a stretch of hallway that connects the front door with the kitchen.

And do you remember my Charleston photo project? I enjoyed putting those together so much that I couldn't choose just one or two. So...

So we just added to the wall this week:

Both the Charleston collage AND one from Caroline's 6 Month photo shoot were added.

I look forward to adding to this wall... and hope to add some non-photos, too. A big "B," perhaps? A framed key to our first house? Caroline's future artwork? Extra-special concert tickets or something? We'll see.

So, those are the steps I'm taking to actually, you know, use our pictures. And I'm curious... what do you do with all of yours?

Road Trip, Stop #2: Charleston, SC

How did I live for 27 years and NOT know just how cool Charleston is?

I had no idea.

The old, majestic houses. The iron scrolls. The history. The side porches. Oh my goodness. Incredible.

We also enjoyed the food. No surprises there.

We stayed with one of my best friends from my childhood - Laura. She actually lives in a darling historic house on the north end of down town. I loved getting to spend time with her in Charleston. We haven't had much of a chance to spend time together since high school. You know, ten years ago. And two weeks after we left? This girl got married! So happy for them.

When we were in town she asked me to take some photos of Charleston that they could use to hang up in their living room. She wants 4 of them, and for them to be square.

A photo project? FUN.

So we walked all around town. Caroline strolled.

And was sometimes fed a bottle as we went.

So, if you were Laura and her husband, Adam, what Charleston pics would you choose?

A. The Battery. Apparently Charleston and the surrounding areas played a pretty important role in both the Civil and Revolutionary Wars. I don't think I really knew that.

B. Totally awesome iron gates. They're all over town.

C. Window grates. This one is a classic "harp."

D. The iconic pineapple fountain. They even let you play in it!

E. The side porch is classic Charleston.

F. Can I have this house, please?

G. Local women sit and weave these on street corners. Beautiful work.

H. I forget the significance of this house. But it is OLD. Like, 1700's.

I. Pineapples are big down there. I think it's a symbol of welcome.

J. Another fabulous house with a crazy-cool iron gate.

And then we've got more choices for Laura and Adam. Do they want color?


Or perhaps they want them in black and white?


What about a retro vibe?


I'm fond of this faded effect: