FarAwayFamily

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I've been meaning to make a book of family members so the kids don't treat them like strangers the few times they see them. Nothing to get me motivated like a coupon code for a free book. Check yourselves out, I think you're all in there. 

Today

4 months

Can you see why her every waking moment is filled with us holding, kissing, admiring, praising, and doing anything to earn one of those smiles?

Just Like Auntie, Only Fluffier On Top

As you can tell, Esme takes after Brian's side of the family. We took her to a favorite little restaurant last week where the husband cooks and the wife takes the orders, you know the type, calls everybody sweetie. She took one look at Esme and said "You know she's not the milk man's."

Today I dressed her up in this cute little dress and bonnet made by Brian's mom from the pattern she used to make his sister dresses, 25 years ago. I consulted his childhood photo album and she looks a lot like her aunt, but that wild hair must have come from me since hers was quite calm.

During Eli's Nap Today

Still going on actually, obviously since I'm now able to post. Esme's totally obsessed with sitting up, so we spent our one-on-one time working on that with her brand new boppy, the pattern for which came from this book, which is my new obsession (yes, you can borrow it Anna, just as soon as I make about 20 more things).

Isn't she the cutest thing ever? Am I not the luckiest person ever? Yes and yes. And does the slobbering mean teething? I hope not. We were really sad when Eli's came in at 5 months. The first time I was scared of him growing up. Besides, she's not responsible enough for teeth, it's scary enough when she bites me with gums.

Poor Eli. We didn't have a super fabulous camera or a blog when you were tiny, so here you go:

Family/Newborn Pictures

Aparently I Have A Thing For Free Photography

A few weeks ago I was looking on at some online classifieds to get Eli some 2 year pictures and there were lots of photographers, maybe with these hard financial times, offering free photography for families to bring potential customers to their door and expand portfolios. I booked the least cheezy and most professional looking one. After going to get the CD yesterday, I realized that I have never paid for photography, except for senior pictures. Our engagement, bridal, and wedding were done by my friend Leilani's saintly dad. He drove all the way to Logan for us.

When Eli was 3 weeks old I dressed him in a white onesie and laid him on a pillow under plenty of light to get his birth announcement pictures.



Last year, my friend Anna, let me know that her wedding photographer was wanting to add kids to her portfolio and I got free photos a couple months after Eli turned one.

Other than Leilani's dad, we've been slightly rushed, understandably, but we don't need an album full each time, just a few good shots to capture life at that moment. Now I want a fancy camera for Christmas. Maybe we'll never pay for photography and maybe I'll never be in any of the pictures.