Baby Model

So I joked a few posts ago about how Eli loves to be photographed and that he is like my little baby model. Tonight just before bedtime, Derek and I dressed him up and brought him into the studio. He absolutely lit up. I think Derek was even surprised. He ran over and climbed onto the box and laughed and laughed. He is fast and he gets up and down and runs around alot, but he definitely gets that he is "on" and he performs. I can work with that! Plus, I know I am totally biased but isn't he one of the cutest little baby models you've ever seen?






There are lots more I could show, but being the end of the day and all we really should have washed his face before shooting these. I got tired of editing his dinner (and probably some lunch, too) off his face.

Another snow victim

Gracie very good naturedly agreed to come out into the snow today for a picture or two. She didn't last too long, but I was really happy that she went for it in the first place. I hope that my neighbors never paint their garage.



it is so frustrating to me how lousy this looks at web size. It looks much better in print. You'll have to take my word for it.

Nothing on my kitchen counters is safe anymore. Eli steers the chairs around to exactly the spot he wants to access and then climbs up. We moved the higher chairs we had because he could get up onto the counter from those. Not so good.

I sitting on the couch and could hear him crunching the apple so I wasn't really monitoring him. Derek did warn me that he likes to take bites out of all of them, but I guess I forgot. Notice how he sampled 3? It made me laugh. He was reaching for a fourth when I intervened. He redeemed himself by clearly saying, "ah-pull" to me. That makes a grand total of 4 words he says. And that's counting generously. The doctor this morning said to give him until he's 2 ( he turned 1.5 yesterday). I'm really not worried at all, but it is fun to hear him saying some things all of a sudden.

My muse

Looking back over the pictures, I think it was about 18 months that Gracie became annoyed with me photographing her. And by annoyed, I mean shrieking, screaming and running away whenever she saw the camera. Eli however continues to have a grand old time when I shoot him. I bought this little shirt for him before he was born and just found it in a drawer the other day. I put it on him and put him down in the middle of the comforter. He laughed and mugged for me for a couple of seconds. Then, he got up and ran around and ran over to push the buttons on the camera and I figured we were done. Then he suddenly ran back over to right where I had put him at first and climbed on to the bed and turned around and smiled big for me again. And then he got up and ran over to me to see the picture on the back of the camera. And then back again, over and over and over. We probably did this 12 times. These two images I picked came from some of the later shots so his willingness to play the game with me definitely got us the best shots. Is it possible I have a little cooperative baby model? My heart sings with joy.

Sledding

The girls wanted to play outside yesterday after Charlotte got home from school. Derek makes a little sled hill out of the stairs off the deck. It is short but steep.

My favorite series






The focus fell on her feet on the last one, but I kind of like that.

I am bad about getting adults in the shots. Often, I find they don't really want to be photographed and I am not good at being pushy (or sneaky, I guess). I thought this was a really cute picture of Derek and the girls together.


I like the look on Derek's face in this one. He really gave them a good shove to get their speed up.




Charlotte's turn to be in front.

Earmuffs

Charlotte put earmuffs on her Christmas list. She agreed to model them for me Christmas morning, so here she is! Does my girl have beautiful brown eyes, or what? She gets them from her Daddy. Grace and Eli's are blue/greenish like mine. Charlotte's are brown like Derek's. I love them.

Preperations

We are getting ready for Christmas. Charlotte has been wrapping up all kinds of things from around the house to hand out as gifts on Christmas morning. She is very cute about it. She came to me the other morning with a basketball-size bouncy ball and said, "Mom, can you help me wrap this for Daddy?" Of course I said, "sure, he'll love it!"

I have been very lax about taking pictures of the kids. Here are a few of Eli from yesterday. He still has fun letting me photograph him, although he is fast and doesn't stay in one place for me very well. He cracks himself up, though. Which totally cracks me up.






My favorite thing that Eli does lately - when I hold him and he's tired he folds his arms in tight and tucks them up to his chest, then leans over them and puts his head on my shoulder. He presses his cheek hard onto the bony part of my shoulder, which I think might be becuase his molars are coming in and the pressure feels good on his mouth. I like the consider it a hug, though, and I squeeze him tight right back.

On our way home

(semi) regular posting to return soon hopefully. Thanks for still checking!