Wk 11: Play

Aah...can you feel that? It's the changing of seasons.
The long gray winter days are fading and the ground is no longer in it's frozen slumber.

There is mud. The kind that sticks to your boots and makes you feel like you accomplished something when you come back inside.

There are sporting events that don't involve 50 layers of clothing to enjoy.

But there are still rainy days.
The kind that force you to stay inside but also provide you
the opportunity to watch and see how one little boy sticks his tongue out to concentrate
and the other is a force to be reckoned with especially when holding a hammer. 

 

Wk 10: Changes

Changes:
The littlest one is on his way to walking.
The sun is beginning to hold warmth in it's rays.
The trees budding and the birds returning to their springtime song.

The older one is growing.  
Behind those stunner shades and baseball cap is a witty little mind,
a cautious spirit and a laugh that brightens my whole day.
Thank goodness for change. It's refreshing. 

10 going on 11

One day shy of 11 months...how can that be?
Jesse is a delight. He is 22lbs. He isn't quite a fan of cow's milk but has decided he's done nursing. My goal is to make it to 1 yr but I'll take a month early. Eating is still one of his favorite things to do. I kid you not the other day he ate more than me: two slices of turkey meatloaf, a whole peach and two sweet potato biscuits. Do you see why I'm concerned about my future in trying to feed him?

In his 10th month finger walking became his exercise of choice. He is very determined and knows precisely where he wants to go, though his chubby tummy and clumsy legs betray him constantly. However, that does not stop him from climbing onto your lap to grab your fingers and then turn quickly to pull you in the direction he wants to go. I'm excited for him to walk on his own simply because he'll be so enthralled with his new found freedom.

He's finally figured out how to sign "more" though I imagine he just thinks he's clapping for himself.
His ability to understand what we're saying to him is increasing by leaps and bounds. It's fun to see him respond to things we say to him and to know that when I tell him "No touch" he knows precisely what that means.

10 months also brought about a new article of clothing: two piece pjs. I kind of love them because I have access to his silk smooth baby belly but they also remind me that he's one step closer to being a little boy and one step farther away from being a baby. I feel like that transition has come faster then it did with Owen. Most of that is because at 10 months Owen wasn't even crawling and Jesse is almost walking. But it's also in his body language, his facial expressions and the way he wants to play. He didn't come out little so I guess I've been prepared for the loss of his baby stage for some time.

Wk 9: Out of the Shadows

 This week I had the challenge of using shadows to increase the drama of my pictures. I had these grand images in my head- dramatic, powerful shots. I imagined capturing a shot of Owen standing in the darkness of a grove of trees at our favorite park down the street with a beam of sunlight piercing through the shadows to perfectly highlight his little person. Or, Josh walking with the boys down the street on a foggy morning, rays of hazy sun filtering through the clouds. 

But if you scroll through this blog you will see that none of my images are that dramatic. Nope, it just rained and rained some more. One solid shade of gray. There was one of my dreamy fog filled mornings but alas Josh was not around and I didn't feel like it was fair of me to ask Jesse to sit on the freezing cold ground just for the sake of a picture.

 But what I lacked in drama, I made up for in simplicity. Two little boys dreaming up all sorts of adventures together in their cardboard box. One 10 month old chewing on anything he can get his little mouth on to appease his swollen teething gums. I guess that's why the photo project is called: "This is our life." My life is not glamorous nor perfectly picturesque but it is full and wonderful in all it's simplicity.

Wk 8- Wild Card

 This week was a freebie for my photography project. So here are a few of my favorite moments from the week.

I have a new helper when it comes to the unloading the dishwasher. He's awfuly cute but hasn't quite figured out how to put things away.

Little boys and cardboard boxes are so much fun. They become fortresses to defend. Boats for sailing the ocean. When tipped onto their side they become the worlds best car ramp or, if its big and sturdy enough, a slide.

Sunday was a day of snuggles.
Daddy soaked it up.

This is How We Roll

I'm normally against oversized plastic play things. They take up way too much space, they are generally an eye sore and my kids seem to tire of them easily. However, this pink and purple Jeep we borrowed from our renter was Jesse's key to freedom in the great outdoors in the middle of winter. It's genius for a baby who can't walk but wants to with all his little 20lb might while simultaneously saving my lower back from all the "walking" he'd like to do while holding on to my fingers. He was in heaven coasting down the ever so slight incline of our driveway, hands held up aloft in the air and tiny feet pumping. I'm sure he was imaging how awesome it was to be keeping up with his older brother who was coasting down the same slight incline on his newly borrowed scooter from his cousins.

These moments of outdoor play make me excited for this summer and all it's fresh aired partially sunny glory it will offer.

 

Wk 7 - Negative Space

 

 This week was more about photo composition than about capturing a particular moment. The point was to try and have a neutral background that allows the subject of the photo to speak for itself. I think my eye is naturally geared towards photos that aren't "busy" but either way it was good practice.

Oh Jesse, you're such a hoot.