This Foxtail Lilly: Mommy Moments Photography Challenge Finished

First.

I have a sacred memory. Meggie and I were at my frousin's house during one of Kyle's deployments. My head was in my hands, drooped over their kitchen table, sick as a dog from my 8 week old pregnancy. Meggie, at 14 months, zoomed from the front of their house to the back, from the back of the house to the front, already running me off my feet - that girl never walked a day in her life. In between waves of nausea, I blinked up at my cousin and whispered:

"All I can do is pray that this baby is slooooooooow. Do you hear me?!? I just want a slow baby. Two like the one I already have is going to do me in. I just know it."

My head fell back onto the table.

Just like we needed, our Alice Virginia's taken her time in all major developments: sleeping, eating, rolling, moving - you name it. Since we found out about our move two weeks after she was born, we've been speaking over her: oh please, oh please, oh please don't crawl until we get there and settled in.

Guess what? She obliged. AV rolled from her back to her front for the first time within a few weeks of our arrival...and at closing in on 11 months - crawled FOR REAL for the very first time today. In reach of a bright yellow duck on the floor of a bathroom during the middle of our first spouses' get together with the squadron.

Our baby girl did it! And we're just as proud as we can be...as well as mourning a little that our days of setting her down are over. We've had more of our fair share of that for the last 11 months...guess it balances out our early first walker. :)

As a good friend once told me: it's batten down the hatches time, now.

GO, AV!

Second.

I rounded out the last of the 12 days worth of mommy moments photography challenges today. I blogged individually about day #1, day #2, day #7, and day #8, but as the deadline's on Friday, I thought I better just lump all the rest into one post.

I'm no real photographer, but I've had the best time trying to capture these loves of mine in new and authentic ways.

Day One: How We Spend Our Day

We read. I especially love AV's fingers, toes, and dress full of drool here.

Day Two: Puts a Smile on my Face OR Feelings

Meggie pushing her baby doll.

Day Three: Depth of Field


I think she looks straight out of Anne of Green Gables.

I also loved this one of Meggie and her baby doll. Check out that wind!

Day Four: Love, Made with Love, True Love

Made with LOVE: both the girl and the drawing.

Day Five: Just Can't Get Enough

I'm taking a creative liberty with this one and calling it: Just Can't Get Enough Water!!! Meggie had such fun running in and out of the waves in her Sunday dress. She was so overcome with excitement that she knelt right down in the water and tried to lick it up. After which she immediately spluttered and came running back for me - I don't think she'd ever tasted salt-water before. :)

Day Six: Interesting View Point

Interesting View Point: AV through the pack-and-play

Day Seven: Messy Moments

AV crying because her paints were taken AWAY! (after she was discovered to be eating them. :) )

Day Eight: Things that make you go Hmmm? or Yummm!

Meggie enjoying a sand ice cream cone.

Day Nine: Rule of Thirds

watching the tractor work...

Meggie loves vehicles - especially trash trucks, diggers, and tractors. We have a beautiful empty lot next door which sprouts wild sun flowers and tall grass. Every couple weeks a tractor comes out to cut the grass and Meggie races outside whenever she hears the "Vrrroooom!" I love how we get to experience the simple treasures in life through her notice and delight.

Day Ten: Being Silly