Arrival

She’s HereOur dear daughter was born more than two weeks ago.  The time after a baby arrives is such a full time. I love to look at her tiny fingernails, listen to her small sighs and smell her new baby breath.  It would be easy to spend the day simply enjoying her presence.  I’ve been fortunate to have had lots of time to gaze at her and nap with her these past two weeks. Reluctantly, we are emerging from our little cocoon into daily life.

AdorationThey love their new little sister.  They argue about who gets to hold her next and for how long.  And, most days there are more tears than usual.  Not being able to find comfortable pants is devastating and the unkind comment of a friend is hard to recover from.  

We’ve expanded our family four times and I know that the days with a new baby are a roller coaster.  There is a big difference between anticipating the ride and actually speeding along with butterflies in our tummies.  It’s hard to understand how our quiet, adored little one can put everyone off balance.   I was expecting it this time and I know it is not my fault.  When our second girl was born, I thought there was some way I could do it right that would spare us all the big emotions about small things.  But, the emotions are big when making space in our hearts and lives for a new person. 

Our New Girl

Here she is.  I’ve been taking many photos and haven’t spent much time editing them yet. There’s no time to waste with a newborn. I can go back and edit photos but she’s only this tiny and new for a few moments.  I’m enjoying the moments and recording some too.  I will share more photos in the coming days.

Someone said to me about the photo of our new baby above, “That picture you sent of her was nice. Was it a lucky shot?”

At first, I was speechless.  Then I mumbled something like, “No, not really. I took a lot of pictures that day.”

I’m glad that the effort it takes to get some of my photos isn’t obvious.  And, I always feel fortunate when a photo works.  Even when something is set up, there is not guarantee that it will turn out.  But, it’s not just luck.  In the photo above, I undressed my two day old and put her on pillows and black velvet in our brightest room.  I tried to get her face well lit without the light overwhelming her new little eyes.  Then I took about a hundred photos.  One of those shots was this lucky one.

Quiet Time Art

I was upstairs putting my little boy down for his nap and hoping to get a nap after he went to sleep. The girls know how important it is to be quiet during this delicate time and the side of their mother they’ll see if they’re noisy.  On this day, I noticed it was remarkably quiet. It was the kind of quiet that gets me worried.  Once, I was getting ready for house guests and feeling happy that they were being quiet and occupied.  I went outside to find them in the backyard painting the sidewalk, the trees and themselves with Tempura paint.  Today they were also painting themselves, but with face paints, carefully, quietly, beautifully.  I delayed my nap to get some photos of their work.

We washed off the paint at bedtime but saw little bits of white and yellow for days afterward.  

When I got my new macro lens, these were the kinds of photos I was hoping to take. I love the texture of their skin and the detail of their lashes.  I’m very nearsighted and wear glasses all the time.  When they ask me to get in bed with them, I take off my glasses and see this kind of detail in their faces as they talk to me and go to sleep.