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- Okay, so I’ve been wanting to take this specific Abby’s Saturday photo for a few weeks now & finally made it happen this week.
What I did not realize, was that this is not just a recreation of a photo, but it’s a recreation, of a recreation, of a photo. Check this out:
The first time I did a “stuffed animals” photo was Abby’s Saturday #61 (wayyyy back before I hit triple digits!) HERE
Then, I recreated the stuffed animal idea when Braelynn was just a tiny little girl with Abby’s Saturday #114 (and the start of her stuffie-collection) HERE
When Leander was born, I couldn’t help but feel like he was the same size/shape of a lot of Braelynn stuffed animals, so I recreated the photo again with Abby’s Saturday #238 HERE (and there’s a really great blooper from when I was taking that photo – you can find it in the 2019 Abby’s Saturday blooper post!)
(Also, can we just stop to comment on how many stuffed animals my daughter has?! We just “thinned the herd” too – like a month ago. How does she have so many?!) - Let’s talk about this for a moment though: I know I’ve mentioned this in passing before, but I’m saying it again. Taking a photo every single week of my dog (and usually one or both of my kids is included) is a challenge. It’s not just tough to continually come up with new ideas & to try new things, but then I have to figure out how execute those ideas. Usually, Abby is pretty cooperative, but sometimes, she just isn’t interested in sitting for 30-seconds where I want her to sit. Then, I usually add either Braelynn or Leander (or both) into the photo with her & well – that just makes it even MORE challenging. This whole thing is far from easy.
But, then I take a photo like this (which, in all-transparency, this photo was one of the easiest photos I’ve taken in a long time – everyone cooperated & did exactly as I told them – I’m not sure what happened to the real Abby, Braelynn, and Leander), anyways, when I take a photo like this, that is a recreation of a photo I’ve already taken – it just blows me away on multiple levels. First off: how are my babies growing up so fast?! And secondly: this photo is technically much better than the last one I took – which means I have learned a few things in the last 2 years & I am becoming a better photographer. It just blows my mind & I could sit here & flip back & forth between these 4 photos all day long. - I photographed two sessions this week – an engagement session (you can see a few sneak peeks here!) and a newborn session! Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone that I do newborn sessions, because I don’t – I only do them for the most special of people. But seriously, if every baby was a perfect as this baby, I might be talked into doing more newborn sessions – he was such an angel!! Anyways, it felt so good to be out & about, photographing sessions again – it has been such a long, weird 12 months!!
- Did you catch my post all about our weekend last weekend at Knoebels?
- So, I almost hate to say it, because I know it’s going to jinx it – but Braelynn has actually been sleeping in this week. And now, hold on, before you jump to an inaccurate conclusion as to what “Braelynn sleeping in” means, let me clarify. Braelynn has always been an early riser. Once upon a time, she would sleep until about 8am, but that all stopped when she turned 6 months old. Ever since then, she has been up consistently early. For the last few years, Braelynn’s wake-up time has pretty consistently been between 6-6:30am. Well, for some reason this week, she has been sleeping in until 6:30-7am (insert the shocked emoji here). The first time it happened, I actually went into her room to check on her because it was 6:55am and she was still sleeping. Who is this child & what did she do with my daughter?!
Like I said, no worries, I’m sure she’ll be back to her usually 6am wake-up call tomorrow, but I’ve really been enjoying the “sleeping in” version of Braelynn. - Speaking of sleeping & beds – Leander discovered he could pull the corner of his fitted sheet back & expose his mattress this week. Well – he thinks that is just hilarious & has been doing it every single time we put him to bed (for the night or naps). Why he thinks this is so cool, I have no idea.
- I read to Braelynn & Leander during breakfast & lunch. We’ve read so many different books over the last 2 years of me reading to them this way (the Ralph S. Mouse series, the Little House on the Prairie series, plus lots of other books like Stuart Little, different biographies, etc.) Well, this week, we finished The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I wondered if it would be too “old” for Braelynn, but she was absolutely enraptured with the story & never wanted me to stop reading! I love it.
- While Leander takes his afternoon nap, traditionally Braelynn has some quiet time & I get a little bit of work done. Well, on Wednesday, as I was working on my computer, Braelynn pops her head into my office with this silly grin on her face. She proceeded to set two pieces of buttered bread on my desk & said, “Here Mommy, I brought you a snack.” I was so surprised! It was so thoughtful & sweet (and she was so proud of herself). She skipped off and I could tell she was out in the kitchen again. And sure enough, 5 minutes later, she comes waltzing into my office with a glass of “lemonade” (complete with ice cubes & a straw). Now I’m just tickled (and she is too!) I thanked her & hugged her & she danced away. A few more minutes passed, and I heard a “chunk” in the kitchen. This time, I got up to investigate. And I found Braelynn, knife in hand, attempting to chop up an apple for me. (Umm, yes, yikes!) I gently stopped her (I didn’t want to scare her, I knew she was just trying to be a help, but oh my, no knives little girl!) I’m not sure where the idea came from that she wanted to make me a full meal (just 30 minutes after we had lunch), but she really was trying & it was so sweet.
- It’s Memorial Day weekend! Hope you all have some time off to rest & relax & enjoy some time with your families, remembering the great sacrifices of the men & women who served our country & laid down their lives to keep our freedoms free.
