11 months

Toddler Portraits 101

Rule #1: When preparing for a photo shoot of your daughter, DO NOT wet down her hair in order to obtain a sleeker picture. You will only regret it (and later try to crop all the pictures to her forehead).

the purpose of this photo session was to take pictures of the antique high chair i picked out for heron in waxhaw. it's a 1928 aristrocrat, though the finish + the decoupaged scarf-wearing, ukulele-playing bear make it seem more like a 70s chair. (i'm sure some previous owner decided to "modernize" their vintage 1920s chair in the 70s. if i were to "modernize" my now-70s high chair, i would strip it all down and make it look like a 1920s chair again, though i do kinda like the bear). since the shopkeeper said it was "more of a nostalgia piece" than functional or safe, she let me have it for $20. for a few dollars more i was able to buy some nylon webbing & clips from REI in order to make a safety belt. i refinished the tray, and now heron has a beautiful, safe, vintage high chair that we can keep in the family for the next decade or generation. i finally decided to take pictures of it, as i do with anything i create, refinish or re-purpose, but heron soon became the real subject of this photo shoot, and the high chair was quickly forgotten.

despite the slicked hair, i think we got some good heron pictures. we were having so much fun i decided to try taking portraits of heron for her birthday invitations. maybe this one?


11 months is such a fun age. josh said today that he's enjoying heron at this age now more than ever. i've truly enjoyed something about every age she's been. and i rarely find myself saying, "i can't wait until she _____ ." but i do agree with him now. the present age is always my favorite!

on the development front: heron is FINALLY getting a tooth. following in her mama's footsteps on this one. will she be a late-bloomer in everything else like me, too?