kandas-adventures

Getting ready for the next holiday on the calendar

My buddy, Baby I-Ball, helps me wash and sort the eggs for the upcoming neighborhood egg hunt.

Andrew is Three

My nephew Andrew is now 3 years old.  We joined him at a playground to celebrate his special day.
His sister Sarah is almost 18 months old, so it's a busy time for my brother and his wife.
We don't get together often enough, so there's always some "stranger anxiety" to overcome at first... Eventually the little ones warmed up, and we gathered around a picnic table for a "bingo" game and cupcakes.

Happy Birthday, Andrew!
May all your wishes come true!

Big Brother

My 18 month old nephew is adjusting to his new sister.  At his young age he is not really aware of the big picture -- that the baby's here to stay, that she'll one day grow into a fun playmate, and that someday Mommy will not be so tired all the time.
He's still technically a baby.  He just learned to walk 2 weeks ago, only has about 10 words, and still enjoys a bottle, especially if it belongs to his sister and contains his mamma's milk.
But next to this new baby, even this very LARGE baby, he suddenly looks like a little boy, no longer a toddler.  He's become a big brother, a "big boy," and he's not so sure about it sometimes.
Luckily for my brother and sister in law, Andrew is a very pleasant guy.  "Mr. Agreeable" is a good nickname for him.  Sure, his shriek could shatter glass, and he occasionally tosses things he shouldn't, but he's generally very mellow.
My brother had the misfortune to be younger than me but his own son gets to be a big brother.  Sometimes I wonder how our childhoods would have been different if my brother had been born first.  He was a gentle soul, like his son is today.  I was the wild one.  It will be interesting to see how little Andrew changes in his new role as big brother, and if my new niece will be docile like him, or a terror like I was.
I love to witness the formation of new families.  I love seeing my little brother embracing his role as a father, something he worried about accomplishing given that he was raised without one (Dad left just after his 3rd birthday, and he has no memories of that time).  My sister in law is a natural at mothering, as she's been an elementary teacher for more than 10 years.  She's very organized, energetic, and of course, loves kids.  My little nephew may struggle for a few weeks trying to find his place in the new family dynamics, but one thing is for certain, he will be surrounded by love.

My New Niece!

This morning my sister-in-law gave birth to my niece, a whopping 10 pound, 4 ounce girl with thick brown hair and a cute button nose.  The good Auntie that I am, I was at the hospital to take photos when she was just 4 hours old.
Here she is, baby Sarah:

And here she is with her proud (and exhausted) parents:
And here's the photo I took 18 months ago of her brother, when he was 4 hours old:
And this is big brother Andrew today:

On the homefront:

I haven't been sleeping well because little kitten is still with us, but just barely.  I get up several times in the night to check on him and syringe-feed him.  Every time I open the door to our bathroom, where he's lying between a space heater and a vaporizer, I feel a sense of dread.  Will he still be alive?
Here I am holding him last night.  See the bags under my eyes?  My husband refused to take the photo unless I smiled, thus the forced smile.  Really, I've just felt like crying most of the day, not smiling.  I do a lot of holding, as that is all he wants.  If I put him down beside his water dish or food bowl, he turns back toward me and drags his little body over to me and puts a paw on my foot, while looking up at me.  He's too weak to meow or purr anymore.  He hasn't eaten on his own since Tuesday.  I'm syringe feeding him a special liquid formula.

I have a separate set of clothes that I wear when I am holding him, so if he sneezes or drools on me (which he does), I won't expose the other cats in our house to his illness.  We're also running through a lot of towels here, since feeding him with the syringe and cleaning up his drool is a messy job.  I'm washing my hands constantly.

I've taken him back and forth to the Humane Society vet almost daily.  I so fear that one of these visit they will just decide to put him down.  He is suffering so for breath now that I wonder if that would be the kindest decision, even though I'm hopeful the medication will start working and he'll turn the corner and get well.  The Humane Society is dealing with an outbreak of this feline upper respiratory virus right now, so it's no mystery where he picked it up.  Unfortunately our little kitten has gone beyond the "upper" respiratory illness and now has pneumonia.  

It's The Gerber Baby!

If you are in the United States, chances are you know about the Gerber Baby.

Well, my friend's baby looks suspiciously like the famous baby:

She just needs a little more hair, but the expression is the same.

She was in a very "chewy" mood when I stopped by to photograph her last week.

She is 3 months old already.

Very curious.

A little hint of a smile.

Happiest in Mama's arms.

A daughter to love

My dear friends welcomed a baby girl into the world yesterday.  Here are some photos I took of her with her happy parents this afternoon, when she was 21 hours old.

"I'm so happy she's here and I'm not pregnant anymore!"

This lucky girl is blessed with a daddy who adores babies, and is particularly smitten with his new daughter.

Tonight she will go home and settle in with her two brothers, ages 6 and 8.

Is there anything sweeter in this world than a new life embraced by love?

A photoshoot

I photographed this darling 12 month old last week.  She was shy and it took awhile to get her warmed up and out of mom and grandma's arms. 

I relied entirely on natural lighting.  Of course I kick myself for the shots I missed, having to use my fixed focus prime lens to harness all the indoor winter light I could and still get clear shots.  There was no zooming in and out with that lens, so I was moving all over the room to frame the picture, and I think it made the baby a bit uneasy.

I suppose I'm my own worst critic.  My client was happy, but all I can think about are the things I wish I'd done differently.  More creatively.

So I'm considering launching a photography business.  But I know I have a lot more to learn, and unfortunately, a lot more equipment to invest in.

So we'll see what the future brings.

My darling mop-haired nephew

This is his signature expression:  wide open eyes, crazy hair, and little fish kissy lips. (Available light, thus the soft focus).

Little K and her cousin Andrew, unfortunately with direct flash as it was late evening in a dark room.  He's not stunned by the flash, he looks like this much of the time!

Little Andrew is considering being a dentist when he grows up.  My brother obliges his curiosity.  (Available light, no flash)

Andrew is 3 months old, 17 pounds, and has had 3 haircuts already.  I'd say he's due for another, don't you think?

My nephew is growing

This photo was actually taken in September, when he was 7 weeks.  He'd already had his first haircut, it was down into his eyes!  I haven't seen him since then because I've been sick, then the girls were sick, then they were sick, then we were sick again... It's that time of year, unfortunately.  I'm hoping to see him again soon.   He's so adorable and I have to get my baby fix!

Don't you just want to cuddle me and kiss me?  I might even smile and laugh for you!

K and A meet their little cousin

K and A meet Baby Andrew, 4 days old.  They thought he was cute, but don't want one of their own just yet, thankfully!