Tag : letters to our sons

PHILADELPHIA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | LETTERS TO OUR CHILDREN OCTOBER 2014

Dear Chance,
I woke up one morning recently to realize my baby is almost a toddler. How has this happened so quickly? We are getting so close to the one-year mark and my mind is completely unable to process this fact. With each new milestone, you reveal a bit more of your budding personality. We are getting to know you now, and it is incredible. You have preferences and desires now, and you definitely let them be known. You can cross the room in the blink of an eye, and you move with purpose and intention. You might not use actual words yet, but you do communicate with us. You also like to test us and seem to have a bit of a mischievous streak. Best of all, we are getting to see your sense of humor and your wonderful playfulness.

Now that I have children, fall is quickly becoming my favorite season. I look forward to this time every year, because it means that we get to do fun seasonal activities like pumpkin picking, hay mazes, Halloween costumes, and jumping in giant leaf piles. You “helped” us decorate the house for Halloween, and you and Theo danced to the Halloween music on Pandora as daddy stretched the giant spiderweb over the front patio. You laughed as the wind blew in your face on your very first hay ride. You even snuck more than your fair share of crunchy leaves into your mouth before I could put the camera down and come scoop them out of your mouth. 😉 Next year, you’ll participate even more…but this year was special because it was your first.

We also made a trip to the farm in Virginia this past month, and you had a blast playing with Theo and your cousins, Meriwyn and Marlon. You and Marlon are so curious about each other, and he loved playing with you and your brother. I so wish that we lived closer to your cousins, but even still it’s amazing what a wonderful bond you all are forming when we do get to visit a few times a year.

My sweet boy, just you wait. The holiday season isn’t over yet…there’s still plenty of fall fun in store for next month, and then we get to celebrate your birthday and then Christmas! I am so excited that you get to join us in our traditions this year! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. 😉

Love you my sweet boy,
Mommy

Each month I participate in a blog circle with a group of other very talented photographers and mothers from around the world. Please keep clicking through the circle by visiting the blog of Allie Shellaway.

PHILADELPHIA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | LETTERS TO OUR CHILDREN SEPTEMBER 2014

ByLucy Baber September 29, 2014 1 Children / Creative Projects / Letters to our sons project / News / Portraits

Dear Theo,

To quote Olivia the pig’s mom, “You really wear me out, but I love you anyway!”

This past month has been a challenge for us. Maybe it was the back to school transition making you more tired than usual, or that pesky cold that’s been hovering around our house for the past few weeks, or the fact that a photographer’s schedule always gets crazy busy in the fall, but lately we have been really butting heads. Speaking of which, you’ve also discovered how hilarious it is to say the word “butt” this past month. Oh my sweet boy…how you wear me out!

So this month, instead of focusing on the words I am just going to hold on to the pictures. I don’t want to remember the willful disagreements and those painfully long days when you decide to skip your nap. No, I only want to hold on to this…your spunky silliness, your playful creativity, and the incredible bond that I am so very blessed to be able to witness between you and your brother.

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I love you my dear, energetic one. And I know we will get through this phase. <3

Love,

Mommy

PHILADELPHIA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | LETTERS TO OUR CHILDREN AUGUST 2014

ByLucy Baber August 29, 2014 2 Children / Creative Projects / Families / Letters to our sons project / News / Portraits

Dear Boys,
If there’s one thing I want you to remember about this summer, it’s that we had a LOT of fun! I know I don’t always have the most patience, and some days are more exciting than others…but overall, I’ve really relished this first summer at home with both of you. It’s such an incredible feeling to watch the two of you experience the world through each of your unique perspectives, and to know that now our little family is complete. It just makes my heart feel so very full.

This past month, we got to spend a whole week with Abuela, and of course the two of you absolutely soaked up all the extra attention. I was really happy we were able to take a day trip to the beach with her, as I know she missed out on our annual trip to Sea Isle this year. You both loved playing in the sand and splashing around…it was such a fantastic day for all of us! 🙂

One of my favorite parts about this summer has been the hour between dinner and bedtime. This is the first summer where we’ve had a little bit of flexibility on bedtime, and it’s so much fun to be able to go out for walks, play outside, or treat ourselves to ice cream as the sun is setting. I look forward to summers in the future when we’ll be able to go out to movies in the park, Phillies games, bonfires, and even just watching the two of you chase fireflies after dark.

I love watching the two of you build your relationship with each other. With every passing month, Chance just adores you more and more Theo. And I love watching how much you love to snuggle with your baby brother and teach him new tricks too! You are the perfect little comedy duo, and your daddy and I have so much fun just sitting back and watching the show! 😉

As school starts in a few weeks and our schedules will change, it’ll be bittersweet to say goodbye to this summer. Of course, I’m also looking forward to spending the fall and the holiday season with you two, but for just a moment I want to just say thank you for such a wonderful summer. I love you both so very much, and I’m so very thankful to get to spend my days with you. <3

So much love,
Your Mommy

PHILADELPHIA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | LETTERS TO OUR CHILDREN JULY 2014

ByLucy Baber July 25, 2014 1 Children / Families / Letters to our sons project / News / Portraits

Dear Chance,
It’s been a big month, filled with milestones and summer activities. Your personality continues to reveal itself, through bouts of giggles and your determination to be on the move.

We took a trip to Titi Lucy’s beach house this month, an annual tradition since I was a little girl. 🙂 It was a luxurious 4 days of lounging, playing, cuddling, and laughing for the four of us! You loved feeling the ocean breeze on your face, and of course you tried to eat the sand. 😉 We loved the luxury of being able to set our own pace of playing in the sand all morning, laying around napping all afternoon, and then heading out for ice cream and more beachside fun in the evenings.

I was especially happy that we spent some time visiting with my Abuelo and Titi Lucy. Abuelo isn’t as mobile as he used to be, but he’s still got all the boyish spunk that I remember from my childhood. He loved making you laugh and watching you play and try to crawl.

You’ve been working hard on achieving some major milestones this past month. You got your first two teeth (ouch!) and are so anxious to start crawling and walking! The past two days, all you want to do is be held so you can stand. I know you will be walking before we know it! As exhausting as these milestones can be for us, we are also so very proud and thoroughly entertained by you as well!

I love you so very much, and I am so excited to see what the next month will bring for you!

Love and kisses,
Mommy

Philadelphia Family Photographer | Letters to Our Children June 2014

ByLucy Baber June 29, 2014 2 Children / Creative Projects / Families / Letters to our sons project / News / Portraits

Dear Theo,
This month you turned 4 years old. As cliche as it might sound, it’s as if I blinked and the past four years have just completely flown by. You are growing into such a sweet-hearted, empathetic, bright little boy. You are clever, you have a fabulous imagination, and you are especially gifted with spatial reasoning (things like puzzles and building new inventions with your Legos). Sometimes I realize that we put so much emphasis on your silly and joking nature, because you really are quite the performer. But you have so many other wonderful qualities too, and I want to be sure to remember them as you grow up.

To celebrate your birthday, we continued our (hopefully annual) tradition of going to Dutch Wonderland. This year made your daddy especially excited, because you were tall enough to ride your first roller coaster. It really turned out to be the perfect day…even Chance was a great sport and happily let us lug him around the park all day.

I know I’ve said it before, but the relationship you are building with your brother just makes my heart absolutely soar. You are so loving, gentle, and concerned about him every single day. There are times when you really are the only person who can make him laugh, and you make it a point to do so as often as possible. 😉 I hope this never ever changes!

Now that you’re done with your first year of preschool and summer break has started, I’ve been trying really hard to give you the quintessential “fun” summer that I remember from my own childhood. We’ve been exploring new playgrounds, staying up past bedtime, and indulging in ice cream as much as we want! I love that this photography passion of mine has allowed me the opportunity to spend so much time with you and your brother.

I hope that one day you will know that we have been so very blessed. Lately this has been a struggle for you to understand, as you are at an age of extreme entitlement and start to pout when we don’t always indulge in “special” things like new toys, lunches out, or special treats or activities. But I truly hope that I can continue to teach you that blessings don’t always have to be “bought”, and that we already have so very much by sharing love and joy within our little family.

Love,
Mommy

Valley Forge Family Photographer | Letters to Our Children May 2014

ByLucy Baber May 30, 2014 2 Children / Families / Letters to our sons project / News

Dear boys,
This past month has been a very busy one, with your mama’s work picking up as the weather gets nicer. The weekends used to be about relaxing and spending time together, but these days you two are having more “dude time” with daddy while mommy goes off to her photo shoots. It’s a good thing, because this is what I’ve been working so hard for, but it also sometimes comes at the expense of some of our precious down time together.

After a long weekend of me being stuck in bed with strep throat this past weekend, the three of you happily joined me for my photo shoot in Valley Forge National Park. Daddy was kind enough to drive you around for your nap while I worked, and then we all met back up for a downright perfect Memorial Day picnic dinner. Chance had his first taste of canteloupe, while Theo entertained us with silly stories and discovered the joys of collecting buttercups. It’s moments like these that make me want to stop time.

The three of you make up my own private comedy show. I adore just sitting back and watching the action. Chance, you have officially hit the stage where new milestones are being met on a daily basis. These photos were taken just days ago, and already you are now officially sitting up on your own! And Theo, you have been understanding the basic structure of jokes better lately, and you’ve even started making up your own (completely nonsensical) jokes as well! 🙂 Watching the two of you laugh together just makes my heart completely swell. <3

Love,
Your mama

Philadelphia Children’s Photographer | Letters to Our Children April 2014

ByLucy Baber April 25, 2014 0 Children / Families / Letters to our sons project / News / Portraits

Dear sweet boys,
This month we celebrated my birthday, and my only wish was to go somewhere inspiring to watch you (Theo) run around while I took some nice pictures. Thanks to some hard work of wrangling by your dad, this wish came true. We had a wonderful day at Longwood Gardens filled with flowers, fun, and photos, and then we ended it with a little trip to Fishtown for some pizza and vegan ice cream. 🙂 It was a wonderful mid-week treat, and I was so thankful for the two of you for cooperating.

Chance, as your little body continues to grow, you are becoming more and more laid back about life in general. You are a happy, social little guy who is often wonderfully content to stay close to your mama while she happily snaps away with the camera. Your teething journey continued this month, as depicted here by you sucking on this elephant lovey that we keep trying to force on you. You are a smiley, slobbery mess, and I am earnestly attached to you right now.

And Theo, I feel like you have gotten even faster in the past few weeks, although I had no idea this was even possible! When you run these days, you really put your heart into it…which leads to a fair amount of photos of your back, haha! But I am proud of how strong you are growing up to be. I hope you continue to challenge and use your body in new and exciting ways. Your hopelessly bookish and sedentary mama would love to watch you develop an interest in sports down the road…not for the competitive aspect, but for the sake of recognizing just how amazing and strong your body really can be!

And finally, a word about your ever-growing devotion to each other. I melt every single time I spy you, Chance watching your big brother cross the room and then your face lights up as Theo draws nearer. And Theo, you are such a loving, doting big brother…always picking up the toys he drops without being asked, and constantly taking a break from your superhero games to come give your baby brother a hug. I know the two of you are going to bicker eventually, and that’s okay. But I really hope that underneath it all, the two of you are able to maintain this loyalty to each other. It really is the most beautiful thing, and it makes your mama very very proud.

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Love,
Mommy <3

Philadephia Family Photographer | Letters to Our Children March 2014

ByLucy Baber March 29, 2014 2 Children / Families / Letters to our sons project / News / Portraits

Dear Theo,
The past few months have been hard for you. Developmentally, it seems like age 3.5 is just very overwhelming. Add to the fact that you have a new younger brother who requires so much of my attention, and it makes perfect sense that the last few months have been trying for both of us. To help us reconnect, I took you on a special “Mommy and Theo date” after dinner one night. You had such a good time running around the playground after it started to get dark. And I loved watching your ninja moves and being able to pretend that you were keeping me safe from “bad guys and monsters”. I really hope to make more time for these special dates with just you and me. It felt so good to reconnect with you and focus all of my attention on just you for a change. And I could tell you really appreciated it too. Even though we’re going through a bit of a rough patch, I hope you know that I always always love you my sweet boy. I know we’ll get through this defiant phase. And you will surely come out of it with more independence, confidence, and problem-solving skills, which of course I want for you. <3

Philadelphia Baby Photographer | Letters to Our Sons February

ByLucy Baber February 28, 2014 5 Children / Creative Projects / Families / Letters to our sons project / Newborn / News / Portraits

Dear Chance,
This month I wanted to write my first letter to just you. At two and a half months old, I still feel like we are just getting to know each other. You remind me so much of your big brother at this age, it’s sometimes hard to remember that you are going to keep growing and developing your own unique personality. In a lot of ways, you have the same moodiness and high needs. When you’re unhappy, you certainly let us know about it! And you also run pretty “hot and cold” like Theo did at your age…either laughing or screaming most of the time!

You’re also big and strong, like your big brother. We’ve promoted you to 6 month clothes already, and sure enough when I went back to look at old photos, this was just about the point that Theo grew into that size as well. It’s so sweet bringing out those old familiar clothes again…so many memories of your brother wearing them, and it’s so much fun to imagine the new experiences you will have in them too!

I’m already seeing some glimpses of your uniqueness as well. There’s a quieter, more observant, and cuddly side of you. Developmentally, “they” say that you are still too young to show a preference for certain caregivers…but I disagree. Even though you can hardly control your own limbs at this age, I can already see you trying to motion for me to pick you up. You love to snuggle and play, and your eyes always light up when we give you our undivided attention.

I’m having so much fun watching you grow into your own person, and I can’t wait to hear all about what’s on that little mind of yours soon when you begin talking! <3

Love you so much,
Mommy

Chestnut Hill Children’s Photographer | January 2014 Letters to Our Children

ByLucy Baber January 31, 2014 2 Children / Families / Letters to our sons project / Newborn / News

Dear Theo and Chance,
This is my first letter to both of you, so of course I am bursting with things I want to say. But since a certain one of you (I won’t name names) wants to be held most of the day and night, I’ll be brief.

Before I had you, Chance, I wasn’t sure how I could possibly love someone as much as I love Theo. But of course, you proved me wrong. As cliche as it may sound, instead of needing to split my affection I have found that my love was able to multiply instead. Not only do I love each of you as individuals, but I am also in awe of your budding relationship, even at such a young age. Theo, I love how affectionate and protective you are of Chance. You are wonderful at helping to calm him down, and at times you have even better instincts than I do about what will soothe him! And Chance, even at only one month old, I love watching how much you just adore your big brother. You smile every single time he comes near, and you watch him run circles around you with utter adoration and awe. Don’t worry little guy, you’ll be able to chase him around soon enough. 😉

And now I hear those little baby wimpers calling “Hold me Mommy!”, so I’ll leave you with these precious photos to hold you over until next month! <3

Love you both so much,
Mommy