48/52

Ellery: head in a book

Aubrey: head in the clouds

My wild child is seizing moments of stillness amidst piles of books. It makes me ridiculously happy.

And my little charmer is finding his swagger, gaining momentum to get moving. He's a late starter, just like his brother. It's just a matter of confidence. And days, I suspect.

47/52

Ellery: lots of couch time for this sick poppet

Aubrey: twilight watching

Confession. The photo of Ellery was from a week later. I have a handful of photos of him from this week, all unflattering shots in the nude. In my pre-kid daydreams of life with kids, I imagined little garden sprites running naked. Now my daydreams involve him clothed! It would certainly make the rare feat of getting a portrait-worthy photo that much easier.

portraits circa september :: october 2014

46/52

Ellery: cornflake picking, with bed hair

Aubrey: sleeps without a swaddle

The week in which I endeavour to redeem myself.

Relying on phone photos again because life, work, two smalls. And a certain person has taken to using my camera.

Other notables: a mini heatwave, a visiting photographer to our island abode, and lots of gross motor stuff happening with the smallest. 

43/52

Ellery: happy in the morning light

Aubrey: catching shadows

Life has gotten very busy. I've returned to work, part-time, from home. The smallest is cutting his first tooth and, well, just needs me. This cloth nappying, wholefood making, mothering two kids AND wrangling the desk thing is stretching me to the max.

I've barely picked up my real camera.

Deep breaths. I'm sure it will get easier.

three

You can show me how old you are on your fingers. You know both your addresses. And you've just learned to blow bubbles (though the candles on your cake were blown, with a sigh, 'ffffff'). 

You are complicated. Playful, articulate and loving. Highly sensitive. With a big personality.

You have an ocean of feelings within. Moody like a teenager, cantankerous like an old man, tender like the kind-hearted soul you are.

Since the heady days of two-and-a-half, you have been testing us to the edges of our sanity with your moods and tantrums.

Now you're testing your physical skills in every way possible too. You have little time for crafting these days, but when you do make something, you thrill in pulling it apart.

You love looking after your little friends, your arm often around a shoulder, guiding. Loathe to bathe yourself, you dabbed a serviette about Miss-Not-Quite-Two's chocolate cake smeared mouth at your party. Yes, you're quite partial to little girl friends.

Make believe games are where it's at. You like to play shop-keeper while I change your brother's nappy. Or, 'Mum, pretend you're a whale'.

You love bacon and chips and popcorn, but not the 'bones'.

Sometimes I look at you and wonder how you got to be so clever. You come out with things I have no idea how you acquired. You use words like 'plateau' correctly. Sometimes you call me 'darling'. And the question 'How did you make me?' is on high repeat, with much probing about just exactly how.

For all the ways you spin my heart entirely off its axis, I'm forever thankful.

37/52

 Ellery: the journey is the destination

Aubrey: avocado

A trip to the museum to see an exhibition about our island home. A ride up in a very old lift to the top of the country's oldest clocktower. And his favourite part of the day was the train ride. 

---

I left the room to retrieve my phone. When I returned, he was still telling me all about his first taste of avocado.