Jen here with another First Year post!

Three months?  Is she really three months old ALREADY?  Each day, I find myself having the same struggle.  Half of me wishes Logan could stay this little forever, with her soft coos, gummy smiles and her tiny fingers that wrap around my pinkie when she’s nursing.  The other half looks forward to the new discoveries she will make, which seem to happen almost daily.  Despite what I may wish, Logan is growing up faster than I ever could have imagined, and I’m enjoying documenting her growth both in my journal and with my camera.  Here’s a peek at what I’ve been capturing the last few weeks!

If It Looks Good, Eat It!

Logan has never been a fan of the pacifier, which I’m actually thankful for, since it will be one less thing to wean her from in the future!  But within the past few weeks, she began exploring putting her fingers or the side of her hand in her mouth and sucking on them for a mid-day snack.  And that seemed to open her up to the idea of tasting everything!  Her favorite things to put in her mouth are her blankets, which she loves dearly.  I was the same way when I was little!  I wonder what other similarities Logan and I will have?

Photo tip: You don’t always have to have your subject’s face in focus!  I wanted this image to capture the story of Logan putting things into her mouth, so I focused my camera on  her hand and lips.

Sit Me Up!

Two weekends ago, my husband was encouraging Logan to sit upright.  And ever since then that’s all she wants to do!  It’s rare that she wants to recline back anymore, except for when she’s nursing or really tired and prefers to relax in her swing.  But because Logan’s head and body are still a bit wobbly, I have to constantly hold her in the sit up position.  And that is not very convenient sometimes, especially when I’m working!  Have I mentioned that I am now amazing at holding a baby with one arm and typing out these blog posts or editing photos with the other?

Photo Tip:  How can you best tell the story you want to tell in your image?  I loved the idea of only photographing Logan’s bottom half while she sat upright in a chair.  You can tell she’s sitting without having to see her whole body, plus you get the added bonus of seeing details of her cute hands and feet.

When You’re Smiling, the Whole World Smiles at You

Look. At. This. Face.

Seriously.  How can you not smile at this?!  Logan has become a very smiley baby, and each and every smile makes my heart do a little back flip.  I am in love with those gums.  I adore the way she crinkles up her little nose, squints her eyes and even sticks out her tongue with some of her bigger laughs.  I know she could start teething soon, so I’m trying to get as many photos of these beautiful toothless smiles as I can.

Photo tip: Logan is such a little ham.  To accent the silliness of her facial expression, I chose to tilt the camera on my smartphone on an angle and off-center her a bit.  I think it adds a little character to this close-up shot of her face.

Say What?!

Oh, the babble conversations we have!  In the past month or so, Logan discovered the joys of making all kinds of sounds.  I love the stunned look on her face she gets after realizing she made a new sound and then tries to figure out how to make it again.  There are so many things about her babble conversations that I love.  I just laugh at how she uses her whole face to make a few sounds – those facial expressions are the cutest!  And I’m absolutely amazed that she “talks” to my husband with different sounds than she uses to talk with me!  I wonder what she’s trying to tell us?  I wonder when she’ll say her first word?  They may not make much sense now, but these babble conversations are absolutely perfect in every way!

Photo Tip: Off-centering your subject can give it added interest and importance.  While her dad is in the photo, too, Logan’s the star, so I chose to off-center her to the left to give her added importance.  (You’re still important, Jason.  No worries!)

Logan’s first year is going a little too fast for my liking, but I am so enamored by this little lady who changes and grows every day.  I am truly enjoying watching her personality develop, and I find myself falling in love with her more and more with each passing day.  I’m not quite sure what I did to deserve such a blessing, but not a day goes by that I am not incredibly thankful to have been given the honor of being her mom.

Are you a new mom like me, have kids in school or have already watched your kids grow into adults?  No matter how old they currently may be, I would love to know what fond memories of your children’s first three months this post reminds you of.  Please share your stories in the comments section!

Meet me here next week when I tell you about our annual trip to the zoo – Logan’s first! – and the lesson another mom at the zoo taught me without having to say a word.  It’s going to be a good post – one I think all moms with cameras need to read.

First Year Cheers!

Jen

*Jen is teaching an April and May Workshop for Moms in Georgia.  Click here for more details on Jen and her workshop dates!