Letters to Little Man

J is a wonderful photographer. This will be easy to see when you get older and have a chance to really appreciate her work, but ever since I met her, I’ve been blown away by what she can capture with a camera. It’s how she keeps me with you even when I’m not – she sends pictures to my phone when you do something cute or silly. Occasionally, she’ll have do photoshoots of you and not only will you be adorable in them (you’ve been photogenic since your ultrasounds) but they will look downright professional. She even started a blog right after you were born so I could keep up with your day-to-day progress, but eventually you kept her too busy to be able to update it every day, and she and I grew so close, we didn’t need a blog to connect us anymore.

Though I am no where near J and her skill, I take pictures of you too. I attempt to capture every single visit we have together so I can come back home and wow your many aunts (my beautiful friends who have also loved you since you were rolling around in my tummy) with how much you’ve grown and how handsome you are. But what I like to do most is record videos of you.

I love home videos because, like pictures, they record a moment in time. So years from now when you’re taller than me (I don’t like to think about it), I will be able to look back on these videos and remember when you used to be small enough to hold. One day, I hope we can watch them together and you can be amazed by your own miniscule-ness. I also hope that on that day, as you watch your teeny, tiny self interact with the world, you can get even more of a sense of how many people love you and have loved you from the very beginning.

This is one of my favorites videos of you. Granted, it’s not one of the ones from the very beginning (and I’ve got ’em, don’t you worry), but since it’s one of my favorites, I figured it should be the first one I post in our blog.

I recorded this in June 2011; you were almost 11 months old. Sports Man was playing with the car keys (you have a thing for keys – you love to play with them) and he started jumping out from behind me and jingling them at you. As you will be able to see, you found it hilarious.

I know that everybody loves baby laughs, but I have never been happier in my life than when I see and hear you laugh. It is the best sound I’ve ever heard. You just sound so jubilant, so entertained and as a mother, I am happy whenever you are happy. I would say that’s from the Handbook too, but I think it just comes naturally. That’s part of the reason I love The B’s and everyone else you are constantly surrounded by, even though I can’t always be one of them – they make you happy. They make you smile and they make you laugh, and all of that makes me thankful.

But for the many, precious moments I do get to spend with you, I try to immortilze in film so that way, I can see you any time I miss you. That way, I can see you anytime I want.

Tags: car keys, Giggles, home videos, Laugh, one of my favorites, tiny self, Video