One Fast, Blurry, Incredible Year Later

 

  12 Months 1 by Jay Scott on 500px

This post went live to the minute exactly one incredible year after our dear Fiona was born. We are so grateful for her health, her vitality, her smile, her babbling, her affection and even for her consistent 12 hours or more of sleep each night. She has been very easy on us and we will do our best to remember that and continue to be patiently loving when she is having more trying times.

As many of you probably remember, we had a very wonderful discovery while Angie and I were dating. It was a photo of each of us on one of these tractors at relatively the same age, both wearing yellow pajamas. When my dad found another one of these tractors, long before Fiona was visible in our future, we cautiously discussed how cool it would be to duplicate that photo with her. Behold!

It wouldn't have been the same photo without the glaring on camera flash. Remembering the photos, we were both critical of our dads for taking them from too tall of a position. However, looking at them, they both were sitting and it actually was a pretty good angle. Ironically, we found it more difficult to make a photo that looked unflattering than we did to make the first and last photos in this post. And, for the record, Angie gets the credit for the middle shot. She definitely knows how to make our baby laugh, giggle and smile.

So, happy first birthday, my dear little Fiona! Thank you for bringing so much wonderful life into our lives and bringing us daily deep love and awe. Your deep belly laugh and toothy smile, with your wrinkly nose, cannot be matched.

 

  12 Months 2 by Jay Scott on 500px

11 Months Old

 

  11 Months - 3 by Jay Scott on 500px

Wow! How time flies. Fiona turned 11 months old today so we thought we would carry on with the monthly photo tradition by showing off her latest favorite thing, standing on our bed, looking in the mirror and dancing with her reflection.

 

  11 Months - 1 by Jay Scott on 500px

Last week she discovered the flashlight I keep in the pouch of my wheelchair. If that wasn't treasure to a little girl, and testament to her being my daughter with both of us loving lights so much, I don't know what would be. She is getting at the age that when it's time to take something away though it is a very big deal. We try to replace whatever we have to take away with something good, but it will be a learning experience for all of us to both put our foot down and her not be quite so dramatic about the little things. She is an infant, yet, so were not trying to expect too much.

 

  11 Months - 2 by Jay Scott on 500px

After all, she still does hilarious things like this:

Springtime Flora

It is my annual intention to make something nice out of the short lived bleeding-hearts in our front garden. Last year yielded some nice results and I believe that photo still holds up well to the other bleeding-hearts photos on 500px. Our early spring, combined with life's obstacles, meant I didn't get to photographing our bleeding-hearts until they were past their prime so I needed to de-emphasize their waning state. How to meet or beat last year's photo? Lasers!

 

  Heart Within a Heart by Jay Scott on 500px

Add to that my new self-made strip light from the bottom, my assistant adding a nice touch from the top (after I realized something more was needed from above) all while holding Fiona and I think I managed to create something unique.

One of the bigger struggles lately in me having time and space to make a photo is our busy and remarkably fast daughter. I don't dare leave anything set up on the floor because of her fast speed she could have a hold of it, and potentially drag something down on top of herself, before we could catch her. Nobody wants any equipment damaged and we definitely do not want her hurt. She has enough little bumps all by her own efforts as she learns her fine motor skills and balance.

Last Monday we joined my in-laws at Pike Lake for a potluck and wiener roast. It was a beautiful +32°C with added humidity. I was loving it, the rest were feeling the intensity of it. Before Robin and the boys could join us, there was plenty of time for relaxation but you know that's not something I am very good at so I set up and tried to capture the beauty of one of the more despised flowers you can find anywhere. Dandelions.

I have never really minded them. I know that an unhealthy lawn can be taken over by their pervasiveness but I like their smell, color and feel, even if they are weeds. I hope the below one-light macro shot brings a bit of appreciation to their delicate beauty.

 

  Simple Beauty by Jay Scott on 500px

And, what cove of lovely dappled light, tucked away in the corner of the camp site, would be complete without a photo of our cute and precious little Fiona? She had an amazing day until her tiredness and the heat caught up with her and we had to make a pretty quick drive home. We still had a good number of hours enjoying a bit of roughing it, and the sound and smell of the campfire sure were refreshing.

 

  Fine Afternoon at Pike Lake by Jay Scott on 500px

Oh, and for what it's worth, that was an outfit she was wearing. As much as she's good at getting a hold of things like dish towels and table cloths, this time it was when she arrived with. It suited the unplanned photo perfectly.