Everyday Baby - May 2012

From watching bumps as they grow to time-lapse baby videos, we love watching a mother's life progress with her child through images. So we're bringing you a new blog: Everyday Baby.

After an extensive search, we've chosen Halifax, NS mom and photographer, Kerianne Brown to be our photoblogger for the next year. Have a peek at Kerianne's amazing professional photography, as well as her blog, where she's been documenting her son Will's life with a photo a day.

Due May 3rd, we're hoping to get a few pics up before she gives birth to her second son. We're so grateful that she's chosen to share her journey with us (and all of you!).

"Nothing like a hug from one sweet, little boy to cheer you up on one of the darkest mornings I can ever remember. The days of Baby Brother being protected inside my belly are numbered. I look forward to seeing my two boys cuddling very soon!"

"Being 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant, I thought it might be a great idea to take Will out for a walk today. Chasing an almost 2-year-old seemed like the perfect way to start labour! I had to giggle at the fact that  Will was wearing his snowsuit today because it was so windy and cold and yet the buds are starting to bloom on the trees! Let's hope the warmer weather is on its way soon so that when I have two at home, I can get outside with them both."

"When Will arrived home today from daycare, his clothes were covered in green paint so we made our way directly to the laundry room to strip down to his diaper. He spotted some books and wanted to 'read' them to me. It is so nice to see him taking such a liking to books. I definitely hope it continues!"

"Today I went shopping for some summer shoes for Will. I tried them on him this evening and once I put them on, he immediately went to the front door and begged to go outside. Courtney and I decided to see what he wanted so badly outdoors. As soon as we put him down, he immediately started running all around the front lawn. All the while admiring his feet! He is definitely a boy who loves shoes!"

"It may be an understatement to say that you have an obsession with oranges! It was one of the first foods you ever ate. You hated pureed food when you turned 6 months and wanted to eat food like Mama and Daddy. Today, you will put each piece in your mouth and say 'mmmmmmmmm' each and every time!"

"One of Will's favourite activities these days is trying to scare Mama! He loves to hide on me and then jump out when I least expect it. It's so funny at this age because his whole body may be in sight, but if he is closing his eyes and can't see me, he assumes I can't see him. Hiding behind the pillows and then jumping out at me is one of his favourite ones! And, of course, it always produces a big scream from Mama, which he absolutely adores."

"We got a new double stroller tonight and Will desperately wanted to go for a spin in it!  We are hoping that Baby Brother may finally be enticed to come out and join us so he can see what all of the fun is about!"

"I love that one of the hardest decisions you have all day is which toy you will play with first."

"Although you were all ready to leave for the day with your rain coat on, how could we resist letting you play just a little bit longer when you love your cars as much as you do!  I just adore this simple image of you because it shows how observant you can be and how you always surprise me in the best ways.  Here you are with "Guido" from the movie Cars and he is fixing all of the other vehicles tires.  And the best part... you were even do the sound effect to go along with it. You are such a doll, Mr Will. And you make me laugh so often!"

"Not very often do I get to sit in the back seat with Will these days so it was a special treat this morning when I did and he wanted to hold my hand. Funny enough, I think I needed this more than he did today because we were on our way for the induction... I was feeling excitement and butterflies and this tiny gesture put me at ease for sure."

"In the early hours of the morning of May 11th, Courtney and I welcomed our second beautiful son into this world. As emotional as my first delivery was, I never expected this one to be even moreso. 

"Maybe it is because I am a Mama already and know how much I am going to love this little being or maybe it was because it progressed so much more quickly this time around. All I know is that I sobbed when he was born and I could only hear his cries and hadn't even laid eyes on him yet. And when I finally saw my first glances of our new son, I immediately saw so much of Will in him. Of course, as the days have gone by and I stare at him for hours on end, I can see all of the differences as well but I think that, as he grows, there will be no mistaken the fact that they are brothers."

"As much as I enjoy my time in the hospital after delivering my babies, I am always excited to go home. Shortly after I took this photo, we put Wes in his special outfit and brought him home. It was so wonderful having him with all of our family and, most importantly, Will. We look forward to our future as a new family of four!"

"I remember last Mother's Day. It was my first ever and I thought 'how could it possibly get any better than this?'  

Then 2012 came…"

"One of the very first 'portraits' I took of Wes. I find myself just staring and staring instead of taking photos. I want to study every little detail. He is definitely all legs and has such long fingers and toes!!! Will probably be a tall boy like his Daddy. He loves his sleep like his big brother and fills my heart with so much love."

"Everything you do is new and spectacular in my eyes.  I swear, I could sit and watch you blow bubbles all day long and it would be the most perfect day I could imagine."

"There are those beautiful, big eyes! You have been sleeping so much that we haven't seen a lot of them so far. You look so happy to be here, Wes. You have so much to see and we can't wait to show you."

"Who knew a tiny, little smile could melt my heart so much. I wonder what you are dreaming of?  I hope they are big, beautiful dreams that take you far in life. You have every potential in the world right now, Baby Wes."

"For only being a week old, I would definitely say that he knows his Mama. When those big, beautiful eyes are open he loves to make eye contact and take in the world around him."

"My favourite room in our house right now is Wes' nursery. It is so peaceful and serene and exactly what I envisioned for our baby boy. We don't spend much time in the nursery yet though since he sleeps in our room; however, I still like to sneak in there with him every chance I get."

"Today we had a very special friend photograph you and we even made it to the beach for some family photographs as well. You were such a great boy and slept all day and evening. We can't wait to see the beautiful images… I know they are something we will cherish always."

"The warm weather this May long weekend was a wonderful surprise! We definitely took advantage of it and enjoyed each day. The blue skies, warm sun and green grass were such a welcome treat!"

"One thing I was so excited about when I heard I was having another baby boy was knowing that I could pull out all of the tiny newborn clothes and dress them on another sweet baby. I remember vividly each and every outfit Will wore. So, this time around, I am trying to make a conscious effort to photograph Wes in all of his little outfits. This is one of my favourite sleepers of his."

"You seem to be such a smiley boy when you sleep, especially when I am taking photos of you in the studio. You are the happiest little model for Mama. There won't be many days remaining that you will sleep through a photo shoot so I am trying to make the best of every day we have left!"

"It is so hard convincing your big brother that getting his photo with you is a fun thing!  He adds a bit of stress to the situation whenever we try and capture the two of you together. I was determined to get something today though. I just want a nice image to look back on someday and see just how small you were compared to big brother Will. And I am so glad that your Daddy and I persevered."

"The very best gifts are the ones homemade and from the heart. This beautiful blanket was knit by a friend's mother. She had given one to Will when he was born and, to this day, it is one of his favourite blankies and goes with him whenever he has a sleep-over anywhere. Secretly, I was hoping that Wes would receive one for himself as well. These will be cherished gifts that I will keep for them always!"

"It was a long day in your car seat today and I wasn't sure what you would think of going out in the yard for a few minutes when we finally got home but, luckily, you obviously enjoyed the fresh air as much as we did!"

"Before meeting Wes, I dreamed of what he might look like. Would he look like his older brother? When I first laid eyes on him, I instantly thought he looked exactly like Will but as the days went on and I studied his little face more and more I discovered all of the things that were unique to him. One thing I noticed right away was that his eyelashes weren't nearly as long as Will's were when he was born. However, as the days have passed, I see his tiny eyelashes sprouting before my eyes! Every day they are getting longer and longer, just like his big brother's."

"Even when you are awake, you are so calm. You just look around and take in all that surrounds you."

"After nursing you today, I decided to take a photo of you on the glider in your nursery. I love watching progression photos and will try and take several on this chair as the year goes on. You are so tiny now but I know how quickly you will grow!"

"It was bath day! I will openly admit that I let you nap on me all afternoon just so I could smell that freshly washed baby scent on you. It is one of my favourite things about a baby! And you were so warm and snuggly and slept so peacefully in my arms."

"Your older brother loved his swing. In fact, we named it the 'magic lamb swing' because he would instantly fall asleep every time we put him in it. You, however, weren't sure of the swing at first. You would be ok for a few minutes but would quickly let it be known that you were done and wanted to be held again. So, to my surprise, you fell asleep this afternoon in the swing and then continued to nap for over 3 hours! I wonder how you ever resisted before…. that swing looks to be the most comfortable place to close your eyes!"