Family of Four

It's been over three years since we had our first family photos taken by Michelle from Norr Studio, and I can't help but bounce back and forth between then and now in my mind. How we've changed and how we've stayed the same in a few years time.

In the last three years, Patricio has changed jobs, done a kickflip or two, and made pancakes nearly every Sunday. I've grown an entire human being, read a couple dozen books, journaled my way out of several funks, and finally learned how to knit. Our firstborn has since learned to walk - and run, climb, twirl, breakdance, and leap on furniture like a wild animal - use the toilet on her own, sleep in her own bed all night, and get herself breakfast in the morning (it's insane to think how much else she's learned in a few short years).

We still live in the same light-filled 900 sqft apartment where our white walls are still mostly bare, and our furniture is sparse (partly by choice, partly because my taste in home goods isn't within my budget). I'm still a co-sleeping stay-at-home mom wearing a monochromatic wardrobe, staying up too late to watch period dramas. Patricio is still rocking the black beanie all four seasons, 365 days of the year, and painting while listening to skateboarding documentaries. Our four-year-old daughter is sometimes barely recognizable to me as the baby she once was, but I still see glimpses of her in there, especially when she falls asleep at night splayed across her pillow, lips pursed, a baby doll tucked under one arm. And we still break out the acoustic guitar for family sing-a-longs, but now there's a new chubby-fingered baby trying to strum along, which, of course, is the most noteworthy change in the last three years - that special little addition.

Yes, we finally have photographic evidence that we have been a family of four for the last 11 months - all of us together in one frame. Proof of a day in our lives with the chunky, curly-haired ray of sunshine that joined our family last summer, who has grown up in a blink of an eye. Proof that while some things change, they can feel so natural, so intertwined with the life you've built, it's as if they always were that way - you can't and don't want to imagine them any other way.

Here in the present, we share our days with our two daughters. It is louder, messier, and sometimes pure chaos - but more full of light and love than ever. The balance of our days swings between a four-year-old who lives for The Sound of Music, jigsaw puzzles, and elaborate fantasy worlds; and an 11-month-old who wants nothing more than mama's milk and her sister's toys, to empty the contents of every basket, cupboard and drawer, and to be equally involved in all family activities with the cheekiest grin on her face. They are each their own unique, brightly shining star. We will, surely, treasure these images forever, capturing this truly special time in our lives.



























































All photographs were taken by Michelle Liando of Norr Studio.

SOURCES:

Clothing
White Linen Blouse: Bebe Organic
Natural Linen Shirt: Elizabeth Suzann
Floral bloomers: Petits Vilains
Natural Linen Dress: Tortoise & the Hare Clothing

Toys & Misc:
Handmade doll: A Pocket Full of Rye
Baby Poster: The Birth Poster
Floral bedding: Cloth
Child's Guitar: Little Cottonwood
Courage Dear Heart Banner: Matriarch Handmade
Dustpan & Brush: Mouse In The House Shop
Leaf Puzzle: Sarah and Bendrix
Balance Board: Sarah's Silks
Jigsaw Puzzle: Wildcreekco