Favourite Photo Friday 31/1/14

This week it's a couple of photos taken by Anto.  Yes, he does pick up the camera occasionally!  Of course I still get to sort and edit all his photos...... not sure how that works :)

Here is Mr Soren trying out the bumbo for the first time. He did look very cute!

D7000 with Nikon 85mm f1.8G

ISO 1600 focal length 85mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f1.8

........ and Astrid showing us just what an awesome vegetarian she is (not!). Chowing down on a chop!

D7000 with Nikon 50mm f1.8

ISO 640 focal length 50mm

Exposure: 1/50 @ f2.8

How to cool a camelid!

Like most of South-Eastern Australia, we've had a very hot January! Lots of days over 35 and a few around (and over 40).  Our alpacas don't particularly like hot weather.  We had them shorn at the start of December and it was lucky we got them shorn when we did. It's been pretty warm since then. Even in December we had lots of 30-plus days and a few over 35.

Inti and Chimu love frosty mornings but are not huge fans of the heat. With their Summer hair-cuts they aren't too bad at staying cool, as long as they have shade and access to cool water.  If we had a pool they would lay in it but they have to make do with their water bowl and a big tub. On hot days we walk them early in the morning or in the evening and they spend the day laying around in the shade (and intermittently sunbaking in the sun - they are like giant cats in that regard).

On days where it gets above 34 or 35 we turn their sprayers on for them on a regular basis so they can get a nice fine, misty, spray to wet them and help them cool off.  They do like to sit in the spray and have a bath.  We used to have a rotating sprinkler for them and Chimu would dance in it. These days they have their sprayers which help to keep them comfortable on these hot days.  They do have a tendency to smell like wet woolly jumpers after a spraying but it's all part of the charm, right?

Before we know it we will be back to freezing mornings but for now it's air-conditioning, camelid style!

Favourite Photo Friday 24/1/14

I am currently undertaking the mammoth task of making a coffee table book of our 2012 Europe trip.  It was a 2 month trip with 7 countries and over 60 blogs and 4,500 photos! It's taking me quite awhile to turn it into a book. For a few months after we got back from Europe, I was sick of looking at the photos so put the task aside. Then I was a bit busy for most of the year, and I further procrastinated by making all the other photobooks I had wanted to do, putting off the really big one for 'another time'. I finally cracked into it just before Soren was born but didn't get too far before I was once again too busy to look at it.  This week I'm back to it, and have managed to (as of last night) do 164 pages of layouts......... only about 100 pages to go.

Anyway, the point of this story is that it's been really fun reading back through our travel blogs and sorting through all the photos. I've come across so many photos I love.  More than will ever end up on our walls! Yesterday I was doing the layouts for our trip to the Loire Valley, France. We had an awesome day touring castles, gardens and chateaus.  I could have spent a week there!  The original blog from that day is here. Full of adventure and pretty pictures.  Here are 3 of my favourite photos from that day, one from each place we visited!

Chateau and Jardins de Villandry

D80 with Tokina 12-24mm f4.0

ISO 500 focal length 18mm

Exposure: 1/160 @ f/13.0

Chateau Amboise

D80 with Tokina 12-24mm f4.0

ISO 800 focal length 12mm

Exposure: 1/200 @ f/13.0

Chateau de Chambord

D80 with Tokina 12-24mm f4.0

ISO 320 focal length 12mm

Exposure: 1/800 @ f/13.0

Sibling love

Astrid has been excited about being a big sister since the moment she found out we were having another baby. I thought she might have less enthusiasm for the concept, once the reality of a baby that demands much of the time and attention that used to be devoted to her, hit home.

Three months down the track though, she still adores her little brother.  She has never shown any jealousy towards him and loves to help look after him.  For a 2 year old she seems very understanding of how much attention a small baby needs.  She loves to play with Soren and talk to him, and Soren adores the sound of her non-stop chatter.  He pretty much reserves his fits of giggles for Astrid. It is adorable to watch.

The other day Astrid was giving Soren some cuddles on the couch so I thought it wise to get some pictures.  I'm sure one day (probably soon) they will be fighting like cat and dog, so I might need to frame these to remember when they adored each other! Astrid 2.5 years & Soren 3 months

She loves to cuddle her brother (and he doesn't mind a good big sister cuddle either) ..........

........ and give him kisses too!

Astrid loves to check out Soren's tiny feet and hands. She is always asking when he will get big and how he grows. The other day she told me he is 'half big now'. Well he is certainly bigger than when she first met him, but the toddler measurement scale is a weird one! When I was shooting these frames, Astrid was telling me how big her feet were compared to Soren's and how tiny his hands looked compared to hers. Too cute!

Ever the posers, they provided way too many cute shots for me. I think they look pretty gorgeous in black and white! Some of these might have to end up on the wall.....

Look how she grew........Astrid's 2013!

Three days before Christmas Astrid turned two and a half.  Two and a half doesn't sound so young but that is only 30 months........ when you count it in months it really does go by so quickly! Everyone knows how quickly they grow in their first year. The changes from squishy newborn, to chubby, chatty one year old are amazing.  I didn't realise how much they grow up in the second and third years too.  If it weren't for the photographic evidence I would struggle to believe (or remember) how much she has changed.

I think my favourite 'parenting' saying is 'the days are long but the years are short'.  That saying has gotten me through more than a few very long days!  Anyone with small children knows how long a day can feel when are just hanging out for bedtime to roll around.  It's worse when they are tiny babies and there isn't really a bedtime and you are feeding around the clock. At least as they get older you can (sometimes) count on a couple of hours peace at night before you climb into bed yourself. Even if there is no guarantee you'll get to stay there.  Lately, with a very emotional and tantrumy 2.5 year old and a newborn some days (and nights) have felt damn long.  But the years have flown by.  How can they change so much day to day, and month to month without us realising it?

Since I didn't do a 2.5 year update post for Astrid I decided I should do something fun and post a timeline of pictures of her from 2013.  At the start of the year she was just 18 months and seeming very much the toddler, but looking like a baby still. By the end of the year, at 2.5, she is well and truly in full toddler (meltdown) mode but turning into a little girl before our very eyes.

In choosing these photos I went through and picked the first (half decent) photo of Astrid from each month. Look at how she grew!

Favourite Photo Friday - 17/1/14

This week it's some very cute big sister and little brother cuddles...... I have more of these to post in the coming days but for now sibling cuddles Astrid and Soren style.  These were taken on Soren's 3 month birthday and with my new lens. I am very much liking both the 3 month old Soren and the new lens!

D7000 with Nikon 85mm f1.8G

ISO 800 focal length 85mm

Exposure: 1/250 @ f/2.5

D7000 with Nikon 85mm f1.8G

ISO 800 focal length 85mm

Exposure: 1/320 @ f/1.8

The smiley, giggly 3 month old!

I'm sure I just posted about Soren being 2 months....... Well on Monday he turned 3 months! I'd better start planning the first birthday party :)  In the last month the gorgeous smiles have turned to non-stop cooing, chatting and giggling.  He now is getting control of his hands and loves to bash at toys. Even if the bashing is a bit haphazard at times. he is also trying desperately to roll. A skill his sister did not master until well after 7 months! He is also starting to move himself by wiggling everywhere.

Soren is still a littlie at 4.8kg and 57cm.  He has grown 1.1kg and 8cm since birth though, so he is seeming not so small to me these days, despite the 000 clothes still being quite roomy. Soren's third month has been full of adventure and very busy.

Here are a collection of photos of what he has been up to! In the last month he has taken his first aeroplane flights and first time sleeping away from home, not a fan of the portacot despite appearances!

Been the the beach and his first swim in the pool!

Had his first Christmas (twice!)

What else has been up to?  Well mostly sleeping, eating, grinning, giggling and being cute.  He enjoyed his 2 weeks in Queensland with his Queensland grandparents and aunt.  Lots of laying around enjoying the sea breeze and getting endless cuddles and attention.

At home he has discovered the joy of watching the cricket on my lap or hanging out in his bouncer bashing toys around

He is still a huge fan of the bath.  Sadly too big for the baby bath now but the big bath is lots of fun!

Then it was 2014 and the smiles and giggles just got cuter.......

Two of Soren's favourite people are dad and big sis.  He loves hanging with both of them! He is stealthily eyeing Anto's computer these days and Astrid is fun to play on the floor with, or even just giggle hysterically at!

Finally, here is the now 3 month old, showing us his endless fascination with his chewing his fist at the moment. Please no teeth yet!