3/52 Mouette

Mouette

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2/52 Family

This week was a tumultuous sea of dips and peaks. We shared adventures to Aboriginal sacred sites, watched golden and cherry blossom pink sunsets, played in the sand and came together after Love's accident. As a parent, it's easy to carry the guilt of not-getting-there-in-time. It can be hard to let go of this heavy feeling, but surrendering to the understanding that we try to be where we are needed at the times we are needed most helps us to heal and to support each other through these troubling moments.

Byron was distraught following Love's fall. I could hear it in his shaky voice and see the fear in his expression, even after she had been released from hospital. He kept apologising to her and to me and I kept soothing him as gently as I could manage.

You did the right thing, you brought her to the hospital. You're where you need to be. She's lucky you were there.

These two extraordinary people are my family. I could not have hoped for a better man to share my life and our beautiful daughter adores him.

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1/52 Summer Face

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Summer face. Sunscreen, salty skin, sand and the remnants of a juicy nectarine, with splashes of mango. Oh how I love you, Baby Love.(ISO 100, f2.8, 1/2500)

Happy to be joining Jodi and friends again in 2016 for the 52 project.

xx

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42/52 Fake Crying and Dirty Windows

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Fake cry, dirty windows

There have been some interesting new developments in the world of make-believe. As wintery days began to warm, we saw the first hints of deliberate fake-crying. It was usually accompanied by some 'Oooohhhs' and squinty eyes but now we have crying sounds, a whimper, a furrowed brow and more recently, grubby garden hands slapping against an even dirtier window.

We live by the sea, almost everything is covered in a salty, grimy film, which attracts and seems to collect the dust.

Thankfully it's outside. I'd hose it off but it just started to rain.

Fake-cryer... I almost believe you. Almost.

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30/52 Going Tropical

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Baby Love: This is her reaction to discovering a secret beach after trekking 45 minutes through the sticky, warm jungle in the Ergobaby... Ahh the joys of splashing about in the crystal clear waters of this Malaysian island paradise!

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25/52 Typically Red Pixie Hat

Oh how adorable our little Love looks with her soft chocolate locks poking out from beneath her new deep red pixie hat. Many thanks to the lovely Greer Worsley for hand knitting this beautiful woollen hat in time for our chilly wintry beach walk and also to Jodi Wilson for hosting the Typically Red giveaway on her blog, Practising Simplicity. Don't you just love the colour? I've posted more photos here.

Oceans of love,

Bella xx

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19/52 The Tooth Fairy

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This little ocean pixie has impeccable dental hygiene (and uses environmentally friendly toothpaste and toothbrush).

Oh! One more thing, we've just posted some portraits from a recent photoshoot on our other website. Tell us what you think xx

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15/52

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Baby Love: Easter Monday and a playful wrestle to remove her long-sleeved shirt in the park.

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12/52 An Afternoon Nap

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Love: One of the rare times she has fallen asleep in my arms since she was three months old

When she was a newborn, Love would sleep in what I would regard as rather strange positions, curled against my body or in a loose ball of her own tiny limbs. I rarely needed to swaddle her and as new parents, we were truly amazed at how she could drift peacefully into a restful slumber in the bath, warm water trickling over her skin as I cradled her her tiny head above the water. Since she was one month old, those sweet little naps seemed to slowly disappear, like the foamy shampoo bubbles lathered through her curly locks.

This past week, whilst her Ah Mah was visiting from Dubai, Love fell quiet in my arms. We were having a conversation when I became aware of the silence and stillness of her tiny body. I looked at my reflection in the mirror to see that she had indeed fallen asleep in my arms. It was one of those ahhhhhh moments.

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8/52 Winter versus Summer

Love: Enjoying a Skype call with her Uncle Darren, who resides in Ohio, USA.

Aren't we truly fortunate to be able to keep in touch with others through fast internet connections? I've never met Darren in person but I feel like we know each other, largely due to Skype and Byron's hilarious tales about his younger brother. He talks about Darren with a fondness that comes from strong brotherly affection and it makes me wonder whether Love will experience this sibling bond.

Darren was winding down for the evening after a long day, just as we were rising. We compared the scenes outside our respective windows; his lawn, a thick blanket of snow starkly juxtaposed with our overgrown jungle of green grass from the recent heavy rain. Soon it will be Autumn here as Spring begins to flourish in Ohio. I guess the real magic isn't so much the fast internet connection or a clever software application but our beautiful, ever-changing planet.

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7/52 The Sweetest Smile

Love: This little face is well rested and ready to play. She was very sweet on this particular morning, so sweet and playful that we took more pictures of her, here. It's worth a look...

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6/52 Afternoon Walks

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Baby Love: Peeking out from the ergo carrier. Pinch me now because I cannot believe you've already grown too large for the infant insert. The time has disappeared, like raindrops sinking into the thirsty sand. Blink and we'll miss it. We take these portraits to document the change in your appearance but what they do not capture as accurately is the change in how much you are learning. You watch intently and like the sand, you soak up your surroundings, drinking everything in through those beautiful brown eyes.

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5/52

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Love had been sleeping in the car when we arrived at the marina. I carefully slipped her out of her carseat and secured her in the sling around my chest. She dozed against me as we ordered our burgers from the bustling harbourside restaurant and only stirred when we took our seat at a long, empty table outside. She blinked several times before staring silently in the dreamlike way babies do when they wake from a restful slumber.

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I've thought about adding another page to this blog, dedicated solely to this Year of Love, my daily picture journal of our sweet baby girl, Love. The reason for this is to free up my Home page so that the recipes and other unrelated posts, including the 52 project don't get lost in the sea of baby portraits. I'd also feel a little bit of pressure lifted if I don't post her daily portraits on time. It's funny how I can place unrealistic deadlines on myself in that way.

What are your thoughts? Would you visit a separate page on this blog dedicated to A Year of Love?

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3/52 Story Time

On Friday he ate through five oranges, but he was still hungry.
- Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar

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2/52 A Mother's Love

Baby Love: She knows me by scent, warmth, and touch.
Mama: Keeping her close, treasuring these fleeting moments of quiet togetherness. She is my greatest joy, my tiny Love.

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1/52 Nappy Change

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Love: A quick nappy change before the long journey home. Summer road trips with this darling. Oh! How times have changed since last summer...

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51/52 Chubby Bubby

'Aunty' Kate: My beautiful sun kissed friend, visiting us fresh from an eight week working holiday in Ubud, Bali.
Love: With her chubby thighs safely cradled in her aunty Kate's warm palms and tiny fingers outstretched to grasp anything within reach- a brightly printed kaftan and sun bleached hair...

To those who celebrate it, may your Christmas be merry, filled with music to lift your spirits, with fresh sweet summer fruit juices, tables overflowing with colourful, delicious feasts and the sounds of laughter, joy and peace.

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50/52 After the Storm

Love: Enjoying the clean, still air and golden glow moments after the sun had set, following a week of tropical storms.

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43/52

When she was born her tiny eyelashes were so fine they were almost invisible. Gazing down on her as she feeds, I can see the gentle upward curve of her eyelashes form as she grows each week. Her eyes, once a deep blue are beginning to change colour. We wonder whether they will be as dark and alluring as her papa's espresso eyes or perhaps a lighter shade of chocolate, like mine.

There is no place I'd rather be than right here, watching the rise and fall of her tiny body as she nestles close to my heart.

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Love Bella xx

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14/52

This morning something stirred beneath the soft woollen comforts of my bed. Slowly, gradually she emerged from beneath the cocoon of warmth to reveal her tiny face, wide brown eyes and unique wrinkled brow. The ear styling is all her own. Oh those ears! I could wrap her up and kiss her!

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I told we'd be popping in from time to time with Jodi's 52 project. This week I fell in love with these beauties... The blurry wonder surrounding Anaru / Splish! Splash! Baby girl / Mastering jump rope... Hannah...

Bella xx

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