"She is clothed with strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future."
(Proverbs 31:25)
On Tuesday, May 26, 2015, Sam, Ava, and I had photos taken by Lisa of Turtle Street Photography, who also shot our maternity session back in September. It was to commemorate Ava at 6 months -- she's more than halfway to 1 now! -- but also to document that moment in time for Sam and me, who celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary that day, and wrap up our family's past year in Michigan.
It has rained a lot in Michigan this spring, and the day of the photo shoot was hot and humid, bookended by stormy weather but very bright and sunny as we walked around downtown Birmingham at noon. We each had 2 outfits, the 1st being dressier with a fruity peach/watermelon palette, and the 2nd more casual with a blue/green, down-home denim vibe. I wore: 1) a peach pleated dress by Mossimo from Target, and 2) a white lace panel kimono top and a pale jade sleeveless ruffle blouse from Kohl's (I mentioned on Instagram how I randomly bought those at the last minute because I hadn't had time to plan what to wear), with Adriano Goldschmied jeans. I subtly accessorized with meaningful jewelry, including my stacking birthstone rings to represent each of us, the citrine "A" white gold pendant necklace Sam gave me when Ava was born, and the tricolor gold linked circle pendant necklace he gave me and Ava for Valentine's Day. Ava wore a vivid pink and white tutu dress from Koala Baby with a white flower headband from Koala Kids (both via Babies "R" Us), and later, an ivory tulle and denim jumperall dress from OshKosh B'gosh and a light lime green floral onesie from Carter's, with an off-white top knot headband from BabyBeetsDesign (via Etsy). Sam coordinated with a dressier outfit and then a more casual one.
Ava was more subdued than usual during the photo session, but that was fine. It would be misleading to have only photos of her laughing and smiling; after all, she is quite a complex little girl! Some of her many nicknames thus far include Ava Monster, Avacado, Avalanche, Crazy, Chucky, Chompers, Doberman Pincher, Ms. Nurples, Droolia Child, Eatie Falco, and Tiger (that one's from my mother-in-law). An easy baby she is not, but we wouldn't trade her for the world.
Happy Father's Day to all the great dads out there! Especially to the best, my husband Sam and my father back in NY. Tomorrow is also the first day of summer. It's hard to believe that 4 whole seasons have passed since we moved from Brooklyn to Michigan. Now we only have 4 more days in the Mitten State before we hit the road for NJ, where we'll make our home for the next chapter of our life. It's going to be a period of many transitions and lots of adjustment. I hope we'll actually have time in the midst of it all to enjoy some of the summer!
