Continuing the tradition from Ella’s first birthday, I wanted to take special photos of Jack beyond the monthly pictures I’ve been taking to track his growth.

Like Ella’s photos, I took some on the table with decorations from his party and some outside. Shockingly, he kept his crown on (seriously, this kid HATES having anything on his head) and didn’t try to escape either set up.

This Jack Wall is just one of my favorite party features I’ve ever done. It was so easy! And it draws your attention and photographs are my all-time favorite way to decorate and celebrate someone.

Jack hates going in his crib unless it’s time to go to sleep (and even then sometimes too) so I knew I couldn’t do crib pictures with him like I did with Ella. But I really wanted to do a second location. So I started thinking about the blue things we have (the list is very short) and the wagon seemed perfect. I added balloons to make it more festive and impactful for photos.

This task seemed really daunting at first. The unpredictable temperament of a baby combined with the (self-imposed) pressure to get the perfect picture. And this time around, I had a toddler running around. But I’ve found that, even though it takes a lot of effort and thought, making these small moments in time more special is always worth it. I can’t hold on to Jack’s baby years; I can’t stop either of my kids from growing up. But I can make this time larger, clearer in my memory. Our cameras are like magnifying glasses on our pasts. The great thing about photography is that it does what nothing else can: stop time. In these pictures, Jack will forever be one, forever be my baby boy.

So what’s a little effort?

xo

eb