Parenting

The 4-6 Weeks Project (Week One)

I’m taking a photograph of Eleanor each day until the new baby arrives, to document our last 4-6 weeks as a family of three. I explained the project and posted the first photograph in the series here: The 4-6 Weeks Project. Today, I’m back with the rest of the photos from week one.

{ IntroductionWeek OneWeek TwoWeek ThreeWeek FourThe EndView All }

Clementines are in season and you love them. You kept asking for more, pointing up at them and saying “ball”. Later, mama cleaned out all of the kitchen cabinets while you helped. You loved it because normally we have to tell you NOT to take everything out!


You played with your cousins while mama went to the doctor for a checkup. Mama is 36 weeks along now and very uncomfortable, but she and your soon-to-arrive baby brother are doing well. You’re going to be the only girl out of seven kids on daddy’s side of the family (so far, at least).

We all went to your great-great-uncle Bill’s eightieth birthday party today. His cake said “Congratulations, you’ve made it to the halfway mark!”, and a lot of family members were there that we don’t see very often. Everyone thought that you were very cute, and so well behaved.

Pre-dinner dance party! Daddy was cooking his pasta dish, but you brought your baby doll over to him so that he could make her dance with you. You love to spin around until you’re dizzy, and then you bust out the breakdancing moves.

This picture cracks mama up! You’re such a little cutie. Your mama and daddy both wear glasses sometimes, so you want to wear them too (but yours are just for fun). You call them, along with everything else that goes on your head, a “hat.”

Your grandparents gave you a lot of cooking toys for Christmas, and you’ve been having so much fun with them. You come up with some interesting combinations (cupcakes and ketchup, anyone?), and then you bring them over for mama and daddy to eat. You like to share with the dog too!

Sources & Paint ColorsNeed design help? Let's work together.

You Might Also Like...

  • Kirsty
    January 19, 2011 at 9:30 am

    She is precious! What a thoughtful way to preserve memories–she’ll treasure it later! :)

  • Catherine
    January 19, 2011 at 9:50 am

    This is such a beautiful project! Reading them fills me up. I can only imagine how much she’ll treasure these years later.

  • Robin
    January 19, 2011 at 9:52 am

    Nicole, our daughters have the exact same Target wardrobe. My daughter is 5 and 1/2 so it is a joy for me to see “her” clothes (2 replicas in this post alone) on a little one. Ella is especially fond of the picture of Eleanor wearing the blue dress with the white polka dots from your “It’s a boy!” post. “Hey! She’s wearing my dress!” I’m going to be so sad when my daughter outgrows size 5.

  • liz
    January 19, 2011 at 9:57 am

    Oh my goodness. I just laughed ’til I teared up. That picture of her with the glasses is just too much. It looks like one of those ‘yearbook me’ pictures. You should definitely blow that one up and frame it.

    Perfection.

    • Making it Lovely
      January 19, 2011 at 11:40 am

      That’s my favorite one so far. :)

  • Sarah
    January 19, 2011 at 10:27 am

    This is such a lovely idea! I think I have the same shirt you’re wearing on the 15th (or else darn similar). It’s my favorite maternity shirt and you look great.

  • Tessa
    January 19, 2011 at 10:43 am

    She is such a doll! What a great idea – as the oldest sister, having something like this to chronicle those last moments before my younger siblings arrived would have been so cherished. Question for you: in the pic of Eleanor in the kitchen with dad and baby doll, I couldn’t help but notice the highchair. I am looking for a sleek, non-plastic highchair that feels like furniture. Would you mind sharing specs on the highchair you prefer? Thanks in advance.

  • Rachel
    January 19, 2011 at 10:46 am

    I love this!

  • Nicole RJ
    January 19, 2011 at 11:06 am

    Eleanor is a super cute to begin with, but those glasses, oh my!!!

  • jbhat
    January 19, 2011 at 11:06 am

    You and she really will just adore looking back on these special days. Good for you for doing this.

    jbhat

  • Katie Truelove
    January 19, 2011 at 11:15 am

    I just can’t get over how adorable those little glasses are…

  • Valerie
    January 19, 2011 at 11:24 am

    This is so sweet!
    Just love her glasses! Your hair looks great dark again!

  • Katie {Katie Company}
    January 19, 2011 at 11:48 am

    I LOVE the picture with the glasses! This is such a great idea. I will have to file it away in my “When I have children” folder.

  • Funnelcloud Rachel
    January 19, 2011 at 12:09 pm

    Great photos! I can tell little Eleanor is full of personality – what a little ham!

  • susan
    January 19, 2011 at 12:35 pm

    Being as we have a newborn over here, I haven’t been checking in on your blog and have obviously missed quite a bit. I love this project! And I’m sure that your daughter will love it when she is old enough to appreciate it, too. Good job, mama!

  • rhiannon
    January 19, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    super cute! what a precious little face!

  • Rachael
    January 19, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    What a great idea this is. Thanks for sharing the update!

  • Heidi S
    January 19, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    This is an awesome project (and Eleanor looks fabulous)! I’m very jealous! My second child was born 5 weeks early (a day after my last day of work), so I missed those last couple of weeks with my oldest son.

    I’m sure Eleanor will cherish these some day!

  • joy
    January 19, 2011 at 3:58 pm

    My 19 month old LOVES clementines, her new thing is to climb up in her highchair, get a clementine from the table, peel it, and eat it. The glasses picture cracks me up, the hubby and I both wear glasses, and Hannah’s aunt gave her a pair, but she won’t keep them on long enough for me to take a picture.

  • birdlover
    January 19, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    Those are some beautiful photos- of course you have such a gorgeous little model…really though, what CAN’T you do well?!

  • Jackie {sweetlittlethrills}
    January 19, 2011 at 9:35 pm

    Your photo captions just made my day! How sweet these will be for your sweet daughter when she looks at them as she grows up. You’ve inspired me to write little notes (and hopefully add photos as well) for my little one. Each day they say and do so many funny things, I don’t want to forget them + want to share them with her someday. Thanks for the great idea!

  • RebeccaNYC
    January 19, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    I love this. My niece just had her first baby 3 months ago, and I had suggested that she check out your monthly pictures of Eleanor. So now she has 3 months of “The Tessa project”. Thank you for a great idea!

  • Ana
    January 20, 2011 at 3:13 am

    I love this, it’s such a nice project…Eleanore will be very glad you did this when she grows up.

    Congrats!! :)

  • michelle
    January 20, 2011 at 7:06 am

    Such a wonderful idea! what program are you using to create these captions on the photos? and the final book?

    Thanks so much for posting!

    • Making it Lovely
      January 25, 2011 at 8:48 am

      Photoshop for the photos, InDesign for the book layout.

  • Valentina
    January 20, 2011 at 3:35 pm

    Nicole, your daughter is sooo beautiful! I think the project is fantastic. Enjoy it! :)

  • elisabeth
    January 20, 2011 at 5:29 pm

    There is an android application, Cozi Family, that has not only a family calendar, but a journal that you can take a picture and add a post. Great way to document fun moments, the mundane etc. The journal, as well as all the other aspects of the application, is stored online. Your post today, showing your photo and comment, made me think of my online journal at Cozi. Might be something to consider later on when your hands are full with two!

  • Bethany
    January 20, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    You look SO great in that photo! Of course Eleanor is beautiful as always too. Hope that’s not too creepy, but I feel like we all need honest compliments from time to time!

  • Emma
    January 20, 2011 at 8:17 pm

    I was also wondering what program you were using for this project. Such a neat idea!

  • Katrina
    January 20, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    Can you believe that I stumbled upon your blog right in time to see you put up her 3 month pix. I was impressed with that idea… this one is even better! With two girls of my own I have kept a “paper journal” but sometimes feel it is just not “enough”… I hope they read it as they grow older :D

  • Melinda
    January 20, 2011 at 9:16 pm

    This is such a great idea! I would love to do this for my daughter while her Daddy is deployed for 6 months. How are you formatting the pics with the date?

    • Making it Lovely
      January 25, 2011 at 8:45 am

      I made a template in Photoshop. The photo goes along the top, then I just change the colors and text for the bottom portion.

  • Mrs. Kinne
    January 21, 2011 at 10:30 am

    I love this idea! And, I cracked up over Eleanor wearing her “hat.”

  • Liza
    January 24, 2011 at 12:36 am

    Thank you for sharing. It’s nice to have a few special weeks before the next baby. She’ll be a good big sister!

  • Laura
    January 24, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    what program are you using to make the book? lovelyl dress on Eleanor

    • Making it Lovely
      January 25, 2011 at 8:44 am

      I’m putting these together in Photoshop, but I’m going to do the whole book with InDesign.

  • Holly
    January 25, 2011 at 6:52 pm

    Hi Nicole!

    These photos are so sweet. Could you share what font you’re using at the bottom of them? It’s similar to Ali’s Hand, but looks like it might be slightly different? I’m also loving the font you’ve been using for paint colors, if you were so inclined to share that :)

  • sara cowan
    January 27, 2011 at 1:56 am

    What a bundle of sweetness. My little princess has big blues as well!

  • The 4-6 Weeks Project (Week Three) | Making it Lovely
    February 2, 2011 at 7:47 am

    […] until the new baby arrives, to document our last 4-6 weeks as a family of three. { Introduction • Week One • Week Two […]

  • Johanna
    February 2, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    I love page 17! Those glasses are precious.

  • The 4-6 Weeks Project (Week Four) | Making it Lovely
    February 13, 2011 at 3:09 pm

    […] until the new baby arrives, to document our last 4-6 weeks as a family of three. { Introduction • Week One • Week Two • Week Three […]

  • The 4-6 Weeks Project (The End) | Making it Lovely
    February 16, 2011 at 9:38 am

    […] until the new baby arrived, to document our last 4-6 weeks as a family of three. { Introduction • Week One • Week Two • Week Three • Week Four […]

  • The 4-6 Weeks Project (Week Two) | Making it Lovely
    February 23, 2011 at 11:16 am

    […] until the new baby arrives, to document our last 4-6 weeks as a family of three. { Introduction • Week One • Week Two • Week Three • Week Four • The End • View All […]

  • I’ll be Your Mirror | Making it Lovely
    November 14, 2012 at 12:47 pm

    […] She’s pretending to be me. She takes it very seriously.p.s. More fake glasses, from almost two years ago:Related PostsNo related posts.    Parenting  •  9 Comments […]