My Life Parenting Pregnancy

Five Years Old (Eleanor’s Yearly Photo)

I took a monthly photo of Eleanor in the same Eames rocker, in the same spot, every month for the first two years of her life. (I did the same thing for her little brother, August.) When I came to the end of my two-year project, I decided to keep the tradition going with yearly photographs instead.

Eleanor is five years old now. Here is her yearly photo.

Eleanor at Five Years Old

Five Years Old (Eleanor's Yearly Photo) #makingitlovely

We found out recently that baby number three will be a boy, and Eleanor will soon be a big sister to another little brother! She continues to be very helpful when it comes to name suggestions, but Super-Boy has been the best to date.

Funny Face

Happy birthday, Eleanor! We love you to Mars and back. (It’s much farther than the moon, you know.)

Eleanor is Five Years Old!

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  • Rebecca H
    April 29, 2014 at 11:03 am

    Congratulations on baby number three! Happiest of Birthdays to Eleanor!

  • Laura @ Rather Square
    April 29, 2014 at 11:04 am

    Congrats to Eleanor on reaching her 1/20th of a century birthday! (and on the new baby boy coming soon!)

    • Making it Lovely
      April 30, 2014 at 8:33 am

      1/20th of a century! That’s a fun way to think of it.

  • Lara
    April 29, 2014 at 11:05 am

    Congratulations on Eleanor’s fifth year and on her newest baby brother to be!

  • Jen @ RamblingRenovators
    April 29, 2014 at 11:11 am

    Happy birthday to your sweet Eleanor! She is such a character. I’m so glad I got the chance to meet her. Hope she has a fabulous horse-filled celebration! Congratulations on baby boy to be.

    • Making it Lovely
      April 30, 2014 at 8:33 am

      I’m glad she was around to meet you, too. And thanks!

  • Taylor
    April 29, 2014 at 11:15 am

    She’s seriously your mini; she looks JUST like you. So beautiful! Of all the yearly photo ideas I’ve seen, your family’s are definitely my favorite. So poised and timeless but still fun and full of personality! Love this.

  • Danielle
    April 29, 2014 at 11:46 am

    YAH! Congrats on the new baby boy. And how is it possible that it is already 5 years later?? I started reading your blog right before she was born. It seriously feels like yesterday!

    • Making it Lovely
      April 30, 2014 at 8:34 am

      It feels like yesterday for me, too!

  • Dianna
    April 29, 2014 at 11:54 am

    Happy Birthday Eleanor! She’s just beautiful and full of life.

  • Adriana
    April 29, 2014 at 12:07 pm

    Congratulations! What a perfect combination, i think ;) I have two awesome boys and then my sweet girl.

    • Making it Lovely
      April 30, 2014 at 8:36 am

      It’s sort of a funny thing, but when I would read Olivia books with Eleanor, I would get the feeling that our family would shake up the same way. An older girl (with a lot in common with Olivia) and two little boys.

  • Jessica @ SundayLoves.com
    April 29, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    Gorgeous, Eleanor!

    And congrats to all of you on the new baby boy to be. Very exciting! :)

  • Lauren
    April 29, 2014 at 12:31 pm

    Happy Birthday Eleanor and congrats on baby boy! (We find out next week…eek!)

  • Julie
    April 29, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    Oh my gosh, happy bday E.!! She totally looks like a kindergartner all of the sudden. She and my daughter are the same age (just 2 weeks apart) and I’ve so enjoyed watching E get older!!

    • Making it Lovely
      April 30, 2014 at 8:37 am

      Doesn’t she look older all of a sudden? Is your daughter looking like a kindergartner too? I can’t believe E starts in the fall. It’s a full day here — we’re going to miss having her at home.

  • DDU
    April 29, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    Brava! My own Eleanor will be 24 in May, a big girl indeed. Time flies and wonderful memories hold it in our hearts. Best wishes!

  • Kathryn
    April 29, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Hooray for five! And hooray for baby boys! So excited for you guys.

  • Glenda
    April 29, 2014 at 9:12 pm

    Congratulations! Eleanor is adorable!

  • Embarrassed
    April 29, 2014 at 10:10 pm

    I am so ashamed to be writing this at all, but please please learn to cut her bangs better. For her sake. When she is thirty she is going to say something awful about this haircut. Grab them in your hand, pull them up and away from her forehead, and cut so that they look natural and not a straight line or bowl cut. I feel so bad for sweet Eleanor with this haircut.

    • Making it Lovely
      April 30, 2014 at 8:32 am

      I see a happy, confident, silly sweet girl who happens to love the short haircut that she asked for. Thanks for the tips, but please don’t feel bad or embarrassed for a five-year-old because you think her hair should look different.

  • AnnW
    April 29, 2014 at 11:21 pm

    I think as long as you let her pick out her room colors she won’t care about how her hair looks. It’s nice to see her smile. She wasn’t always a willing subject. Love looking in and following your life and times. Ann

  • Rita
    April 29, 2014 at 11:28 pm

    We don’t plan to have children but this is such a cute idea. Will definitely do this with my nephews/nieces!

    • Making it Lovely
      April 30, 2014 at 8:43 am

      Please do! That’s why I continue to share these here. I’ve heard from so many people that have started their own photo series, and it makes me so happy because I know the joy I get from looking back at these, and I’m glad other people will have similar records.

  • Megan
    April 29, 2014 at 11:32 pm

    Oh my goodness! She is really growing up! When you posted that she was 5, I realized that I have been reading your blog for at least 6 years! Wowza! Still love it and can’t wait to see what you do. Wishing you good luck on your pregnancy and hope your body is feeling better. I’m not sure how old you are, but I had my last baby in my 30’s and it was such a crazy difference then having them in my 20’s! So much harder. Anyway, congrats on the little boy on the way and Miss Eleanor is adorable!

    • Making it Lovely
      April 30, 2014 at 8:45 am

      Thank you. I’m 33 now, and I don’t know how much is due to age, due to this being the third pregnancy, or just chance luck, but I’m definitely having a hard time. I’ll be fine — just resting and taking it easier than I’d like to.

  • Kahli
    April 30, 2014 at 12:01 am

    Happy Birthday Sweet Eleanor! She is aging very gracefully too!

  • Rebecca
    April 30, 2014 at 9:48 am

    Congrats on the boy! Like Elanor, I’m the only girl with two younger brothers, and there are definite advantages to that birth order!

  • lfw1031
    April 30, 2014 at 10:13 am

    Best of wishes to your entire family! Such a great project and so meaningful. Would love to see a play on the traditional “old money” posed portraits with Eleanor, August, and the future Balch in that Eames rocker. Maybe them all wearing their Halloween costumes or too-big thrift store formal gear.

    I have 10 y o & 7 y o nieces who have been allowed to express their individual style throughout their lives and, well, some things work in the traditional sense, some are successful in the avante garde, and a few fails will make awesome pictures for the photo collages that I’m sure will make the rounds at their 21st birthdays!

    FYI – The nephew (who will be 5 in June) recently received an absolutely ridiculous trim courtesy of his babcia who just couldn’t understand why we were all allowing him to walk around looking like an extra from “A Hard Day’s Night”.

    I see a future arranged marriage! LOL!!

  • Fiona
    April 30, 2014 at 10:33 am

    Hope she enjoys a great day.
    Our daughter (also five) wanted to name the new baby “Butterfly if it’s a girl, and Frog if it’s a boy because then he’ll be safe from frogs”. ??? Ha ha, love this age.

  • J.Lee
    April 30, 2014 at 12:06 pm

    It’s crazy, I remember those early pictures as you posted them, comparing them sweetly with my children (about the same ages). The internet- where strangers children grow up together. =) Happy Fifth Eleanor. Hope it’s a wonderful year.

  • Lisa
    April 30, 2014 at 1:47 pm

    Super cute idea! It’s funny because my daughter is a first born, just turned 5 and has 2 younger brothers also. She wanted to name him Jesus. She also wanted a sister. Man, it’s hard to fulfill those impossible dreams for them ;)

  • Sandra
    April 30, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    Such an odd comment above about her haircut! I think she looks adorable – and I pretty much had the same bangs as her for the past five years! ;)

  • Danielle
    April 30, 2014 at 4:40 pm

    Soo sweet! I’ve loved this series – it’s so great to see the happiness of being 5 shine thru! :)

    And congrats on baby #3!

  • Ronda
    April 30, 2014 at 10:25 pm

    Happy Birthday to my birthday buddy Eleanor! :)

  • LMN
    May 1, 2014 at 10:56 am

    she is too cute! you can tell from the pictures that she is full of personality. :-) love it

  • yours truly, melissa
    May 1, 2014 at 12:57 pm

    I love this! I’ve been doing the same thing with our daughter, she’ll turn one in less than two weeks. I haven’t decided if I’ll continue with a monthly photo this next year…. but I definitely want to do the yearly one!

    We’re expecting a little sister in August so I’ll definitely maintain the same tradition for her as well. Either way this photos will be invaluable I know!

  • Margaret
    May 1, 2014 at 3:07 pm

    Happy birthday to your cute Eleanor! She looks adorable!
    … and my favorite Eames rocker … :-)

    Margaret
    http://www.decordesireforbeauty.com/blog.html

  • Amela K
    May 1, 2014 at 9:08 pm

    Happy Birthday! Great tradition :)