I’ll be taking a photo of August sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing his pin each month until he’s two years old. I also took monthly photos of his older sister, Eleanor, until she turned two.

Previous Photos
One Month Old • Two Months Old • Three Months Old • Four Months Old • Five Months Old • Six Months Old • Seven Months Old • Eight Months Old • Nine Months Old • Ten Months Old • Eleven Months Old • View All

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Twelve Months Old (August’s Monthly Photo) | 19 comments

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© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as August’s First Birthday Party | 71 comments

August gets in on the action sometimes too.

They’re good.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Jam Band | 14 comments

I napped. August napped. We missed the daylight and had to turn on the lights in the room. It kills me that the lighting is so different from the rest of his photos!

I’ll be taking a photo of August sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing his pin each month until he’s two years old. I also took monthly photos of his older sister, Eleanor, until she turned two.

Previous Photos
One Month Old • Two Months Old • Three Months Old • Four Months Old • Five Months Old • Six Months Old • Seven Months Old • Eight Months Old • Nine Months Old • Ten Months Old • View All

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Eleven Months Old (August’s Monthly Photo) | 16 comments

Our new easel has been getting a lot of use.
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© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Budding Artist | 37 comments

This little guy is going to be a handful! He’s been crawling for a couple of months now, so he’s bored with that and has moved on to standing and starting to cruise. He has also taken to playing the kazoo (and laughing while the kazoo is still in his mouth). It’s pretty darn adorable. I just wish he’d let us get some sleep; He’s getting a bunch of teeth at once and it’s making him miserable at night. Poor little fella.

I’ll be taking a photo of August sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing his pin each month until he’s two years old. I also took monthly photos of his older sister, Eleanor, until she turned two.

Previous Photos
One Month Old • Two Months Old • Three Months Old • Four Months Old • Five Months Old • Six Months Old • Seven Months Old • Eight Months Old • Nine Months Old • View All

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Ten Months Old (August’s Monthly Photo) | 18 comments

The winner of my Shutterfly giveaway has been randomly selected, and I’ll edit this post to announce the winner as soon as I have confirmation. Thanks for entering, everyone!

Now, since I showed you Eleanor in full cranky toddler mode, I thought it was only fair to show you this little outtake from the same photo session. She was much more into being the photographer than the subject that day.

That look of concentration! I love it.

p.s. Here were the Official Rules for the giveaway.

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Eleanor, the Photographer | 25 comments

There’s a giveaway too — Keep reading for details.

It’s that time again. Time to think of a ridiculous premise for our holiday cards! You know how I do a monthly shoot for the kids in the same chair to document their growth? I thought it would be fun to do the same portrait for all of us this year, then compile the photos into a card.

Eleanor is a toddler. If you’ve experienced toddlerhood, you’ll know that’s all that needs to be said.

I put her down for a nap in hopes of a better shot later. I used the time to run out for flowers (Brandon’s idea, and a good one at that). We took the rest of our photos while E slept, but here are a few from the second attempt later in the day. We tried to bribe her with a lollipop. She let it fall out of her mouth and onto her skirt, and was then appalled.

August was happy! A happy but wiggly, rocking, and slightly out of focus baby. It was so dark in the living room, I had to bump the ISO waaaaay up, open the aperture all the way, and hope for the best.

I was the consummate professional, needing only one shot. Or perhaps I’m just saying that so I’ll only have to show you one shot. You’ll never know.

Brandon looks like a standup fellow. So dapper. So mature.

Oh, wait! We have a B-side. A Brandon B-side.

Aw yeah. Brandon’s footie pajamas made a triumphant return. Along with my necklace. And with that, here is this year’s Balch family holiday card.

We’re lookin’ good.

Giveaway

You are no doubt inspired to make your own holiday cards now, right? OK, you may not want to take the route we did. You can still go for the classic family photo, and for that you’ll need a nice camera. And something (or some things) to put that photo on. Well, Shutterfly is offering 50 cards, a 12×12 photo book, an 8×8 photo book, mug, 3 calendars, reusable shopping tote, and an ornament, along with a PowerShot S100 Camera.

Visit Shutterfly to select your favorite photo card template, and leave a comment here about which one you like best to enter. A winner will be randomly selected.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) 18 years or older. Ends 12/6/11. To enter and for Official Rules, including odds and prize descriptions, visit Girl’s Gone Child, The Spohrs are Multiplying, or Make and Takes. Void where prohibited.

Congratulations to the winner, Diana L!

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as The Balch Family Holiday Card, 2011 | 546 comments

I’ll be taking a photo of August sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing his pin each month until he’s two years old. I also took monthly photos of his older sister, Eleanor, until she turned two.

Previous Photos
One Month Old • Two Months Old • Three Months Old • Four Months Old • Five Months Old • Six Months Old • Seven Months Old • Eight Months Old • View All

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Nine Months Old (August’s Monthly Photo) | 32 comments

There’s something irresistible about the knit texture and little nubby bits on this sheep. August likes to chew its ears, but more often Eleanor is in possession of it. She has a little toy bed at the foot of her bed, and she likes to tuck the sheep in and say goodnight. I heard her crying last night and when I went to check on her, she was at the foot of her bed trying desperately to reach the sheep so she could sleep with it.

Giveaway

Do you have a little boy or girl in your life that would like Wooly the Sheep of their own? Leave a comment below to enter, and a random winner will be drawn on Monday. Good luck!

One entry per person, open to US residents only. Enter by midnight CDT, Sunday November 12.

* Congratulations to the winner, Sprizee!

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Wooly the Sheep Giveaway | 607 comments