avablog

I was uploading the pictures from our recent vacation last night and noticed there were precious few of Emmett in the mix. At only two months old, he wasn’t going on any hikes or skipping rocks or drinking hot chocolate down at the harbor…nothing, really, except sitting in the shade of his car seat or […]

[Read more →]

The more attentive among you may have noticed that my infant photography predilections run counter to current trends. Not that I don’t love sleeping babies curled up in pea pods as much as the next guy. I just think there are so many ways these little humans are visually interesting; there are so many avenues […]

[Read more →]

I like the way you can see the idea of a smile flash across his eyes before he actually smiles. It’s like when you’re having a staring contest with someone, and you can see in their eyes that they’re going to break before their mouth ever moves. Untitled from Nicheplayer on Vimeo.

[Read more →]

Hiya, born baby. You’re an awfully cute little fella. Sometimes I’m surprised by how adorable you are, though I shouldn’t be. First of all, you’re my son, so I’m supposed to love you like crazy and so forth. Everything you do is cute, and you’re amazing even when you’re crying. Etc., etc., blah, blah. But, […]

[Read more →]

Here’s the boy, snoozing away on mama’s shoulder at Magpie Coffee Shop in Decorah this weekend. He’d just eaten, which accounts for all the snooziness.

[Read more →]

I’m finding I’ve missed this process of documenting all the little milestones in our infant’s life. Em appears to be developing right in line with expectations. His latest things are spitting up and cooing, one of which is much, much cuter than the other.

[Read more →]

Everyone was in a good mood at the impromptu 4th of July cookout hosted by our neighbors and friends Sarah, Mac, and Andy. Even Emmett. Here he is, smiling, much to the consternation of his mother. She’s not bitter.

[Read more →]

Emmett, your mom is awfully worried lately about your gassy tummy. It’s true that you spend a fair amount of time these days fussing about when you’re not eating or sleeping. I’m not convinced it’s gas. Which isn’t to say you don’t have gas. Oh, you do, little brudder. You do. I just wonder if […]

[Read more →]

Leah, Em, and I had a nice moment on the porch yesterday, during which he smiled at me — on demand — no fewer than three times in succession. The importance of this event was that Leah was sitting directly across from Em and me, so she witnessed the whole thing. She dismissed the first […]

[Read more →]

I’ve clearly forgotten what it’s like to have an infant in the house. I feel kind of stupid for being surprised by the things Emmett does that are the same things Ava did when she was his age. In my defense, I guess it has been almost five years. Maybe when it seemed like we’d […]

[Read more →]

So this morning I was — again — transporting the boy to his changing table to dispatch a soiled diaper. On the way back out of his room, I looked down at him in my arms and was talking to him in a funny voice (not dissimilar from my normal speaking voice, alas) about the […]

[Read more →]

I woke up early this morning to take Emmett for a diaper change. As I walked into his room, I glanced down at him. In the heavy gray pre-dawn light, I could’ve sworn I was carrying a snuggly, wiggly little Michael Chiklis in my arms. This day can only improve.

[Read more →]

Don’t tell Ava that Emmett is a much easier baby than she was. Ava was notorious for howling like crazy every time she was set down somewhere, which made for a really rough first three months home from the hospital. Emmett, by comparison, pretty much eats and sleeps, with an occasional fussy period now and […]

[Read more →]

Aunt Rachel bought Em this cute onesie as a getting born gift. Leah tried to squeeze him into it this morning and found that it’s a little snug. Emmett didn’t seem to mind. Even so, I decided I’d better get a picture to document that he did actually wear it (it’s like hats and bandannas […]

[Read more →]

Oh, life with baby. It’s one thing right to another. The little fella continues to eat, sleep, and defecate with regularity. He’s even entered something of a routine at night, fussing for an hour or so before falling asleep sometime around 9. Then he sleeps until 12 or 12:30, eats, sleeps another couple hours, eats […]

[Read more →]

We’re just back from Emmett’s first doctor appointment. Turns out the little scribbler has gained 12 ounces since the Mercy home visit a week ago. He now weighs 8 pounds, 15.5 oz. (75%), is 21.75″ long (90%), and has a 14.75″ head (75%). If memory and my MySQL database serve, Ava’s only ever been as […]

[Read more →]

Oh, Emmett. The tiny little brown stub of what was left of your umbilical cord fell off today. It’s only the first in a long line of losses that will mark your growing older. When your mom mentioned it to me today, the news of the event made me a little sad. This day is […]

[Read more →]

Just uploaded this video of Emmett last evening. It’s some of the first footage of him with his eyes open, which seemed noteworthy to me (they’re still blue/gray, BTW, but we expect that to change):

[Read more →]

Konnichiwa, Emmett. Today at lunch I sat on the sofa in our living room and held you for a while. You squirmed and thrashed and teetered to and fro on your back like you were fighting off a swarm of no-see-ums. It was pretty amazing to look into your eyes and wonder about what must […]

[Read more →]

Hey, Emmett, it’s your very first moment of cuteness post! Huzzah! I anticipate many more to come. Your Uncle Kevin took this shot for me while I held you. He and your Aunt Rachel visited last weekend. It was nice to have another photographer in the house, since I often find myself wishing I could […]

[Read more →]