Jen has the sweetest post today of her baby sitting!  Logan is six months, and already sitting up!  I had to jump on here before Jen’s First Year post started and say how much I love having her share every week!  What a precious gift that we get to start every Monday with.  I’ve had a number of you email me and say the same!  Jen doesn’t know I added this piece to today’s post, but if you have loved her First Year posts the last six months, will you share it in the comments today.  Not only did Logan turn six months, but this little mama made it there too!  And I thought it would be so fun to celebrate her having a six month old by blessing her with our comments today!

xo, m

Jen here with another First Year post!

At six and a half months old, Logan has decided she’s too old to be lying down. She no longer likes to lie down while playing with her activity gym. She is often less than thrilled to lie down to have her diaper changed. Reclining back in the baby bathtub is sooo yesterday. And sometimes even lying horizontally to nurse causes her to get frustrated. These days, Logan prefers to sit up like a big girl to play, eat and bathe when at all possible. Her new-found desire for independence is quickly making itself known and is a big reminder that my baby girl is growing up. *sigh*

On the other side of things, it is so amazing to watch Logan sitting up on her own while exploring and enjoying her world.  This big milestone is worthy of some beautiful images, so this week, I’m sharing with you some of my favorite recent photos along with a little insight as to how I captured them.

Breakfast Highchair Time

After our morning routine of nursing, then sitting on the couch for a little bonding and playtime with her favorite toys, I’m ready to make myself breakfast.  Logan joins me by the kitchen in her highchair and chews on a teething ring as she watches our dog, Dash, chase the birds and squirrels outside.  I love looking at Logan in her highchair.  I love the big vs. small story going on here.  Logan is such a big girl to be able to sit upright in her highchair but she looks so small in such a big chair.  I knew I wanted an image to tell this story, so when I composed my image, I chose to stand back some and include Logan, the chair, her feet and some of the dining room in the background in my shot.  I think the corner of the kitchen counter in the foreground on the bottom right corner of the image helps to add interest and dimension.

Here is a close-up of Logan in her highchair that I just love because of the use of side light and shadows.  I love how she appears to be daydreaming as she nibbles on her favorite teething ring.

Playtime While Mommy Works

I love working from home for many reasons, but the best is being able to spend the day with Logan.  Every morning after breakfast, we make our way to the office, where I set up Logan’s activity gym and sit her on the edge of the play mat.  To capture the story of our morning work/play routine, I wanted an image that shows Logan playing and shows off the location of my office.  I had to lay down on my side in the hallway outside of the office to capture this shot in order to get a good amount of my desk, chair, computer monitor and filing cabinet in the image.

Here is another image of Logan playing in the office from a different perspective.  I love that this image shows her hard at play and features her quickly disappearing hair swirl on the top of her head.  Her hair is growing fast!

I hope you enjoyed these images and photo tips.  Now it’s your turn to put them to use!  You don’t have to have a six month old to use these tips – you can alter them into the images you take of your kids, no matter their age.  Me Ra and I would love to see what you capture – please post your favorite image to Me Ra’s Facebook page!

Meet me here next Monday when I share with you a little about preparing for Logan’s first plane ride! Eek!

First Year Cheers!

Jen