My photographer friend Jenny Sherouse (who took our family pictures when Mazzy was two and again when Harlow was just born) asked me if she could do a yearlong series on Harlow, which would mean taking pictures every three months.
I said, "Gee, I don't know, Jenny… I'm really busy and this sounds like it might eat into my weekends."
Or maybe, I said something more like, "SERIOUSLY??!!! THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!!! Especially since I have SECOND CHILD SYNDROME and ADULT HARLOW is going to be PISSED when she sees her LACK OF QUALITY DOCUMENTATION!"
Right before Mazzy was born, Mike bought me a DSLR camera for my birthday and we used that constantly for Mazzy's first two years. Now, I'm sad to say, it seems like a pain to lug around and is buried deep in our coat closet.
Almost all of the photos we have of Harlow are taken on our phones.
As much as I love Instagram (follow me– @mommyshorts!), those photos don't usually hold up very well if you blow them up to print.
Adding insult to injury, I have no videos of Harlow. It didn't even occur to me to take them, because she doesn't DO anything.
Not that 'lack of doing anything' mattered when CHILD #1 was born. I took video of Mazzy constantly. I have hours and hours of footage of Mazzy lying on different surfaces in various outfits… propped up in chairs, getting baths, having her hair combed, looking at herself (also not moving) in the mirror. I have videos of Mazzy SLEEPING.
CHILD #2 has one video that is about five seconds long. I stopped recording when I realized nothing was happening and it was just going to take up storage space.
Sad, because all those videos of 'nothing happening' was how I created Mazzy's First Year Video. It's called "Life Thus Far" and it's probably my favorite thing on earth.
It's also how I created the video of Mazzy rolling over for the first time— a full two minutes chronicling countless rollover attempts before she finally completed the manuever at 6 months.
You know who rolled over a few weeks ago?
Some baby named Harlow.
What does she have to show for it?
MEMORIES.
Granted, Harlow rolled over successfully after her first attempt, whereas Mazzy spent three months propelling herself to one side without completing the task. We demonstrated, offered incentive, egged her on. There was frustration, determination, crying, laughter— the stuff home videos are made of!
But Harlow?
She was just like, "Yeah, I wanna roll over. There I did it. No big deal."
All beginning and ending, NO STORY ARC.
But at least, Harlow's premature rollover makes me think Mazzy is not going to walk all over her baby sister like I always imagined. Nope, little Harlow, flipping over at a mere three months, shooting looks that kill at anyone who dares to glance her way…
CHILD #2 IS NOT WALKING IN ANYBODY'S SHADOW.
And thanks to Jenny Sherouse, fifteen years from now, when Mazzy shows off her carefully curated first year video, Harlow can whip out her year of professional photo documentation, and EVERYBODY WINS.
Plus, Harlow will actually have a few photos with MOM. Something you can't get when you're taking all the pictures yourself.
If anyone would like to use Jenny Sherouse to take pictures of their family, I cannot recommend her highly enough. Hopefully, the proof is above. You can contact her here.
I, of course, am indebted to her FOREVER.
Beautiful, amazing photos! Harlow is absolutely adorable. Your whole family is gorgeous. 🙂 Those photos are a treasure.
These are gorgeous! What a beautiful family. And those expressions? Oh yeah girl can take care of herself!
Oh wow what beautiful pictures of two beautiful girls. Good gene pooling! Please tell Jenny to look me up if she ever happens to find herself in London her photographs are amazing!
Mind Blowing pictures.I agree with most of the comments that have been made here, about how you have to care your kid, and they will be ready when they are ready and so on.
LOL. “There, I did it.” My sister’s second daughter is the same. I’m sure my second will be, too!
GORGEOUS photos, btw. I need to hire your friend!
Did I just cry a little bit at the picture of the three girls? NO! Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying!
Your girls are GOOOOORGEOUS. Mazzy is going to break so many hearts. Harlow looks like such a old soul. OMG you’re going to make me want another baby! They are just beautiful.
These pictures are adorable. You have the cutest kids! If you want great pics from your Instagram photos, go to Printstagram and make a poster that you can frame. You can also order prints already framed! Some of my favorite photo where done on my phone from Instagram, and I have ordered the prints from Printstagram. I highly recommend them.
Beautiful pictures! And just watched the Mazzy video and not going to lie, there were tears. So amazing, I am going to have to the same for my 14 month old!
You have such a beautiful family!
I have a similar issue only with walking. We have a whole edited, graphics added, video of my oldest learning to walk. It took a month to make. My husband and I both contributed. For my second, I set up the camera and got him to walk while my oldest walked to the camera and twirled in front of him. I can’t say it’s all the parents fault. When you have an older kid, that kid always wants to be in the picture. I’m fairly sure we will have no pictures or videos of the the third baby I am currently cooking. Just random videos of the older two jumping in front of the camera.
The one of you and the girls is my favorite. The lighting Ms. Jennie captures is incredible. If only I lived in New York..
On behalf of all children who were victims of ‘Second Child Syndrome’ I would like to thank you! I myself guilt trip my mother to this day (and I’m 28) that the picture ratio of my older sister to me is like 258:1. It’s pretty unfair lol. But, I think you doing this will make up for it. And Harlow and I share birthdays (11/15!) so if birthdays are any indication of personality factors – you will be thankful for this in the future!
Beautiful pictures!
I didn’t get my DSLR until my daughter was almost 2, and it STILL makes me angry that I missed so many photo ops because my old camera was just too slow for the low light in our apt. I’m so excited to make up for lost opportunity with the next babe that I think we’ll have some jealousy from big sis, AKA “but where’s MY professional daily photo from when I was a newborn?!?!?!”
Harlow is so cute! Love all her little expressions and personality coming out. Yay for equality in the documentation between the two kids ;). How nice of Jenny to do this for your family!
Harlow is f’ing precious. Especially with the little pink hat and big eyes. If I didn’t already have a baby, I’d want another one just looking at that picture.
As a second child myself give Harlow a hug from me 🙂 She is absolutely the cutest baby on the planet and I have a 9 month old 🙂 Okay, so second cutest 🙂
I am inspired to make a video montage- thanks!
I love reading your stories bc we have kids close in age and I can relate to everything you say. Especially this!! Love Jenny glad I read your blog and got to use her! Hope to use her again one day.
Well, I myself am a fan of ANY and all photography. Your friend is extremely talented and of course it helps to have such beautiful subjects.
And believe it or not, my 3rd child has BY FAR THE most photos taken of her. hmmmmm… 😉
I love the one of her in the pink hat. Gorgeous baby!