I have been participating in a blog circle with some wonderful photographers who are also mothers of girls.  Each month, we write a letter to our daughters to preserve thoughts and memories of this time in our lives.  I treasure being able to do this for my girls and I love the chance to see the messages that my friends leave for their own daughters.  Once you have read my letter, please follow continue on to see what my lovely friend Laura Martin Mood wrote to her daughter Sarah by clicking HERE.

I wanted to mention that my post this month consists entirely of photos that I shot on film over the last several months.  Though I do most of my shooting digitally, I love shooting film for a whole bunch of reasons, one of which is the feeling of nostalgia that it can impart.  With my girls’ impending birthdays, I am feeling particularly nostalgic, so film just seems like the right way to go.

Dear Avery and Alexa,

My baby girls.  It is October and that means it is your birthday month!  Alexa, you are about to turn two and Avery you will soon be four.  I can’t believe that you’ve gotten so big – and I can’t believe that I have been a mommy for four years.  In some ways, I cannot imagine that I was ever anything else, and then in others it feels like these past few years have just gone by in a flash.

These last few months I’ve noticed each of you growing and learning so many new things.  Avery, you have been recognizing numbers and letters, trying out their sounds.  I can see that reading is not far away.  Just today you were practicing writing your name for me.  I’d tried to get you to work with me on paper, but you weren’t interested.  But when I pulled out the dry-erase markers and let you write on the glass of our front door, you were suddenly happy to practice.  I think it will be a while before you master your oh-so-long last name, but you did an amazing job with your first name and were eager to write your sister’s name as well.  It made me so proud.

Alexa, you have been saying more complicated things all the time and are just a parrot for everything that you hear.  When people ask you how old you are, you tell them, “three and a half” because that is what Avery says!  You sing all day long and lately I have been just amazed at how much you pick up.  You sing along to “Royals” by Lorde in the car with me, which I think might make you the coolest kid ever.  And this weekend at the Madrona Art Walk, you were dancing to the guy playing the fiddle, like your little hips just couldn’t contain themselves.  It was really fantastic to see!  I am thinking of starting you in school for a couple mornings each week, and I know that you will just love it.  And even though I could use a little break now and then, the idea also makes me quite sad.  You are my little partner in crime, my buddy on all my errands, the one who twists my arm into buying a latte each day.  I am not sure what I will do without you for those few hours!

I can’t tell you how often I look at our lives right now and want to freeze these moments.  They are not always easy, but truly they are more wonderful than I ever could have dreamed.  You are so smart and funny that you make us laugh all day long.  You run around mostly naked all day, trying to hug Charlie the cat or turn every pillow into a fort, or pretending to be dogs.  You are so sweet to each other (mostly), full of snuggles for your dad and me, and still small enough that you can and will fall asleep in our arms at night.  I know that you will grow into incredible young women, but right now I just love having you little.  I know that soon this moment will pass and I want to hold onto it just a little bit longer.  I love you so very much.

love,
Mama