Baby Photos | Caroline Collie

Out of Underwear, Headed Home

Sep 17, 2011 | Baby Photos, Stories

At sometime around 8:00 this morning, {London time} a taxi will be arriving to collect our many bags and four selves for a ride through the busy business of London to Heathrow. And at some time around 10:00, Lord willing, we’ll be allowed to pre-board a plane with our small children in preparation for take-off. And around 11:00 this morning that plane should be taking off, destined for Raleigh-Durham International Airport. And around 2:45 this afternoon, North Carolina time, that plane should be landing.

But before the joyful excitement of Mama-cooked meals, first days at preschool, and unpacking the suitcases we’ve lived out of for almost three months — before we even pile those suitcases into the car — I have one more mission in mind, another photographic one.

This was the moment when G-pa met the Bear in Cape Town airport in 2008:

{The Bear meets the Man in the Yellow Hat, New Year’s Eve, 2008}

And now, G-pa will meet the Tank for the first time in Raleigh-Durham airport, right here in 2011. So I’d like to stage a similar shot for posterity’s sake. But we’ll bear in mind that this baby has more weight and, for some reason, less hair.

Hopefully the same’s not true for you, Gpa? 😉

So here we are, the day has finally arrived! And it’s not just the day we fly for the Carolinas, it’s the last day for which we have clean underwear for the Bear. So I think we’re all in agreement. If you’re out of clean underwear, it’s time to head home.

Catch you on the left side!

xCC

Half a Year Has Come and Gone

Sep 13, 2011 | Baby Photos

On Hero Hubs’ birthday, besides celebrating the Hubs, of course, we had another little celebration for a little guy who has come a long way.

We set up the pillow, the Hubs had the camera ready to shoot, the lighting was right and our six month old was smiling in no time.

How have six months gone by already?

It seems like this sweet boy is always smiling!

Hello, happy!

{We knew his name meant bright and shining…we didn’t know he’d take it so literally!}

After a few moments he requested permission to show off a new trick.

I sit! {With minimal assistance.}

And I sit and touch my toes! And make an adorable face.

And I sit and touch my toes and make an adorable face and smile and pose while touching my toes. Which rhymes.

You’re impressed right?

Thanks for six months of happy, Baby Blake!

xCC

Our Baby Zebra

Aug 20, 2011 | Baby Photos, South Africa

Now that we’re back (in Bloemfontein) after our trip to the Kruger, and then to the Drakensberg, and then to Durban, I’ve realised I forgot to tell you we brought a baby zebra home with us!

And just so you know, ’round these parts it’s pronounced ZEH-bruh instead of ZEE-bruh. {That first syllable rhymes with “yeah.”} And I personally feel that if this is where the ZEHbras live, and that is how they say it here, then that’s the way it oughta be. So if you hear the Bear say something about a ZEHbra in North Carolina, don’t you go trying to correct him. He’s got it right. ‘Nough said.

So, we ummed and ahhed about whether this special sort of adoption was a good idea, as we are still in need of some important paperwork in order to make it possible for us to bring the Baby Zebra across to the USA with us.

In the end, he was just way too cute to leave behind … and who would take care of him if we didn’t?

What?

You want to see his picture?

I thought you’d never ask!

Here’s our baby zebra!

{Quite possibly my favourite grandparent/grandchild photo, ever. Ever.}

Did I tell you his brother was a ZEHbra, too?

{Zebra Bear, Plettenberg Bay, early 2009}

Less than three weeks until our plane takes off for the UK — please pray that Baby Zebra’s paperwork is together by then!!

xCC

P.S. The bushveld posts are still a-brewing, but the first narration is on the way, I hope tomorrow!

Three is the New Two

Aug 18, 2011 | Baby Photos, The Parenthood

I suppose it’s hard to understand until you live it… the way it feels like time starts flying.

One day it’s this

and then this

and then it feels like overnight it’s this

and this

and a first birthday

and growing and changing

and learning

and suddenly there’s a second birthday

and even more growing and changing

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and before you know it, he’s spelling his name for strangers, and he’s figured out how to hold up three fingers and speak in full sentences and tell you “I love you Mommy, see you soon” when you put him down for a nap on his third birthday.

So you have to look at pictures to remember that this ever happened because the baby is gone, gone, gone.

What an honour and a treasure these three years have been!

Happy Birthday to our delightful Bear!

xCC

So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. {Ps. 90:12}

Having a Bloemin’ Good Time (Again)

Aug 17, 2011 | Baby Photos

We’re back in Bloemfontein after the trip to the Drakensberg and to Durban! The baby’s passport *should* be here in two weeks or so!! More about our trip soon!

It was a good two and a half years ago when the Bear made his first trip to South Africa. He was a four month old little sprite when we flew from Edinburgh to Joburg, preparing to introduce the first grandchild to his Goo-Goo and Gammy here in Bloemfontein.

It was a hot Bloemfontein Christmas, and we treasured every special moment.

It just so happened that little man number two arrived in Bloemfontein for his first ever visit at four months as well. So we decided that it was a good time to start a family tradition.

Mind you, we couldn’t put the Tank in a diaper and nothing else this time around. It’s winter, ya know!

I think the four month old visit to Bloemfontein {complete with the re-re-staging of these specific photos} is a good family tradition, and when the next little one comes along (not that we’re expecting any time soon!) we’ll be booking flights to arrive on the four month mark!

Do you think the Bear and the Tank look like brothers?

xCC