Firsts

Aiden's First Oreo

I am an absolute fanatic when it comes to capturing memories of my son’s firsts, probably because he is my first. Some things are easy to catch, the ones you know are coming, like his first haircut, others really require you to stay on your toes. If you don’t have a camera on you, or at least know exactly where it is, you are bound to miss something. For me each moment is important whether it is his very first laugh or just his first Oreo. It is more than filling his baby book it is celebrating his life.

Aiden, my son, is my little miracle. Every day is filled with surprises as he discovers and grows into the world around him. For me, photographing him is not just to capture the moment, but to be a part of it. I was taking pictures of my life long before Aiden was born, however, photos of his life capture so much more than mountains and waterfalls. I love to catch those moments that change who he is forever, those first moments.

I keep a camera handy just about all the time, and I am proud to say that I have captured most of my son’s elusive firsts. In fact, I nearly fell down the stairs running for the video camera, but I got his first laugh on tape while my husband continued to entertain him. To be able to look back at his first smile, his first step, and to remember that I was witness to such wonders is one of the many perks of motherhood.

Even the photos that you can foresee are not as easy to get as you would think. It took hundreds of tries to get Aiden to open his mouth so that I could get a photo of my son’s first tooth. I finally captured it after teaching him how to click his tongue. Sometimes you have to be crafty and sometimes you have to be quick to catch those first moments. And sometimes, like my husband said as Aiden grinned over his first French fry with me camera-less, you will have catch it the next time.