As a proud parent I look at other babies and want to know if we are doing okay. (It's the first time and we have no standard to work from.) When two babies meet it is easy to overlook the needs of the other parent as you well up with pride in the achievements of your offspring. Photographers can be the same with their personal prides. Good etiquette with babies is to resist outdoing the other parent with the successes of your own child (sleeps through night ... makes own breakfast, gifted, etc). Because even though it is reassuring to acknowledge the superiority of your genealogy it has no social To View More >>

Well not always, and she hasn't said it that way ... but Ida does often "change" before she goes out in public. How is it that dressing your children can have so many possibilities and attract so much attention? Jo prefers things that "go together". I like things that make a statement about the day. I imagine that I am Ida and wonder what she would  choose if she hadn't yet realised that you can't wear stripes with spots and didn't even know how to say, let alone spell, "fashion disaster". Maybe I am wrong and maybe she does realise. One day she will tell me how I ruined her life (as only teenagers To View More >>

The stranger in the coffee shop looked at us, almost as if we were insane, and said in a tired voice, "Sleep while you can!". It was an ominous warning, over a month ago. We were (Jo was) a month off giving birth and at the time sleeping was getting uncomfortable. On June the 2nd, 2009, Ida Valentina van Kan graced us with her arrival. 7lb 3oz of beautiful girl. [caption id="attachment_3365" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Ida Valentina"][/caption] After 10 days the warning seems premature. Sleep isn't too bad, in fact we feel incredibly lucky. I am learning things from her.  She will To View More >>

We are about six weeks off having a child ... holy moley! Actually, Jo is pushing for an early arrival ... Our child will do no wrong, and it will certainly never vomit or cry inappropriately. We know this because we'll be the proud parents and our pride will blind us to our newborn's shortcomings. Or maybe it's love, not pride... Stepping down a level, our pride in our albums, the stories they tell, and their look and feel, help us to talk passionately (not blindly) about them. It's our passionate gestures and words that gives our pride a voice. It's infectious. Only six weeks!!!!!!! (or less) To View More >>