When a tiny little human is born, this world becomes brighter.
There is so much joy, so much wonder.
So much love.
Meet Baby Henry and his beautiful Mommy and Daddy.
It appears that the love Traci and Tim share has magical powers that can influence the elements. The day before their wedding Pearl Beach was hammered by the worst hail storm in over 30 years, and the day after their wedding it was pouring with rain. But on Saturday, on their big day, the light was soft and lovely, the air was nice and cool, and it only started to drizzle at the exact moment their reception started – Mother Nature was making sure the day was perfect for celebration of love.
Their loved ones travelled from near and far to share those precious moments, to witness the wows said by Traci and Tim to each other. There were tears of joy, and plenty of laughter, and wonderful new memories were made on that day.
I will let the photos tell the story:
Ceremony Location: Crommelin Native Arboretum, Pearl Beach NSW
Reception: Pearls on the Beach
Traci wore a stunning wedding Dress by Alice McCall
Amazing flowers and venue decor by Miss Kizzy’s at Ettalong
Beautiful hair and makeup by Kasey Walker Hair and Makeup
A very touching ceremony by Sarah Tolmie
A gorgeous cake by Unique Cake Creations
Ten sweet little toes. Ten delicate little fingers. Your tiny button of a nose. The softest baby hair. The quiet, even breath.
You are safe in your Mommy and Daddy’s arms. You are much loved by your big sister.
You are a gift, a miracle, you are the mystery of life. You are tiny, but you are a force of nature.
Welcome to the world, baby boy. 
We are so grateful for this little secluded corner of the world that we now call home. After years and years of living in apartments high above ground, we finally have our own patch of green grass, our own little garden to tend. There are bees, and birds, and the neighbours’ cat who visits occasionally. There are pots with fragrant herbs, and a dwarf lemon tree that we have just planted, hoping to have sweet lemons next winter. A gorgeous frangipani will be in bloom very soon. I am slowly finding out that I do not actually suffer from a complete absence of the green thumb, and that almost all of my plants are actually thriving.
But the best part of having the backyard is that the little one can roam free and be outside whenever he wants. He loves watching the ants crawl along the pavement, loves chasing the birds, trying to offer them berries to eat, loves watering the plants. He looks for ladybugs, butterflies, lizards and “paaaaidi” (spiders). He runs away from anything that buzzes, screaming. Whatever we are doing out there, he is right in the middle of it, offering a “helping” hand. And to see him play in our backyard, grow and learn new things about this world every single day is such joy.
Here are a few of those precious moments, captured.
The last couple of months have been busy – we are preparing to move into our first home. As the big day is getting closer, and the trips to Bunnings become more and more frequent; and my head and my phone are full of endless to-do lists, I notice how much less present I am. For my boy and for myself too.
On one such day that was filled to the brim with organizing the renovations and the move, trying to keep the current place in order, and scrambling to get dinner ready before its set time, Daniel, who is perfectly aware of what is happening, requested to blow bubbles together. Right in the middle of said dinner preparations. At first I got annoyed a bit – too much to do, so little time. But I gave in, sat on the couch, and started blowing bubbles for my baby. And then I saw it – the light. The bubbles, backlit by the rays of the setting sun, were floating gently, and then suddenly bursting into a million tiny water particles, creating the most magical sight. The glowing rim of light around Daniel’s tiny hands as he reached high to make the bubbles burst. The halo of his blond hair lit up by the sun. That pure joy on his face. So I just sat there and blew bubbles. Daniel lost interest and moved on to some other exciting toddler activity, but I went on and on. Just watching the bubbles float and then disappear with a little sparkly bang.
For the next few days, just before five in the afternoon, Daniel and I would pick up the little yellow bottle and blow bubbles together. And on one of those afternoons Daddy was home, and I was able to photograph those precious moments while he was blowing bubbles for our boy. And these photos (and the lesson in mindfulness from my 20-month-old) will be treasured forever.
