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A portrait of my babes once a week in 2015 (18 months), an evening walk on holiday in Cape Town

 

Anna your vocabulary has suddenly exploded. You are saying new words every day - I can't keep up with them as they spring up out of the blue. Bath. Bus. Cold. Bib. Cot. Cat. Sea. Dot. Shoe. Car. Hot. Pear...

Florence, you imitate these words you hear from Anna at times - shouting Sea! Sea! whenever it came into view while we were in Cape Town. But otherwise you are extremely adept at communicate through symbols and signs and sounds. Almond (thumb and forefinger held together at the corner of your mouth), Kitty (lapping sounds with your tongue), Biltong (straight finger in your mouth), Dummy (a different sort of lapping sound with your tongue), Water (pointing at your tongue)...

I still love your baby babble though. You tell me complicated stories with great concentration. You also read very well from slips, labels and old scraps of paper. But my favourite of all your talking variations are the conversations you have with each other. Your own sounds and language and tones. A wonder to watch and listen.

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A portrait of my babes once a week in 2015 (17 months)

 

We spent the afternoon at Chessie's house, playing in the room that will be transformed into the nursery for her babe. In a few weeks this space will be home to a brand new being and you will no longer be the babies of the family. You will become the middle children. Which, take it from me, is a wonderful, if somewhat underrated, position to be in - flanked either sides by a cousin to love and adore and dote on.

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A portrait of my babes once a week in 2015 (17 months)

 

We are about to head down to the beach in Southbroom where we re on holiday with your aunts and cousin.  It is nostalgic for me being back on the south coast where I grew up coming - the thick, humid air, the smells of the undergrowth being being trodden on as we trek down to beach, the stickiness of the sea on our skin as we wrap up in towels after a late swim at high tide, snacking on sweet fruit like grapes or litchis and dried mangoes to counter the saltiness left on our tongues. You live the sea, running from waves as they splash at our knees; the sand between your toes as you dig and build not much at all. You love being part of this little gang of girls, bathing together, playing together, eating together, and waking up every morning surrounded by some of your favourite people.

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A portrait of my babes once a week in 2015 (17 months)

 

Happy New Year darling girls. The previous year saw you transform from real babies into almost little people. Your constant change and growth filled me with wonder, an awareness of the fleetingness of time, and gratitude for being your mama. I can't wait to see what this year will bring - what new experiences will be had, what new tastes will be tried, what new skills will be mastered, and how much more those smiles can light up my world.

The 52 portraits project

In 2014 I took part in the 52 Portraits Project. Looking back over the images now, it is remarkable to see how much my babes have changed in a year - from wobbly little 5 month old babes to beautiful little beings with mops of curls on their heads.

I am going to be doing the 52 Portraits Project again this year to track my babes' change and growth and transformation. And, in a way, to capture a memory of each week as time flies by...