Rayna Alicia LeBlanc: February 2008

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Just hangin'

I'm taking swimming lessons in a few weeks so I had

to try on my polka-dot bikini to make sure it fits!

Cause Baby it's Cold Outside...

Me & Mommy on the sliding board.

Me at 10 months crawling on the back deck

Rayna is a true miracle in our lives. As a guy I could never have imagined what her powerful gaze mirroring mine did to me. She instantly knew who I was. It's unexplainable when you see a piece of yourself looking back at you in such a pure state.
In hind site - almost a year later, as a stay at home dad those miraculous moments are hidden somewhere amongst the mundane chores. like washing milk bottles, cleaning, cooking, preparing for the night class I teach while bouncing on an exercise ball at the computer, or diaper wrestling. Oh...you aren't familiar with the sport?
I had no idea how strong a baby could be. As soon as her back hits the changing table she turns into a boa constrictor and her mission in life is to escape dad's well intentioned hands. I wonder what's going through her head at times like these. Is this fun for her? Does she think I'm trying to pin her when I'm changing her diaper? It's a new thing for her. I hope she outgrows this phase soon.
Anyway, I am a dad but I'm also a photographer and although this year is flashing before my eyes technology allows us to have dated images of nearly every day of Rayna's life. Click on the images to see it a little bigger.
My final major life adjustment is one with time itself. My entire perception of time has changed since her birth. This first year as parents feels as though we stagnate and sort of get sore and tired. We arent developing, we're just aging. How depressing. So what better than focusing on our child who is actually blossoming before our eyes. By the way, today Rayna is 41 days from her 1st birthday.
Dad