On why I take pictures

I can't believe how quickly Reagan is growing up.

He has changed so much since these days.

If you have spent anytime around me...or you follow my blog or are my facebook friend you know I love pictures.

Maybe you think I take too many.
The quick answer to that is that I take pictures because I love them.
I love the memories attached to them.
And I love to remember what we were thinking and feeling at that moment...even when the memories have faded.
I love pictures because they capture all the small things.
And I take pictures because they last.

I don't remember hardly anything about my brother.
I don't have many memories.
And that makes me so sad.
I was only 5 and it is so hard to remember so long ago.
But I do have pictures.
And I LOVE them.
I love looking at them.
I love the emotion and joy captured in them.
I love seeing our family and friends at that time.
And I love how you can tell him and I were best friends.

Memories fade.
And life changes so drastically.
But a picture.
A picture captures a moment in your life.
It may seem small at the time, but all those small moments add up and become days and weeks and years.

With Reagan changing so much and so quickly I have been feeling quite nostalgic lately.
This is the only time in our life that we will be in this moment.
The only time we will have one baby.
The only time Reagan will be 1 or 2 or 6 months old.
It only happens once.

And there are so many things I don't want to forget.

This is why I take pictures.

I don't want to forget this pouty lip.

I don't want to forget how he divebombs into your chest when he is excited.

I don't want to forget his gummy smile.
And now his smile with just those two little teeth.

I don't want to forget his one squinty eye.

I don't want to forget his excited pose while he lays on his back and flails his arms and legs.

I don't want to forget how animated he is...all of his different faces and emotions.

Those giggles. All the time.

 I don't want to forget that tuft of hair.

I don't want to forget how he has to eat EVERYTHING that he can get his hands on!

I don't want to forget this in-between stage when he is finally getting some fuzzy hair on his head.

Those chubby baby toes.

I don't want to forget his excited coughing obnoxious flailing noise when he knows its time to nurse.

I don't want to forget how he lights up everyday when Matt gets home from work.

And those baby blues. I never can forget those.

I don't want to forget this smile.

This huge open-mouthed smile that has been your trait ever since you were two weeks old!

I take pictures because this is our family right now.

And it will never be the same as it is in this moment.

And all of these little things are stuff that I never want to forget.