When Photographing an Infant...

...you just never know what to expect.  Will the child sleep or not?  Will she be happy or fussy?  What kinds of crazy facial expressions will she demonstrate?  What will her body language say?  She's so delightfully unintentional and unaware of how to control her face and body that anything is likely to pop up in the photographs.  You just never know what it will be!

I took these pictures the day I was trying to capture the B.B.B. photo.  (In other words, the Baby in a Basket with Balloons.)  :)  When I saw how things were going (in a nutshell, not well), I decided to give up on that particular photo (at least, until I could arrange for Emily to take it), and focus instead on some close-ups of Moriah in the basket.  So I tried...

...and tried...

...and tried some more.

But nothing I captured that day with my camera could even come close to what I had pictured in my mind.

Oh well.  You just never know what you're going to get; and some days you hit it right...

...while some days, you don't.  :)

Either way, I'm crazy about this girl; and even if she never cooperated in photo sessions and all the pictures always turned out goofy, I'd still love her just as much!

On a deeper level, I was thinking about this today while traveling over scenic country roads to go to our recycling drop-off place; and I was pondering how I so much hope that Moriah will always be able to rest easy in my love, knowing that no matter what happens, I will always, always love her.  I never want her to feel that my love is conditional and that she must perform in a certain way--for example, smile perfectly for the camera ;-)--in order for my love to be given to her.  Especially because she's the only daughter, the potential exists for her to feel an enormous amount of pressure to live up to expectations--real and imagined--that I and others might have for her.  As much as I am able, I want to take that pressure off her shoulders, release her to live the life that God is calling her to, and above all, let my love flow unceasingly over her so that she'll never ever doubt its depth and strength.

Unconditional love, just like the Father has for us.  That is my goal.