Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Little boy sleeps

Ever since we first brought our first bundle of joy home - driving with the hazards on in the right lane the whole way because I was beyond nervous driving our newly-expanded family home - I've had a strange habit of taking pictures of our sleeping children.

I do so for a number of reasons:
  • They move incredibly fast when they're awake, so pulling out the camera while they sleep gives me a chance to actually get a nicely-focused and composed shot.
  • Looking at the results reinforces why I never want to forget what the innocence of childhood looks, sounds, smells, and feels like.
  • They're so darn cute, thanks to my wife's genetic influence.
I took this one of Noah in B&W. I feel happy when I look at it. I know he's not your kid, but how do pictures like this make you feel?

5 comments:

Gerald Buckley said...

Reading about your driving home with the hazards on reminded me of our drives home w/ Ian and Logan. You're certainly in a heightened safety awareness mode on that day.

We've been taking SLR b/w photos of the kids for the past few years and they're actually turning out to be nostalgic little time capsules. The ooohs and aaaahs are just a little more special with b/w. In general it gives me a ton of pride to know the next generation is going to be ok... so long as we don't screw it up for them in the process :)

Great blog!

Jill said...

Driving home with your hazard lights on is so very sweet. Seeing this picture of Noah calms my heart and makes me think that there is a lot of good in this world. You're a wonderful father, Carmi.

Joan said...

That little boy has the peace that I wish I had. So often kids want to rush into adulthood. I wish they could all stay looking as peaceful as your son looks.

Ms Mac said...

Jealous! I swear mine are never that peaceful! ;-)
And I miss that age.

Chris said...

A beautiful photo of a beautiful child. I don't think it's a strange habit at all.

I think part of the appeal of watching our children sleep is that it gives us a rare chance to look at them yet be alone with our thoughts. Much as we love them, it must be admitted that, awake, even the best of them are not exactly low maintenance. A sleeping child lets you remember all the best things about being a parent, without all the background noise. It's akin to walking into a cathedral (even if you're not a believer) - there's a hush, a reverence, a reluctance to disturb, that frees and focuses your thoughts at the same time.