One of My Favorites

I think this picture is one of my very favorites in our family's digital photo library.  That's saying a lot, given the few thousand images to choose from.  I was 37 weeks pregnant.  We had attempted to have professional pictures taken and even booked a professional photographer not once but twice only to have things fall apart for one reason or another.  One October Saturday morning we headed out to the lake and forest area in our neighborhood.  I remember it was pretty warm for October but we wanted to create a feeling of autumn.  I was wearing flip flops with my button down sweater and was sweating at 8:30 am.  Hubby sent Sister and I up on this hill, really more of a slight incline, with the sun rising behind the creek.  She stood next to me and we coaxed her closer and closer till her face was next to my belly, for the perfect shot.  "Mom?", she asked.  "Shh, sweetie, don't move too much. Daddy's taking our picture." I didn't want her to wiggle much but it was early in the morning and she didn't care for being still.  "Okay", she said through gritted teeth and a tight jaw so as to not actually move but still speak, "I have to say something".  "Okay, but be quick", I said with the same gritted teeth and tight jaw.  "Your belly button is about to poke me in the eye."


And THAT is how I remember this sweet sweet image coming together.