First Day of Dance Camp in Photographs...and the story behind them

OUR LITTLE BALLERINA PRINCESS FINALLY HAS HER FIRST DAY OF DANCENatalie did not wake up with the enthusiams that I expected, but she did wake on up and start eating her ceral after I insisted she get on up. This expression probably best represents how she feels about being up in the morning (when she doesn't wake up on her own).

Not really awake yet...


And if I remember correctly, this was the one when she was telling me that she was TRYING to eat her cereal.

Natalie still trying to eat...Mimi still tring to document our morning.

Natalie's FIRST BALLET BUN...

(I was quite proud of myself...I did many of those when Cari was a little dancer, but I had not done one in a very long time!)

Posing for our little mini session on the porch before leaving...

No, she doesn't have her ballet tight or leotard on. I discovered last night that we did NOT have pink tights. So we had to leave early to have time to go to Payless (the only store that I knew that would open early enough) to buy tights before class. So I didn't dress her in her ballet attire until I bought the tights. Doesn't she look precious in this little tutu. I bought her this for Christmas from gymboree. I think she has really enjoyed wearing it.

I love this sweet little face so!

She getting a little tired of our session and doing her own thing now!

Gotta have an eyelash image, huh?

"CHEESE"!!!!

It was quite stresssful getting there on time. I thought I have plenty of time and was afraid that I would get to Payless to early. They opened at 9:30 and Natalie had to be at Natchez Ballet Dance Academy at 10:00. By the time, I got her there, I had really broken a sweat.

When we got to Payless, she said, "Is this my ballet?" I explained to her that we had to get her tights first at this store. The smallest they had was medium...which for her little then body was really big and bunched up at her ankles. Oh well...it would have to do. We didn't have much of a choice.

She asked the same questions, we got to the dance school. It was so sweet...so precious! She remained excited about being there. I was a little concerned that she would get clingy at the last minute or something worse (like cry). There was a little girl crying when we got in there. So I decided that I would exit as quick as I got her settled before it got contagious. LOL

I asked Graci's (the little one crying) older sister, Mia, to show Natalie where to put her dance bag. When they were walking back into the studio, I over heard the sweetest conversation...maybe it wasn't a converstation, but oh so sweet. I heard her telling Mia, "I never had ballet before!" I am so glad that I overheard that sweet little statement. That's why even though I am behind catching up with my BACKTRACKING blog posts and have much that I needed to do today while Natalie was taking her nap, that I took the time to document this special FIRST in Natalie's life. Hopefully or the next two weeks, I can get a few more photos of her and do one more post with all of them!


I did not take any photos before class since we were running behind. So I saved the for pick-up time. This is her getting her sucker as she is leaving the class. I love Natalie's expression in this one, such a sincere expression for this special day!

Since Miss Mignon wasn't looking we did one more.

These next few images are for for from technically correct. They are from moments that a mommy/mimi photographer gets more caught up in the moment than what she has learned as a photographer. But just the same, they are OUR precious memories!

So I did a little anitque look for this one...

The next one black and white...

The last one was a little better...so I left it in color.

Over the next two weeks is Natalie's dance camp. I hope to capture a few more images to document this milestone in her life and I will capture many for the review next Friday! So between more BACKTRACKING POST and more of this, you have many reasons to stay tuned to NATALIE'S WORLD.

~~NATALIE'S MIMI~~

Just a little tidbit for now--THE NUTCRAKER

NATALIE'S FIRST BALLET EXPERIENCE

ALEXA AS SNOW QUEEN WITH NATALIE I posted more of my thoughts on this last night on Worth Remembering if you want to read it, but I wanted to add this photo of Natalie and Alexa from last night at the Nutcracker. I didn't have tons of great images but I do have a few that I want to share later, but I just wanted to add a little tidbit of our experience from last night. This is a shy looking image of Natalie, but rest assured, this little girl was not shy at all and she really loved her first experience of the ballet the Nutcracker.

Another one of the many little "firsts" in Natalie's life!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

PLAY-DOH FUN! SEPTEMBER 7, 2007

The 2nd image gives the title that explains that this was her first time to play with play-doh! I had read an idea about play-doh. It was ideas about things that children can do on their own while you get some work done. The idea was to set a plastic table cloth on the floor and make a chair tent over the table cloth. Then give the child one color at a time so when they get tired of that color that they can exchange it for another one thus getting more play time out it. Well, I thought great idea but first we need to know what to do with play. It also suggested cookie cutters. I never got into play doh with my children (long story). So I was pleased with these new ideas. So the other day I bought four colors of play dough. Waited until Friday when I would have her again. After I got things straighten up around here, we played play doh!
Of course, Natalie didn't know too well what to with it yet. So I would cut the shapes with the cookie cutters and then let her play with them. She calls hearts, valentines because of her "I Love You" Elmo book. The last two pages have hearts all over it and it says "Will you be my Valentine?" (Elmo is asking.) She always says "uh, huh". It is so cute. Then it says will you give Elmo a kiss and of course, she does. She she was tickled with this "valentine"!

This is the "cheesy" expression that she gave me when I asked her to look at MiMi.
I love this concentration expression. This is her playing with a little dog that I cut out for her. She would tell me which color she wanted to play with. She seems so advanced on her color knowledge. She could identfy all basic colors way before her second birthday. So now we're learning to identify ABC's. So I used some alphabet cutters that I had for my kids for Jello jigglers. I got the ones out that I thought she could identify. I would cut the item and then ask her. I didn't ask before because some of them didn't look recognizable until it was cut. These are the ones that I was pretty sure she knew...A, B, C (for obvious reason--being that you see them first at the beginning of the story books) N (for her name) H, M, O, X, Y and Z. I think she has learned most of these from the Elmo A, B, C DVD that Uncle Danny and Aunt Maria got her for her birthday. And I guess from just watching Seasame Street, other educational shows and her ABC story books.

Yesteday she was eating these new alphabet cookies that I found at Wal-mart and I was amazed that she even recognized even more letters...F, P, and maybe some others, but that's all I remember right now.

MiMi needs cookie cutters! This was my elementary designs. Don't you recognize Cookie Monster and Elmo? Natalie did!
We had a lot of fun...though it was a little stressful--trying to capture the memories and trying to keep the colors from getting mixed up. But it happened! Now we have another color too--
TIE-DIE COLORED PLAY-DOH!
No matter how much we grow up. We never forget the smell of play-doh. I told her not to put it in her mouth and she said "I'm smelling it!". I had actually forgot about telling her not to put it in her mouth until just now. She looked over her shoulder from her high chair while eating her breakfast and watching "Little Bear" and said "Don't put it in your mouth, Natalie!" repeating what I probably told her several times while playing.

Natalie woke up from her nap before Cari and Brittany got here after school. So she had her a ice cream cone for her afternoon snack. She usually still eats them with a spoon. Then I eat the rest in the cone. I love ice cream cones! ---Natalie's MiMi

AUGUST 2005: OUR BRAND NEW NATALIE

The first year of a child's life is full of FIRSTS. The above image and the one below is from Natalie's first baths. It was taken at her other home. I remember being a little sad that I missed it. I don't think she was too fond of her first bath. She did soon begin to love her bathtime. I enjoyed giving them as well. It was such a special time for MiMi and Natalie.
August 2nd was the date on the digital files. I assume that was the exacat date that they were captured.

August 3, 2005: THE VERY FIRST IMAGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE. I ACCIDENTLY DELETED IT AND THEN AS I TRIED TO ADD IT BACK TO THIS SPOT. IT WENT TO THE TOP. AS STATED BEFORE...I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS.
(SEE THE VERY FIRST IMAGE) The above and below image was the first time Natalie came to her other home (aka as MiMi's house or Daddy's). She was 5 days old. She also had her first portrait session in MiMi's studio. Aunt Cari helped MiMi while Mommy and Daddy rested. It is very tiring being new parents.

The next three images are of Natalie's very first newborn session. She was so little and I couldn't wait to get her in my studio. She was 5 days old when these were captured.

August 6, 2005, Natalie and Brittany's Aunt Martie and her family meeting Natalie for the first time. I know she hated not being here for her birth and couldn't wait to finally meet her great-niece. Natalie's cousins, Mia and Justin, have really grown a lot too! We saw them recently at Natalie's 2 year old birthday party.

August 8, 2005...one of the first times Natalie played with this toy.

August 10, 2005, I wanted to make sure she wore this before she outgrew it. I am so glad that I kept some of my babies special clothes and that Natalie wore them too.

These were done at the house in Vidalia after school one day, August 12, 2005. The bottom one is Natalie and Emma (her 3.5 year old aunt). They have both grown so much. I told Emma then that she would be one of Natalie's favorite people and she definitely is now!

This is one of Natalie wearing one of the Premie outfits that belong to Maddy Kiser. Her grandmother, Pam, gave us bags of clothes and shoes. Yes, it is a winter outfit and it was summer, but with the air on it was cool enough for a tiny baby to wear such a winter outfit. She is hugging her first little baby doll I bought her before she was born. Notice the baby doll is a brunette. Brittany made the statement one time how most baby dolls have blonde hair. So I made sure that I got this one with dark hair. I had fun playing dress up with her just as I always did with my two when they were young enough that I chose what they wore. (It has been a while!)

This is a candid image with natural light in Natalie's room (AKA the sunroom). It was taken on August 17, 2005.

This image is from her newborn session. The other one with her parents is also from the newborn portrait session...atually they were different days. As a photographer, it was neat having a baby around. I am so glad that I was able to capture beautiful images like these of our sweet baby girl.

---Natalie's MiMi