My Favorite Picture of You

Now that I am taking pictures on an almost-daily basis, I notice a theme in the ones I take of Ava.  The ones I love the best aren't action shots, where she's throwing water from a cup into the air or running down the sidewalk.  They aren't of her sitting in her highchair with sticky watermelon juice running down her chin.  And surprisingly enough, they aren't full-body shots of her in an adorable outfit. 

My favorite picture to take of Ava...her face.  Up close and personal.

I especially love her side profile - the button nose, cherub cheeks, wisps of curls covering her ears, and rose-colored lips that almost never close because she's babbling about something important.

I love to see her eyes looking down at something in complete concentration, those long lashes jutting straight out and casting slight shadows under her eyes.  She doesn't look at the camera because she is busy.  Lots of important toddler tasks to check off her to-do list...no time to look at mama's camera!

And once in a while, when playing with her little friends in a backyard pool, I get a side profile that includes a huge smile...a smile that hovers on the brink of a fit of giggles as Ella pours water over Ava's head.

The side profile is my favorite, but every now and then I also get a close-up face shot where she's looking directly into the camera...and of course making a face only a toddler could make.  Maybe she's saying, "Whaaaaaat?" ala Aziz Ansari. (And if you've never watched Aziz's stand-up, now is the time!  HA-larious.)

For some reason, these similar pictures repeat themselves over and over when I am behind the camera.  Because although Ava is growing up and saying new things each day, learning how to put together puzzles and playing make-believe with her kitchen set, she is still and always will be my baby.  And when I take close-up shots of her face, I am reminded of her innocence.  Those sweet cheeks won't be chubby and kissable forever.  Her perfect, pouty lips will someday be smeared with lipstick, her feathery lashes will be coated in mascara, and her unruly wisps of curls will be tamed - most likely with a straightener and gobs of hair product.  Those teenage days are going to come soon enough.  For now, I will continue to take these pictures, my favorite pictures of Ava.