Baby Business: Week 30, picture perfect

First hand, foot and body painting – all cleaned up. Tick

First cornflour and water moulding – all cleaned up. Tick

First sand castle building – all cleaned up. Tick

First cornflake crunching – all cleaned up... well Timba seems to have found most the stray cornflakes!

I woke this morning full of excitement, that very special ‘proudest-mum-in-the-world’ kind of excitement, because ‘I-have-the-most-beautiful-baby-in-the-world’ and today she is going to start her modelling career! As part of a free photo-shoot to update a professional photographer’s portfolio, Little One was to be immortalised in film (well digital file anyway).

I had carefully selected a wardrobe of outfits to cover all the different types of shots that may be taken. So on went outfit number one – cute pink velvet shorts, vintage-style shirt and... nooooooooooo... Sick all down the front.

No problem . Little One’s fine – just a bit of that lovely milky regurgitation we mums are so fond of! Plenty more outfits to choose from. On goes the gorgeous polka dot dress and... noooooooooooo. Doh! I should have known better... I’ll just stick to the vest and socks for now!

Now, I like to think that (given my work) I am a fairly creative person, but what the photographer saw when he walked in to my house were photo-opportunities that I would never have thought of. I still can’t get my head around how he made a radiator such a fabulous backdrop! He got straight in to rearranging furniture and cushions, clicking left, right, from above, from below, in action, posed stills.

After an hour or so I had repeated all Little One’s favourite songs to the point of grimacing at Incy Wincey Spider, I had worked the magic off all the actions that bring out her bubaliscious smile, and had pulled Timba out of shot (and slobber-range of Little One) over a dozen times , but we had it. That perfect shot (well actually a whole host of perfect shots).

The photographer has captured the absolute essence of my little girl in a photo that actually brought a tear to my eye. A visual memory that will last forever.

I know we all think we have the most beautiful child in the world... but I really do!