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Another game of copycat.

A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, as a one year old.

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series

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She ate all the smarties first. Baby-see-nos and treats after a morning running kites on the beach.

A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, as a one year old.

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series

Memorykeeping: a peek

Memorykeeping has always been important to me. My parents kept a handmade baby album for me, bursting from its binding with cards, drawings, photos and teeny gym certificates. They also kept scrapbooks from every trip they took: Dad collected endless pamphlets and ticket stubs, and Mum wrote the captions for photos. When we were old enough to write, my parents encouraged both my sister and I to keep travel diaries. I'm so pleased that they persisted once the novelty wore off for us - they are priceless keepsakes. The habit took hold, and as a young adult adventuring around the world I found myself collecting ticket stubs, postcards and feathers, and although it sometimes felt like it was becoming a bit of a nuisance to pause and reflect when excitement beckoned, I would stay firm about writing a diary entry and pasting in the day's collection of papers and beautiful things.

The past month or so I have been working on Saskia's baby album. Watching the beautiful leather bound album triple in size. I'm nearly finished sticking in the bits and pieces I've collected over the last few years, but I still need to go back and write on each page. When I'm finished I'd love to post a little about it.

I've always been inspired by Ronnie's memorykeeping process. It's why I was a teeny bit beside myself when she put the call out for the Life:Captured workshop and I signed up straightaway. I've been counting down since early June. I'm travelling to Sydney and I'll spend my first two night's away from Saskia...

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I crouch. She crouches. Copycat.

A wild and windy day but you insisted on going out for a walk through the Village and down by the golf course. As usual, you picked some wattool and spotted cock a TOOS.

A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, as a one year old.

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series

There's going to be a baby

Thank you for all the sweet comments on our announcement. It feels exciting and all very real now that the nausea is behind me. There's going to be a baby...in just over 4 months.

Of course there is much to look forward to about having a new baby, but I find myself constantly focusing on what it will feel like to watch a relationship develop between Saskia and this new little one. Already Saskia is quite fascinated by babies; besotted with her dearest cousin, Baby Bea, and new little friend, Baby Elle, and inclined to kiss baby strangers on the head (cute but a tad embarrassing at times). I'm under no illusion that this is certain to pave the way for a strong, instant and unwavering bond, but I'm grateful and happy that the interest is there.

We've been reading a lot of books lately about new babies in the family, being a big sister, and books that illustrate the ways of babies in gentle and subtle ways. Here are some of our favourites:

There's a House Inside my Mummy ... Giles Andreae and Vanessa Cabban
There's Going to be a Baby ... John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury (I fell truly madly deeply for the illustrations in the bookstore)
Rosie's Babies ... Martin Waddell, Penny Dale
101 Things to do with a Baby ... Jan Ormerod (I rave briefly about this beautiful classic here)
Ellen and Penguin and the New Baby ... Clara Vulliamy
I'm a Big Sister ... Joanna Cole

Please let me know if you and your little ones have any favourites. I'd love to hear.

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We're all waiting for the fresh breath of spring and some outdoors days. Photo by K.

A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, as a one year old.

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series