Instead, he was born with my milky white skin (sorry kiddo), C’s smiling eyes and a set of dimples that neither of us ever expected.  Skin tone aside, he looks EXACTLY like C looked as a baby.

Here’s some proof.  C circa 1976 and L.A. circa December.  Holy smokes, right?

Though I’m sure he doesn’t really understand what it means, if you ask L.A. “where’s the baby?” he immediately comes over and lifts up my shirt and plants a big slobbery kiss on my belly.  Understanding or not, it’s one of the sweetest things in the world.  

I love C more than words for grabbing my camera and capturing this last night. 

Ugh… don’t you just want to squeeze that little tushy?

Oh, and here’s proof we’re still living in the land of incoming molars.  The hands are always in his mouth. 

I have some client sessions coming up in the next few days, so I’ll be sharing some things other than just my little guy.  Happy Friday everyone!

I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge the fact that I typically love his attachment to me.  There’s something so sweet about those big eyes that are always searching for me, for reassurance.  This, however – is a little overboard.  Any been there-done that-moms want to give me some insight as to how long this phase might last?

In other family news, both C and L.A. woke up this morning with coughs and scratchy throats.  Awesome.  All the wives out there, go ahead and give a sympathetic nod of the head… you know which one of my boys will need more attention this weekend.    I love you C!

1.  Watching the munchkin practicing his first steps.  He can go about 4 or 5 steps before he crashes.  Notice the tongue – it’s always out when he’s concentrating.

2.  In the past two days, I’ve already read Twilight, and I’m nearly done with New Moon by Stephanie Meyer.  The fact that I’ve been able to bury myself in reading is notable in and of itself.  Loving this series!

3.  Because of the way the holidays have fallen, I’ve gotten to spend tons of extra time with C and L.A. just lounging around the house in our sweats.  Here’s a random snapshot C took of the munchkin and I last weekend.  I edited this picture in an attempt to make myself look presentable, and it’s still rather scary… but it’s been a while since we’ve had a picture together.  So here I am in all my Saturday morning no makeup glory!

4.  Italian Wedding Soup.  For some reason, the combination of those little meatballs, spinach and tiny pasta have me seeing hearts dancing in my head.  Here’s a quick version of the recipe I’ve been using.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound ground turkey 
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/2 medium onion finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. In medium bowl, combine meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil and onion powder; shape into 3/4 inch balls.  An easy trick I’ve used is to make a long rope and then slice it up so that you can roll several meatballs at once.
2. In large skillet with a bit of olive oil, brown meatballs and then set on a seperate plate to drain.
3. In small pot, cook orzo until al dente.  Drain.
4. In large saucepan, saute carrots and onion with a little olive oil.  Add broth and heat to boiling; stir in spinach and meatballs. Return to boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes or so.

I always cook the pasta seperately because otherwise it soaks up all the broth of the soup.  I usually add a scoop of orzo to the bowl and then top it off with a few ladles of soup.  Mmm… I can smell it right now.  A nice crusty bread goes fabulous with this meal.  I should have a picture here for you, but I don’t.

5.  Speaking of nice crusty bread, one of my greatest loves of late is this Garlic Infused Butter.  I’m all about a good garlic bread, and I swear if you can find this in your local store it will change your life (and possibly your pants size).  I use it mainly as a spread on a great multi-grain loaf, but you could use it for a thousand other things.  The credit for this find goes to my neighbor and good friend who introduced me to it. 

6.  These bright eyes. 

7.  My Uggs.  They’re ugly, yes, but they’re like pillows for my feet.  Absolutely a weekend wardrobe staple.

8.  Catching up on other photographer’s blogs.  There is an amazing amount of talent and inspiration out there.  If you’re interested in checking out some very cool things, here’s Jacob’s Sunrise and Sunsetseries, and amazingly moving slideshow of birth photography by Lyndsay, and my friend Jaidean’s blog who is an amazing photographer and her beautiful daughter was born the same day as L.A.

9.  My favorite sound at the moment is my two boys laughing hysterically together over something that I have no part of.  My heart swelled when I saw this.

10.  This really should be #1 on my list.  Since I’m over the holiday rush and in a bit of a lull until mid-January, I’ve been able to take TONS of pictures of my own family.  There is just no amount of value I could put on that. 

I’d also like to recognize those people in my life with whom I couldn’t do without.  First and foremost, my husband – who doesn’t always get the credit he deserves.  You are my rock, and when I close my eyes at night, I could never imagine my life without you.  I am blessed to have you, and I appreciate everything that you do for our family, and for me.  Thank you.  My son – you are without question the light of my every day and the driving purpose behind all that I do.  In the past 13 months you have completely changed the way I look at life.  P2 – my unborn baby, thank you for reminding me to slow down.  This time flies too quickly, and with each little squirm and kick I’m reminded of how precious it all is.

I’m thankful today for my family, and my in-laws for welcoming me into the madness as one of their own.  For my friends – the ones I’ve known for years who can tell by the tone in my voice or the look on my face what is on my mind.  Thank you for understanding me.  For the friends I haven’t known that many years, I may as well have because you’re just as deep in my heart.  For the many friends I’ve met through various message boards, you’ve offered me so much sage advice and encouragement, I couldn’t possibly thank you enough.  

Lastly, to my clients – thank you for taking a leap of faith on me in 2008.  I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to spend time with so many beautiful families and capture your memories.  

May you all have a beautiful Christmas.  Much love from the Acosta Family to yours.

He also refuses any brushing assistance, because clearly at 13 months he can already do it on his own.  If I attempt to help, it’s made very clear VERY quickly how frustrating it is that his mom doesn’t understand his independence. 

The toothbrush is a bath time staple.  Who needs the 3 rubber duckies, squirting toys and bath cups when you have a toothbrush?  We haven’t reached the point of the toothbrush needing to come to bed yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t that far off.