Alaskan Living

Ari Falls In The Lake

Ari and I went over to the duck pond today. Whenever he gets near water, you can't stop him from trying to go into it. He'll crawl over to the shore then slap his hands on the surface until his shirt gets soaked. It doesn't matter how cold the water is.

Well today, after begging him in vain to stay away from the water's edge, I decided to just let him go for it. I guess he needs to learn these things for himself. I hovered close as he waded out into the lake. We were having alot of fun--until he fell on his butt. As you can see, he was not very happy with me...

Ari's First Steps

Ari took his first real steps today. Granted they were wobbly, but he put together at least 6 or 7 steps across the bedroom floor. What's with the boa, Ari?

Weekend at Camp Denali

Twenty years ago today was the day I summited Mt. McKinley. On the tenth anniversary, I coincidentally found myself in Kantishna on a filming trip. It was a glorious clear evening I'll never forget.

This year, I helped my friends Howard and Diane Zack and their family plan an Alaska trip. It so happens, they were going to be at Camp Denali on June 24. It also so happens that Howard and I share the same birthday. We're "birthday buddies"as Howard likes to say. And this year, he is celebrating his 50th while I am celebrating my 45th!

Ari Moons Alaska Railroad

The southbound passengers on the Alaska Railroad got a special treat today as Ari decided to moon them. Forget moose or bear sightings, there's nothing quite like the tender butt cheeks of a 14-month old.

Sometimes you gotta wonder about the kid's judgment...but wait...what's that?...is that his mother putting him up to it? Some people have no class.

Ari's Helen Keller Impersonation

Ari's Eye Has Completely Healed!...

...and he's thrilled about it, as you can see.

Mosquitoes 1, Ari 0

Poor Ari got bitten by a mosquito--and it swelled his eye shut. It's too bad it had to occur when Ari met Aunt Lorna and Uncle Gordie for the first time. We had a cookout on the beach at Kincaid Park amidst a howling sand- and rainstorm.

Sporting his big eye, I can't tell whether Ari looks more a homeless kid or a mongol. His woeful appearance belies the fact that Alaska mosquitoes are not nearly as bad as most people think. It's just that babies are particularly susceptible.

Ari Joins A Motorcycle Gang

Of all the things a father doesn't want to see when he comes home one day from work...is that his 14-month old son has joined a motorcyle gang. So you can imagine how shocked I was today to discover he had tattooed his arm and now peels around the neighborhood in his way-cool, "Step 2" plastic, human-powered "motorcycle".

40 Years of Memories in North Muskegon

The nostalgia was heavy as our family gathered for one last photo in our home of over 40 years. This is where we grew up together as a family and formed the memories that will last us a lifetime. But alas, it's time for my parents to sell the home and move on. It's hard to believe these familiar surroundings--the lake, woods, and home itself--will soon pass into memory, and that we will never again be together as a family in this place that sheltered us all those years of our lives.

I don't know exactly when the upper photo was taken. My best estimate is that a quarter century separates the smiles on the top from those on the bottom.

How lucky we all are to be healthy and together. I had exactly 15 minutes to get this shot before my Dad had to run to the airport.

One of Our Favorite Photos

This will surely go down as one of the favorite photos I will ever capture of my adorable son and beautiful wife. I stood on the porch and shot back inside the house at them, illuminated by natural light. Ari's face is lit with the delight and innocence of a baby. Yael glows with her usual warmth.

Ari Loves Fruits & Veggies

Ari has launched into a fruits and veggies diet. Peas are his favorite. He can only grab one or two at a time, and he sometimes misses the mark. Yum--don't they look good!

Just Drool It!

When you're only a year old, there are so many things you're either not able or not allowed to do. Ari is all too keenly aware of this. So instead of "Just Do It", Ari has has decided to launch a "Just Drool It" campaign.

Ari Endorses Binkley As Republican Gubernatorial Candidate

For the past several months, Ari has been receiving a steady stream of political bosses at from both sides of the aisle at his pack and play. The political heavyweights come to see him with one sobering fact in mind: you can raise as much money as you want in this year's gubernatorial race, but only candidate's getting Ari's endorsement.

Well, it turns out Ari's made his decision. After a grueling battery of interviews with all the Republican contenders, Ari has concluded that John Binkley is most fit for the Republican nomination. Photographer Clark Mishler captured the moment as Ari reached out to congratulate John on what surely is the landmark achievement of his campaign to date.

Ari's Official Birthday Party!

On April 8, Ari had his official first birthday party. It was a very special gathering, and once again, Ari demonstrated the difficulty he has actually getting his cake into his mouth. But it didn't hurt his enjoyment one bit. He worked the crowd, giving high fives to family and friends.

Ari's First Haircut

For the past year, Ari has been receiving solicitation calls from famous hairstylists in New York, Los Angeles, Milan--pretty much every major fashion center in the world. They all wanted the career-making opportunity of being the one to give Ari his first haircut.

In the final selection round, Ari decided to go with Sandy at Chez Ritz, right here in Anchorage.

At approximately 12:30pm today, he strode into her salon, followed by a band of papparazi eager to document the event. The haircut didn't take more than 10 minutes, during which Ari never showed even a hint of concern. 

Ari's First Birthday!

Our little angel turned one today. We feel many things...so lucky to have Ari in our life, blessed by all the smiles and laughter he’s brought us, proud of the sweetheart of a little boy Ari is becoming, and sad that this special period of our life is over—and gone forever. Soon, his crawling and babbling, too, will become a thing of the past.

We didn’t know what parenthood would hold or how we would rise to the task. A year later, I think we feel that Ari’s first birthday is also our celebration for having come this far. Ari’s Grandma and Grandpa from New York are here for Ari’s birthday—which has made the celebration all that much more special. In a very classy move, Ari presented them with their own gift.

As his reward for turning One, Ari got to each chocolate for the first time. Iris made the most delicious chocolate cupcakes, each decorated with a picture of Ari. She also gave Ari a photo album he’ll treasure for the rest of his life. Ari was honored to celebrate with both Iris and Kayla, two very special people in his life.

Ari Denied Iditarod Slot; Settles For Media Pass

Ari spent much of the winter preparing to be the youngest Iditarod racer ever. His unconventional strategy centered around the use of his very lightweight LL Bean Sled, a brilliant speed tactic none of the other competitors had considered.

On race day, Ari showed up on Fourth Avenue ready to go. Officials discovered he wasn’t even a year old. There was a big stink about what to do.

It was not a pretty scene. Ari’s lawyers argued that his participation would boost media rankings. The Iditarod Committee felt he wasn’t adequately prepared with enough spare diapers and formula. Ultimately the decision came down—and it wasn’t in Ari’s favor. Ari was deeply disappointed and briefly considered filing a protest. However, when race officials awarded him a media pass as his consolation prize, he quickly got over it.

Ari's First Valentine's Day

Ari definitely gets around. On Valentine's Day, he asked more than a few women to be his Valentine. (So many, in fact, that he might be fairly accused of being a slut). After going overboard, Ari knew he had to do something special for his Mom--who holds the most special place in his heart. He professed his love for his true Valentine with a personalized Valentine's Day card, the front and back of which are attached. (Click to enlarge.)

Ari's Sled

Ari has a really nice stroller and jogger. But in winter, his favorite ride is the LL Bean sled that his dear friends Jonathan and Rachel generously bought him when he was born.

Ari is fairly certain that Jonathan and Rachel and Sarah and Jake will be visiting him this summer in Alaska for the time of their lives.

"Teeth Kaufman"

After months of sporting a big, wide, toothless grin, Ari now has teeth--two to be exact! He displays them proudly in this photo. (Note: Ari does not use teeth whitener; that is his natural color.)

An Alaskan Baby

Ari loves the outdoors. It energizes him. He particularly loves being outside for a few minutes without his jacket on, such as going from the car to a restaurant or into a building. It doesn’t matter how cold it is, he starts screaming “ee!”—which is his most heartfelt grunt of approval.

Ari also likes lying in snow (though he just sits there) and letting it gather on his long eyelashes. He's definitely an Alaskan baby!

Ari's Half & Half Day

Today was a milestone in Ari’s life. A few minutes past noon marked the moment at which Ari had lived exactly half his live inside the womb and half outside. The last nine months with Ari in our lives has been so rich and feels like such a long time—it’s hard to believe pregnancy was equally long.

While his deadbeat Dad hung out in Aspen skiing, Ari returned to Anchorage with his Mom for his 9-month appointment with Dr. Lyon. (Ari has now taken 21 flights and been amazing on every one.) Ari topped the scales at 23 pounds and is now 31 inches tall, still off the charts for his age. This means Ari is growing an inch a month—if he continues at this rate, he will be as tall as his Dad by age 4.

Ari is shown here trying on a pair of ski boots in Aspen. The Aspen Ski Corp. no longer allows parents to carry their infants while skiing. This came as a huge setback to Ari, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and get his own equipment. Unfortunately, Ari was not able to find any boots that fit, so he sheepishly returned back to the house to crawl around in his Graco playpen.

Our Holiday Photo Revealed!

We've held off for weeks posting this picture, as we wanted to officially unveil it as our holiday photo this year. This is another "Clark Mishler's done it again" shot. Except this time, Clark was a one-take wonder. This was the first frame he took!

It's also one of the last pictures you'll see of Ari with his tongue hanging out like a lap dog. About a week after this photo shoot, Ari found himself plugged into IV tubes and other monitoring devices in a New York hospital.

The situation? What we thought was nothing more than a cute little habit of tongue that he would soon outgrow was instead professionally diagnosed as a condition in which his tongue had limited mobility since birth...requiring a minor procedure. Thanks to the encouragement of Yael's parents to see a specialist, Ari was able to get this taken care of and get back into his regular push-up and stair-climbing regimen only days later.

Air Ari - Ari Gets Discovered

It had to happen. Workout sensation that he is, it was only a matter of time before a major sports marketer came a knockin’ down Ari’s door. And so, it was no surprise last week when the head of licensing for Nike showed up at Ari’s cribside with an offer to name a new bib and pacifier set after him. Ari’s response was like, “Bib? Are you kidding? Go back and sharpen your pencil!”

I've never seen a salesman slink away so dejected. But a week later, the poor fellow showed up again. This time he offered to basically cancel the whole Michael Jordan relationship and replace it with a new “Air Ari” line of active lifestyle wear.

To that, Ari said, “that’s a little more like it. Let’s get on with the publicity photos.” So we went on over to Clark Mishler’s house and made the image at left. I had to throw Ari in the air about a dozen times before the guy from Nike said, “it’s a wrap.” And the rest is history. Look for Ari’s line in your local retailer by Christmas.

Ari’s Workout Diversifies

In addition to push-ups, Ari has now added leg lifts, cross-body stretches, and stair climbing to his workout. But Ari shuns the health club scene. He prefers to work out on his bedroom floor in his pajamas. He’s often so transfixed on proper technique that he doesn’t even realize he’s drooling (see stretching photo). We just bought an elliptical for the house, but Ari isn’t heavy enough to make the pedals go. So he climbs real stairs, using both his hands and feet. He demonstrates his technique in this video (10mB--give it a minute to load), expertly captured by his Gammy (grandma) in New York.

Ari Has Become A Push-Up Machine

At five months old, Ari started to do push ups. Now, not yet seven months, he’s doing well over 100 push-ups a day. Not mini-push ups where he supports his head and chest on his elbows, but full-on military-style push ups: arms fully-extended, back straight, fingers pointed straight ahead, hands directly under shoulders. The crazy thing is he supports his entire legs on his big toes alone.

It amazes people wherever he goes. We’ll put him down on the carpet, and within 30 seconds, he’ll inevitably roll to his belly and start into his push-up routine. He even breaks his crawling every few feet to put in a push-up or two. He showed our pediatrician last month—who just walked away scratching his head.

As a result of all these push-ups, you’ve never seen such buff arms or firm legs and butt on a 6-month old. It’s really amazing how strong this kid is. My son, the Navy Seal. Click on the composite image above to see for yourself.

The Lion Who Scared No One

Our little Ari was a lion tonight for his first Halloween. We bundled him up for the cold, then set off on an ambitious trek to show him off to the neighborhood.

We chose our first stop carefully. Just around the corner, there’s a small home that always takes such pride in their holiday decorations. Tonight, their front lawn was lit with a 5-foot high pumpkin, a scarecrow, and lanterns. We don’t know the people, but we decided they deserved this honor.

So we knocked on the door and explained. “We haven’t met you, but we wanted to share a once-in-a-lifetime honor with you. We wanted yours to be the first house Ari ever trick or treated in his life.” They were quite touched and agreed to step outside onto the porch for an extended photo session to commemorate the moment. Such nice people.

We continued our prowl with our little lion (in his jogger), but not three houses later, the lion fell asleep in the mighty jungle for the rest of the night.

Ari Returns To The Screen!

I just received the following comment—makes me feel like a complete deadbeat blogger as well as Dad.

“It has been over a month since the anniversary of 9/11. We, your avid readers, are anxious to see new posts. Give us Ari! Tell us stories. Don't leave us stranded with old (however important) postings.”

The market has spoken, and the market wants Ari! So Ari it is…

Yesterday, Ari and Mom were spotted taking a walk on a crisp fall afternoon in Anchorage. There have been additional reports of Ari holding his own milk bottle, sitting up on his own, even doing military-style push-ups. As soon as we are able to confirm these sightings, we will post them forthwith. But for now, I have to head to a meeting in Seattle…

My Baby's Growing Up!

Last night, Ari amazed us by putting his pacifier in his own mouth—repeatedly. How’d he learn to that? It really is astonishing how quickly babies grow. A few weeks ago, we were feeding him and he wrapped his hands around the bottle. He’s still not coordinated enough to feed himself, but it’s so exciting as a parent to see your baby take these little steps. Yael’s Mom sent us a touching poem by Anna Quindlen that reminds me to try to savor these times. Some day they’ll be nothing more than a dusty memory. Here's an excerpt:

Ari Meets Congressman Don Young

We took Ari in today to meet our Congressman Don Young, Alaska’s sole house representative. Congressman Young’s public reputation is as the powerful chairman of the house transportation committee that just passed a whopping federal highway bill which includes lots of large Alaska projects. (We congratulated him on his success; he said the key was just persistence.) But as a person, Congressman Young is warm, approachable, and real—not a calculated politician. It’s so refreshing.

Goodbye Governor Hammond

Today, we lost one of Alaska's greatest men, Governor Jay Hammond. He was the finest leader Alaska ever produced that I personally met. He was a man who loved the land and the Alaskan way of life yet recognized the need for development and jobs. Unlike some strident ideologues in power today, Hammond could empathize with both sides of an issue. He was a Republican and a conservationist, someone who always put Alaska's interests first. 

Ari Meets Robert Kennedy Jr., Fellow Conservation Advocate

Robert Kennedy Jr. came to Alaska to support Alaska's waterkeeper organizations. Yael and I were on the host committee for one of the events. I'd never heard him speak before, and I have to say I was blown away by the passion and quality of his conservation arguments. No other Democrat I've heard in years has done the intellectual homework that Kennedy has in arguing how a strong conservation ethic fits with democracy, free markets, and economic prosperity. I thought he went a little overboard generalizing about big business and Republicans, but I'd still like to read his book, Crimes Against Nature. Ari was so inspired by Kennedy's logic that he leapt into his arms and trimphantly raised his fist in a show of solidarity. Having won Ari's support, Kennedy should go far.

Ari's First Bush Flight

(View today's photo album.)

I already caught hell from both sets of Ari’s grandparents for this, so I may as well post it on the blog. We took Ari on his first bush flight the night of my birthday. Chris Hodel flew us down to Seward for a Nature Conservancy dinner in his single-engine 206. Despite the fact that he got to wear Daddy’s Acoustic Noise-Canceling Bose Headphones, Ari was not a happy camper at first.

Ari Trying To Figure It All Out

“Whooz dat guy in da pickcha?” wonders Ari, as he sits in his bouncy chair. I’m relieved that my son is much happier staring into blank space than admiring himself in the mirror. He passes the narcissism test.

One Other Thing That Can Go Wrong With A Self-Portrait

If you’ve never tried taking self-portraits, you really should. They’re a fun and challenging genre of photograph. I was inspired by the late Nicholas DeVore, a true photographic genius. There are all sorts of clever ways to make self-portraits—in front of mirrors, your reflection in glass, your shadow. The only rule is you need to be both behind the lens and in the shot in some way. I’ve been building a

Ari Lives Large On First Visit To Talkeetna

Talkeetna was the first town I visited when I came to Alaska 19 years ago. It seemed like the right place to take Ari on his first Alaskan road trip. We drove up late Friday night, arriving at 1am. By early Saturday, the trouble had started.

Ari Selects Alaska Airlines For His Maiden Voyage

(See pictures of Ari's first flight.)

Ari took his first flight today. It was very impromptu. Daddy was headed to San Francisco and the thought of being away from Ari for 4 days was already making him homesick. So Ari and Mommy decided to come along. This would not only give Ari an opportunity to pay homage to the town where his parents met but also start working at a very young age towards the attainment of elite status on the airline frequent flier programs.

Now Ari may only be two months old, but he knew he had his choice of carrier today, and he’s glad he chose Alaska Airlines. Unlike the grouchos you sometimes run into on those big,

Ari Accepts Major Product Endorsement Contract

(Jump Straight To Ari's TV Commercial)

Hardly a day goes by that Ari doesn’t get pitched by some baby products company to endorse their products. Gerber, Graco, Baby Bunk, Eco Baby, Kidbean…the list goes on and on. They all want a piece of Ari’s huge media reach. The problem is, Ari just can’t get his arms around the idea of promoting products he can’t personally vouch for. As he told me while burping up in his crib last night, “Do they think I was born yesterday? I’m just not willing to prostitute myself at such a young age.”

It Goes By So Quickly...

That’s the constant refrain we hear from friends whose kids are now in their teens. It seemed a bit exaggerated, until…

...We discovered this week that Ari’s already outgrown his newborn clothes. He’s moved up to a size one diaper…getting heavier to carry…drinking 6 ounces of milk at a time… Maybe the saddest moment was realizing last night that Ari was wearing for the last time the

Ari Sets New Stroller Speed Record

Harvey Carp wrote a whole book on how to stop your baby from crying. It’s called “Happiest Kid on the Block,” and his whole secret is the 5 S’s: Swaddle, Swing, Shush, put him on his Side or Stomach, and give him something to Suck. Well, I tried them all this Sunday, but Ari kept on crying.

And that’s when it hit me.

Yael's First Mother's Day Gift

Last year at Mother’s Day, Yael and I went to Corsair for a romantic dinner. She seemed to grow more pensive as the meal progressed, and I didn’t know what was up. So I asked, “What’s the matter, Sweetie?” She answered, “Next year at Mother’s Day, do you think I’ll be a Mom?”

I was floored—I had no idea it was weighing so on her mind. We’d talked about having kids, but I hadn’t felt quite

Clark Mishler Does It Again!

Anchorage's Clark Mishler is one serious photographer. We were plenty impressed a few months ago when we swooped into his studio en route to a party and he made our favorite pregancy portrait in under 10 minutes.  Last Sunday evening, we stopped by for round two.

"Live From The Changing Table" - World's Youngest Podcaster

ARI SPEAKS OUT
Ari Jacob Kaufman, only 17 days old, granted a rare public interview this morning. Dubbed the world’s youngest podcaster, the newborn prodigy discussed his views on topics as far-ranging as whether the new Pope should blog, controversial plans to drill for oil in the Arctic Refuge, what his recent experience in the womb can teach us about global warming, and tips for a heart-healthy, 100% dairy diet.

Ari chose alaska.org, the new Alaska vacation planning

Breastmilk--The Anti-Diet

We took Ari for his 2-week check-up today. Infants can lose 10% of their body weight after birth. By the time of their 2-week check-up, you hope they’re back to birth weight.

Not our Ari. He wouldn’t settle for such a modest goal. Our milk-sucking machine has slurped in enough of mama’s white gold to gain 2 lbs 2 ounces since his last

Ari's Bris

First, some photos from the bris.

Most people haven’t been to a bris. Brit milah (or “bris” for short) is the Jewish ritual of circumcision which has been practiced in an unbroken chain for 4000 years. The Torah says, “Throughout your generations, every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old.” Here we are today, 130 generations later, and it’s amazing that this covenant between Jews and God survives. The bris is

Introducing...Ari Jacob Kaufman

It’s official. I went down to medical records and filled out the birth certificate. Yael was comfortable with the name from the start. But it was hard for me to settle on a name. Nothing felt natural. How do you reduce all those feelings towards your newborn son into a name? Giving him a name almost made him feel like a stranger. I’m sure that at some point in the future, “Ari” will become second nature. When I hear it, it will bring up all the feelings of love and hope I have towards my first-born son. I’ll look back and wonder how it ever felt unfamiliar.

However, while I was down there at medical records all alone, I did consider making a little mischief.

Baby Homecoming!

The pediatrician came by today and told us it was time to go home! When I was in NY last fall, Yael’s mother showed me a knitted pink sweater as small as my hand. She asked if I could guess what it was. I couldn’t. Then she told me it was the outfit Yael came home from the hospital in. I melted. So today, when we dressed baby to come home from the hospital, I realized this outfit could become a family heirloom his future wife would treasure. And boy did he look good! (Do you think I might be thinking a little too far ahead?) 

The pediatrician also told us a new study says it’s safe to let

Baby Day Two

I’ve only known my baby for one day, and it’s hard to believe I could love any person so much after only knowing him for such a short time. At one point today, I gently lifted baby out of the bassinet and laid him down next to me on the couch bed, my face six inches from his. For 10 minutes, I just studied his face as he slept.

His features as so tiny, but they’re all there—even wrinkle lines on his forehead (but so faint you can barely make them out.) I just stared as he twitched his eyes, shifted his lips, and swung his clumsy fists (with perfectly-formed fingernails) up to his cheek. I put my nose under his and tried to smell his breath, but I couldn’t make anything out. I guess his breath is still pretty light, this being the first day on the job for his tiny little lungs.

BABY!!!

A feeling you can never describe. 35 hours after the initial contractions, Dr. McCeary comes into the room and says, “This baby’s ready to come out. Yael, you’re going to push hard, I’m going to help work it through the opening, and we’re going to have this baby in the next 15 minutes.” I’ve never seen a doctor take charge so impressively.

Yael and I looked at each other and started to cry. After 9 months, finally, the moment we had always dreamed about—meeting our baby.

Minutes later, I watch Dr. McCreary pull an alien-looking human being out of my wife’s body. She holds it up for me to see. All choked up, I try to tell Yael, “It’s a boy.”

The baby looks like a little old man, his skin bluish, wrinkled, baggy, flaky. It has a mat of brown gooey hair on its head. His blue eyes open and shut.

Getting Intense In Here

We’re doing well, but it’s going to be a long night. Yael’s contractions are getting painful—some bad enough to make her vomit. (She says the vomiting’s actually good—it distracts her from the pain for a second.) She can’t decide if she’s got the chills or hot flashes. I keep telling her this is her body preparing itself for her to become a mommy, but honestly, there’s not much I can say or do to console her.

Baby is doing well. The nurse just pressed my fingers into

To The Hospital

The book says not to come to the hospital until contractions are 5-8 minutes apart, but we came by anyways. Ours are only 10 minutes apart right now, but they’re getting more intense.

Mike called us on the cell on the way over. He told me, “Bobber, you realize you’re crossing the Rubicon and you can never go back. Take a deep breathe of the air before you walk in, because it will never be just the two of you again.”

“This is one of the defining moments of your life, one you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Seldom do you know that in advance.” 

Swimming Into Labor

Yael woke me last night at 2:30am. She felt her first contractions. By morning, they were 15 minutes apart. I consulted my “Prepared Childbirth” book. During early labor, it says, the partner is supposed to time contractions, help mom relax, massage her back if it aches, and tell her how well she is doing. It didn’t really specify this, but I also thought it would be a good idea if the partner went over to the pool for a swim workout.

I walked into the Alaska Club. There were three college-aged

A Little Girl's Dreams Come True

This fall, when I was in New York, I was leafing through one of Yael’s childhood albums (one of many her mother lovingly made for her), and a certain picture jumped out at me. It was little Yael, probably eight years old, posing in front of a tree in her Halloween costume as a pregnant woman. She was looking over her shoulder and awkwardly smiling into her mother’s camera lens as the shutter was released.

From behind those dark sunglasses, it’s impossible to know what she might have been thinking. But knowing Yael, if I had to guess, she was fantasizing about a time when she would one day have her own baby to love and care for. I pulled out my digital camera and made a copy of the picture. 

Tonight, two decades and three thousand miles away, I grabbed the original picture for reference, dressed Yael in similar clothes, took her to a tree I had found in our neighborhood that came as close as I could find to the tree in the original picture, and remade the image. Other than distorting my sweetie's face with the wide angle lens, it looks surprisingly similar.

Yael’s now a grown woman. Her pose is more self-assured and smile more certain, but I still see the little girl from New York, her dream about to come true…and how lucky am I to be the one to make it happen.

And Now We Wait…

Today was our due date. The baby room is ready: the changing table set up, teddy bears arranged on shelves, diapers neatly stacked, and tiny clothes neatly folded in drawers. I walk into the baby’s room, stare into the empty crib, and try to imagine the miraculous gift of life that will soon occupy it. All we need now is baby! 

Our First Pregnancy Portrait!

Last night, we were running late to the Fire & Ice Ball, a black tie benefit. (Yes, people do wear tuxes in Alaska.) On our way, we stopped by our friend Clark Mishler’s house. Turns out Clark was in the kitchen getting ready for a dinner party. Nonetheless, we dragged him into his home studio, and in less than 10 minutes, he made this image. He took only 8 pictures!

Most people know Alaska has 6 times more pilots per capita than the rest of the country. Most people don’t realize (but it makes sense if you think about it) that we also have far more than our share of talented photographers. Personally, I think Clark is one of the top shooters in the country, and we’re lucky to have him here in Anchorage (even luckier to have him as our friend!)

Clark and I may produce a DVD on how to make great Alaska vacation photos. Let me know if it interests you--and if so, what you'd like to see on it.