Photos with infants are never easy; passport photos much less so; and Australian passport photos not so at all.
Maya's passport photo was taken when she was five days old. Try getting a newborn to keep their head straight, eyes open, mouth closed, expression calm and face devoid of drool, spit up, and other strange contortions. The result was 11 photos showing an increasingly cranky baby before a more or less suitable one eventually passed muster.
So, we knew what to expect. But then we found we had one other problem - we couldn't wake Lara up to take the photo.
From my last post, you'll know that Lara is an unusually sleepy newborn. I'm certainly not complaining about that; it is a fleeting calm before the storm. In fact she's becoming a little more wakeful each day. I recall thinking with Maya that the first couple of weeks were pretty easy and what was everyone on about? I soon had a reality check.
But when she's in a deep sleep, it really can be almost impossible to wake her up, short of tipping a bucket of water over her head, which we haven't tried. But we did try everything else yesterday morning outside the photo place in Providencia - talking, coaxing, offering food, removing clothing layers, changing her nappy, singing, bouncing her, wiping her face with water, etc. Nothing worked. Finally, we had to leave and walk around the block, jiggling the pram over every bump in the road.
And on that walk around the block, we came across a charming little shopping centre - Providencia is full of these discoveries - which we loved. It's called Galeria Drugstore (at Providencia 2124). It was full of little arty shops - clothing, jewellery, organic skin products and collectables - all from new Chilean designers. A bit trendy and chic but not so much so that you feel out of place.
I bought some gorgeous cobre (copper) earrings from one fabulous little shop tucked round a corner on the middle level. If you're going to buy copper, why not do it in Chile, the world's biggest (or second biggest) copper producer. The shop had lots of other lovely things like these handbags and more earrings made of various recycled materials.
Soon afterwards, Lara's eyelids began to flutter so we raced back to the photographer's for a quick happy snap.
Finally - success.
Glad you got it, and btw, that story is kind of hilarious. Glad you got some earrings thought. Now there's an emporio de la rosa (see: ice cream) in drugstore, too! cute baby! And I can't believe how much you're getting around given the fact that she was JUST born.
ReplyDeleteMy nephew was sleepy like that, but he was a preemie. When he decided he was done "cooking" though, he turned normally abnormal in the sleep department. I wonder when Lara will be done with her hibernation!
I love that ice cream but haven't tried the cafe. I'd like to go back to the 'drugstore' and mooch around some more... had lots of cool little shops.
ReplyDeleteIt is only a matter of time before Lara wakes up and smells the stinky nappies. Meanwhile Maya drives me to distraction on a daily basis. The joys of motherhood.