All her life my mom heard how much she looked like her aunt.  At family gatherings when she was young people would say, “You must be Ruth’s girl!”   She would reply with a laugh, “No, I’m Tom’s daughter!”

It really shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise when in the recovery room at the hospital I held my fresh, squishy little newborn and thought, “I just gave birth to my sister’s baby.”  Lots of people look like their aunt, uncle, or grandparent more than a parent.   Charlotte certainly looks like her Aunt Julie.

Last night I had the privilege of hanging out with some fabulous bloggers here in Raleigh.  Gals like Suzanne, Erin, Fadra, Andrea, and Andrea.  I was so happy to see my old college buddy Beth Anne, too!

Fadra was complementing my adorable baby’s big blue eyes.  I thanked her and said I couldn’t take credit for those.  They’re my sister’s eyes.  My eyes are green.  Then Beth Anne stated the obvious in a way I had never thought of.

“Oh yeah!  Charlotte looks like your husband and your sister had a baby together,” she said laughing.

Oh my God!  She’s totally right.

::insert redneck/inbred/North Carolina joke here::

I’m gonna go with a 1997 joke.  “JERRY!  JERRY!”

I mean, eeww, despite the obvious ick-factor,  genetics ARE like that.  My mom texted me this picture the other day as she was flipping through old photo albums.  I put Charlotte’s next to it.

I think everyone wants their baby to look like them, but if my daughter looks like anyone else in the family, I’m glad it’s my sister.  She’s beautiful inside and out, and tomorrow is her birthday.  Happy 28th Baby Sister!  I’m proud of the woman and aunt you’ve become.

These are Charlotte’s 12 month pictures by Three Oaks Photography.  The photographer, Jack, does this package for Baby’s 1st Year with Newborn, 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, and 12 month pics.

He did our maternity shoot as well.  I didn’t make it some months so our 1st year pics ended up newborn (by a different photographer, the wonderful Kimber Lynn) about 4 months, about 8 months and now these 12 months all by Jack.

I’m pretty psyched with how they turned out.  We lost the coats pretty quick because it got warm.  I didn’t mean for Charlotte and I to be super matchy-matchy in our chocolate dresses, but I think it works.  Who knows, they may end up on the Christmas card so I should go ahead and say “Happy Holidays!”  Seriously, I could have posted all the proofs.  I loved how these turned out.  Be honest and tell me which ones you like best.

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So my goal when buying a photo package from the awesome Jack Deere at Three Oaks Photography in Wake Forest, NC was to get pics of Charlotte at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.  Yeah, that didn’t happen.  I got slack busy.  Jack did our maternity photos so we counted those, we did almost 4 month pics and almost 8 month pics I’m showing here.  (Yeah, I can hear you.  I know she’s 9 1/2 months and I’m just now posting them.  It’s the slackness a busy time again.)  I’ll do some almost 12 month pics right before her birthday.

Ya’ll do me a favor and tell me which ones you like best.  Leave a comment, send an email, whatever.  I’m interested to know what you think as I decide which pics to purchase and get framed.  (Yeah, that request is quite self-indulgent, I know this.  But so is writing a blog about your baby.)