Manu, Alex & Ingrid – family session

This is one of those special sessions because it’s with a family that has a place in my heart. Manu and Alex are part of my “Brazilian family” here in Montreal. They have a beautiful story as a couple and are now building a new and amazing story as the parents of Ingrid, a charming, smart girl who learns a lot every day and teaches even more to those lucky enough to be in her life.

Today I’m going to show images of a Saturday morning that I spent at their house. You’ll also be able to read a beautiful text from my friend Manu about how their life has been since Ingrid came into the world.

She shares with us some of the feelings experienced in presumably ordinary moments of everyday life that nevertheless enrich their relationships and bring them closer to one another during this adventure of following their daughter’s growth.

”The meaning of the expression “time flies” makes more sense than ever after Ingrid’s arrival into our lives.  

At first, although we saw her as a whole human being in all her complexity, she was still a baby who had to be nursed, cried, played, and – from time to time – slept.

Three years later, her strong personality is being built, her temperament is emerging and she is already our teammate. Our little partner in this team of 3. 

This is exactly how we see our small family: a united team that lives on the basis of mutual learning, respect, reciprocity, and understanding. It’s a constant exchange. We help each other to be a better person. 

And that’s why we really enjoy all the family moments, even the less interesting ones. During this time together, we talk about everything and nothing, we laugh, we remember the good and the bad from the past, we explain and re-explain the reasons of things, we exchange emotions and feel loved. It is in these moments that we are startled by each new expression she suddenly utters, and we’re proud of her dexterity and autonomy in a lot of things (yes, her mom and dad are very watchful!).

Sparks fly from time to time, but that’s when we recall our great “morning therapist”: Daniel, the Tiger, and count to 4 to let the anger go away. Sometimes it takes more than 4 seconds… But it always goes away. And we remember how we are and how we want to be.

And it may seem cliché, but it is precisely in all those moments that we realize how grateful we are for this strong bond between us.