Someone is big time.

Jeremy and Allison are woven in and out of our story. They are good friends. They are musicians. They are Larry's clients. They are Birds of Chicago. They are very, very pregnant.

Ella's first concert ticket stub.

We packed up Ella in the back seat and took her to her very first concert. This wasn't just any concert but one in an intimate listening-room environment. (You know, unlike the rowdy bar atmospheres we've been known to drag her to!) It was a gamble, keeping a 4 1/2 year old quiet at 8pm for a two hour performance.

No trip to this city is complete without a great meal first, so we inhaled some of our favorite Indian food before the show.

As a surprise for being such a big girl, we gifted Ella with a CD, "Laurie Berkner's Christmas". I didn't have the camera at the ready and I'm glad I didn't. Her reaction will forever be ingrained in my mind. Disbelief...Smiles...Then Tears. She was so happy to have that CD that she cried for a good three minutes. Her disbelief then transferred to her own emotions - "Why am I crying, Mama?" Neither Larry nor I can fully explain or comprehend her affection for Laurie Berkner. IT IS HUGE. And we listen to this Christmas CD more often than either of us would like to. She know each melody by heart. She knows every single lyric. There is nothing more precious than hearing her belt out those tunes from the back seat, especially an old one like "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In".

And this 'big girl' gift worked because our girl was one of the best guests in the audience.

Waiting for show time.

Ella made quite a few friends in the concession area.

Panda was an excellent guest as well.

What also worked for us is her pure infatuation for live music and these two friends. And when she saw that Chris, Dan and Drew came into town for this performance, it sealed the deal.

Drew dedicated a song to her. Her face lit UP.

Allison is due to give birth to their first child, a daughter, any moment now. We are excited and anxious for them. We can't wait to meet her. Personally, I can't wait to photograph her!

Trust me, we get that most parents don't drag their little ones to concerts that don't involve Disney characters or the like - especially when it involves an 8pm concert on a school night. Ella was perfectly formed and made for us.

Oh and I did get a photo the next morning of Ella and her new CD...

...could her smile be any brighter? I think not.

~H