I sneaked peeks of them when I could. Tried not to be so obvious with the camera pointed in their direction (though I'm sure they still knew). But these girls were beauties to behold. My nieces. I had known each of them since they were tiny. And now they're 11 and 9. No longer babies, no longer even little girls. It's strange to see their bodies stretching and growing. It's strange to see how they move at times; how they hold themselves differently. I point my camera in their direction, trying to catch their transformation as it happens. I can't stop it, but I can study it. And sometimes it takes my breath away. I want to capture each moment and hold it tight in my hand, so that I might remember what they were like at each stage before they pass right through it. And yet, before I know it, they are already onto the next phase. But sometimes, just sometimes, I get a glimpse of the little girl I remember, and my heart is happy.