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Dad's second-a-day video: more viral adorability

A second--a-day video by dad Sam Cornwell splices together one second of every day of his son's first year – and it has gone predictably viral. His son, Indigo, is the main subject, but the love shown by the characters who pop in throughout – dad, mom, family, and friends – makes it all the better.

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Snapshot from 'A Second a Day from Birth'
Sam Cornwell's video, 'A Second a Day from Birth,' shows one-second per day of his son Indigo's first year on Earth.
  • By Andrew Averill Correspondent

Indigo Cornwell was born a year ago on July 9, and every day since, his father has recorded a one-second video of him. 

Dad Sam Cornwell got the idea from a lecturer who, speaking at a TED convention in 2012, said: "[A]s the days and weeks and months go by, time just seems to start blurring and blending into each other and ... visualization is the way to trigger memory."

Mr. Cornwell's video starts moments after his son was born. As the days and seconds go by, the initial uncertainty in Indigo's eyes gives way to trust and wonder and excitement. Indigo's growing up. 

In one clip, Indigo is on his belly at a beach, flailing his arms and legs out and up like a skydiver. In another he's crying while being held after getting a shot. In others he takes a step with help from his dad, and walks by himself toward his smiling mom. 

Certainly, the movie of one-second clips will be re-watched countless times by his parents and family as he grows up. Seeing him in a fluffy bear costume or going down his first slide, they'll be able to laugh and cheer as they did then. 

But the real prize is Indigo's. He'll always have a video full of daily reminders of his parents' time with him. He'll hear their sense of humor, see their smiles, and remember the love that held him up when he took his first step. 

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