Frans Hofmeester, the Dutch filmmaker who made incredible timelapse video of his daughter Lotte from birth to 12 years said he began the project to "keep his memories intact."
"She was changing at such a rapid pace, that I felt the need to document the way she looked" he said, voicing feelings that many new parents echo," Hofmeester told The Huffington Post UK.
"Other people might make a photo book, but I decided to film," he said, via email. "The baby blanket, the white background, was the constant factor."
Hofmeester said that he decided to post the video now as Lotte is just entering puberty, marking another period of growth.
"She’ll be changing a lot over the coming years, but primarily on the inside. I thought the first year of secondary school was a good demarcation. "
Hofmeester also tells the visual story of his son Vince, ageing from a baby to a nine-year-old, in the video below. However it wasn't always easy to film them, as anyone with a small child will attest to.
Vince in particular can be seen chewing on Lego, checking his reflection in the camera lens, and playing with his hair, giving the impression that sometimes it was a struggle to calm his active son for long enough to take the shot.
"Sometimes they did not feel like it. Then I said" ‘Just one minute. Tell me about your ball game, did you win?’ That way I stalled them so I could complete the shot," he admitted.
He promises to continue to film them as they enter their teens, saying how "flabbergasted" he is that the video of his children has been watched by millions.
Underneath the portrait of Lotte on Vimeo, people have been sharing their feelings
"What a beautiful and loving way to say, 'I love you!' Thanks for sharing it with us here" writes one viewer.
Another confesses "Wow...amazing! That made me cry. Very well done!"
Hofmeester says "for a proud father this is overwhelming."
"I've always had the feeling that this project was special, that it deserves a wider audience. But I never dreamt that it would get this kind of exposure."
Videos and images courtesy of Frans Hofmeester.