The revised No. 2 is GREAT! Eye contact, attention getting
God is Great all the time... so many opportunities to share the beauty of creation... great work... Guess it's easy when you live in PARADISE, smile
Great shot... the eyes make portraits sparkle and you "nailed it!" I too would have cropped higher, but that issue is MOOT as you explained... I disagree about the background being a distraction, it's soft-focus and more appealing than something flat or gray... getting the right expression from your subject is a talent; unlike exposure and cropping, it can't be "learned"; either you have it or you don't -- and you HAVE it!
Only one thing to note with Nikon CoolPix... some of the cameras have the flash side by side with the lens and that makes for repeated RED eyes... ugh! Think Nikon engineers would be more sensitive to camera configuration...
CoolPix
CoolPix