Babies, Babies, and more Babies!

Did I mention an influx of newborns??

This sweet girl was so good.. wide awake and very curious about all the fuss being made over her. My favorite images by far from the session were the ones with mom.. so often as moms we shy away from the camera, but I love it when I can coax them into the shots.. no amount of lack of sleep can take away from the beauty in this bond.. only known each other for two weeks and already they are inseparable.







In honor of this and all the other great moms I know.. I am posting this link to what has to be the funniest thing I have ever seen on youtube. And I normally hate these things... but goodness she knows what she's talking about! :)

Mom's Overture

Have a great weekend moms! (okay, okay.. and dads too!)

The Consumate Covergirl

This little diva ranks in my all time top ten favorite kiddos to photograph... such a personality... and not afraid to show it! :)

Just a little Monday morning happy shot... more to come as I continue editing I'm sure! :)

p.s. Quick scheduling update.. weekend sessions are completely booked for the remainder of 2007. We do still have some weekday spots (daytime or a few limited after-school/early evening) but they are going very quickly. There are also some mini-sessions open for Sept 30th at the Ft Worth Botanic Gardens and ONE spot left for the Nov 3rd in Las Colinas. If you are looking for a holiday session please call or email soon!

On the cusp

This mom mentioned on booking that she wanted to get portraits soon, as her girls are just hitting that transition age.. no longer little kids but not quite teens yet.. the infamous TWEEN years. It's such a hard age.. one minute you're stuck following baby rules, and the next expected to behave as mature as an adult. Enticed by the sparkles of the oh so grown up years to come, but not yet ready to give up all of your childish playthings. What's a parent to do? (hint: lots of patience, and just as much aspirin!) :)







The only thing I was truly surprised about.. mom warned me they were both in the awkward stage.. but I arrived to find two completely stunning girls... daddy's going to need more than aspirin to handle the years ahead... I recommend a big stick and some serious patience!

Oh, baby!

We must have had an ice storm about nine months ago, I seem to be drowning in newborn sessions! :)

This little guy is part of a family I already know and love... mom & dad hired me for a Storybook covering the first year in the life of his big brother, which ended with his first birthday party just last spring! And now we are starting over already... what fun!



I don't know if I was more enamored with this sweet baby or his darling nursery... who says they don't make anything cute for boys??



He was SUCH a good baby the whole time.. let me smoosh and bend and fold him at will, and not a peep of protest! Already my new favorite client!



And of course big brother.. still practically a baby himself.. couldn't be kept away from the fun. He was both fascinated and annoyed with the process, which pretty much describes most new siblings I know, regardless of age.



In the end, he was won over by the sweet smile of his baby brother... and the excitement of the new plaything of his very own! Until we turned our backs and found him sneaking in the baby's Moses basket!



Old habits die hard... luckily they will have years of fun to create new ones! :) Congratulations, guys... I am so happy for you and can't wait to get to know your sweet baby boy!

Another year, another day...

My storybook sessions are such a great little slice of life.. a perfect little time capsule into your life *at this very moment.* And what better way to follow it up than with another storybook the following year? How neat to see what has changed.. and what hasn't... you'd be surprised!

This darling little girl was featured in the blog last year and I was thrilled to return for a second day to mark her second year. And as with any family, some things have changed, some remain the same.

The day still starts with breakfast.. just in a more solid form


Then comes playtime, this time with even more options for fun!


Last year's lunch was a few jars of strained something... this year it's CPK with mommy!


Oh, and how's this for a difference... did I mention the new baby brother to play with?


But of course, no matter how busy & grown up the day has become, it always ends with goodnight kisses from daddy!


Thanks for inviting me into your home again... I hope your storybook reflects the wonderful, peaceful & loving home I am so fond of visiting! :)

**p.s. Scheduling note... fall weekends are almost completely booked. PLEASE contact us asap if you are interested in getting holiday portraits done this year as the last remaining spaces will go quickly. There is still space for mini sessions on 9/30, but the 11/3 has only 3 spots left. Don't delay!!

PSA

My public service announcement for the day...

PRINT YOUR PHOTOS.

A typical conversation with a client for me usually goes something like this:
them: "you must have a ton of photographs of your kids, huh?"

me: "yes, but only a few on the walls!"

Yes.. I must admit.. I am just as bad as the rest of the population with remembering to back up and print my family photographs... the digital convenience gives you that thrill of seeing the image instantly, but eliminates the urgency to actually print the photographs out.. and so they sit. On your computer. Just waiting for a hard drive crash or an accidental deletion. This isn't a sob story about something like that.. I have thankfully not had any catastrophic equipment failures recently or lost years of my children's lives due to one wrong click of the mouse.. it can happen.. but it didn't, at least not yet. What prompted this post?

I printed my pictures.

I sent them away to the lab and actually drove to the store to pick them up. I held those sweet little expressions, those lost moments in time, in my hands and felt the WHOOSH of emotion come back. I was there again.. I could hear their giggles... I could feel the sunshine on the beach and the snuggles on the bed. Then, I took those pictures home and put them into albums, nothing fancy, but secure and safe from fingers but easily accessible. And then I sat on the couch with my girls for hours as we pawed through the pages.

Remember that face the baby used to make?
Remember when you won that award at school? We were so proud!
Remember your granddaddy? Just a few years ago he was there for everything.. I miss him too.
Remember that day? That absolutely nothing day, when we weren't doing anything special and wasted an hour making silly faces for the camera? That was a good day.

The start of school always makes me nostalgic for the years flying past as my girls grow up. I know I can't stop time, and I can't turn it back. But I can take a picture and bottle up a moment... a laugh... a day... and print it out to remind me of all the wonderful times we've had, and all the exciting unknown that lies ahead. Taking the pictures is only half the battle.. a photograph that's stuck in the computer is like a tree falling in the forest... what good does it do if there isn't anyone to share in the joy of the memory?

And speaking of sharing... had I not printed my eons of photos, I would have missed images like these, which I had completely forgotten ever taking and now can't stop staring (and laughing!) at. Just think what hidden jewels you'll find in your own files! :)