So He's a Little Guy.

10th percentile, baby! (for weight). This comes as a big shock for me, as my girls were in the 80-90th percentile ranges for the first year and then eventually averaged out to around 50th percentile. So what does all of this mean? For one, he has gotten more use out of his clothing, as he really wears the his age appropriate size. He has some catching up to do- but some day I think he'll pass up his sisters. Here's our sweet little bitty buddy . . . he's too fun.

{Hello, operator? Can you help me please?}

{We've got a climber here- why sit at the table when you can sit on it?}

{Baby Pop Art}

Fur Coats, Polka Dots & Telephones

A fun studio session from this week-- this sweet little toddler is sure growing up! I have photographed her beautiful family a few times. Her first session as a newborn had to be rescheduled, as I went into labor that day with M.! Here are some shots that I can't get over:

{Can you believe those eyes?!?}

{The toes. Gotta love the toes!}

Celebrating One

One.
Twelve months.
Four teeth.
Twenty-nine inches.
Two climbing, cruising feet.

Two busy hands.
One momma's boy.
One sweetheart.
One year.

{Happy Birthday, Little Bud}

We enjoyed celebrating M's birthday this week. I have been as busy as ever~ hence the lack of posts as of late. I have a goal to reach 100 posts by the end of the year. This means some serious blogging ahead, but I promise to try and make it worthwhile too!

Autumn Shoot

A fun autumn shoot from the past week- a beautiful family, beautiful home, beautiful season. I am so excited for this family to see the results from our shoot. I promised the mom that despite the efforts of her sweet {and precocious} 2 year-old to avoid the family photo shoot all together, we'd have some really fun shots. There are plenty, starting with . . .

{You may recognize this mother-baby duo from his March newborn session.

Check out their pictures here: Sweet Three Weeks

{...and see you latyer! I 'll end on this note, though I'd love to post more from this session!}

His Season

{I could just eat this little one up! . . . and the fall colors are eye candy for me. We enjoyed a nice Sunday drive between conference sessions and this is a bit of what we found.}

My LBFF

The son keeps us on our toes these days. He is a stair-climber, potting-soil digger, unidentifiable crumb tast-tester, emotion detector, and true sweetheart. It has been said of M. that I am his "BFF" (ie. "Best Friend Forever"). I can attest to this, and I will be the first to admit, I do make a great friend. I keep this boy safe, fed, clothed and loved, and that is HARD WORK!

{This is M's "I'm drooling, I'm teething. See my two-teeth grin, with eyes bluer than blue" look}

{This is M's "laugh-out-loud, how can you resist me mom, I'm a sweetheart" look}

{This is his "catch me while you can, don't you love my beautiful lashes" look}

Love you, my little best friend forever.

Sweetness in a Silver Dish

From today: two little redheads & a blondie. You may recall them from an earlier post. Baby E. has the most incredible blue eyes, they are piercing. Enjoy browsing!

{baby sleeping soundly in a . . . silver dish? I do love the light streaming in from the sunny window. What do you think?}

{Snuggly. Soundly. Sweetly.}

{Three sisters: you can see how close they are. You know that they are there for each other. You know they love being sisters.}

{This image really speaks to me. I am caught up by her intense gaze, yet it is peaceful and calm. I love her beautiful eyes.}

Paper Mache Baby

Our little guy is quickly approaching is 1/2 year mark. He has been showing the typical signs of being ready to take on some food of substance, ie. grabbing every utensil I try to steer towards my mouth, dipping his pudgy dimpled hands into food on my plate, etc.

So a few days ago we decided to give him his first dose of rice cereal. As a former art teacher, I have mixed up plenty of batches of paper mache paste: a little flour and water, and you've got sticky gooey glue. M's rice cereal was the perfect consistency to serve as back up paste for any last-minute pinatas if needed. Sorry kid, this isn't the best thing out there, but trust me . . . your taste buds will appreciate next week's strained green beans all the more. It is all part of developing mature taste buds.

{Big sisters take turns helping M. with milky, pasty rice cereal by the spoonful.}

Week of Ones

So I haven't posted in over a week! Why, you may ask? I have been so busy with photo sessions {and life} that I haven't had time to even share a photo or two with all of you. I am anxious to play "catch up" and have way too many photos that I would love to post. So please keep coming back, I promise there will be more.

Here are THREE dashing one-year-old little boys to make you smile- all new photos from the past few days. I love the "turning one" stage-- eager to smile, clap, eat cake and grass (and enjoy them both equally). What a great age. Happy birthday boys!

{J.- dismantling his cake piece by piece . . . loving that green frosting between his toes too!}

{Candid capture of J: not sure who is the "good guy" in this situation, but I am going to have to rule in favor of the one with the innocent brown eyes.}

{Meet C: I just love that crinkly nose, huge grin and smiley eyes. What a handsome little guy with quite a year behind him and so much happiness for life. Happy birthday C!}

{I warned you about these boys being heartbreakers, right? So here is another C.- just turned one and is loving every minute of being outside on such a beautiful day. What could be more perfect than a smiley one-year old?}

Answered Prayers

I pray often. Sometimes out loud, sometimes a whisper prayer. At times, a silent prayer. And today, all of the above. Sometimes, it is a simple prayer in my heart. When I have a deep concern for someone I find myself alternating between being focussed and distracted--going through a gammut of feelings and emotions: hope, concern, gratitude, joy, relief, sadness, love--then I must accomplish a task and for a moment my silent prayer must wait.

Today I could not stop thinking about this handsome little baby. At five weeks old, and he has spent all but two weeks in the hospital. For the past couple of days he has been the focus of my prayers, along with many others who are truly rallying around his family. He is the son of a friend in the neighborhood, and I have been humbled by just how many people want to reach out and help in some way. I know he is in the thoughts and prayers of many.

So tonight, I made arrangements to go and visit baby H. & his mom at the hospital--camera in tow (of course). I felt that photographing him today was one of the best things I could do (second to praying for him) . . . here are a few photos I'd like to share with his mother's permission:

{proof that prayers are answered: baby H. resting peacefully tonight.}

{I am so inspired by this determined little guy- barely older than a month and has already undergone 6 or 7 surgeries. He keeps on going, despite setbacks and emergency operations and more surgeries in the future, he still keeps on going.}

{I think I know where H. gets a good dose of his resillience from . . . his mama. As I looked through the photos from tonight, her happy countenance really struck me. She still finds joy, even through all she has been through this week alone (her baby had 4 surgeries this week!) J- your example means a great deal to me.}

To baby H:

{Hold on kiddo. You'll get through this. You'll be stronger than ever. Miracles do happen, and they have happened for you. Miracles will continue to happen. Prayers have been answered, and they have been answered for you. We pray for you.}

* Today was another day that reminded me why I am a portrait photographer-there is so much love and human emotion out there, just waiting to be captured through the lens and into the heart.

Please say a little prayer for baby H.

Love Is In Bloom

Here are some of my favorites from a wedding shoot last Wednesday. It was a beautiful ceremony in a beautiful location- Thanksgiving Point Gardens. The bride and groom are clearly head over heals for one another. After shooting formals with thir family we ventured into the garden for a quite stroll. With such a gorgeous backdrop and the perfect touch of cloudy sky, these photos with a soft, beautiful light really capture the feelings of that day.

Angels Among Us

I consider it one of the most important things I can ever do . . . capturing a glimpse of the soul, the human connection, love as we know it.

I am blessed to know a wonderful woman who is a mother to five children. Two of her sweet children were born with a severe form of dwarfism. Their tiny bodies do not grow by any measurable standard. They remain in an infant-like state, even though they are 2 and almost 6 years old. I was amazed to witness how mother and children communicate through touch as the children are not mobile and do not speak words. Older siblings have learned to help care for these little angels with such tenderness. I know these children have a great purpose on this earth, and I was blessed to be in the presence of two sweet angels.

A day before this shoot, I was reading another photographer's blog. She started a non-profit organization of photographers around the country who offer free sessions & proofs for parents of preemies or severely ill children. I was so inspired, I immediately signed up to be in the list of "on-call photographers." I feel that there truly is a reason why I photograph people-and each day I am reminded why.

{E. celebrating his second birthday. A smile to melt a thousand hearts!}

{Sweet M.- she basks in the light of her mother's love.}

Eighteen Months

A sneak peak from yesterday's session:
Capturing her adventurous spirit through the lens kept me quick on my feet and ready for anything. The session was in the backyard as well as in her room to add a little variety. For toddlers, I recommend giving them a little room to just run and play--that's where the classic photos come. Here are a few of my favorites:

{she caught sight of mom and I watched her eyes light up!}

{I call this one "toe glasses." She found the perfect place to store them while mom fixed her hair.}

{Carefree and in between outfits, an 18 month old doesn't need encouragement to play in a puddle. This water was from the family dog's tipped over water dish.}

{I love the warmth of a child's room illuminated by a sunny window. It makes for a perfectly cozy photo.}

Sunshine

I've been so fortunate this past week to enjoy three great sessions with plenty of little cuties to photograph! Sunshine on the first day of spring and sunshine in the eyes of a sweet sister and brother. I just love it when something so huge as LOVE is somehow captured in a freeze-frame less than 1/60 th of a second.

{the true definition of a contagious smile}

{I could keep going with photos of this little guy!}

He is a true miracle . . . born 2 months early and less than 4 pounds and here he is- a healthy eleven months. Amazing!}

Oh Boy!

This little spud is so adorable! I love his beautiful eyes and squishy soft skin. These 3 month photos show he's no longer a newborn but he's still just as cuddly and lovable. To mom & dad- you'd better watch out, you've got a heart-breaker on your hands. Hope you enjoy these!

{Baby's mom has the swaddling thing down. He makes for a cute little bundle!}

No other place he'd rather be . . .

A little about me . . .

I am happily married the "boy next-door" ands we are parents to three beautiful children (as you can see, even their toes are gorgeous!).

I come from a family of artists: painters, furniture designers, musicians, actors, screenwriters, photographers, architects and teachers. (Yes, my family is that big! 9 kids in all). I am passionate/ obsessed about all things creative. I have been blessed with an abundance of opportunities to utilize my creative energy!

I must admit, I have been bitten by the blog bug. I have recently been inspired by several enlightening and worthwhile blogs and have finally decided to join in on the fun. I make no guarantees as to whether reading my ramblings will add to your life or even your day. I hope you will be pleasantly surprised, and if anything at least the photos will add a little interest. :)

So visit often, share your thoughts, and we'll see where this takes us . . .