I’ve fallen head over heels for this baby girl. An absolutely amazing gift to her mommy, daddy & two big brothers. She’s the most gentle, delicate, sweet little baby (which should come as no surprise being that her mommy is the same way). She has the most adorable face I have ever seen! At 5 months, she’s already a charmer…giving me amazing eye contact and being quite amused by my games of peek-a-boo. This is seriously a cute age….my favorite has to be the grabbing and sucking of her baby feet – I looove when babies do this, it’s the cutest thing! Yes, I fell head over heels for this baby girl. I’d have to say that my favorite images are the ones at the end of this post – when I photographed her with her beautiful, beloved grandmother…as her mommy explained to me, this sweet baby girl is a blessing…and a gift – I couldn’t agree more.

I can’t think of a more amazing way to start a new year than with new life! There’s something just indescribable about the energy you feel when a baby is born – it’s magical, beautiful, breathtaking. This sweet angel definitely captivated the hearts of her mommy, daddy…and grandparents (and me)! She’s such a calm and content little girl — perhaps it’s because she’s still taking in all of this big world since her birth was super fast (her mommy’s labor was so intense and quick, she went from 5cm to baby being born in under an 1 hour 19 minutes!) No doubt, baby is a sweetheart and mommy is just amazing! I can’t even imagine how intense her labor must have felt. I mean, to go from 5cm to pushing in an hour?! It must have felt like 1 hour looong contraction that never let up! Amazing. Simply amazing how phenomenal the female body is…and the sheer magic of bringing new life into the world. Welcome sweet baby girl! It was so nice to meet you and I can’t wait to see you again for our newborn session! And congratulations to the beautiful family!

…he’s *still* as cute as he was as a baby (wink). Trust me – I love a soft, chubby, cuddly baby as much as I love a bowl of ice cream + brownie, but I must say, 3 year olds are just as cute :) It seems as though most (if not all) boys love trains. I’m not sure what it is (maybe it’s the huge size or the cool sounds) but kids just looove trains! So we headed down to these really cool deserted railroad tracks to play! Of course, we weren’t there for a photo session – oh no! We were there to check out the tracks – and he just *happened* to be dressed up all cute and spiffy as he yelled “All aboard” about 101 times. And, as with most children’s sessions, 30 minutes is all I needed (and it’s also the longest a kid will last for photos)!

Usually, when you’re behind the camera and the viewfinder fogs up, it’s quite bothersome – but these days, it’s something that I’ve grown to love. I used to always wear my glasses during sessions because I don’t like how contacts feel in my eyes…but I was starting to get tired of fogging them up. Why you ask? Well, I’m a serious baby. A total cry baby. I cry watching movies, I cry when I look at my son, I cry when I think about my family…and yes, I cry during photo sessions. Embarrassing. But, I’m usually able to hide it quite well. My glasses used to get foggy and wet with tears when every once in a while, I watch a family interact in a way that makes it completely clear how in love they are…and the emotions just fly at me like diced onions – causing me to start bawling. Anyhow, even though I no longer have glasses to get foggy, my viewfinder has now fallen victim. I actually love it, because it means I’ve captured a very special moment for the family, which is worth way more than my viewfinder (or mascara). With this sweet family, I definitely had foggy viewfinder moments. As much as I want to post them, I’ll save those photos for later :) but for now, check out how gorgeous they are…how energetic they are…and how in love they are with being a family…being together.

…to end the year than with a fantastic maternity session. My very last session for 2010! It was just perfect. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the parents-to-be were so adorable together. I was reaaaally ecstatic that it was so gorgeous outside….the sunset was phenomenal and I thought it was so perfect for them…since they’re both from Hawai’i, it’s only right to stay true to their roots with a sunset beach session…although, LA sunsets cannot compete with Hawai’i sunsets – this as as close as it gets :) And, as I often write on my blog, one thing I love most about what I do is getting to meet such great people…and making connections with them. I lived in Honolulu as well (my dad’s side of the family is from the Big Island), so I’m always stoked when I meet my fellow Hawai’i peeps! So now, on to the photos. I think my faves are the last few…and the very last one shows how lovely the sunset was that evening. Thanks to mother nature for clearing away the clouds 20 minutes before sunset!

Happy New Year! As I reflect on the past 12 months, I have a renewed sense of appreciation for all of the blessings I have received — to be welcomed into the lives of so many families makes me feel incredibly lucky & fortunate. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing! It’s truly a beautiful experience…a humbling experience. And of course, I’m so thankful to have an amazing partner who walks with me hand in hand as we continue on our journey as parents – raising our sweet baby boy together. Geez, I can’t help but feel a little emotional thinking about what a blessing this past year has been..and reminiscing about all of the wonderful families I’ve had the opportunity to meet. In an effort to celebrate all of the awesome 2010 sessions I’ve had the opportunity to shoot, I selected a handful of my absolute FAVORITE images. I originally wanted to keep it at 10, but I obviously went way over :) Check out the slideshow below.

I’m also doing a little contest! Vote for your favorite slideshow image. CAST YOUR VOTE BY CLICKING THIS LINK. The link will open in a new window, so be sure to turn-off pop-up blockers.

And of course, just a few notes about voting:

• Voting is from Jan 1 – Jan 31st
• Voting is monitored by IP address, so no multiple voting
• Anyone can vote (including friends & family)
• Winner receives  $300 credit towards their next photo session, and;
• Winner receives an 11×14″ Gallery Wrap Canvas of the winning image (some slides have 2 images, so winner can select which image goes on canvas)
• Results will not be shown, winner will be announced on my blog on February 1st.