…seems to be nine! Nine, as in a 9 day old newborn or a 9 month old baby! I seem to have the best luck with little ones this age. I don’t know what it is – perhaps it’s just coincidence :) All I know is that this chubby, sweet little boy was such fun to photograph. From the moment we first met, he was all smiles and giggles – showing me his two little baby teeth :) He endured multiple outfit changes and even some naked shots – outside! And he was totally ok with it – he even managed to let out a jolly chuckle while  simultaneously fussing a bit – he’s awesome! Not only is he super happy, but he’s also super cute! He’s got the chubbiest cheeks, babylicous rolls, and lovely eyes! You can see for yourself…although, I didn’t post any naked baby shots because, well, it’s just too much cuteness – and that needs to be saved for mommy and daddy to see first! I almost fell over when I saw them :)

For each and every photo session I do, there are a handful of shots I always try to get. The night before a session, my mind turns and ideas bounce around in my head for hours. I get excited and inspired…and I make a mental note of the various shots I want to capture…and how I’ll go about doing it. Sometimes I keep a post-it in my pocket with notes…or write them down on my hand :P  So many factors play into whether or not my goal is achieved (weather, mood, baby’s temperament etc) – and while it’s not always possible to get them all, I keep them on my mind throughout the entire session. For this session, my vision was so totally realized — I was able to get all that I had hoped for. I was really aching for a sweet, loving, tender set of images that glowed with the morning light. And I was so lucky that the sun was indeed shining when I arrived at the location (in the past, clouds have put a damper on my plans for sun flare). Then, then…I saw the family. Baby boy was just the most adorabel little guy with chubby pinchable cheeks…and mom was so pretty and had this lovely, lovely romantic flutter sleeve blouse that I fell in love with. And although I wasn’t sure whether baby was into me at first, I was overjoyed when he finally warmed up to me and gave the camera smile after smile :) Here are just a few faves…there are MANY, MANY more that I can’t wait to show mommy and daddy!

It’s like kids have a sixth sense about things. When we really want them to take a nice long nap so they’re well rested for a fun photo shoot, they of course – DON’T NAP! This happened to two families I photographed this weekend. It’s happened to me before as well…seems like my son always skips his nap on the day I need him to rest the most. Familiar, indeed. Despite the lack of naps for the wee ones, they did awesome for our shoot. Just look at this lovely, lovely family!

…appreciation for being able to do what I do. This beautiful baby boy is a true miracle. He survived two dangerous heart surgeries after his birth and is thriving despite it all, just like a little champ. I feel extremely honored to have had the opportunity to capture this special and momentous time in his life and the lives of his family members, as he is a true survivor! He also proved to be a perfect little baby model. At 8 weeks, I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to get many sleepy newborn photos, but with a some patience and the loving touch of his mommy, we were able to get some amazing images :)

…Cool, calm & collected. He might be the coolest baby I have ever photographed. Not only did he have the coolest little dude outfit ever, he had a super cool personality to go along with it :) He was very laid back, relaxed & calm. I’m not sure if it was because he was super tired (he woke up way before his usual time for this session), or if he’s just awesome and cool like that naturally! Probably a bit of both. Either way, I instantly fell in love with his coolness…his big, gorgeous brown eyes and super long lashes. Gerber baby? I think so! I can so see his sweet face on a Gerber label.

…with those eyes, chubby cheeks and pink lips, it’s no surprise that I wanted to take him home with me. The last time I photographed little man, he was only a few months old – now, he’s celebrating his 1st birthday! I was totally smitten with him then, and it looks like he’s still got that same charm :) From his pensive gaze to his shy little smile, he’s as cute as they come!  Happy Birthday little man!!!

…but in a good way! It’s actually been a few months since I photographed a blue-eyed baby. And wow, I was definitely blown away by hers. Not only that, but she had the perfect elbow dimples, an adorable smile that showed off her two bottom teeth, and such a lovely peachy-pink complexion. She was such a joy to photograph! I also soo enjoyed chatting with mommy. I always love having mommy convos during photo sessions because us moms just have so much in common! I have to admit that at least half of why I love what I do so much is getting to meet and hang out with awesome fams – it’s really amazing :) Here are a few sneak peaks of this gorgeous girl that I was lucky enough to photograph on a cool, cloudy morning at the beach!

…he lit up the entire room! It’s not like I have some kind of magic baby dust that instantly makes every baby googly eyed over me. Sure, most times babies find me at least somewhat interesting enough to giggle and smile, but not always. Sometimes they look at me like I’m a little nutty, wondering why I’m making strange sounds and dancing all over the place :) I’m not sure little man was too impressed by my dance moves, but he was fond of his daddy’s games of peekaboo! He loved it so much he let out huge smiles and coos every time – which was the most adorable thing ever! I think dads have a special way of making their little ones laugh ’til their bellies ache (or in this case, until drool trickled down)!

Just look at that adorable face and expressive little pucker. His word was “ooooh” – apparently, he saw something very awe inspiring and was sharing his thoughts with us. Not surprisingly, I was feeling the same “ooooh” that he was. As I photographed this sweet little guy, I kept getting so excited about how awesome his facial expressions were! I love it when feelings are mutual :) I just looked back at his newborn session and totally remember how itty bitty he was – so delicate and small – content and relaxed. Awww, I can hardly believe it’s been a year!