Gorgeous, sparkly blue eyes and a sweet, bubbly, sparkly personality to go along with them :) What a sweet, sweet baby girl! Not only is she beautiful with her charming smile and striking blue eyes, but she’s also got such a wonderful personality. She seemed quite easy going and just a happy girl all around. She gave me lots of different facial expressions – all of which were just as cute as the ones before! I can see why mommy and daddy are smitten :)

…liquid sunshine. Being that mommy and I both have roots in Hawaii, I thought she’d enjoy my blog title :) Yes, on the islands, liquid sunshine is quite enjoyable & very beautiful. When we met up for our session though – I was definitely missing that liquid sunshine because it was the exact opposite: “liquid gloom” – wet, muddy & cold :( But that didn’t stop us from setting up a kiddie tent on a bed of fertilizer, lol! Thanks to dad for being a trooper, squatting down in the rain and laying down plastic sheets for us. And thanks to mommy for allowing her beautiful quilt made of kimonos get soaked in rain water! The verdict though = success! As always, I had a wonderful time photographing this lovely family – and even more enjoyable was chatting with mom. It always feels like I’m just visiting with friends – which is the best feeling :) Oh, and thank you to dad for cleaning the fertilizer off of my shoes before I left :)

…of greeting is one that involves a sweet, adorable, cuddly little boy and a great big bear hug! The first thing he did was run up and give me the cuddliest hug! I was so very happy that he remembered me even though it had been an entire year since  I last photographed him & his beautiful family. I had a feeling at that point that our session would rock! This was definitely the case :) Everyone was full of energy and you could just feel the love! And big bro was so super cooperative – it’s hard photographing kids between 18-36 months because they really just want to do what THEY want to do, naturally – but this little guy makes my job look so easy because he pretty much enthusiastically went with the flow of what I asked him to do – even laying on the moist grass – which he actually liked and thought was funny! Aaand, I was even able to get what I call the “impossible shot” – which is a good smiling shot of itty bitty siblings together — and they were even both looking at the camera – wow! This family session was so refreshing…I just love what I do! So lucky!

Last night was a very special night. Two sweet little girls finally got to meet their baby brother. Mommy and daddy got to hold their first son. A loving family experienced the miracle of a baby being born. It was beautiful :)

The science behind a fabulous photo shoot involves…..toys!  In this case, building blocks, inspired by – what else? Science! How cool are these blocks?! I think our little guy may have a future in science just like his momma :) I wouldn’t be surprised at all – because he seems to be a very smart boy. He has some amazing concentration. When he was doing an activity he enjoyed, he was totally focused – he’s going to do amazing in school! He’s also one of the sweetest boys I’ve ever photographed. He’s gentle and sweet….and very loving. You can see just how sweet he is by the way he smiles. What a little angel :)

…this is what I was thinking when I read her email. We were BOTH at the hospital, both in LA (well, I was in Santa Monica – but close enough). Why? Because we both had just given birth to baby girls on the same day! Annd, we both had our first borns (both boys, and both preschoolers) waiting back at home with daddy! FUNNY! I knew from our email exchanges that our session was going to be awesome, and boy was I right. THEY are awesome! THEY are an amazing family. Our session was loooads of fun. There was lots of running, laughing, tickles, hugs & kisses…and of course, a bit of candy (sometimes a little candy goes a long way for photo shoots, lol). What a gorgeous bunch, fun loving, carefree and really down to earth :) I had an amazing time guys!

…brown eyes just like her brother :) I couldn’t find his newborn pictures, but I did find his 11 month pictures. You can see that brother and sister both have amazing, beautiful, soulful brown eyes!

…that’s the typical way my husband greets Emi. He calls her “Missy” – and so does my son. My nicknames for her include: Emi girl, Emi Reesey, baby girl & Em. I can hardly believe that she is 6 weeks now and weighing 9 lbs 9 oz. This girl loves to eat (unlike her bro, who always had a hard time eating). She also loves to sleep! Thank goodness :) She’s getting much better at tummy time these days and her hair is starting to grow back – she had cradle cap that started at around 11 days, and thanks to some Burt’s Bees Baby Oil, Bella B’s Organic Cradle Cap Shampoo & lots of brushing, it’s finally gone and the hair that fell out is coming back :) We actually had pro photos taken when she was 10 days old, right before the cradle cap started – so thank goodness for that! Now that she’s camera ready, I can keep sharing more pics! Here she is doing tummy time. I love her eyes….beautiful almond shaped peepers just like her brother (and daddy). I love her so much – these photos make me so happy :)

I also wanted to share some of my current must have baby items:
- Baby Connect iPhone App (Because what’s not to love about graphs on baby poo and nursing frequency? score!)
- Jewel’s “Lullaby” Album (Hello tears, makes me very weepy)
- Swaddle Strap – thanks to this lovely mommy. (Looks a little frightening, but it works!)
- Rocker (Folds so it’s easy to bring up and downstairs)
- Bassinet (So cute, and functional since Emi sleeps in our room)
- Tommee Tippee bottles (so daddy can feed while I’m at sessions) and WubbaNub Pacis (because they’re so cute)
- Mother’s Milk Tea (Really works! And tastes yummy)
- Baby Monitor HD Camera & iPhone App (Uber cool. We use our iPhone, iPad & computer to view multiple cams at once all on one device instead of lugging multiple monitors around the house…perfect for when both kids are napping in different rooms)

It’s raining out right now! Time to go snuggle with my Emi girl and smell her sweet baby’s breath (I looooove). And take in all of her cuddly warmth. Sigh.

…lovely morning light, lovely girls to photograph, and a very lovely home. What a nice change from typical green and red holiday photos. I loved mom’s idea of two little princesses in front of a pretty pink teepee :) How sweet are they together?! These girls are so beautiful (just like their mommy), and it’s been wonderful photographing big sister since she was 6 weeks old, and now, little sister – who is 5 months! I can’t wait to see her grow through the years! And would you look at their gorgeous home? I had to add a few at the end of the post just for eye candy :)