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I almost missed her. I scheduled my trip to Kansas in December around Lilah’s due date, but with newborns it is NEVER that easy. When Lilah still hadn’t arrived on her due date, I decided to change my flight in hopes of getting the timing right. Even that nearly flopped. Lilah finally arrived at 5:51 am on Sunday, December 27th-weighing just over 8 lbs and 18.5 inches long.

Jodi and Lilah made it home from the birthing center on Tuesday and I did her session Wednesday morning- hours before my plane left! I don’t think I have ever completed a newborn session so quickly and with such great results. Jodi and Cory are naturals in front of the camera and Lilah so easily soothed.

They seriously take my breath away!

Look at those cheeks!

It is so easy to take wonderful photographs when you have such beautiful subjects.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Jodi. The look on her face is so telling and it warms my heart.

The color image on the left is hanging large and in charge in the office of the doctor who delivered Lilah. Talk about ecstatic!

Jodi and Cory, I am so very happy to have had the opportunity to photograph all of your milestones (so far!). I feel incredibly privileged to still have you in my life even though we are thousands of miles apart. And I am incredibly appreciative of you opening your home to me just days after giving birth and the day after coming home from the hospital. I hope you cherish these pictures always.

P.S. I have film images from my vintage camera that I took in the hospital being developed right now. Fingers crossed!

The day I learned Erica was pregnant with Makayla, I started making plans for her newborn session. I just knew her little girl would be born with a head full of silky black curls and beautiful lips. Makayla’s session was near record setting- we cranked it out in just under 2 hours. It was the final session shot in my old studio- aka: my old bedroom. It was absolutely wonderful being able to have little set “stations” placed all over the room with backdrops already in place and beautiful light streaming through those big old windows. I no longer have access to it, so I will continue doing “house calls” until I can secure a new spare room in someone’s home with large windows. If you have one that you’d let me rent out, shoot me an email!

Makayla was the smiliest baby ever!

How can you not “AWW” at that face?

My favorite from the session

But this one is a very close second

I love all the “smiles” I got during this session, the hair and the rows back rolls. What a little dumplin!

I had the pleasure of shooting my very first twin newborn session (fairly) recently. OH what tiny little beans they were! Grant and Grayson were nearly a month old before I was able to take their pictures- but they were born 6.5 weeks early- so technically they shouldn’t have even been born yet. They were the smallest babies I had ever seen or held- let alone dangled in the air (heh just kidding) and folded up like a undershirt. Newborn sessions aren’t easy- on the photographer or the parents. There is usually SOME crying/screaming and almost always pee, poop and milk everywhere by the time I’m through. But add twins into the mixture and you have a whole new level of crazy. All I can say is, I am so thankful for the patience all of my newborn clients have with me. I mean, who REALLY wants a stranger chillin’ in their living room just days after they come home from the hospital with a new baby?

Anywho,

Meet Grant.

sweet little half- grin

cute little eyebrow raise

And his brother, Grayson

baby yoga

Ecstatic that this hangs as a 16″x20″ print in their home

Yet another beautiful family

Thank you Jen!

Rebecca was a VERY pregnant bridesmaid in a wedding I attended in October. I was too chicken to give my card directly to her, so I gave it to a friend and eventually my name somehow made it to Rebecca. I pussy-footed around a bit- but I still got exactly what I wanted. By the time we were able to fit Keller’s session in he was 3 weeks old and NOT very sleepy. I’ve had two or three newborn sessions that I’ve knocked out in 2 hours- most take between 3 and 4. Keller and I kicked it together for nearly 5 and half hours. Thankfully, Rebecca was incredibly understanding and patient while we waiting for him to get comfortable and fall asleep. Got to love it when a client will do anything to get the shot.

I especially love the connection in the right photo.

My absolute favorite thing about newborn sessions is catching their “smiles”. I think his little grin completely makes the left picture. And the same with the exhausted baby face in the right one.

Bringing it in tight. I don’t do it often, but I should.

I don’t know the whole story, but I believe Keller is named after a dear friend of his parents who passed way. The tattoo is connected with the friend, so Rebecca and Jeremy requested a picture incorporating the two.

Itty bitty baby parts.

Isn’t Becca beautiful?

The last shots that we waited FOREVER for. He did not want to be placed in the basket, but finally succumbed to la-la land and we got our way.

Thank you Jeremy and Becca for being so patient! I hope you agree that it was totally worth it.

I lied about doing better with posting. Here it is over a week since my last post….I have 3 sessions and a wedding still in my que of photos to edit, with more on the way! (I’m definitely not complaining!) No excuses though…I was informed today that I have more people looking at this blog than I even realized (YA’LL ARE HIDING-not leaving me any comments- stop by and say HELLO!). So here it is midnight before I have to serve a full day at AmeriCorps and hop on a plane for another trip to Kansas.

Jacque and I served together during the 2008-2009 AmeriCorps term. I was so excited to learn about her pregnancy-and secretly hoped she would schedule me to do newborn photos of the new baby. She did! Sydney Rebekeh arrived 3 weeks early at a tiny 4 lbs, 13oz. By the time I get my hands/camera on her she was at 5 pounds- still so tiny compared to my 7 and 8 lb-ers!

This session was only Jacque and Sydney, as daddy-Joe is serving overseas with the Navy. Keep him in our thoughts for a safe and timely return.

Sydney slept the entire first half of her very first photo session. She went from position to position with ease-oh how she makes my ovaries do flip-flops. She just may do the same for you (women)! Meet Syd the kid… she’s not a squid..(I’ll have to post the cute little limerick that Jacque made up to sing to her)

This little hat was so big on her that we had to use a binder clip in the back to keep it ON her head instead of covering her head. I think we pulled it off very well!

Little baby folds…

Daddy’s baby blanket. I absolutely love the deep red and the smile on her face. Another one of my favorite newborn photos to date.

Another one for Dad..

Mom’s baby blanket. I love when clients incorporate meaningful items into their sessions!

Sydney Bean (kidney bean)

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2 of my favorites from the session

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So behind, I am. Baby Gabe’s session was over a month ago! He made his first appearance this summer with his mom and dad

Gabe didn’t much like me messing with him-but between fusses, we got some sweet sleeping shots!

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I love this series of three

ohhh so kissable!

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My favorite from this session-I’ve been waiting to find a little baby to fit in my twiggy basket for so long! Until then it only held magazines Just look at those lips.

You might remember Ashley from when I did her maternity pictures-the first time. Ashley had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Nate as well as her husband from Iraq. Thank goodness that Brian beat Nate home. The day he arrived home, I hopped across town to take a few snapshots of the two of them before baby came!

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Ashley was having contractions during our mini shoot-Brian had arrived just in time! Nate was born just a couple of days later!

Sleep, baby, sleep!

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It was really important to me to get pictures of Brian and Nate together, as he leaves to return to Iraq today.

Can’t forget mommy!

One little, happy family

Brian held the umbrella over us while I shot these next two pictures of Nate and soothed him with his finger after we dropped the pacifier! Who knows what the neighbors thought of us.. Cute!

A 3 week old is a little past my normal “rule” of 2 weeks for newborns- but tempt me with ruby red lips, creamy baby skin and a head full of hair and I just can’t resist!!

Emma was not a sleepy baby- at all! (I’ve had a recent bunch of wide awake babes!) But we managed to get lots of adorable sleeping shots!

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AHHH, bliss!

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ALL girl

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FAVE!

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The next two just pulled at my heartstrings. Its what I imagine being a mother must FEEL like.

Lisa and Scott, thank you for having me. You have one gorgeous little girl!