lauren & co.

I don't know what is in the water this year, but last night I had my fourth red-headed newborn session. Fourth. In a month, mind you. Red hair. Blue eyes. I was in heaven. I was also a bit nervous. When Lauren called to schedule the appointment, she mentioned Miss Sophie would be 6 weeks old. Now, my faithful reader, you've heard me say it too many times: anything past three weeks gets a bit spotty. Of course, there's always an exception to the rule. And Sophie proved to be it. I could not believe, and I mean Could. Not. Believe. How absolutely calm this baby was. For two hours she just hung out, eyes wide open, staring at my lights. My camera. Me. When she did start to show the tiniest signs that she may be done, Paul leaned over and did some baby trick that he saw on a video (I can't remember what it's called, but oh my heavens, did it work; and don't be alarmed if at your next newborn session I walk in with a 6'4" gentleman who will whisper in your wee one's ear!). Within seconds Sophie was back to posing like a little angel, as calm as can be. During newborn sessions, during feedings, you get some time to get to know Mommy and Daddy. I did think that their story of Them was amusing, so I thought I'd share. They both attended A&M, and while there they worked at Appletree's grocery. Lauren was a checker, Paul was a sacker, and one day Paul came through with a six pack of Shiner. Lauren feigned coolness and asked, "Are you gonna share that with me?" . . . and the rest is history. They have been together for 17 years, married in a castle in Scotland and are now parents to such a sweet little girl who truly was sooooooo easy. Lauren and Paul, thanks for coming out to see me. Enjoy your sneak, and I look forward to Sophie's 6 month portraits!

michelle & co.

Last night I found myself surrounded by 11.5 children, 7 lovely mamas and Bob (who plays a mean Mr. Squeaky, if anyone asks). This was my third time to work with Michelle and her babies, and my first time to work with a wonderful group of women who have all been friends the last 3.5 years. Michelle, Lindley, Lindsey, Kristine, Courtenay, Paula and Lindsay all met at a church Mom's group several years ago and have been friends ever since. And so have their precious tots. Impeccable taste runs rampant amongst this group: I loved the blue and white color palette they chose for the outfits, loved the outfits they chose for the kiddos (Baby Gap ad, anyone?) and loved watching everyone interact. The children were all so cooperative and not the least bit put out with the crazy, singing lady shoving a camera in their adorable little faces. I swear I could have taken every single one of them home. I really don't think the session could have gone any smoother: the kids provided lots of fun moments for me to capture, when it came time to do sweet poses with their mamas they were spot on, and we managed to get some cute shots of all the 20.5 supermodels! Here is a small sampling of the cuteness I experienced last night. Aren't they delish? Love the last shot of Ella texting, after all her friend had left. I think it said something like, "OMG, peeps! How fun was THAT!?!?!?? We looked 2 cute and it wuz so much fun. Our moms rock for putting this 2gether. Ella. Out." Thanks, ladies, for such a fun, organized session, and special thanks to Bob for all his help. And, of course, kisses to the kiddies! Enjoy your sneak!

nicole & co.

Angel boy. Or Brayden. Take your pick. This little bundle of joy (who would make Anne Geddes green with envy) arrived at my house yesterday with his unbelievably sweet parents, Nicole and Stuart, and his super haute grandma, Stacie. Such a sweet little boy. 1 week, 3 days. And so very snuggly. He literally would clutch at his mama's shirt during snuggle time; I've never seen anything like it. Stuart was such a nice guy with a great sense of humor, and Nicole was just as sweet as could be. And, oh, the bond she shared with her baby boy! I must give credit to Grandma Stacie. In from Cali (and leaving all too soon!), she was my right-hand-gran during the session. I always love when grandparents get to come to newborn shoots. I get to see, firsthand, the bond the adult child and grandparent share, and how that bond is echoed in the parent's (and grandparent's) bond with the baby. Both Stacie and Nicole are Natural Born Nurturers, and it was so moving to see them tend to Baby Brayden. I feel compelled to throw in that both Nicole and Stuart work for Frito Lay. Gee, I wonder who's going to be the most popular kid at the lunch table in a few years? A wonderful session, with wonderful folks. Nicole, thank you so much for coming out to see me. You guys were so patient, so sweet and so much fun! Enjoy your sneaky (and safe travels to Stacie!).

kerri & co.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Kerri and her lovely family. I last worked with them this past September, when they were only a family of four. Enter baby Campbell. At 4 weeks, she is just the sweetest little ball of love. And I don't know what is going on in my world, but she is the 5th or 6th newborn I've worked with who has so much hair!!!! And she is totally the third child. As big sisters Cadence and Caroline played (sometimes rather loudly) in the background, Campbell slept through all of it. In fact, the only thing that woke her was when we tried to get her all baby naked for some naked baby pics. Kerri brought along Mimi, who was a great help, and daddy Kevin . . . who had to end the show early when he received an unexpected shower from Baby C. Kerri is a former Plano teacher who now runs a wonderful daycare out of her home. She's taking this year off, but if anyone is looking for somewhere for their baby next year, Kerri might be your girl. Email me if you're interested. Kerri, it was great seeing you guys. You looked mah-velous, and the girls could not have been cuter! Thanks so much for coming out to see me, and enjoy your sneaky!

chris & co.

My final session of the Marathon Weekend was with Chris and Chuck. They recently welcomed a beautiful, bouncing baby boy into the world. But as they haven't yet decided what they'll call him (it's a toss up between Charlie and CJ), I'll just call him Sweet Boy. Or Strong Boy. Just a few days shy of two weeks, Sweet Boy was displaying some freakishly amazing Tummy Time skills. I placed him on his tummy for a few poses, and the boy refused to put his head down. Just held it up, looking around, for at least 2 minutes. At 2 weeks. Insane. Chris is a band director for a middle school, and Chuck is a football coach for a high school. I think it's safe to say that Sweet Boy will have the best of both worlds when it comes time to pick extracurricular activities. Chris is from Illinois, and Chuck is from Minnesota. As my own parents hail from the Gopher State, and I spent a few years as a resident of the Prairie State, we had lots to bond over during our shoot. But I had to draw the line and side with Coach Chuck when it came time to pick favorite teams: Go, Vikings! You guys, you have such a sweet little Rookie on your hands, and it was so much fun working with all three of you. Congratulations, and enjoy your sneak!

ashley & co.

You might remember Ashley and her adorable family from a session last fall. Well, for the holidays, Ashley and her sibs gave their parents a family photo session with me. Six months later, I finally had the opportunity to meet the rest of Ash's family. She comes from a family of 4 kids, and as the oldest of 5, I felt right in. There was just a fun dynamic between all of them, and they are obviously a tight-knit bunch. The 4 young cousins (two belong to Ashley, and the other two to lovely sister Lindsay) are all boys and just the cutest things ever. At 4 weeks, little Caleb had a head of hair you wouldn't believe! And Jacob, Jonathan and Jonah had so much fun hunting for birds with Grandma Cindy. The group was very laid back, so much fun and drop-dead gorgeous. Every single one of 'em. Special thanks to baby brother Luigi for all his help, and sincerest apologies to brother Drew for almost running off with his shades! Ashley, thank you for arranging the shoot and for letting me meet the rest of your fam. Hope you all had fun at your post-shoot swim party! Thanks again, and enjoy your sneak!

nikki & co.

I spent Sunday morning with another one of my son's classmates (I tell you, he was in the company of some cuties!), Andie and her big brother, Jake. Mama Nikki had scheduled a sibling session after I took pics at Andie's school, and I was so impressed with her two "babies." Both were so polite, so well behaved and so easy to work with! They were also very sweet to each other. Nikki wanted only pics of the kids, and she brought along Jake's baseball gear. Too cute. The bat they brought was actually Dad's, so I couldn't help but somehow make a father/son shot out of it. Nikki, thanks so much for the opportunity to work with both your kiddos. They are beyond adorable and so very sweet! Enjoy your sneak . . . and your summer!

sara & co.

Saturday I spent the evening with one of the best dressed families in town. When Sara and Ricky stepped out of their wheels, they looked like they were on their way to some sort of uber-fancy cocktail party. And then Luke, Lauren and Lindsay hopped out in their adorable little outfits, and I was pretty much regretting my clothes choice that evening. Sara is the sister of J, and good looks and great taste must run rampant in that family! The kiddos were all so adorable, and especially so polite. And it was fun to see their distinct personalities. Luke is the protective older brother, and he kept wanting to hold Lindsay in all the shots. Lauren is one of the most verbal 3.5 year olds I've ever met (I honestly thought she was 6!) and so very, "Anything big brother can do, I can do better." Lindsay loved her solo photo session at the end and will soon be walking everywhere . . . which will help her in her quest to keep up with big brother and sister. After a fun photo session, the family was off to Japon for dinner. Where, Luke and Lauren informed me, they would dine on their favorite dish: steamed rice and steak. Hope the meal was as delicious as the session, guys!

kristina & co.

Friday night I was able to spend some time with one of my son's favorite little girls, Kyleigh. Kyleigh and Jacob were best friends at school this year (but if you ask K, they are getting married when they are 10). Her mama recently booked a session with me, and I got to work with Kyleigh's cuteigh-patooteigh sisters, Hayleigh and Breeleigh. Mimi and Kendall came along to lend a hand (or 4), and we managed to get some great shots . . . even if we couldn't find any decent water (though I did admire Chase's adventerous spirit when he wanted to "borrow" someone's pond). Kristina was so funny: she stressed all week about wardrobes, and at the last minute she found 3 adorable, matching dresses in the girls' closet. Go figure. Thanks, guys, for a fun Friday night and enjoy your sneaky. Oh, and Kyleigh, I'd be honored to have you as a daughter-in-law in five years!

nicole & co.

Last month, Nicole and David came to see me for some maternity pictures. This past weekend they came back for newborn pictures. And they brought along Miss Madeline. Who, a bit shy of two weeks, had THE loveliest head of hair! So long, so thick, and such a to-die-for color. Honestly, I'd pay big bucks to have hair that soft shade of strawberry blonde. Nicole also brought along her mother, who was helping take care of both of her girls for the week. Madeline was so funny; normally at this age, babies sleep and sleep and sleep. But not Miss M. She was so intent on soaking up her new surroudnings. I've never seen anything like it, actually. And oh how she loved to snuggle with her mama! She did manage to take a quick nap at the very end of the session, so we were able to get a sweet sleepy shot. Such a sweet baby girl, with the most easy going personality (just like her parents). Props to David for taking time off work to make the first half of the session; such a good Daddy! Congrats, guys. She's such a sweetie, and it was wonderful seeing you again! Enjoy your sneak!