I knew it would be hard. Having two jobs AND two small children. I knew it would be hard, and I planned on taking it slow. But I didn’t anticipate just how hard it would be to squeeze in all the things I want and need to squeeze in on any single day, and how often photography – even of my own girls – would be relegated to lower priority status. So when eventually I felt ready to ease back in, I knew I couldn’t take on too much. I’ll admit, I even wondered if I should be doing this at all at this particular point in my life. And then it was time for my first post-Ruby session, with a little girl that I adore and her beautiful baby sister . . . and I stopped wondering. I had so much fun with Olivia and her family on that near-perfect (but for a few pesky mosquitos) summer evening, and as I’ve edited the images I captured in the fleeting moments I’ve had free since, these gorgeous girls have taken my breath away more than once. It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to glimpse and to preserve the purity of young children for their families. Thank you, Olivia and Sophia, for reminding me of why it’s all worth it. Thanks to your parents and your grandma for their patience . . . I hope you think it was worth it. Here’s your sneak peek:

As I’m gearing up for a session tonight with two adorable little girls, I can’t help but think about my own. We haven’t attempted a sister session recently, but I’ve been trying to make room for mini sessions with Ruby on a semi-regular basis. She changes so fast! This shot was from almost a month ago, when she was four months old. I can’t even put into words how much I love her little round belly here:

The bonus to the image above was that when Violet walked into the room and found me in the midst of photographing Ruby, she was suddenly inspired to have her picture taken, too. So I told her to climb up on the bed, and which direction to face, and was able to snap this before she lost interest again:

Of course I’d love to capture both of them in the same frame, but I’ll settle for both of them in the same day for now!

Once upon a time, I dreamt of being a photographer. I dabbled, years ago, in film, and after Violet was born, finally dove into digital and tried not to drown myself in all there was to learn. So much of which can only be mastered through – what else? Practice. But to practice, one must have subjects to practice ON, and my dear friend Leslie supported me and supplied me with willing (sometimes!) subjects from the start. Suffice to say, I have photographed these sisters for several years now – the younger two since they were born – so it felt right to wrap up my 2009 client sessions with a sessionof all three of them. Stunning, aren’t they?

Miss K’s mom is a friend of mine, but I hadn’t seen this blonde-haired, blue-eyed big sister-to-be since she was a tiny baby! Where does the time go? Now K is two (”and a half!”, she’ll tell you) and full of personality. We had so much fun getting reacquainted (her favorite color is pink, she loves to sing “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt,” and she can’t wait to share things with her little sister, who should be arriving any day now). And Miss K was even tough enough to don her favorite princess frock for a while, despite the not-even sixty degree temperatures that morning. Now that’s dedication. Hope you enjoy your sneak peek, K and family! Can’t wait to meet your new addition soon.

Seems like just the other day my sessions were all shorts and sundresses. But last weekend’s early morning session with Mackenzie and Nicholas was a wake-up call for me in more ways than one! Post-dawn, it was brisk enough out at the park to call for much warmer attire. And a few leaves had even fallen! Mackenzie, her mom, dad, baby brother and I had a great time exploring the changing scenery while scouting for frogs and ducks. This gorgeous little blonde girl and I go way back. Well, she and my daughter, Violet, go way back – which, for 2 year olds, means all the way back to infancy! Now those two are “so big,” and they’ve got younger siblings too. (Violet’s won’t be here for a few months yet, but she’s on her way . . .) Lil’ Mac’s little brother, Nicholas, is hardly little any more, though – check him out! Gotta love baby chub. Thanks for spending the morning with me, Mackenzie and Nicholas! Hope you enjoy your sneak peek.

I know I’m a little bit biased. My own daughter just turned two in August, and I am absolutely loving this age. So when Conor’s mom called to schedule a session in honor of his second birthday, I couldn’t wait to meet him and enjoy his two-dom, too. As you can see, Conor did not disappoint. This little guy was everything that is so great about two – energetic and enthusiastic, sweet and spunky, and 100% himself from the moment we met. That’s the thing I love most about toddlers – they don’t worry about what they think you want to see, they’re ready to show you who they really are as soon as you’re willing to let them. And that’s exactly the kid I’m looking to capture. Conor, I had a blast getting to know you last weekend. i hope you and your mom and dad enjoy your sneak peek!

I had the privilege of photographing this gorgeous family last weekend. But not only were they stunning (and perfectly put-together!), they were such great sports about traipsing around downtown Meridian in near-triple digit temperatures! And they even brought along an assistant (who probably didn’t realize what he was getting roped into when he agreed to spend the night with 11 year-old Evan) – I put him to work warning me of traffic before I got run over as I stood in the middle of the street to shoot. Noelle, Lance, Evan, and Andrea, I had such a good time hanging out with you all. Enjoy your sneak peek!

She lives with me, ergo she lives with a camera in her face. You’ll see her around here regularly. This image is my current favorite, in part because of how it came about:¬†she posed for¬†this voluntarily! It was like Christmas morning for me. That’s right,¬†Violet, you never have to buy me a Mother’s Day gift – just cooperate with me and my camera and I’ll be over the moon.

Violet and her Dad returned home from their afternoon at the discovery center and the park yesterday to find me in front of the computer again, editing images from last weekend’s session. “Hi Mama,” my baby greeted me . . . and then she saw what was onscreen. “CASEY!!!” She shrieked. She was so excited; I’m glad she didn’t faint. Her reaction is understandable – Casey may not be a movie star (yet), but he is her very best friend. He’s also one of the sweetest kids I know, and I had so much fun exploring the park with him last Sunday. We discovered a deer, two turtles, a snake, a butterfly, and countless geese on our little adventure! His mama was a huge help, too: I don’t know that I’d be up for that many rounds of ring-around-the-rosy at 39 weeks pregnant. Hope you get a chance to enjoy your sneak peek before Casey’s little brother makes his appearance, C!

Kids really make you realize how quickly time goes by. When Melissa and I first became friends (eight years ago??!), she had one boy: a sweet, shy¬†toddler she adored. Today¬†he’s a¬†handsome basketball, football, and baseball player -¬†with a little wrestling thrown in in all his (and his parents’!) free time. And his “baby” brother is an unstoppable force all his own, keeping everyone around him on their toes, but laughing the whole time. I had so much fun spending the afternoon with you and your boys, Melissa. It’s hard to believe they’re already so grown up! I loved getting to¬†see them in action, and most of all, to see the bond they have as brothers. Enjoy your sneak peek! And boys, I think your dad is going to love his Father’s Day surprise.