Breanna and Family

Remember Saundra and family? Well, on July 31st they added sweet Breanna to the mix. I was so happy to get the chance to photograph this little one -- getting to meet the babe inside the bump is such a happy thing. I'm typing this with one hand while Wally nurses, so I'm just going to get right to the photos.

Cheeks!
Beautiful Sienna with her baby sister. These girls have completely different coloring.

Love the swirl of hair.

The new family of four.

Ahhh. I know Breanna is crying here, but isn't this sweet?
Daddy and open-eyed daughter.

I've been loving this shot lately.

A bit of bum.

Mama and baby.

(Trev just took Wally so I can really type now.) I had so much fun chatting and sharing birth stories with Saundra and Bill. It's interesting to talk with another 2nd-time mom about all the changes in the family dynamic and the differences between this pregnancy/birth/newborn experience and the last. From what I can tell, Saundra, Bill, Sienna, and Breanna are adjusting to life as a foursome VERY well. Congratulations to you all, and thank you again for allowing me to meet Breanna!

PS. Yes, there will be photos of Wally up here soon!

Six Months and Growing

I'm back! Well, sort of. Wally (escorted by Daddy) came with me to Emmeline's six month photo session. I can't believe it has been over half a year since I photographed her birth! Six months is one of my absolute favorite ages -- they're sitting but not mobile, cuddly, and curious. Emmeline was no exception. She has these eyes -- deep, dark brown like her mama's -- beautiful creamy skin, and of course some serious chub that makes a person just want to SQUEEZE her all day long. I managed to restrain myself (most of the time) in order to get some fun photos at a GORGEOUS Marysville park. (I can't wait to go back in early November for her nine month photos. The trees at that park will be amazing!)

Poor Angel and Eric have had to wait a whole week for their sneak peak because my computer has been terrorizing me, so without further ado, here's Emmeline!

On Daddy's drum. If you remember this shot, you can see how much Emmeline has grown.
Love the hint of baby bum in this one.
Ahh, toes.
A quietly happy moment. See what I mean about those eyes?
Love from Daddy.
Squish kisses. I never get tired of these.
Baby in a basket.
Angel and Eric, what are you doing here? I didn't see this until I started proofing. I'm imagining a conversation along the "She's YOUR daughter" lines. Whatever it was, I love this shot! I couldn't have asked for a more fun first session back. Thanks for being flexible, Angel and Eric. I'm so glad this worked out! Enjoy!

More of Waldron

Before Wally was born I couldn't wait for him to arrive so I could start photographing him. I had all kinds of plans for fabulous shots and pictures every day. What happened? As it turns out, it's a lot harder to be the photographer AND the new mom than I thought it would be. Between recovering from giving birth, the extreme heat of last week, caring for a two-year old, and adjusting to a lack of sleep, my plans for photos got a bit lost.

Wally was 10 days old when I finally got around to part two of his newborn shots. That may still sound very new, but it's really on the outside edge of newborn-ness. He was already more difficult to get to sleep (and keep asleep) than he had been, and I was feeling some serious pressure to just get ANYTHING before he graduated from newborn to baby right in front of me.

What have I learned from all this?
1. New moms need to take it easy or they pay the price later.
2. (For all my clients out there) I prefer to photograph newborns during the first week if at all possible.
3. Sometimes you just have to cut yourself some slack and relax.


All that being said, here are some of my favorites from Wally's 10-day-old photo session.


Big yawn!

Sweet feet.

Oh, the lips!
Wearing the hat that Kelly made for him. Thanks, Kelly!

More (peeling) feet, and a crusty bellybutton. He lost his cord on day 7.

Waldron has been a dream baby so far. He sleeps and eats and that's about it. We venture out every once in a while in the sling (which he loves) and car trips have been a breeze. I know it could all change without a moment's notice, but we are having a great time together right now. Woops! I just heard a monster poop, so I'll end this here. Enjoy!

Wally's Debut

The facts: Born on July 23rd, 11:31am, 8 pounds 8 ounces, 20 3/4 inches long.

The name: Waldron Dain

The story: Too amazing and beautiful to write down in the amount of time I have before he's awake and wants to nurse again.

The abbreviated version: After three hours of labor, Wally was born at home one minute before the midwife arrived. I caught him and have been in love ever since. I promise I'll get the whole story down sometime soon.

In the meantime, we had our first (of many) mini photo session today. I wanted to start earlier, but Trevor insisted that I take it easy at least over the weekend. Good husband. Enjoy Wally's debut images!

A favorite, for sure.

Those little details that I want to remember always.
The crease in his nose cracks me up.
Lips and toes in the same shot!
I promise I'll share more soon! Time to go nurse!

I'll bet you're wondering...

where I went!

Or maybe you thought my long period of not posting was due to my baby boy's arrival. Sorry to say it, but you'd be wrong. Wally is STILL cozied up in Mama's belly and we are pretty much sitting around twiddling our thumbs waiting for him to arrive (and jumping at every little twinge I feel!).

It's not so bad, though. Trevor, Abby and I have been enjoying some wonderful family of three time, and I'm resting up for the big event. The birth tub is inflated, the house is clean, the fridge is stocked (though I may need to look at some expiration dates!), and the camera is ready. I'll be sure to post some photos as soon as we've got someone to photograph!

Till then!

Waiting for baby

Saundra, Bill, and 20-month-old Sienna are waiting to meet the fourth member of the family in early August. We got together on Thursday for some belly/family photos in their home (which they are remodeling!) and at Alki beach. Here are a few from our session:


Sienna perks right up when there's a camera around.

Hugging Mama's belly -- with a little help from Dad.
Saundra's smile is infectious and HUGE!
At Alki before sundown.
I love swinging toddlers!
I like the hint of bellybutton in this shot.
A little more of my sun-flare addiction.
And finally, my favorite two shots of Saundra. There's something about an expecting mother and water -- they seem to go together perfectly.
Gorgeous!
Saundra, I wish you all the best with your upcoming birth. You are absolutely stunning as a pregnant woman and a mother. Enjoy these last few weeks!

Another growing family

I'll give you one try to guess this little girl's name.

I met adorable Lily and her family on Wednesday, eight days after she was born. This little one wasn't the sleepy newborn that is so common. She was wide-eyed and watching EVERYTHING for almost our whole session. We finally did catch the above image of her sleeping, and the one below. Love those open lips!

While mama (Amy) nursed and swaddled and shushed and jiggled (Happiest Baby on the Block eat your heart out!), I got to sit outside and watch big brother, Henry, ride his dirt bike. Can you believe this kiddo is only three?

Lily was six pounds five ounces when she was born, but she is one STRONG baby. See her hold her head up off of mama's shoulder to look out her favorite window? Amazing! She already has a look of wonder.

This could be my new favorite mom and babe shot. I love the expression on both of their faces, and Amy's eyes -- oh!

Of course we had to try for some family shots, but you know Henry would rather be riding his dirt bike or pointing out countries on his world map or eating mango or...ANYTHING else. I still like this one. Dad (Doug) has a great smile.
Since Henry was more interested in other things, we let father and daughter have some time together.

And then we brought Mama in. I knew this would be a favorite as soon as the shutter clicked.

Just as we were about to wrap things up (Lily was finished), Henry decided that his little sister WAS interesting and we got this shot -- my new favorite sibling photo. Great work, Henry!

Amy and Doug, thanks so much for letting me help you document this transitional time in your family. Lily is beautiful, Henry is hilarious ("shred it!"), and you both are wonderful parents. Congratulations!