You were born on a day of expectation.  Your Mom was induced in the wee hours of the morning, knowing that this, this was the day she would get to meet you…..finally.  The forecast called for a massive winter storm, but as the waiting wore on, thru endless rolls of contraction print-outs, not a single flake fell.  You held onto your position, snug and comfortable in the womb, not too much in a hurry to emerge.   The hours ticked by, and still we waited.  Dad fidgeted on Facebook, Mom asked calm questions between small cat naps.  Your grandparents visited, bringing sunshine and humor into an anxious room.  And still we waited.  Waited, and waited some more.  The light of day faded gently into night.  Finally, the decision was made – mother nature wasn’t enough, you needed an escort.  Protective suits, surgery caps, permission forms, and a flurry of doctors and nurses.  Your Dad stood anxiously in the hallway, camera slung casually over his shoulder, counting the seconds ticking by as they prepped your Mom.  Finally it was time. You emerged like a dam that breaks, loud and screaming.  You. Had. Arrived.  And, glancing out the window, the snow started falling.

Angie and Craig, I was beyond honored to share this experience with you and capture your story.   Thank you for opening up your lives to my camera.  And Jonas, you are a lucky little man indeed.  You are so wanted, so anticipated, and so thoroughly enjoyed already.

***A big THANK YOU to the doctor’s, nurses, and other medical professionals of Children’s Hospital, who were so accommodating and welcoming to me and my camera. ***

Melissa and Simon are part of a family I’ve come to love and know better over the years thru phtography.  Melissa is Chris’s sister – from Katie & Chris, a wedding couple from 2010.  And, I’ve known their other sister, Melanie, for much longer (and shot many weddings because of her fabulous referrals).  Melissa and Simon and I got along so well at Katie & Chris’ wedding that during dinner, Melissa pulled me aside and said “one day, you must take pictures of our babies!”.   I of course, readily agreed, and then there we were, a little over a year later, laughing it up again, this time with little six-month-old Emily in tow.

She gets her adorable-ness from Melissa, and she definitely has her Daddy’s sense of humor.  If only she would inherit his loveable English accent too – she’ll be unstoppable.

Emily had almost mastered sitting up at our session, and she fell into tripods from time to time – but it was so adorable the way her little body just folded over:

I captured Carlyn & Dave’s wedding back in 2008.  I’ll never forget the sweet quietness of Carlyn’s manner, and the understated passion that Dave carried beneath a gruff exterior.  They had a calm sort of connection, one that seemed all too obvious, and yet hidden at the same time.  Their daughter proves to be much the same.  Eleanor is smiles and funny faces hidden beneath a careful studiousness and a calm, measured gaze.  She’s gorgeous of course, and a beautiful combination of her parents.  And the best part is the way she softens up Dave.

Grandma was there helping out with our shoot too – so we couldn’t resist a few “three generations” photos.

Megan and I are “every six week” friends.  That is, we see each other every six weeks when she does my hair (and she’s fabulous! She’s known as “Madison” at Neroli in the Third Ward), and not in-between – yet somehow we manage to keep up with each other just fine.   The last couple of years have held many a conversation about starting families, and we’ve shared the ups and downs of that journey as my hair is processing.  So, it was only fitting that at one of my appointments, Megan went into labor and I was officially her last client before she became a Mom.  A few days later, we stepped out of our usual six week rotation and I got to meet sweet little Chase.