fresh and new

I had the pleasure of photographing this tiny little girl a couple of weeks ago, and oh my, she completely stole my heart.  She was sooo so good for her big photographic debut, and slept almost the entire shoot.  What a sweet little bean she was!  

And of course... I had to photograph those sweet piggies.  :)

Just totally sacked out here....  She was such a great sleeper, although Mom says she has her days and nights a little mixed up right now.  I'm sure that's not so much fun in the middle of the night, as it was for me those couple of hours during the day.  ;)

And I absolutely LOVED the dramatic light here..... 

I have so many amazing images from this session.... but I don't want to spoil the surprise for Mom and Dad!  So hang on guys, your gallery will be posted NEXT!  :)

19 weeks....

And my girl's still got it.  The "newborn curl", that is.  ;)

Can you believe those rolls??  She's just a bundle of squishy goodness to me.  This kid hasn't missed a meal, I can promise you that.  ;)

And for those clients out there who have ever apologized to me for their newborns "going potty" on my blankets or backdrops... let me just tell you again:  It's normal.  Don't worry, it happens.  (Almost every single session!)  It's really okay.  But, if it makes you feel better.... Lila peed on my bed just three seconds after I shot this frame.  LOL!

Ten pounds of love.

I had the great honor of photographing my dear sweet friend Stacy's newborn a few weeks ago.  She's an extremely talented childrens photographer herself, just amazing.  (She was *one* of the amazing photographers who captured my own newborn just a few months ago!)  And just because Stacy was 5 days post-partum didn't stop her from shooting right along with me, love her heart.  She was up on the bed, down in the floor, camera in hand, snapping that shutter and gasping at her son's beauty.  As was I. And Brody James truly is beautiful...

Yes, folks, you read my title correctly.  I said TEN POUNDS of love.  Ten pounds and 7 ounces to be exact.  And, God love her, she gave birth to him naturally....  naturally, as in NO DRUGS.  None.  Not even a Tylenol.  (Let's all have a moment of silence for this woman!!)  So guess who is my new hero???  :)

Of course I had to get some detail shots...  you know me!

 One of my favorite moments...  a newborn's first bath....

I'll share more in a while.  I'm just getting set back up on my new computer system here and getting back to proofing.  (My PC crashed this week, and after much frustration in trying to fix it, I finally gave up.... and bought myself a shiny new iMac.  :)  Just doing my part to help stimulate the economy, you know.)

i know, kid, this is exactly how i feel today too.

 

:)  I thought this was too precious not to share.  From baby Adeline's session a few weeks ago.

she took my breath away...

This sweet girl stole my heart.  She was 6 weeks old and scrumptious in every way.  She was such a trooper for me, and I could have photographed her all day long....  if only she didn't live so far away.  :)

She even slept awhile for me. 

Her favorite place to be was in her mama's arms.  And what a gorgeous mama she has....  dang I wish I looked that fantastic just 6 weeks post-partum.  Ohh, who am I kidding, I wish I looked that fantastic 3 MONTHS post-partum, lol!  ;D

Okay... that one just melts my heart into a big puddle on the floor.  Loooove how they're "holding hands".  *sigh*

The lamb was a sweet surprise from Daddy, who tucked it into her suitcase before she and Mama left.  Precious!  

Couldn't resist that last shot.  :)  Thanks, Angela and Adeline, for a beautiful morning.  I hope you girls enjoy your preview!!  xoxo

The luckiest girl.

So the number 8 is supposed to be very lucky, right?  According to Chinese lore.  Well, Marlow (isn't that the sweetest name?!) must be the luckiest baby in Tampa Bay.  She was born on 08.08.08.  And just take a guess at her birth weight?!  Drumroll here.....  8 lbs, 8 oz.  :)  I love it!

I don't know who is luckier... Marlow, or her sweet family.  They clearly are blessed beyond measure.  Just take a look at all this love.....

And you know me... I have to sneak some detail shots in.  ;)  I love photographing babies' hands.  The tiny fingernails that are so thin, and yet so razor sharp, lol!  Sweet little messy cuticles that you just can't bear to trim for the first time.  (Okay, speaking from personal experience here:  I was a big wimp; I made my sister cut my firstborn's fingernails for me... I was petrified of cutting off the end of his finger.  ha!) 

Ahh, Marlow... you are so adored.

And big brother Henry... oh, dear Henry.  I am smitten.  You get your own post, buddy.  :)  Tomorrow.

Yes.... there are more....

I really HAVE been photographing my daughter the past 2-1/2 weeks.  I just haven't had time to process and upload them!!  Ahem, so it's been a little hectic, okay?!  ;)  No really I have to send a huge THANK YOU to my Mom, she and my Dad have been staying with us since right before Lila was born, and I would not have been able to hold my eyes open at this moment if it weren't for her.  She's made breakfast, lunch and dinner, cleaned our house, taken care of Parker, taken care of ME, and let Chris actually get some work done instead of being bombarded with all of the "helping out" on his own.  I secretly think Chris will miss her as much as I will, if not more!  

And... we've had a breakthrough over the past couple of days!  Parker has relented it seems, and has been calling his baby sister by her real name for two days in a row!!  I'm so relieved.  I was just anticipating my little girl being confused about her name all the way until kindergarten.

He's already assumed the role of Protector, and has been keeping a watchful eye on her while she's in her carseat, so her tiny head won't flop over without Mama knowing about it... also putting her pacifier back in her mouth every time she spits it out in complete disapproval.  ;)

Oh how I love that shot.....  she's lying in my dad's hands.  :)

And of course I'm on maternity leave... but I'm still here.  :)  I'm returning all phone calls and emails as soon as I'm able... albeit on a delay.... catch as catch can these days!  Thanks for bearing with me.

I also wanted to send lots of hugs and appreciation to each and every one of you who have sent us such sweet love notes and comments here on the blog... to our friends, family, and clients, my goodness... to all of y'all who have emailed or called to congratulate us!  We are so grateful for this much care and support right now, and we love you all dearly!  Of course, Parker has been highly anticipating the UPS guy's almost-daily visit to our door now too... so thank you to everyone who has been so sweet as to send presents for Lila, and to Parker!  I can't tell you how much it means to us.  :)  xoxoxox

Happy Father's Day BABY!

Yes... she's here! Our little girl has arrived. She's simply captivated us, and has melted all of our hearts! Meet our newest darling.... Lila Kate Woods.

And she was the perfect Father's Day present for Chris... she was born on Sunday morning, June 15. She also shares her birthday with her Papa Donnie. And you can bet he was floating a few inches off the ground that day too. ;) I love this shot of my tiny Lila in his big hands....

Lila and I are both doing wonderfully, thanks to my amazing doctor, the angelic team of nurses who cared for us while we were at the hospital, and all our friends and family who drove 12-15 hours to be with us for her birth, and who are so generously giving of their time and talents to help us settle in. You'll never know how much you all mean to us!

Thanks again to my sweet friends Amy and Stacy, for coming over to "play" today. I had sooooo much fun! And I can't wait to see the gorgeous images you created for us! We love you both! xoxo

I promise to post more photos of our sweet girl later on... oh I've got tons to show you!!! :)

Yep, another sweet newborn!

I can't get enough of 'em! This little guy was as good as gold for me. Made the funniest faces and kept me laughing the entire session.... when I wasn't smiling and sighing at him, anyhow. ;) Makes me so anxious to meet my soon-to-be-here little one!

So here's little Benjamin.

And his teeny toes.

I can't stop giggling at this one. I'm sure he was thinking.... "Why did this lady put me on a chair?!" LOL!

Really, I can't stop staring at this next image.... I always fall for the shots with Mommy. Why? Because usually Mamas are the ones behind the camera, getting all the shots of their own little ones and those treasured moments they want to remember. But for me, it's a true thrill to give a Mother an image of her child that she's actually IN! So that her child can look back on it some day, and see just how much his Mama loved him at that very moment. The look on her face and the love in her hands. Ahh, gives me chills.

(Oh, and by the way.... can y'all tell that this pregnancy is making me even gushier and more sentimenal than usual?! ;) And I was bad already, lol!)

I know they're going to be wonderful parents. Just look. How can you not smile seeing this one?? :)

Mom and Dad, I had so much fun with you and your sweet little guy. And I hope you love your images!

Bits and pieces.

Most of you know that when I'm photographing newborns, some of my favorite images to capture are the *tiny* ones. And by that, I mean itty bitty baby parts. Slender fingers, wrinkly toes, ears, the folds of her neck, the fuzz on his shoulder. So, in celebration of all these sweet newborns I've seen recently, take a peek at some of my favorite "detail shots"........

Hope those little pieces made you smile. :)