Willa

My first repeat client! Hip hip hooray! That makes a girl feel good, I'll tell ya! ;)

Y'all remember Willa from a few months ago? Click HERE to see her 3 month pics. Now she's 6 months old and getting cuter by the minute! I just love her to pieces!

Thanks, Whit, for trusting me to capture your sweet baby girl again! It was so fun to see you & the fam today!

Introducing Jackson & Pierson

Hooray for summer birthdays!

Because summer birthdays mean POOL PARTIES!

The oh-so-talented Becky Todd hired me to photograph the big birthday bash she threw for her ADORABLE boys Jackson & Pierson.

Becky took our family portraits last fall, and you can see a few of them by clicking HERE.

Sooooo, photographing a photographer's kids' birthday party?

No pressure, right? ;)

Haha, no seriously, I WAS a little nervous, but Becky is so, so sweet and her boys could NOT be any cuter and it was a GREAT party!

brothers

Mama & Jackson

Pierson could NOT get enough of that slide, y'all!

Pierson & Mama

Stand

Dear Elizabeth,

I was sitting on the loveseat, the one that was in my first apartment before I met your father, the one I was sitting on when he kissed me for the very first time. But today I was writing a To Do list. And you were playing on the wood floor beneath my feet. I'm so used to you pulling up to your knees to reach toys (or Phoebe) on the loveseat- I didn't even notice at first. I glanced over at you. And you were STANDING. All by yourself. I was shocked. Your father was on the computer in the other room. Trying not to startle you, I said as calmly as possible, "Ryan, your baby just stood up all by herself. Get in here right now." He was there within 3 seconds and we just marveled at you while you acted like nothing in the world was out of the ordinary. Of course, my next words were, "Oh my gosh, where's my camera?" I ran around the house collecting the camera in the guest bedroom, the battery charging in the kitchen, the memory card sitting next to the computer- putting it all together as fast as possible so I could capture your very first stand. And sure enough you stood there for FOREVER. And let me take lots and lots of pictures. Thank you for that, honey. I will treasure these forever. Your very first stand. I'm so proud of you.

Love,

Mama

What were you reaching for, with this first stand of yours?

Your favorite book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?"

The book lover in me is immensely pleased.

"Hi, Daddy! Look at me!"

I'm sad that this one is a little blurry, but oh that face.

That is so YOU.

You were so thrilled with yourself.

"Now, how do I get down?"

What am I supposed to feed this kid?

So, I've misplaced the owner's manual that came with my kid. Which is bad timing, considering that her Mother's Day Out program just told me that when she comes back in a couple of weeks for the summer program, she has to be eating ALL TABLE FOODS. Which means NO BABY FOOD. Which means NO SUPER CONVENIENT LITTLE TUBS OF GERBER GOODNESS. But listen, this kid has all of 2 teeth, so I'm like, what in the world am I supposed to feed her? I've been told "Oh, just feed her leftovers- whatever you cook for dinner the night before." BAHAHAHAHA. Ahem. Y'all must not know me real well. That assumes that I cook dinner ever.

So, what am I supposed to feed this kid? I am BEGGING YOU for your suggestions. And please just assume that I am a complete idiot and know nothing. For example: I saw my friend Brandi's child eating a grape the other day, and I was like, "Can I feed Elizabeth grapes yet?" And she said, "Well, not yet, b/c the skin would be hard for her to bite through with no teeth."

SEE? People, that's the kind of stuff I don't KNOW. Help a sister out.

Alright, gotta run. The kid is digging through the trash can again.

Introducing Mary & JD

Hip Hip Hooray! Mary & JD are engaged!

Y'all know I LOVE taking pics of babies, but I'm not gonna lie.

Sometimes it's nice to take pictures of people I don't have to chase. ;)

Introducing Trey & Sarah

Be my baby.

Dear Elizabeth,
I read in one of those baby development books the other day that by the time you turn a year old you should be drinking whole milk out of a sippy cup. No more formula in a bottle. We've got 4 weeks. You are turning into such a big girl. You wave bye-bye and give your baby doll kisses and are the fastest little crawler west of the Mississippi. You are growing so fast, my love, but won't you please be my baby for just a little bit longer?
Love,
Mama

Happy Quince de Mayo!

This weekend we went to a fiesta with 60 of our closest friends to celebrate our friends The Housers & The Griffins. As I've said before, we are super duper close to our Sunday School community at Houston's First Baptist, and everybody just feels like family. Dr. Griffin & Dr. Houser are finished with medical school and moving away to start their new adventures of residency and we will all miss them oh-so-much.

Don't you love E's fiesta dress? Her best friend Karis was kind enough to let her borrow it, as she is still in her mama's tummy for the next 3 months, and doesn't need it just yet.

I like my...

May you stand before your bathroom mirror this weekend and joyfully list all the things you like about yourself and your life. I sure could use more of that, couldn't you?

She loves pacis.

She didn't want to nap.

She kept throwing her paci out of her crib & then screaming for it.

So I put 3 pacis in the crib & walked out.

But she did NOT want to nap.

She knew Miss Becky was there.

She screamed & wailed & when I went in this is how I found her...

paci in the mouth, paci in each hand...

while she sat there screaming.

Elizabeth has an ear infection. Yes, another one. This is her 6th ear infection since February. And yes, we now have an appointment with an ENT to discuss tubes. Ryan & I both had constant ear infections as babies & eventually tubes, and the pediatricians all have told us this is totally a genetic thing. She's been on so many antibiotics in the last 3 months, I am absolutely ready for the tubes. Bring it on.

*picture taken by Becky, with her iPhone.

11 month olds on a playdate

You've seen cute little Eli on this blog before. His mama & I used to work together and took the same birthing class when we were preggers. Our little E's are about 2 weeks apart in age.

You give them all the toys in the world, and they just want YOUR stuff.

And then they put YOUR stuff in their mouth.

And then Elizabeth attacks Eli because now she wants his mama's camera.

The End.

Happy Mother's Day!

I read something online yesterday on one of those photographer/mama blogs that I love. Can't remember which one. The writer was imploring photographer mothers to hand over the camera to someone else today, so they could actually be IN a shot with their baby on Mother's Day. So I did. I put the camera on auto & handed it to The Hubs. He did a lovely job. The camera did not- one of those situations in which you thank God you know how to work the manual settings on your camera b/c the auto settings just are not cutting it. So I stood where I wanted him to stand, flipped the cam over to manual, adjusted my settings, took test shots of E, and adjusted a little more. I moved the focal point exactly where I wanted it and said, "Babe, you see that little red dot when you look through the viewfinder? Put the red dot on my face." THEN I handed the camera back over to him. He follows directions so well. ;) I felt like a proud mama. Reminded me of that time I taught him how to find all the C's on the piano keyboard. The Hubs & I could not be any different in the areas of our talents & interests. For instance, I cannot do simple addition without a calculator. The Hubs can. But I digress...

that sweet little face = the best mother's day gift ever

And lastly, I would like to give a shout-out to MY mama. She is the kind of mama that will drop everything and run to my side if ever I need her. And that is the very best kind of mama there is.

Introducing Julia & Lydia

This was such a fun shoot! I knew it would be when I walked up and the girls saw me, and they came running to give me hugs yelling, "Miss Sarah! Miss Sarah!" Oh sweetness. I love them. And look how perfect their mama dressed them! Those little skirts are to die for. I need one for Miss E. Thanks, Amber, for giving me an opportunity to take pictures of your precious little girls!

Do you ever have one of those days?

You know the kind.

The one where you feel exactly like THIS:

That is today in a nutshell.

One of those days where I feel like a

bad mama/wife/housekeeper/photographer/business owner/

sister/friend/daughter/pet owner/everything.

One of those days where I feel like I will never get better

at all the things I'm awful at,

and that all the things I'm good at,

I'm really not THAT great at.

(And why do I STILL end my sentences with a preposition when

I really do know better?)

One of those days where I'm convinced

that the things I'm good at don't matter all that much.

But the things I'm bad at are the only things that matter.

One of those days when I'm not content with anything.

I want a better camera, better lenses, more expensive clothes,

different hair, a different body,

more, more, more

better, better, better

different, different, different.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has days like this.

Introducing Katie (& family)

gorgeous mama

this might really be my favorite picture ever.

the calm before the storm

haha! just kidding, katie! ;)

Introducing Cade (3 months)

(on his daddy's baby blanket)

(on his mama's baby blanket)

sweet, sweet family