I met up with this little 1 year old yesterday on her first birthday.  What a big day it is for her and her family.  Every birthday is special, but nothing beats the milestone of the first.

She is precious, sweet, and well loved by her family.  She also wowed up all by standing by herself for an extended time– so new, so confident, and so proud!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!  Enjoy your big party today!

This sweet girl has just turned 4, and her family couldn’t be more proud of her!  Her mom has continued a tradition that her mom started with her.  Each year she makes a photo album for her daughter, an album to celebrate her growth, her fun-loving personality, and their time together as a family.  What a great tradition to help them all remember this special and beautiful time in their lives!

Yesterday was a beautiful day!  I had splendid afternoon exploring the cherry blossoms with you. Enjoy!

Spring is in full force here, and we’re loving every bit.  The blossoms, the sunshine, and the chance to get outside and RUN!  And run is exactly what this boy loves to do.  Moving and playing and exploring and running.

We had such a fantastic time together.  One of my favorite aspects of shooting a session is when a family comes together and enjoys an hour of uninterrupted play time.  It’s fun, lighthearted, and beautiful.  Enjoy!

I snuck up on my daughter at the National Arboretum this morning while she was eating a pear.

And I caught her in a neat way. I also caught my 32 week baby bump in the process. Pretty soon we’ll have a new baby gracing the pages of this blog!

We had a beautiful St. Patrick’s Day.  Hope you did too!

About this time last year, I took this precious girl’s photos in her front yard. We caught her giggling and sitting and playing with the grass. One year later, she still sits and giggles, but she can also now run furiously down the block.

She’s a sweetheart and it’s fun to see her grow!

From last year…

And from this year…

Not everyone likes to have their picture taken. I’m the same way myself. My husband loves videoing our girls, and I always try to avoid it. I usually go to another room and watch them from afar. Getting my picture taken can make me uncomfortable.

So, when I came into this precious family’s home, I was pleasantly pleased as to how comfortable they were with me coming into their space and clicking my camera hundreds of times. I said to the father, “You are being really great and comfortable as I take your picture. Thanks!”

And his response was awesome. He said, “When I look at her, I don’t even know what else is going on.” (Pardon my paraphrasing!) When he gazes at his perfect new daughter, he couldn’t care less what I was doing. He is so enamored and in love!

I really enjoyed meeting this sweet little girl and her awesome parents. Thanks for the opportunity to capture this special time for you!
 

Here’s a preview of another session I’m working on at the moment–a precious newborn and her wonderful parents. It was a joy to spend time with them all. More images coming very soon!

I love the moment of this image. It captures the care and love and work that newborns need from their parents and the natural ability for the mom to give that to her baby. It’s such a beautiful time in life.

I’ve had the extreme pleasure of documenting this little guy’s life over the past 9 months.  I first met him the day after his birth in the hospital.  In fact, that unique hospital session was my first blog post on this blog.  I then caught up with him at home a few days later.  We met up at 3 months at the National Arboretum, 6 months at Butler’s Orchard, and now 9 months at the National Mall.  It’s been a such a joy to watch him grow and learn and smile!  (Click each link to see our past sessions.)

Sadly, I will probably miss his 1 year birthday because he’s moving from our city to his new home, and I’m going to maternity leave.  So for our last session together, we headed downtown to capture a quintessential DC setting.  The storm clouds cleared, the sun shined, the sky was gorgeous blue.  The Washington monument glistened, and this young guy’s were bright and beautiful.

Our city will miss this dear family, but I know they will receive a warm welcome back in their home state.  Thank you guys for allowing me to follow your journey with little J.  It’s been a huge blessing to me!