And baby makes three…

Little Mason was only a few days new when I visited him for his newborn photo session. Holding and cuddling him and admiring his sweet, soft newness was wonderful. Plus, we got some beautiful pictures! Mason’s mommy and daddy were so nice and so calm and at ease with him already, even though he is their first little one.  And grandma was still there helping, so we also got to have a nice chat about grandmotherly things. It was a perfect morning to spend with lovely people. There was snow on the ground, but the house was full of the warmth of love.

Mason, you are blessed to join such a loving, kind family. You can see he looks happy already. And as cute as they come!

I feel so lucky to be the photographer Jana and Tyler chose to get these first special photographs of their precious little boy. Thank you so much, Jana and Tyler. I am so excited to watch him grow!

Little Hayden surprised his mommy and daddy by arriving three weeks before his due date. But he was clearly just ready to be in this world and be loved and taken care of by his wonderful family. He weighed  a little less than six pounds when he came to visit me the day before a winter storm. We didn’t let the thought of the coming snow and ice bother us one bit! Hayden was snuggly and warm, and EVER so cute.

Hayden is blessed to be the newest member of a special family.  I first met his daddy when he was about Hayden’s age…brand new! And I gave his mommy voice lessons when she was younger. His grandparents and great-grandparents and our family have sung together and prayed together, laughed together and cried together.  Hayden is blessed indeed to have such lovely people on both sides of his family tree. Lots of wonderful, kind people who are going to make this new little boy feel completely loved.

So alert and interested for someone so new:

But being photographed makes a boy so tired after a little while!

Also, daddy played baseball for years, and this whole family are BIG Cardinals fans…another reason they are so very cool.

And lastly, no words are really needed, but I thought this little phrase might echo what is in their hearts:

Thank you, thank you to the Sparks family for giving me the privilege of photographing your precious new bundle of joy. Hayden is perfect, and I’m looking forward to cuddling him again soon.

It has been a whirlwind the past few months! Spring and early summer 2012 have been exciting and fun, with clients I have known for years and lots of clients, too. Children, families, birthdays, expectant mommies,  new babies, high school seniors, business people needing fresh head shots…it has been great to be busy with sessions and projects. I certainly feel lucky to get to spend a little time with each of these special people.

Here in Southwest Missouri, just as in much of the country, we’re having quite a heat wave this summer. But, as I’ve said before, we don’t let a few triple-digit temps keep us from getting out and capturing those memories! Summer continues to be full of sessions, and my fall sessions are starting to fill up already. October and early November are very popular, so if you are thinking about family photos for holiday gifts and cards, it’s a good time to plan ahead!

I am woefully behind on the photo blog, and I have so many session highlights to share. I’ll start with the lovely Lawson family. I’ve shared a couple of these photos before, but this family deserves their own post! You’ll recognize pretty  little Natalie from before (here)… and yay, Baby Ruthie joined the family this spring! A beauty like her sister, Ruthie was a natural in front of the camera. And oh, how the camera loves the Lawson girls.  Grandma was here from Vermont to help out when the baby was born, too, and the photo of Natalie sharing a special secret with her grandmother is one of my favorites:

Two pretty little girls…you can see how happy and proud Natalie is to be a big sister!

Their lovely mommy calls them their two princesses. I couldn’t agree more.

Such a beautiful family of four! I have seen photos on Facebook of the girls recently, and they are growing by leaps and bounds! I am looking forward to the next time I have the privilege of catching a few moments in time for them. Like the little cards I use on my packaging say, “I have the BEST clients!”…it’s SO true! Thank you, Lawsons…you are special.