Once again, I spent an hour trying to pick and choose which photos from this adorable session (in the park) to share with you (on the blog). Sometime I wish I could just share them all! Anyways…
I have been photographing Lil’ Miss Riley since she was just a few weeks old and wow, what an honor. She is such a beauty! A natural model, I swear. Momma was so worried she was worn out from a busy day at Idlewild and we wouldn’t get any good pictures, but if you ask me – there isn’t a bad one. She is a rockstar!
Doesn’t she just warm your heart?I have a feeling mommy and daddy have trouble on their hands… Such a beauty queen & she knows it! In just a few short weeks Miss Riley will be TWO years old already. Where have all the babies gone? I hope you have a fabulous birthday Miss Riley girl & I look forward to photographing you again 🙂
ah! July 2nd is here again. such a bittersweet day… it means my sweet baby nephew is another year older. I cannot believe it has been 3 years since I was sitting, waiting, and anticipating becoming F.A.L (favorite auntie Lauren, a nickname I was “blessed” with long before he was born.)
& he has been quite the stinker from the beginning. I patiently waited for weeks hoping for him to make his arrival, then ten days after his due date finally his momma went in to be induced. A full day went by & nothing. He was being his suborn self. That night I went to bed, but hardly slept. I was checking my phone often – anxious about his birth & my 6am flight to head to Florida for vacation. Then 4am came around – I was sleep deprived, heading to the airport & still anxious, it was happening, my worst fear – this little turd was going to wait until I was on my flight to make his big entrance. I remember the exact moment when I boarded my plane at the Pittsburgh airport, the flight attendant announcing all phones must be shut off, I waited a few more moments, looked at the time 6:30am, then shut down my phone.
I’ll never forget the landing. It had been two hours & almost 48 hours since his momma was induced, I had my phone out before we touched the ground & hit the power button before they even announced we could (my husband was not pleased, he apparently likes to follow the rules). It seemed like it took forever for my phone to boot up & messages to come through. Then finally I got the message from his dad …. a picture of a beautiful bald, chubby cheeked, fair skinned boy – “Grasyn Wayne Lear.” The message was sent minutes after I shut down my phone. Always giving auntie a hard time from the beginning. I couldn’t believe it I was finally an auntie & I was a little curious how to pronounce his name… Google told me it was an old indian form of “Grazin” like a cow grazing in a field. I was in shock. Finally weeks later I was told his name was not “Grazin” it was a shorter, unique form of “Grayson” that his father decided on.
& now today that sweet, little bald, chubby cheeked stinker is a tall, handsome, curly red headed, sweet, stinker butt! & Always making me laugh harder & harder everyday.
He was such a tiny, yet big baby since he was born (almost ten lbs!)
ah, before he could talk… just a peaceful, sweet little boy (that didn’t talk back! haha). but he also didn’t make us laugh as much either.
& then he learned how to sign. I remember he always insisted the fan had to be turned on. he would sign it over and over and over again until someone got up and turned it on.
He is the reason I really started to enjoy children photography. This was my first real “planned” shoot. We took him to a local beach in his khaki shorts & white polo to snap a few pictures for his first birthday invitation.
& then came the early creation of “Duck Man” … one of his favorite characters he still loves to this day.
ah, & then his first birthday. Auntie was soooooo sad he wasn’t a “baby” anymore. but it was such a fun day & party with almost 100 friends and family members there.
then three months after his first birthday, he became a big brother! Oh, what a treat that was for him. He actually did really well & he was sooooo happy!
& then he turned two…
it was another bittersweet day, & I’m not sure if he were fully prepared for his version of “the terrible two’s.” I wouldn’t call them so “terrible” … more “sarcastic, dramatic, loud, & hilarious two’s”
Although once he turned two, he wasn’t really willing to be Auntie’s little model anymore. I had to become more of a “lifestyle” photographer… chasing him around & capturing the “little moments”
… because trust me, getting him to pose now is like pulling teeth.
even bribing him with a new, large, monster truck doesn’t seem to work all that well for posed photos.
you have to use special tricks… like getting mommy to tickle him so he laughs… then photo-shopping mommy out of the photo.
or just pretending auntie is gonna fall off the ladder so he puts out his hands and says “don’t worry Auntie I’ll catch you.” ah, so precious. there is that sweet, innocent, precious baby boy I remember. Now he is just buried under that sassy two year three year old humor. Although I always get an “I love you Auntie” after he does something he knows he shouldn’t. I have to say, I think he really takes after his daddy! & looks like him too!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRASYN (Grayson, not Grazin) WAYNE LEAR … Favorite Auntie & Uncle love you sooooooo much! We cannot wait to see you tomorrow & throw you a BIG three year old birthday party Saturday with monster trucks, presents, cake, & a bounce house!!!!
This sweet baby girl came into the studio two weeks ago to celebrate her first birthday. She was so tiny and precious. She definitely reminds me of a porcelain baby doll, so fragile and delicate.
To celebrate the occassion, her awesome momma even made her a smash cake to celebrate. We were able to capture a few pictures before she saw the cake. She needed that cake and she wasn’t taking no for an answer!
Gorgeous, right? I cannot wait to meet her new baby sister this summer- telling from Eva and her big brother… this new baby girl is going to be a doll too! Happy first Birthday Eva!!
