She Had Me at Hello!

She really did!  I am rather smitten with this little angel who was just 5 days new at this shoot.  Meet little Miss. Dakota Sky, the long awaited baby girl of one of my best friend's, Mandy, and her husband Eric.  When I did Mandy's maternity photo shoot, I jokingly wrote that after the charmed pregnancy that Mandy had, I half expected Dakota to come out with a bow in her hair and her fingernails painted.  Um hello....I think I may be psychic!  I have never seen a baby come out and immediately be so very "girly".  Have you ever in your life seen a baby with that much hair???  I can't get over it!  In person it even looks like she has highlights.  She has the most long elegant little fingers I have ever seen with long fingernails that look like they've been filed to the perfect shape.  She has a the tiniest most delicate little doll's mouth.  She is allll girl!  It's really only fitting!  She is STRONG too.  She had a full belly and was out like a light, but when I tried to pose her she would literally lift her head up and put it where she wanted or pull her hands away.  Look out Mom and Dad, I think you've got a little diva on your hands!  I'm sure she will breaks a lot of hearts one day...but, Dakota I'm telling you right now to strongly consider my Cash.  He's gorgeous, he knows all his ABC's, he is a master with crayons,  rarely picks his nose (I'll work on that one for you), and I would seriously rock as your mother in law, and it would make me really happy to actually be related to your mama...I'm just saying.  The best part of this shoot was being surrounded by pure unconditional boundless new love between Dakota and her Mama.  You know how you have all of these hilarious and not so, well... flattering, memories of your college friends?  You know what I'm talking about...all those stories we will NEVER tell our kids!  Well, it makes it hard to picture those friends as wives and parents until it happens and you are in the midst of it, and I have to tell you, Mandy has taken to being a mother like second nature!  I am so incredibly proud of her and I can't wait to watch this little girl grow up.  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one she had at hello....



Queen for a Day!

It can't be easy to get the spotlight all to yourself when you're the youngest of four, but this day was all about little Clair!  This 15 month old cutie is full of sass and lots and lots of energy (as evidenced by my sweating after chasing her for an hour.  HA!).  She hopped right out of the car, and even though she's never met me a day in her little life, she greeted me with a big "HI"!  Kids can be shy and leery of strangers at the age, but that was thankfully not the case with Clair.  She didn't need any time to warm up to me, and she was ready to explore the area and point out all of the "Ewws"...you know, bugs, leaves, mud and all of the other things little girls have a general disdain for!  I personally love this age because kids are walking such a fine line between still being babies and growing into toddlers.  Had I realized when my own son was this age how quickly he would turn into the bossy, negotiating (and don't get me wrong, extremely precious,) little man that he is, I may have stopped and cherished a few more of these moments.  I'm glad I was able to capture some of those moments for Clair's mama.  One of her older brothers, who she is very fond of came along to keep her entertained and I was able to capture a few of her funny "cheese faces" that he is able to get out of her!  I loved watching the two of them interact.  Even though he is 8 years older he is clearly smitten with his little sister, and it's east to see why.  She is everything that is wonderful about little girls and I'm so glad I got to give her the spotlight all to herself and make her feel like the little Queen Bee that she is!