Elijah. The loveliest little boy in the world. Have you ever seen a baby with lashes like those? Check them out in his newborn photos. Amazing. He is such a sweet- and serious- little boy. Nothing I do can get him to smile. But both moms can light him up.  As it should be. Though I think next time maybe we should go out to eat or go walk down Pearl and get ice cream before the shoot-I bet if he got used to me for a little while beforehand he would laugh at my silliness during the shoot.

Anyways, it is hard to find a person much more beautiful than this. Those eyes, those lips, and the new curly hair! Just gorgeous. Check out his six month old baby pictures as well-his hair was straight until they cut it. That was one of my favorite sessions ever.

Love you guys!

So anyways, I am still plugging away at planning this vacation. It is in less than two weeks now. I have narrowed it down to Mexico or Hawaii. I am thinking we will pick Mexico only bc they have all-inclusive resorts and Hawaii does not. And we just need to veg on the beach and do nothing. And in Hawaii we would always be planning on how to get from here to there, where to go, where to eat, etc… This is our no-thinking vacation. Later in the year we will be taking the kids to WPPI in Las Vagas, and hopefully my mom will come to take care of the kids while I go to my photography classes and Adam gambles. Then, later, maybe in the spring, we are going to take a big trip to do some exploring-maybe New Zealand. If we think the baby is up for it. I am even thinking of finding out when this photographer will be in New Zealand, and booking her. She is the most amazing photographer in the world, and I would seriously take a vacation across the world just to get photos done by her. We’ll see. For now, we are just going somewhere to take a break from the hecticness that has been our lives for the last two years. Finally!

I am getting so behind today. Well, that is not entirely true. I spent a nice morning with Amelia just cleaning the house and baking pumpkin pie muffins. Then I got a few things done for work, and then I spent the rest of the time trying to plan the vacation we are supposedly taking in two weeks. Two weeks. I have no idea where we are going. I have been researching it forever. I *almost* booked a trip to Hawaii today, and then the travel agent said that it might be better if I actually found our birth certificates and just went and got passport, because we could get an AMAZING trip to Mexico for the price of an okay trip to Hawaii. So I spent the rest of the day going through boxes of paperwork looking for Amelia’s birth certificate, and I just can not find it! Where would it go? We moved two months ago, and are STILL not unpacked all the way, but I went through all the obvious paperwork that has piled up, and can not find it. We need a vacation, bad. I just need to go relax on a beach somewhere and stop thinking so much. Just let someone else play with the kids for half the day and bliss out on the beach under the sun. If you see a relaxed tan woman walking around Boulder in a few weeks, that would be me.

I am going to keep plugging away at finding the birth certificate, but thought I would put up a few images in the meantime, as I love to blog to distract myself from serious work.

G and H-I have so many photos of Elijah to post so I need a bigger chunk of time to do that. I know, it is hard to wait and you have probably already checked my blog 5 times today. I will put some up soon, I promise!

xoxo

stacey

Update: found out from our midwife that actually have to order Amelia’s birth certificate. This is good news, it means I can get it right away and get the passports! Mexico here we come!

Seriously? Seriously?! Look at this beautiful baby! He is just a few days older than my sweet Amelia, but he still looks so much like a baby still. Those eyes, I just can not believe it. I LOVE the hat too, and always ask my clients to bring a knit hat to the session if they have one-it really helps in close ups to bring out the eyes-and this is a perfect example of this. It is such a cute hat, too, even if it is in my high school colors (which does not bring back the happiest of memories:).  And his sister is just stunning, isn’t she? I loved everything about this session and it was hard to choose just a few for the blog. I think when we spoke months ago mom said she was a bit of a perfectionist and would probably only like a handful of the images in the end. I am SURE I proved you wrong, but only you will be able to tell me that:) I am keeping my fingers crossed.

And a little update from my last post-everything went well with Freckles. She was in so much pain and we were able to let her go in a really sweet and loving way. The vet came to our home and we sat for a long time, just loving Freckles. Freckles was originally my mother in law’s dog, who also passed just two years ago. So Elijah made a picture for Freckles of her and Grandma, standing together under a rainbow, and Freckles was a baby again. We showed it to Freckles before the end, and read her a letter that we had written for her. Then she went, peacefully. Sigh, it is hard, we loved her. I am glad that we were able to help her die in such a wonderful way, though.

I am just having a hard time time. We knew this was coming. Freckles is such an old dog-15 years old. We got her two years ago when my mother in law passed away. And we knew several weeks ago that this was it, but I am so sad today. We will be putting Freckles to sleep this evening. I have been trying to do research all morning on how to help her die, how to help my five year old with this transition, and overall just how to get it together. I read that dogs can pick up on their owner’s emotions during euthanasia, and I want her to go peacefully. We are having the vet come to our home, and I hope we can make it a decent experience for her.

After school I am planning on spending time with Elijah coloring pictures for Freckles and writing her a letter that we can read out loud to her before she passes. It you have any other ideas please email me.

Anyways, I am slipping further and further behind with my work and am just not going to worry about getting back to people today. I just need to give myself some space with this and let myself grieve. So, if you have time to think about Freckles around 5pm today, please send her some good energy.

xoxo

stacey

Thanks Kim for the beautiful photo of Freckles. It captures just who she is. Isn’t she the sweetest dog?

So, I did not update you all in my last post (since it was oh-so-very-long) about what ended up happening with my birthday. As you may remember, my husband did not really remember my birthday. Even though I reminded him about 10 times bc I am so tired of having a big fight every year when he forgets.

He scrambled around the day of, and was not able to find a babysitter for that evening, so he told me he had a “big surprise” planned for Saturday night. I asked my nanny that day if Adam had called her to ask her to babysit, and the answer was yes, he did call her on my actual birthday. Okay, whatever, he had 3 days to plan something fabulous and to get me that great gift. Did anyone call him and tell him I wanted the 85mm 1.4? No. No one told him. And he did apparently did not remember that it is customary to get gifts for the love of your life on her birthday. He just totally forgot. He is REALLY bad at this. To be fair though, our lives are just crazy right now. We have a very active 1 year old, a five year old, a new house, a house we are renting out, he works like 50 hours a week, and I have two businesses I run. So it may not have been in the cards to have the best birthday ever.

We ended up going to Denver, had a great dinner, then went to a dive bar and played darts. No gift. We *almost* bought me an Ipad, but I decided against it, I just don’t think I would use it enough. So in the end, this will not go on record as the best birthday ever. Maybe next year I can just plan the birthday myself and we would be a lot happier.

And bc no post is complete without a photo…

I have been thinking a lot lately about why people choose me as their photographer. A family often arrives at a session and tells me they love my work because I don’t make them pose. But, the reality of it is that I actually pose my clients pretty much the whole time. I tell you to walk out into the middle of the field and throw your daughter up in the air, I tell you all to sit on a blanket and a read a book to your baby. I ask you all to stand and look at the camera. So yes, I am a photographer that poses people.

BUT, I think when people tell me they like my work because I don’t pose my families, what they are really saying is that they like the genuine emotion and connection that they can feel in my photography. I would rather have a family photo (like the one below) where they are all laughing and looking in different directions rather than one in which everyone is wearing false smiles and looking at the camera. Wouldn’t you? Don’t you want to remember your family as it was-happy, carefree, laughing, loving each other, snuggling-whatever-rather than a picture where you are all dressed in your Sunday best and you are pinching your kid from behind to make him smile? I am NOT that kind of photographer, and have only ever had one or two clients that did want photos like that.

Instead, I think people like that I somehow get them to really connect with each other and THAT is what I capture. I think it is what matters. And I will always choose to show you a photo that might not be technically correct (maybe the exposure was a bit off, or I cut you off at the waist) that has genuine emotion rather than one that is technically perfect but where you are all looking a little bored.

So, I am not actually a lifestyle photographer. Someday I would love to do that. I would love to come to your home one morning while you make waffles. Follow you on a walk, capture your kids brushing their teeth, watch you read them bed time stories. I keep meaning to try a “day in the life” session. And I will. Soon. Maybe with my own kids first (so keep a look out, once an idea starts to brew in my mind I must make it a reality).

Anyways, back to this beautiful family. they are clearly expecting a new baby. It is a boy, and his name is Sock. Yes, that is his name. I live in Boulder, you know,  where lots of people are named Sunflower and Vajra, so I went with it. Sock, I could get used to it. My son’s middle name is Sirius, and my daughter’s middle name is Padma, so we are on the Unusual Name Boat.  Sock is actually what his big sister named him, when she heard the name “Scott.” But personally, I am all in for Sock and may be calling him that here in a few weeks when I do his newborn photos. So keep a lookout for baby boy Sock, if he is as beautiful as the rest of his family, I will be posting some amazing newborn photos soon:)

Riley is three, and FULL of life. I talked to no end with her parents about how similar she is to my Amelia. My son, who is 5 now, was a calm little buddha baby. Low-stress and easy to please. Amelia, on the other hand, came out screaming. She is a little firecracker, but in this really good way. She is just full of lungta (unlimited energy). She is always on the move, climbing and exploring and getting into things. And she is stubborn, has her own personalty and will NOT back down from it. Not ever. A neighbor recently said she is going to break all the glass ceilings (is that the right expression?) and it was so right on. She will. And so will Riley.

Riley is just full of life and has her own ideas. And that is just the kind of daughter I would like to raise, wouldn’t you? Riley will live the kind of life we always admire in other women.  I mean, look at that first picture. Look at her expression. She is saying “This is my moment, I own it, you better watch out.” I just love it!

This whole family is just gorgeous.

Ok, I have never met another little boy that was as good of a big brother as this one. He was so sweet, happy, and such a good listener through out the entire shoot. His little brother was very busy running around and getting distracted, and he was able to hold his hand, sit with him, hold him. He is awesome. Just one for today, more to come! And I will soon update on what ended up happening with my birthday.  Suffice it to say, I did NOT get my new lens.

As you loyal blog readers know, Evan is near and dear to my heart. I met his mother when we were both pregnant with out little ones. We met on Boulder Rock’n Moms, which is THE best resource for Boulder moms.

Our babies were born just two weeks apart, and I photographed Evan just a few weeks after I had my own baby.  You can see his newborn photos here and here. Then 5 months and  11 months.

My favorite thing about being a baby photographer is watching them grow up. I am pretty good now at knowing exactly what they will look like and what their temperament will be later on when I first photograph a newborn. Evan was clearly going to be a calm, mellow, happy baby that loved people. I can just see him when he is a little kid, he will be such a little man happily running around and tugging at his mother’s skirt every so often. He will make friends easily but be a little reserved and watchful as well.  I bet he is going to love to play in the dirt. Just some of my wise prophesying, bc we all know how I am wise beyond my (now 31!) years. And I am always right, no matter what I am talking about.

But really, I do think it is easy to see what a baby is going to be like after you have seen so many grow up through the first year. I feel honored to be this family’s photographer. I just love them and can’t wait to watch Evan grow up. Happy birthday!

And speaking of birthdays, in case you were wondering from my last post, my birthday turned out a little better than I thought it would. Adam was home late from work, then had to work MORE when he got home, but he did bring me a bunch of roses. He has something “big” planned for Saturday night. Something that does not involve any little sticky hands on my nice new dress. Something exciting. He won’t tell me what, and I KNOW it is bc he really needed those three extra days to actually come up with something. So we’ll see. If it is dinner and a movie I won’t complain, as long as it involves a pretty gift wrapped box with a new 85mm 1.4. Hint, hint, someone that knows Adam should call him and tell him about this pretty gift wrapped box. I KNOW he has no idea what to get me, and he still has a day to take back that vacuum.

I know, it seems like months since I have posted anything. In reality it has been 5 days, but that is a long time for me. Elijah has been sick with strep throat-poor baby, so most of my time has been hanging out with him watching movies. It is a really hard job, but I like to step up to the occasion when I can. He is hardly ever allowed to watch movies, so it is a special treat for us all. It is an especially special treat because, after my husband and I decided last week NOT to get a big screen, hd tv, he surprised me (right before this shoot, in fact), with a brand new, big screen, hd tv. Isn’t he wonderful? See, today is my birthday, and he did forget this morning, so no doubt he will somehow tell me that the big screen, hd tv that we agreed NOT to buy is my birthday present. It will almost be as good as the Christmas he got me a dart board. Well, to be fair he got me a dart board and an electric blanket. Husbands are sooooo good at this kind of thing, no?

So today I am 31. Last year, I had a little bit of a hard time turning 30. I was two weeks postpartum at the time, and was not feeling so young or lovely. But this year I guess it is ok. I have come to terms with the fact that we all age. I actually just watched every season of Nip/Tuck on Netflix, and after seeing what they have to do to you to make you look young again, I know I could never do plastic surgery. Seriously, plastic surgery has been on my mind. You just can’t help it while you are watching that show. But I can do photoshop plastic surgery on myself, and I must look BEAUTIFUL to all my high school friends on Facebook. Little do they know… And honest to god, I am getting Adam an appointment for plastic surgery this year for Christmas. He had his nose broken a couple of times, so I am going to give him the gift of cracking it back into place. I think it is a good gift. Since he already got himself the big screen, hd tv, don’t you think?

I will update you all on what he actually ends up doing for me tonight. Cross your fingers that it is something decent, but I am guessing he got me a new vacuum cleaner, bc, lets all be real here, that is what every woman truly wants for her birthday.

Without further ado, here is the sneak peak I made this GORGEOUS little family wait 5 days for. Aren’t they beautiful? Adam has red hair, so I really wanted a beautiful red head like Brodie, but both of mine have blond hair. Well, Amelia is still technically bald, but we think it will be blond.

I had so much fun coming out to this family’s farm. They had such beautiful land, it was hard to choose which spot would be better for photos. I do love the old truck though, and have been wanting to find something like that for a long time.  Adam really wants to buy a farm, and I really want to live near people, and it seems like this family has found the best of both worlds. I know that we can find something like this in or near Boulder, right? We want chickens, kittens running around, a cow, and lots of land. Just like this (though they don’t have the cow or chickens YET). But I am loving living in a cohousing community for now. You could not ask for a more ideal situation with little kids.

Thanks for asking me to come there, I had so much fun and just love Brodie!

Meet Cormac. One of the cutest babies I have ever photographed.  Just look at those gorgeous blue eyes! And those cheeks! Cormac’s mom contacted me through The Littlest Heroes Project, which is a volunteer organization that provides free photography to families that have children that are going through serious medical issues. But you would never guess it from looking at him! Cormac actually has Urea Cycle Disorder and received a liver transplant as well. What a little fighter. I am sure he weighs more than my 1 year old now. That must have been so scary for his family, I can not even imagine.  Big brother Benen is pretty cute too, don’t you think? If you know someone who baby is struggling with a serious condition, please let them know about The Littlest Heroes Project, it is such an amazing organization and I am proud to be a part of it.