Chloe | Lone Tree Colorado Newborn Photographer

Last time I had the honor of photographing a newborn for this family, I was 8 months pregnant with Harper, and here we are again with their precious second baby.  I am so honored they let me visit their Lone Tree home and capture their family growing again. Their little ones are about 22 months apart- I love that gap. It's neat to see so many of my Colorado families increasing in size.

She was about 9 pounds of delicious baby perfection, and was a complete angel during our session.  Typically is takes babies about 45 minutes to completely relax and fall into a deep sleep, but she was there within 5 minutes.  Gold star for baby Chloe!

Nursing breaks equal sibling photos for me.  I really love the 2-3 year old ages, and how they're so naturally curious.  I just followed him while his mommy fed his newborn sister- I got to see his super awesome bedroom and his crazy cool toys.  He even showed me his favorite books!

I'm sure I've written about this before, but one of the biggest challenges with young siblings and portraits with their newborn baby, is keeping both parties 100% safe.  Some siblings are SOOOOOO in love that you have to makes sure they don't hug the baby too hard during their photos, others are scared to touch baby, and others are just too wiggly in their adorable little bodies to stay put for photos.  Lucky for me I have some tricks up my sleeves!  Cam was so good to his sister though- and Mickey Mouse helped us hold still for a few frames. 

As always, I adore family images. I love seeing them connect with each other.  I love the way love pours out of all of them and into one another. The way newborn babies are immediately loved so deeply, and the way toddlers are loved just as deeply but with the added enjoyment of their fantastic personalities, and so on.  I feel blessed to get to capture such intimate moments. These are the moments I want them to remember.  

Baby Stetson | Evergreen Colorado Family Newborn Photographer

Little Mr. Stetson was on oxygen when we did his newborn photos.  Living in Evergreen and being a little early made it so he needed a little help to breathe well at the high elevation, but he did great during our session.  We kept his oxygen on while we got ready for posing, and then pulled it for a few shots, and put it back on.  

I think my favorite thing in the whole world, be it in the hospital when they are just born, or those first days at home, is older siblings getting familiar with their new baby.  They are filled with curiosity and trying to figure out how this new little buddy fits in their life.  Most kiddos say "Why can't s/he play yet?  How much longer until they play??" and are totally in love. Some kids realize baby mostly sleeps and decidedly ignore them until they at least start to smile (totally normal).  This sweet pea adores her new baby and wanted to tell him about everything in the world.

Baby brother needing a nursing break equals special time for me and big sister to take photos.  We got to read books and she showed me her *gorgeous* bedroom, and I might have let her jump on the bed for a minute. 

18 months old | Denver Child Photographer

December and January kick my rear emotionally. Three of my babies have birthdays, another hits her half birthday a few days later. It's like a constant barrage of reminders that they are growing up too fast. I apologize in advance for another giant mush-ball post about my babies (there will be a lot of them this year).

Parenting is overwhelming sometimes (okay, like, a lot of the time), and I certainly have moments where I wish they would be more responsible,  less likely to draw on the wall or paint the toilet seat with bright red nail polish (it doesn't come off!), that they wouldn't feel like they need to be in the bathroom with me, or that they might for once clean up after themselves without me having to loom over them.

For the most part though?  I absolutely and unequivocally love the "little".  When the world is new, and the hardest thing in your life is emotionally coping with mom telling you that you may not have a cookie. They aren't jaded, they still think I'm reasonably cool, and they see the best in everyone. 

I try so hard to drink it all in. To take joy from everything. To laugh at the newly decorated toilet seat.  To relish the early mornings when I'm tired but they come running to me still with such enthusiasm for their morning snuggles. I want them to see they are so wanted. Write it all over my face. You are SO wanted. I am SO excited to see you, even if you kept my up all night.

I never imaged being without a baby in the house.  Harper is 18 months old today.  She has an opinion and a vocabulary to back it up. Her chubby thighs are beginning to thin out from running and climbing. Her soft shoulders and chubby tummy are starting to change- build muscle- and are no longer pure dough baby. She is headed directly toward full on toddler, and I am watching the baby slip away. Normally I'm growing a sibling at this point... but since she is our last, it's a whole new adventure to know her firsts are also my last firsts.  

She's already so desperate to be a big kid... I imagine I won't be able to contain the baby for long. She's the beginning of a new chapter, the closure of another.  She's can out sass her sisters and is as sweet as honey. She's as daring as the boys and as smart as they come.  She wants to know what everything is- and can say most words she learns very very clearly. Her favorite word is No. She love love loves her daddy, and knows if mommy or daddy says no she can go work one of her siblings to try and get it (watch out little stinker!)

She thinks nursing is still the coolest.  She's my most selective eater yet, and if it isn't chicken, cheese, pasta, avocado or something frozen she probably won't eat it. It will be interesting to see if she keeps that or starts to explore more. 

She loves to be held and not always by me.  She reverses into our laps to sit down- we've taken to saying "beep! beep! beep!" like a truck backing up when we see her spin around to sit down. She loves music and to sing.  Her favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider and Bunny, Bunny.  She counts to 2, holding up her fingers then says "shush!" and is really good at shouting the parts of the alphabet she knows. She can command the siblings to move the remote "Down! Up! Side! Side!", and very suddenly loves Mou-mou (Mickey Mouse).

I am so thankful for the invention of the smart phone, because I chronicle the day to day so much better with it, both in videos and still images, and she won't wonder why, as the 5th, she has less pictures- because I take a LOT. I am sure in the days that come, there will be much mischief making, and I will try my hardest to laugh through it (and remember to take pictures before I clean it up), because soon enough it will be gone, and my walls will be cleaner, as will my floors, but it will come at the cost of the "little".  

Happy Half Birthday Harps.