Madeleine - 18 months

I love photographing kids as they grow up!! The last time I got to photograph Madeleine, she was only 9 months old and still very much dependent on mom & dad. A short nine months later, she's already coming into her own independence with a desire to take care of others. ;-) What a sweetie!!


At this age, she loves to feed the dogs treats..


... she likes to microwave her own (plastic) food...



... she may have a little bit of a drinking problem..


... but she's also happy to share...


... she likes talking on the phone..


... and she's a good listener...


I was really excited to be there for her first experience with snow and touching ice! What a joy it was to photograph her reacting to these new sensations!!








Dad got these cuddle rolls that they love to play in together..


Madeleine has a favorite blanket...


She's also coming into her own as a comedian... or perhaps... as a ghost....


She can even do mom's hair..


... and use dad as a ladder to reach her favorite food...


Did I mention she does a great impression of Popeye? HA!


She can climb the stairs by herself...


... and being in bed during the day is no longer about taking a nap...


I'm going to miss this family dearly when I leave Terre Haute! I loved getting to know them and photograph them!! Madeleine's mom has been a dear friend to me and I will sincerely miss hanging out together. ;-) Many hugs!!

Baby Oz

The last time I saw Oz, he wasn't more than a big bump in Erika's belly! Look at him six months later with tons of personality and style! I can't get over his itty bitty fauxhawk! Oz is going to be one of the coolest kids ever!




I went really retro with some of the processing... which somehow seemed appropriate for the mixed tungsten/natural light I was working in. I don't like to use flash around kids because it startles them- so I try to keep it "au natural".








Erika & Steve wanted something urban for the pictures with Oz, so we were lucky enough to find this cool run down looking building really close by with bright color, graffiti, and busted windows for something a little more "city"!

I LOVE these next two... I think they should be a set...




or maybe a series of three with this in the middle...




"Muffin"




Erika, Steve, & Oz - I'm so glad we could get together again in Charlottesville, VA!! It's pretty cool how life works out, and I'm so glad that Beth & Fred brought us together! I had so many favorites that it was nearly impossible for me to narrow them down!! Oz is the coolest and I hope that one day I'll get to photograph him again!! Who knows, maybe the next time it will be in Egypt!

Baby Avery

On our way back from Norway on May 7th, we had a short layover in Chicago where I checked my voicemail and found out that my step-sister, Mary had a beautiful baby boy and that I was offically an aunt for the first time! I was so anxious to see him that I left for Michigan shortly after I got into the country so that I could see Avery and his first-time parents!

I had always heard how difficult the first few days were, but wow, experiencing it first-hand was definitely a challenge! No one tells you things like how your feet turn into watermelons. I didn't think it was possible for Mary's feet to get as big as they were but I don't think she could have put on shoes, let alone walk around comfortably! I have to admit that I felt totally helpless and all of the things I had wanted to do to help out, like go grocery shopping, making meals that would last several days, taking pictures of the baby, and giving Mary or Jarod a break... just never seemed to happen because the baby always needed to be attended too. So, finally when there were a few more visitors in the house, I was able to step back and take a few pictures! So here's Avery, only 3 days old!


My dad - Avery's step-grandpa. Avery was fascinated by the light.


Jarod's Grandma - Avery's great-grandma!


Jarod was so delicate with Avery - making sure that he was always safe and warm.


This is definitely my favorite of Jarod in his new role as a daddy.


Hungry!


Avery really couldn't cry yet, he just made these squealing noises that sounded a bit like the noises we associate with pteradactyls in dinasour movies, and when I saw this I though his little fingers looked like little pteradactyl claws. ;-)

The next time I got to visit was a few weeks ago when Avery was 10 weeks old. He looked like a completely different kid with all of his baby blubber on his body!! The first time I visited I didn't get any pictures of Avery & his mom together because she was pretty much naked and really tired the whole time - or he was in someone else's arms when she had her clothes on! ;-) So this time I made sure to get some pictures of baby & mommy together!



Tootsies!! (Why is it that new words enter our vocabulary when babies are around?!)


Mary got back to her skinny shape really quickly!! I couldn't believe how great she looked - she's one hot mamma!




Just as we were saying good bye, I noticed Mary's reflection on the car window and asked her to wave to Avery - to my surprise, HE WAVED BACK!! It was so cool I practically screamed and scared the crap out of Mary who thought something bad happened! It was just so cool to see him mimicking her at such an early age! He's definitely going to be one smart kid. ;-)

Baby Madeleine

When I first met Julie at the Ohio Building, before moving to Terre Haute, Madeleine was still just a small lump in Julie's tummy- but no more! She's quickly becoming a very independent little girl. ;-)

One of my favorite things about doing an at-home baby session is that I get to capture such a large range of emotions and interactions in an environment that is both comfortable and familiar to babies. I just love photographing little glimpses of what life is like at different stages. Like the way that mom & dad play...



The toys she likes to put in her mouth and the toys she likes to touch...


(I wonder if one dad will regret making the TV remote one of Madeleine's favorite toys?)

The way she pouts and the way she looks at you to make you want to hold her...



The foods she craves and the foods she isn't sure about...



The way she mimics everything you do...


... and the unique way she falls fast asleep.


Julie & Tom- thank you so much for letting me capture this special time in Madeleine's life!! I can't wait to see all of you again!! Last but not least... Tom in a Top Hat. Sorry Tom - I just had to show it!!!