Somehow, in spite of the rain, we managed to pull off our Xpressions sessions yesterday.  It was a blast exploring the wildflower terrain, but little did I know how much I'd be paying for it today. I've never really had allergies before, but with a wildflower season like this, it got me really bad...I can hardly breathe today! I hope my brave, beautiful clients are all faring better than I am. 

What about this couple up there??? Could she be ANY cuter??? Loved the colors in their clothing (which HE picked out...go dad!). So as these two are just getting started on their journey into parenthood...

...this little lady has built up quite the portfolio with Pinkle Toes Photography. A trip down memory lane here and here and here.

And then there's this little angel who is almost the same exact age as my baby. I know many of you are still waiting word on the angel tank...it's coming, I promise!

I must admit that I get a little misty when I think it was almost a year ago when he made his entrance into this world. And you'll definitely want to scroll down to the bottom of this famous post. ;-)

And finally, these two (three?). Oh, that adorable basketball belly! We had such a blast yesterday!

[As with all Xpressions sessions, these images have only received basic edits to enhance contrast, but no retouching. If you'd like to do a mini session with me, we still have two openings left for our next Xpressions sessions in May.]

MK and I hit it off instantly. Even via e-mail, I could already tell that I liked her spunk and sense of humor and down-to-earth approach to birth. At our meet up beforehand to discuss the big day, she told me she had no pre-conceived notions about how this birth was "supposed" to go.  It wasn't just talk. She really meant it and I could really appreciate that mindset.

So the morning of their baby's birth day, I got a text from her letting me know that her water had broken. Awesome! Perfect! The timing couldn't have been more amazing since I had only been able to cover her birth on a standby basis (she was due pretty much at the same time as this little guy.) The day moved slowly but steadily and by the time I had gotten to the hospital, things were looking great. Dad was a tremendous support to his wife. Her family had made it into town to welcome the birth of their first grandchild. We were all so excited to find out if the baby was a boy or a girl. It was all coming together even better than planned.

And then suddenly, the whole plan changed and everything started to move so quickly...too quickly to keep up with swirling concern, confusion and emotion. And it was at this point, I truly realized how glad I was to be able to be there to click away and capture it all...especially those things that mom would have missed otherwise...


(If you are pregnant and in the Austin area and are interested in having your birth experience photographed, take a look! Photographers seeking advice on birth photography, please visit this link.)

1. We are CLOSED March 25th-April 5th, so I will return all e-mails/phone calls as soon as I can after that.

2. Thank you to EVERYONE who took the time to participate in the blogstalker scavenger hunt and for all of your kind comments. I can't believe we had 84 entries! But of course, there can only be one winner.  Congrats to entry number 82, Alexis...Random.org selected YOU! ;-) I've sent you an e-mail so let me know if you'd like the gift card or the charitable donation.

3. For March's Pic of the Month I simply could not decide so we have a three-way tie (no worries...this will not lessen anyone's chances of winning Pic of the Year). The first image is from her senior portraits session and I selected it because I don't think she has any idea just how lovely she is, inside and out.  The second was from this incredible engagement session and I just had to recognize them because they endured extreme winds, 38 degree weather, and insane mud just to hang out in some flowers for a few minutes. The final image isn't technically a "March" picture, but I was really torn last month...it's probably one of my most favorite nursing images to date and I feel like it speaks volumes for the connections created between mother and baby.

4. Speaking of moms and babies, I'm so excited to share that images from Emme's birth were featured in the latest issue of Midwifery Today magazine! I was so thrilled to see such wonderful articles on homebirth and I loved reading what Emme's mommy had to say about her birth experience. Congrats!

I was so very surprised and honored when I was invited by the talented Miss Mariah to photograph the birth of their 3rd baby. If you've ever had the pleasure of meeting Mariah, you will immediately find that she is a calming presence...someone who appreciates the simple gifts in life, someone who is very grounded and very focused on her family. Evidently, she is just as calm while giving birth ;-).

Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Watch the slideshow below and see how she trusts her body to work through the contractions and just look at how attentive her husband is (amazing to witness).  Oh, and I love the look on her face when she finds out the gender (a surprise!)! But at the end...oh that beautiful baby and all of that HAIR!