while pregnant with TWINS–wait, let’s stop right there. I could never look this good at all, period:

Let me tell you it was fa-reeeezing in Austin the morning of their maternity photo shoot and in between shots, she was huddled under a blanket trying to stay warm. Such a trooper! I think she has such an incredible smile and to watch the two of them together was amazing. I cannot wait to see their transition into parenthood…times TWO. I have not a single doubt that they are going to be outstanding parents! {Follow THIS link to see an image not shown here}.

I feel very fortunate that this family moved to Austin not so long ago. I got to document big brother when he was just 9 months old and then at one year. And now, I had the honor of meeting his sweet baby sister (whose name I ADORE). I love watching families who love one another. Everyone is relaxed and happy and content and it’s evident in each of their photo sessions. And Calla fits in so perfectly. Couple more fav’s HERE and HERE.

Just after Christmas, we managed to squeeze in a few maternity pictures out here at the studio. It actually wasn’t as cold as it looked that day, but mama’s accessories totally inspired the wintry feel of this photo session:

Look at little miss’ pinkies in most of these pics. Everything she did was just so delicate and lady-like, and just so. I have about a bazillion more pics of her with that little pinky sticking out. She just makes you want to take a big sigh because all is right with the world. She is a beautiful, perfect addition to her little family. Two other favs shown HERE and HERE.

I don’t think I ever got a chance to blog her mommy and daddy’s maternity session from last year, either:

*Someone* had a birth day today ;-). I’ll give you a hint…you can’t really see him in these pics ;-). I found that to be incredibly convenient because this someone + his family happen to be the models for the in-home newborn photo session demonstration at the first January workshop! There are two–yes, only TWO–openings left for the Austin lifestyle photography workshops in 2013. I do not have any more Austin workshops on the calendar at this time, so please don’t miss out if this is something you’ve been thinking about attending. You’ll need to complete the contact form on that page to get the dates, pricing, and other details.

Meanwhile, I’ll just wait around here until I can get my hands on him for his newborn session part A in the next week or two ;-).

Can’t think of anything better to do than to document the pregnancy and their time together while still a family of 3. Goodness, their little boy is beautiful and I cannot wait to meet his baby sister in a few weeks! That wildflower field was a total fluke find, by the way. I actually took a wrong turn going to our meeting spot and happened to spy it behind a car wash, if you can believe it!

Once we had finished exploring the inside of art gallery in THIS session, we got to enjoy the AMAZING fall-like weather outside that afternoon. A note about this next set of images I’m about to post below: at the beginning of the session, I told them to independently think of their responses to these fill in the blanks, “My wife/husband is_______” and “This baby is _________.” You should know that they did not see each other’s responses to those questions and in fact, this post will be the first time they see what each other wrote. I found this little experiment to be quite telling…

And finally, we thought we’d end the perfect evening with one final statement about this time in their lives. It’s all about:

Another huge thank you goes out to Art on 5th and also to Katie at Modern Muse for the fabulous hair/makeup job. Very much looking forward to documenting this little guy’s birth day in just a few months! Oh, yes! One more thing…you gotta see how crafty his mama is:

She made those awesome letters HERSELF!

…because believe me, it’s not been very quiet over here at all over the past week and a half. In between the launch of the 2013 photographer workshops and mentorships, a mad rush of newborn, maternity, and family sessions, a hurt knee, a birth on Sunday followed by a super duper fast birth on Tuesday, and my dear mommy moving away :-(, my universe has been a little out of sorts. Honestly, I’m not quite sure what day it is today. But, I’m finally back at my desk today and proofing like a mad woman. It feels nice to be hanging out in my office again for a change and I’ve quite enjoyed going back and reliving these sessions as I proof them. This session in particular reminds me of the hour-long conversation we all had after we finished shooting, talking all things birth and nursing and what it’s like to have more than one child. The times I spend with my clients behind the camera are amazing, but the memories that stick with me come from the times when we can put the camera down and just hang out. You guys…I just can’t wait to meet your new baby girl…I know she’s going to be beautiful and oh-so-loved by her big brother!

…”It’s a GIRL!” and everyone–and I mean everyone–in the room felt their joy! Major congrats to you guys…little girl, your mama is pretty amazing!

Normally after a photo session, I only have time to sneak peek just one image. But this session deserves its own blog post sneak peek because I have a lot of gratitude to express. First and foremost, I want to thank this beautiful couple for serving our country…willingly and proudly. I want to thank them for driving all the way into Austin for this very special day. I want to thank dad-to-be for spending his birthday doing something so sweet for his beautiful wife. I want to thank Dr. Seuss for being the inspiration for their nursery and this photo shoot. And I want to give a HUGE round of thanks and applause to the folks at Art on 5th for letting us come into their space and for being so incredibly warm, kind, and accommodating.

6-7 years ago when I was working for Texas CASA, I used to walk on my lunch break and explore downtown. One day, I stumbled upon Art on 5th and I was blown away by the Dr. Seuss gallery. When I first started communicating with this couple, she mentioned their love of Dr. Seuss and I immediately thought of this gallery. I am so thankful to Joe and the rest of the gang at Art on 5th for opening their doors to us yesterday.  I would highly, highly recommend a visit (or two, or three) to the gallery. Such a treat for the eyes!

(Part 2 HERE)

I met Jackie about a year ago at Barb’s amazing workshop and learned that Jackie lived just down the road from me (which is rare because I’m in the boonies!!!). Love Jackie’s work, too!! So glad she was willing to come out for some underwater play before her sweet baby girl was born! (One on dry land HERE and my personal underwater fav HERE.)

Speaking of workshops, did you see my announcement on Facebook? I’m considering starting professional photographer workshops back in 2013!! I’m incredibly excited about the potential plans (which may include me traveling for the first time–eeep!). To make sure you’re among the first to know the details, fill out the “let me know” link on THIS page!