Baby Sydney at 5 weeks. I really cannot get enough of her spiky black hair. She is so adorable!! It was pretty dark and started raining when I arrived for this in-home session so we moved out to their super cute bohemian styled patio. I loved everything about it and the pups even hung out for a few photos!  Enjoy a few of my favs below!  

I have really loved having the opportunity to meet and photograph so many new and familiar families this year. It is an absolute privilege to meet your new babies and see your little ones as they grow. These experiences bring me so much joy. I am overwhelmingly grateful for each and every one of you! ​

The sweetest family and the cutest little baby boy that just wanted to be held. I remember how hard the newborn stage is but truly, there is nothing quite like those snuggly newborn babies. Here are just a few of my many favorites from this beautiful in-home newborn session. 

This sweet maternity session is full of glow. Lori brought the gorgeous pregnancy glow and the sun setting behind the trees provided the most beautiful warm, sunshiny glow.  Just a few of my favorite things! And they brought along their doggy!!  I have been photographing so many dogs lately and I do love it. They remind me of toddlers as we bribe them with toys and treats and they sure do make everything a bit cuter!

I think we may be seeing a quarantine baby boom in the next couple of months and I am here for it!! Bring on those new babies! 

Dress: Free People

I met Brittani through Instagram. She is one half of Buds Flower Co. Brittani and her friend Amanda grow fresh cut flowers right here in the Lake Nona area and create the most beautiful floral arrangements! If you haven't heard of them, you should definitely check them out!

This baby boy also just melted me. Baby Jack is incredibly adorable with that full head of hair and little side part. I cannot even take it! Also, when a mama tells you that they love your style because of the way you photograph details, you photograph SO many beautiful details! I was in baby heaven, gobbling up each and every tiny baby roll!  Below are just a few of my many favorites from this sweet newborn session! 

This is such a sweet family with two beautiful little girls. I met Stephanie through instagram when she was very newly pregnant and have had the opportunity to follow her motherhood journey from one baby to two. Everything she does with these baby girls is so pure and beautiful. She and her husband are such kind, nurturing and just amazing people. I truly adore being around this lovely little family! It is really wonderful to meet someone for maternity photos and also have the opportunity to meet that new baby when he or she arrives. The significance of this truly magical time for a family is not lost on me. I am so grateful for every opportunity to be a small part of this sacred time in your lives!  

Mary and I photographed Lauren + Fran's wedding back in 2015 at the Saturn Club in Buffalo, NY. It was one of the first weddings we ever photographed and it was so beautiful. The people we met that day were so amazing and we are lucky to still call many of them friends. I remember that wedding was so much fun because Lauren and Fran, their families and every person at that wedding was so kind. They were also phenomenal dancers! Lauren and Fran are such a fun couple and so incredibly loved!!

Fast forward five years, a puppy and 2 babies later. I was so excited that it worked out to photograph Lauren and Fran's brand new baby girl when we were visiting Buffalo for a few weeks this summer. Behind the scenes, this session was a little crazy with 2 under two. We found humor in the chaos (and someone's ticklish spot) and this sweet family's laid back disposition is really what shined through in the photos. 

I really love our trips back to Buffalo to visit family, but I also get to see so many friends and clients through this little photography gig. It is such an honor to document your sweet memories and to watch your beautiful families grow. Thank you for your continued support over all these years. Sharing in your lives is something I am truly so grateful to be a part of.

This sweet family is preparing to become a party of four! When you are pregnant, it can sometimes feel like an eternity. Looking back, you start to forget the feeling of having a bump. The way your baby hugged your bump, the tiny kicks that kept you up all night..those memories fade. I was so happy to be able to capture this time of being a family of three along with maternity photos to remember this special time in their lives. I believe it is so important to have tangible memories we can always look back upon. Someday, these will be the old photographs we share with our older children and grandchildren. And this Iittle girl's pout may just be the cutest! She perked up any time we mentioned her baby sister and she knew right were that little one is, pointing to and hugging her mama's belly! The deep roots of those sibling bonds begin early. We took these photos outside of Lake Nona and the light coming through the trees was so pretty. Totally worth waking up early for it!! I can't wait to meet this family's new baby girl in a few short months!! 

These photos are of my sister and her daughters from when they visited in early March. I asked them if they wanted to do a little motherhood shoot while they were here. Keli and I were excited when the girls agreed to dress up and take some photos with their mama! I am so grateful we created these images because we have a reminder of my nieces at these ages. The girls are currently in fifth and eighth grade. Due to the current situation, school will be taught at home for the remainder of the year. Some of the celebrations typically associated with these milestones are unable to happen. Even if there are no parties or graduation ceremonies, she has these memories with her girls before they transition to a new chapter!

On another note, my sister and her husband enjoy a mostly vegan diet. I find this fascinating because they are also such foodies. They love to eat out at restaurants and to cook at home. Keli gave me many pruning and drying tips for the herbs and vegetables in my little garden. I am constantly asking her for product information and recipes. It's funny, most of our text messages are usually about food in some way, shape or form. She inspires me in the kitchen, always coming up with healthy and delicious creations! 

Since we are all spending more time at home and cooking a lot, I asked her to share some vegan recipes that her family enjoys so we can change things up a bit. I asked her for recipes that are easy to make and that her non vegan kids will happily eat. I linked the recipes below for anyone that may be interested! 

Creamy Vegan Lasagna Soup - one pot! 
From: ELA Vegan

Vegan Mac and Cheese 
From: Ela Vegan

Now for some of my favorite photos of these three...All of these images were photographed on film! 

Newborns bring such light and joy and I think we can all use a little of that right now!  This was my last session before social distancing was a thing. Alex and Steven are such natural parents. Steven had quickly mastered the swaddle and Alex knows exactly how to calm her sweet baby girl. They are such a great team already as they navigate parenthood together. 

I don't know about you guys, but I feel like we need our team now more than ever. Each day, something new unfolds and often more uncertainty. We are confined to our homes, working and doing life closer than most of us ever have. It is crazy and chaotic here. Some days seem eternal. Others fly by and I am left wondering what we did all day. Through this experience, I have also recognized that I have slowed down. I don't have a list of places to get to and activities to get done or drive to. I have been more present and for that I am grateful. Tommy and I have started taking daily walks. It almost seems like going back in time when we walk around the neighborhood, seeing everyone out with cheerful smiles and hellos from a distance. We hang outside, as a family, when Mike is done working and the weather here has been amazing. The sun is usually dipping behind our neighbor's home and we listen to music, have a drink or swim as an evening breeze gently brings a close to the day.  This situation is not ideal, I am as excited as anyone for things to go back to normal. But we are healthy and I will choose to take what I can from it and right now, that is spending more time with my little crew and listening to fart songs. Thanks Alexa.

Every stage is truly so special. They grow up much too quickly for my liking!