She did, however, start to squirm once she was forced back into clothes. I suspect she thought naked time was going to last all afternoon!

Congratulations, Leila! 

Guess which one I got? She was sitting on my bed, eating a pineapple dum-dum lollipop (technically it was a mystery flavor one, but man! it smelled like pineapple and was bright yellow) on a recent afternoon and requested a portrait to commemorate the experience. Specifically, she held up her lollipop and said, “Take a picture of us!” Who could resist those charms?

I am so glad she inherited someone else’s eyelashes besides mine. I’ve got stumpy, spiky ones that splay out in all directions. Nothing like the perfect, feathery fans my daughter has.

At some point, Vivienne located a small, gold ring of plastic (how do toddlers do that? I don’t even know where it came from) and proceeded to ‘crown’ her Princess Lollipop. That shine on her chin is, in fact, drool. The kid loves her candy.

At this point, the camera was put down to make way for a TICKLE MONSTER!

I didn’t realize my bedroom was an IKEA ad. Between the green closet doors, and the bed/duvet cover, we’ve got it covered. I am a flat-pack furniture hero. I could assemble the Taj Mahal, as long as it came with an allen wrench!

This is the mommy smile, the one just for me. It makes me so happy – I’m glad to be able to share it with everyone!

He loves wheels on anything, and he had a great time during our session playing with cars and a wooden train.

This was the image his parents chose for thank-you cards from his first birthday party.  Such a happy guy!

Even though I am not a big fan of changing diapers, it’s hard to deny that diaper butts are cute.

Happy birthday, Xander!

Ta-da!  My little girl is not so little any more.  On Sunday, she turned two.  I can’t believe how quickly she has been changing.  She now tells me things like, “I can do it,” “Leave me alone,” and “Give me the camera, Mommy.”

These images are from our mini-vacation to Houghton Lake over Memorial Day.  Give her some bubbles and an afternoon with Grandpa, and she’s over the moon.

And the best part is, all this bubble-blowing leads to very long, very peaceful naps – a luxury for mother as well as child!

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Aren’t they sweet? This is the image that we used on their wedding gallery announcement cards that were handed out at the reception.

We went down to the Arb in Ann Arbor and meandered around one of the trails. I love this image – it’s awesome to photograph a couple who really are good friends to each other.

Ari’s engagement ring is beautiful!

I’ll admit it – I’ve got a soft spot for pictures of kisses. Especially the ones that are passionate and playful!

Laying in the grass…a classic Arb passtime! Ari and Mark were kind enough to humor me.

When we were wrapping up the shoot, the sun had begun to set and lit up the evergreens on the opposite side of the hill. The light is so intense, the trees looked like they were on fire. It was a lovely way to end our outing.

Next up I’ll have images from Mark and Ari’s gorgeous wedding. They had a beautiful, emotional ceremony in a garden, followed by a nonstop party reception – photos of dancing guests and celebration abound!

Those eyes! More than anything else, her eyes show us what she needs and how she’s feeling.

She is certainly used to a camera by now. If only I could keep her from grabbing it! Soon enough, kiddo…

Clapping! She does this now. And waving! And saying, “Hi!”

She’s well on her way to walking. She pulled herself up for this photo which took me by surprise. I wonder how long she’s been practicing in secret?

She is ALWAYS on the move, but at least here the teeth are clear. And sharp. Yikes.

This is her papa’s favorite of the bunch. I have no idea what she tasted, but it was no good!

Because it is a photo blog, and I love my daughter, Vivienne, I thought I would see what happened when I put the two together. And, as luck would have it, they go together like peanut butter and chocolate. This is the first in what I hope will be a weekly dose of cuteness, be it from babies, dogs, squirrels, toys, people in love, whathaveyou. Enjoy!