Having cake and eating it, too | aliso viejo child photographer

I can barely believe it. In just short of 12 hours, my "baby" will be entering Kindegarten. I am filled with joy, excitement, and a sprinkling of sadness and nervousness. Nervous because her world is opening up to more strangers and we are both going to have to ascertain which will become friends and which should not. Sad at the realization that my baby is no longer a baby. Sometimes, in short, fleeting moments, I wish I could stop time and she could stay my baby. But those moments make me cherish our photos and this job that much more. The photos capture that moment forever. And in that way, I like to think I do get to have my cake and eat it, too.

Finley, two weeks old | Pacific Beach newborn photographer

Finley first made her debut on this blog about a month ago, when her parents and I got together for their maternity session. I just met her this past weekend and can already say I love everything about this little girl. She is gorgeous, sweet, calm, has awesome parents, and was totally ready to be photographed - and she's only two weeks old! Here are a few of my favorite images from the newborn session with this sweet, new family of three.

See...total stunner and not even a month old yet.

What better way to start Spring than photographing a gorgeous newborn?

A star in the making | San Diego family photographer

Laihla's mom, Lisa, contacted me because, like most moms, she wanted to get some good photos of her two-year old daughter. What she didn't tell me beforehand is that little miss Laihla was such a great entertainer! :) She was just singing her little heart out while I snapped away. On top of that, she is just as cute as is humanly possible, so yeah...me thinks this is a star in the making guys.






Laihla and big sister, Destiny. I see two pretty girls...and a world of trouble with the boys for mom and dad ;) lol




Of course we had to get some shots with the entire, beautiful family, too. And I know what you're thinking - I couldn't believe she was mom to a 17-year old either. Work it out Lisa!




And I'll leave you with this, because she killed me with this one and I just love it!

Worth a try...

It's not something we've ever attempted but I figured, what the heck. If she wins she wins, if she doesn't, she's still la luz de mi vida (the light of my life)! :)

Gap is holding a nationwide contest to find the next faces of babyGap and GapKids, and Beans is entered into the contest. Check out her entry and please vote for her here:

click here to vote

If you do take the time to vote for her, I thank you in advance. And remember...you can vote once a day, every day through November 17, 2009.

Lucky to be me...

Song of the day: Lucky to Be Me by Amel Larrieux

Today is a very special day. Today, the love of my life turns three years old. It still takes me a minute to wrap my brain around the idea that I'm mommy to a three year old. More than that is that I'm mommy to an amazing little girl! She is smart, beautiful, thoughtful, caring, energetic, ambitious, adventurous, sweet, and absofrickinlutely hilarious! She loves to run, jump, and climb on any and everything; she makes up her own songs; she does Conan O'Brien impressions; she loves to dance (especially when SYTYCD is on); she loves when we play No Doubt, Black Eye Peas (clean, of course), Kings of Leon, and Jason Mraz; she "reads" books to us, but that usually means making up her own version of the story, making it so much funnier; she likes to hide and try to scare you when you come around the corner; she loves The Fresh Beat Band (hey...her taste can't be perfect at 3. lol); she will comfort you when you're sad; she loves the guess what/chicken butt joke and cracks up every time; she'll randomly come up to me, grab my face to make me look at her, and say, "mama...I love you" and proceed to give me the biggest kiss and hug.

*sigh* I really love being this little girl's mom.

The day she was born


Here she is...making up another song. :)


Happy birthday Beans! Mommy and daddy love you so very much!

Prima ballerina...

Yesterday we took our daughter to her very first ballet class. She has been excited beyond measure about this class since I registered her for it over a month ago. She has even been known to break into dance in the middle of a Red Lobster, telling everyone she was doing her ballet - true story. So the day finally comes, we get to the class, and what does she do? She attempts to take over instructing it! LOL For anyone who knows me, especially the child version of myself, you know that this just more proof that Beans is totally my kid! All the other little girls in class are pointing their toes on cue, eyes filled with awe and fixated on the instructor. My kid...no, my kid is the only kid escaping the mirror and bar and doing HER ballet. I have to commend the instructor - she has FAR more patience than I do and every time (there were many) Beans strayed, she gently got her back in line and focusing...at least for a good minute or two. Honestly, for a few moments I was a little embarrassed, thinking that the instructor and/or the other parents may think my kid doesn't know how to listen. But when I focused on the pure delight that was exuding from the HUGE smile on my little girl's face; when I thought about the fact that she is, even at two (almost three) years old her own person and completely comfortable in her skin; that embarrassment quickly disappeared and my smile and my heart were as big as my daughter's smile. Yet another joyful moment being this little girl's mother. There is more to come on the topic of joy as we celebrate her third year of life this Friday. Until then, I leave you with a couple of photos from yesterday's joy...




Doing her own thing...


There's that pure delight!




Getting her sticker for finishing her first class!

Sammy!

I say it time and time again, but it just happens to be a very true story: I get to shoot the cutest kids ever! Little miss Samantha just turned a year old and she is just a little doll. From her sweet grin to her adorable little just-learning-to-walk waddle, she is a little ball of perfection. Which should be a surprise to no one considering what a beautiful couple of parents she has! ;) Just scroll down and take a look...you'll see what I'm talking about!

First of all - look at the lashes on this girl! Amazing, right?






Icing on the cake was getting to see daddy's firetruck live and up close!








Her favorite toy garnered the biggest smiles!




Isn't she just gorgeous?


That's the end!

Gabriel makes four...

You may remember this gorgeous little family from when we highlighted the anticipation of little Gabriel's arrival (click here). Erin, Jesse, and big sister Norah welcomed little Gabriel into the world on July 16, and today I had the absolute joy of meeting him and photographing him and the rest of the family. Gabriel is easily one of the most calm, sweet little babies I've ever met. Slept most of the session, but even when he was awake, he just sat there calmly and took everything in with his gorgeously deep blue eyes. Who knows, maybe it's a sign of the kind of personality he will have or it could have been the three or four mini-nursing sessions he had, but either way that's my kind of guy - easy going and loves to eat! ;)

Before I get to the photos let me just say that it was hard for me to narrow down my faves, so this is going to be a BIG sneak peek. I'd also advise you to take a seat if you're not sitting already. Prepare for cuteness overload...

From his head (full of hair)...

...to his toes, he's just adorable!

Big sister Norah didn't really feel up to taking pictures, but when she did, she gave us pure gold. Look at the love!

I can just hear you all saying, "awwww". I know I did!

Erin and Jesse, many thanks for letting me into your (beautiful) home and giving me the chance to document this special time in your lives. Congratulations on your new family of four!

Two moms, Two sets of sisters, and three cousins...

Riddle of the day. When do two moms, two sisters, and three cousins equal a total of five people? When the set of sisters happen to be moms, and one of them has two daughters.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing five...count 'em five lovely ladies! Theresa and Karen are sisters and wanted to get some portraits to celebrate the bonds they share as both sisters and mothers. Theresa is mom to one-year old miss Sayla. Her sister, Karen, is mom to two little girls - Hannah, five, and Makayla, also one. All together, these ladies were a ball of energy and just a beautiful family who very clearly love each other to pieces. They picked the gorgeous setting of Coronado beach as their backdrop and it was the perfect day for a beach session, let me tell you. The sun was shining beautifully and the ladies were working it for the camera.




America's Next Top Model? I say yes because Hannah is a doll!


Sayla had a blast during her very first beach visit. What was supposed to be a dip turned into a full soaking when she took a little spill. But she brushed it off and went right back in. Look at this sweet, adorable face!


Little Makayla was none too happy about being at the beach and liked to hide her face. But when she did open up, look at the gorgeous peepers she boasted!




You gotta love a mom who is willing to just jump right in there and get soaked for the shot!




Theresa and Karen, I had so much fun playing in the sand, splashing in the pacific, finding crabs under rocks, and photographing you and your beautiful girls.