Harper = Nine Months

My sweet niece Harper is nine months old.  Already.  It seems like I just posted Karen's maternity session (see it here ) and now this sweet little baby girl is moving around like no one's business and can capture your heart in split second with her friendly personality, adorable cheeks and incredible smile.  I just love this baby girl and very much enjoy watching her grow at each stage.  

For Harper's nine month photos and Evan's two-year photos, we headed out to the City Museum in downtown St. Louis.  We were looking for something different than from what we had done before; something modern and urban.  And this place delivered.  A tad challenging when it came to natural light; but offered a ton of fresh perspectives in terms of backgrounds, textures and color.   I hadn't been to the City Museum in quite awhile and this place is super-cool.  

You know that you have arrived someplace cool when there is a school bus tipping off the top of the roof and a fire escape slide that connects to an actual firetruck on the roof!  

Sweet baby Harper is such a good model!  

I adore the photo below.  Potential for an all-time favorite.  I tried to get Evan to do the exact same pose, but he wouldn't go for it.  Ugh - boys!    

I love that she loves her reflection.  The City Museum offered many opportunities for the kids to learn about mirrors.  

I entitled this photo (below) - "Nobody puts baby in a corner."  Clever, eh?

Harper Belle - Thanks for being such a good model.  I love these photos - you are so cute to capture!  Karen and TJ - I hope that you enjoy the video!

Tony and Amy are Engaged!

My sweet baby brother is getting married!  My little "Tony Bones" - who I used to carry around as a little baby and play house with him and pretend he was my own little baby - is getting married.  And we are sooo happy for him.  Tony is marrying the girl next door.  Literally, the girl next door whose family has lived next to my Mom and Dad's house for nearly as long as I can remember.  We all love Amy; but our boys have a very deep love for her that might even put Tony's affection to the test.  Amy is an elementary school teacher and her love for children is so very apparent in her interaction with our boys and our nieces.  Tony and Amy are both rock-stars when it comes to the aunt and uncle department!  We all love her and are very excited to welcome her to the family.

I was honored to do an engagement session for Tony and Amy.  We headed out to Maeystown, Illinois for these photos which is a small town with deep meaning for Amy and her family.  We also did a photo session in Maeystown last spring (see photos here).  We had a beautiful winter afternoon full of great light and just enough snow on the ground to add gorgeous effects to this pictures.

Here are my favorites:

I LOVE the one below.  I love the sparkle of the water and their bright smiling faces.  

I don't know . . . maybe this one below is my favorite.  When I was editing the images, I just starred at this one and got tears in my eyes.  They are so happy.  And so playful with each other.  And it got me all emotional when I really took it in that Tony is looking lovingly at his bride in this picture.  His bride!  And I totally felt like Mom/Aunt Paulette when tears started to well up, then stream down my face and then my mascara started to run and I got make-up in my eyes and decided it was time for a break.  Bottom line - I love this picture.  

Tony and Amy - Thanks for letting me take these pictures!  I hope that you enjoy the video (be sure to click on the full-screen version for optimal viewing)!  We love you both so very much!