MILK BATH SERIES | FIN'S FIRST YEAR

Why milk baths? Ya know, I am not exactly sure what drew me to them other than I thought they were peaceful and beautiful and I loved the way they celebrated a pregnant body.  Before I was ever pregnant I really wanted one for my own maternity photos.   We took a ton of belly photos and felt like the milk bath was very different than anything I had ever really shot and wanted to give it a try.  So I figured out what I needed and got Jeremy on board!  He shot our first part of the series when I was 36 weeks pregnant and after that I knew this was how I wanted to show Fin's growth over the next year.  It was something special that Fin and I could share and also a fun monthly family project lol ;) and at the end of the year we would have one heck of an album.  We have taken SO many amazing photos of her this year but this series has been my ultimate goal.  Each month we have racked our brains to come up with something a little different and more unique than the month before but similar enough for them to all flow.  Some worked out better than others but overall it turned out just the way I had hoped.  Each month has a different story about the fiasco of shooting it, or how Fin wanted to eat everything in the tub, or throw a fit, or even the arguments Jeremy and I had about the logistics of them.  But every single month Jeremy was right there making sure he captured exactly what I wanted. He did a phenomenal job and cannot thank him enough for the patience he gave me this year for our 700 photo shoots.  So here is one photo from each month. I kept the pose similar so you could see how much this little one has changed!  Thank you for following along with us!! <3

FIN IS ONE!!!

It is absolutely crazy that my little baby is already a year old.  It has been the wildest most rewarding adventure that is just beginning. This year has been one of major growth and change not only for me becoming a mother but also in evolving as a person.   When Finley was born I could not even begin to imagine the way she would change my life for the better but I also couldn't imagine the overwhelming feeling of peace she would bring me.  From day one she has pushed me to be more patient and to savor every single second of life.  Lord knows she has tested my patience daily and been a feisty little thing from the beginning, but she is the epitome of everything in a kid I could have hoped for.  She is spunky and full of curiosity. She is fearless and strong, and I know she is destined for greatness.   Days and some months have really been rough but we got through it.  From healing after to delivery and learning to juggle being a stay at home mom and a full time photographer Fin continues to remind me of the strength I have and the ability to tackle on anything life throws at me.  I always told Jeremy she was our good luck charm from the first time I saw that heartbeat and I know she always will be. 

This past month Fin has really become a full fledged toddler. Not wanting ANYTHING to do with photos and her walking is now more of a run/jog.  She is 22lbs of sass and even today the nurse giving her her shots commented on how weirdly strong she was LOL!  She is a little gun fighter for sure.  She is talking up a storm and I think is very eager to get into some sort of activity.  So any mamas out there with recommendations that would be awesome!  I dont want to make this post to long so I will end it with our 12 month milk bath and a recap of her 12 month pictures!  She HATED her cake smash and I made sure to include some of those ;)  Happy Birthday my little beauty!!

FIN IS 11 MONTHS!!!

Happy 11 months love bug!  How is it possible that we are 11 months in on this journey of parenthood!?  It feels like Fin has been in our lives forever and yet it has only been 11 short months.  She has changed our world in the most magical way and yet each month I get a little more emotional as my baby grows up and this little human fireball has really started to emerge.  This past month Fin has perfected her walking and is really cranking up the speed.  She hasn't figured out holding mommy and daddy's hand yet but one day she will. :)   Her personality is off the charts and frankly I cannot even begin to imagine what she is going to be like when she gets more vocal.  Jeremy swears she is me in a tiny body, and well he may be right.  She is extremely determined to do what she wants and wont let anything stand in her way and I hope that is a quality that will take her far in life.  She may have my determination but my goodness does she have her daddy's curiosity and facial expressions.  Sometimes I swear they're clones of each other and it's the most adorable thing I have ever seen.  Fin is still such a happy kid and when she enters the room it is almost like she knows that she owns that room and it is hysterical.  Her personality is def big and she will melt your heart with one smile.

This month we did have our first low grade fever and our second little cold but like a true stud she continued to terrorize the dogs and never skipped a beat of playing and running all over the house.  She has her 2 top teeth working on her and one broke the gum this morning and it's going to be a little sad when that 2 tooth smile changes.  Luckily I grabbed some fantastic photos of it this past month.  We even got another great milk bath on the books and am happy to say she did amazing.  Some of our studio photos were a little dramatic but don't worry I made sure to include some of the alligator tears ;) Check out a recap of this past month below!!  Happy 11 months Fin! We love you!!

AMBER 9 MONTH MILK BATH | MILESTONE SESSION | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

I absolutely adore these gorgeous gals!!  I met Madeliza almost 2 years ago when I photographed a mutual friend's birth.  Little did I know we would shortly both become pregnant just a few months apart and that I would be following along her pregnancy and mommy hood journey.  Her beautiful baby girl Amber is such a fun little girl and absolutely GORGEOUS.  She is full of personality and sass and so much fun to photograph.  We had sa great time capturing her 9 month milestone with a milk bath.  Here are a few of my favorites!

FIN IS 10 MONTHS!

10 months!!!  10 months!??!!  How am I already planning this kids first birthday? But happy 10 months my gorgeous girl!! This past month has had some BIG milestones!  At 9 1/2 weeks to the day Fin took her first solo steps!!  I was on the phone with Jeremy and she took 4 steps towards me.  It was one of the most exciting moments so far.  Then the next day she climbed the entire stairwell.  (Don't worry mama was right behind her).  This girl will not be slowed down!  And every day since the walking has been increasing and the crawling is decreasing.  It is absolutely surreal to have this little human toddling around but it is so much fun to watch. 

Fin is weighing in at around 20.8lbs and seems to be getting more muscles everyday lol! Her hair is also FINALLY long enough to put into a pony tail and shes looking more like a kid than ever before.  Her favorite foods include tacos, avocado, scrambled eggs, and blueberries.  She is ALL over the place and has discovered the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen and also likes to try to open the oven (lord help me).  She continues to enjoy playing in the dog's water dishes and her favorite game is to put blankets in the water then starts flinging the wet blankets all over the kitchen.  And we do this game every. single. day.  She loves her puppies more than ever and I think they have really been enjoying all of the food she now shares with them during her meals. ;)

Overall this month has been a really exciting one and Fin is definitely not a baby anymore.  As much as it breaks my heart to see her becoming a little kid it really is incredible to watch.  Her personality is truly shining and I cannot wait to see the sass that this next month brings.  Pictures are getting harder to take but thankfully the smiles are still off the charts.  Here are some of my favorite images from this month!

FIN IS 8 MONTHS!!!

Little beauty what a month it has been!  You have taken crawling and climbing on everything to a whole new level. No surface on this main floor of the house has gone unexplored!  Fin is pushing her push cart like a pro, practicing balancing and standing without holding onto anything, and cruising the furniture has begun.  She is also saying dada, mama, and bahbah!  Yes dada was first, but mama wasn't toooooo far behind :).  Her personality is REALLY coming out and her curiosity and determination are like nothing I have ever seen.  I love it but it's also a little terrifying! HAH! This month we had a lot of outdoor hikes, playing on the water table, cut our first tooth, and are experimenting more with new foods! Brave mommy finally gave her eggs!! This month our goal is peanuts! AHH!  We also broke out the finger paints and let her go wild for earth day!  Finley you truly are a remarkably kid and your daddy and I love you more than anything.  I cannot believe you are already 8 months old!  I love and hate how fast time is going because I love seeing you learn and explore but sad when you wake up and look more grown up than when I put you to bed. You are the greatest thing this life has given your daddy and I and we love you so incredibly much.  I hope you never lose your wild spirit and that hunger to learn!  I know one day you will conquer the world.  Happy 8 months my little love <3!!

FIN IS 7 MONTHS OLD!!!

Happy 7 months Finley!  Every month is going faster and this past month was NUTS! Finley has begun crawling with a vengeance and is EVERYWHERE and climbing on EVERYTHING!  We have baby proofed as best as we can but she somehow still finds the one thing we missed.  This month has been a whole lot of chasing and finding ways to block off the coffee table and yet she gets past our obstacles lol!  This kid is one determined lady!  She also has started to walk 5-6 steps at a time with her walker and walk along the crib rails.  I have a feeling this month things are just going to get even more exciting!  We didn't capture as many photos this month because she is getting way harder to catch!  Her milk bath was also one of the toughest we've shot so far.  Probably photographer's error as I somehow was unable to get the tub drain to seal and we were losing water the whole shoot lol!  The whole bath lasted about 11 minutes before the water was way too low.  BUT we got some great stuff and Fin was in rare form ;) Here are some of the photos we captured this month!!

HAPPY 6 MONTHS FINLEY!!

How has half of a year already go by since Finley officially made her debut?!  HALF A YEAR!?!  The last 6 months have been the fastest of my life.  I am still in awe everyday that I am a mommy and that I have a beautiful perfect baby girl.  This last month has been a big one for her and she has officially hit wild one status!  She has decided on a new bedtime routine and is officially sleeping from 630-630 and then is up and ready to party.  She is sitting up like a champ and I no longer feel the need to sit behind her just in case.  She FINALLY loves tummy time and is either sitting up or on her tummy which is GREAT!  Fin is already on the move with her army crawl and pushing up onto all 4's then will tuck her legs and sit up!  She still cannot figure out moving her arms with her legs and resorts to the army crawl but i think she will get it any day!  She is also starting to climb! AHH!  The other day she tried to climb out of the pack and play and her excersaucer so the baby proofing has started full force.  Another HUGE milestone this month was that we went underwater at the pool!!  TWICE!  And she didnt cry at all! Her eyes were huge and I think she may have been a little spooked at first but I think we definitely had success.  She loves the water and we gave her her first big girl tubby and she was in heaven!!  Even got some ADORABLE pics! :) 

Her favorite toys are anything that makes noise and lights up but especially her baby piano and aquarium.  She also LOVES her doggies.  She is always trying to grab/pet them and is also constantly grabbing faces.  Look out for her talons as we call them because no matter how much I cut them those little nails are SHARP!  Overall this month has been incredible!  Fin is still SUPER happy all the time and is really just a character.  This month we did A TON of photos and I am in love with every single one of them!  We ended up having to do her milk bath 2 times because all she wanted to do was destroy the flowers lol!!  We finally did one of her solo!  Below are my favorites!  There are a lot :)

Fin is 5 Months!!

This pretty little girl is already 5 months old!!  Clearly time has flown because I missed posting her pics from the last 2 months!!  They have gone by so quickly and frankly I have been especially emotional this week as I have watched my little beauty grow from a baby into a kid.  This last month in particular she has grown so much and it's like she learns something new everyday. It has been incredible to watch!  SO what have we been up to? Well Fin has really found her voice and enjoys squeaking and talking ALL the time, she is taking decent naps and for the most part is sleeping through the night!  WAHHOOO!!  She is sitting up on her own and has the core strength of 10 men.  We have tried rice cereal and starting to really think she is ready for solids!  She loves to play in her excersaucer and trying really really hard to figure out how to crawl.  The highlight of our month was that we FINALLY went swimming!  She impressed me so much with how well she took to the water and was all smiles!  I think she may be a water baby after all. :) This girl is always all smiles and laughs with the occasional meltdown and really is quite the character.  Her personality is out of this world and I cannot wait to see her continue to blossom into her own little person.  Happy 5 months kiddo your mommy and daddy are so proud of you!  Here are some of my favorite photos from this month including our 5 month milk bath!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

It's Fin's first Halloween and what better costume than a little witch!!  I decided to incorporate her costume for her 2 month milk bath by changing things up a bit and doing a BLACK BATH BOMB!  AHHH!  It was so awesome!!!  The water was the perfect!!  I couldn't decide on my favorite so here they all are!!  HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!