Melissa and Joe welcomed their third baby boy on the evening of Saturday, November 11th. Wade is just so sweet, and it was apparent that they are overjoyed with their newest addition to the family. I was fortunate to meet Melissa when our boys were in a playgroup together, in the Severna Park Mom’s Club, a few years ago, and I am grateful that she chose me to document this milestone for their family.
Ashley and Daniel thought they knew what to expect when they scheduled a caesarian section for their second baby, but baby girl had other plans! Ashley, unexpectedly, went into labor just days before her c-section date and they welcomed baby Clare into the world on September 5th, 2023.
Meredith and Fabrice have been inviting me into their home in Washington, D.C. to capture their family photos for years, and it’s been an honor to watch as their family has grown and changed over those years. From the days of their first maternity session with their 3 rescue pups to their life as parents of two, every photo session has been about capturing life as it really is, in an environment that is comfortable for the whole family.
When your due date comes and goes without baby making his debut, you can feel so ready and yet so unprepared at the same time. That’s how Heather felt when I checked in with her a few days after baby James was due. But a day later, on November 3rd, James Alan arrived, and we captured some sweet newborn photos at their home in Pasadena, Maryland when James was just a week old . . .
I feel so fortunate to have the ability to homeschool my boys, and even more blessed that it leads me to meet people like Meghan and her beautiful, intelligent girls, Gabi and Camilla. I am even more fortunate that Meghan trusts me to capture photos of her family, and decided to gift her mother a family session with me, from her and her brothers . . .
Watching babies grow has to be one of the most joy-filled parts of my job, and when Nicole contacted me to do sweet Nicholas’s cake smash photos, I was so thrilled to document this milestone. I had the privilege of capturing Nicholas’s newborn photos, at their home in Pasadena, Maryland, exactly one year before we did his in home cake smash photo session. It was so fun to see how much he had grown and how very much he is loved . . .
Throughout these years that the Aviles family has given me the honor of taking their photos, we’ve done family sessions at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, and multiple beach family photo sessions in Ocean City, Maryland. This year, they decided to capture their family moments at their family home in northern Virginia. If you’re familiar with my photography, or have spoken to me about photo sessions, you may know that your family home is my favorite place to capture family photos and this session did not disappoint . . .
When baby Natalia arrived on August 29th, more than two weeks early, her mama was not at all surprised. Born 7 lbs, 7 oz and with a head full of thick, dark hair, this girl was ready for the world and she knew it.
And from the smiles, the quiet moments and the contented sighs that I witnessed at her in home newborn session in Washington, D.C., her family was ready for her as well . . .
I have been blessed to call Meredith a friend for a long time, and even though we sometimes go months without catching up with one another, every time we talk, I find out more and more how grateful I am that she is a part of my life. I’ve watched this woman handle both life’s struggles and triumphs with such grace. She shows leadership and intelligence in every interaction. I feel so fortunate that I’ve been able to be a witness to both the hard times and the joy in her life. So when she sent me a message this summer that she was due with a baby girl in September, I was both excited and honored that she asked me to capture some moments of her family before they became a family of 4, plus 2 doggies (who were their first babies).
When I first met Allison and Chris, we were at Friendship Trees for a Christmas tree farm session. It was a chilly morning, and their (almost) 3 year old, Riley, was not enjoying the cold, dew soaked grass. We captured some sweet moments anyway, and I mentioned that for a full session, I really do enjoy doing them at home so that the kids don’t have to be packed into the car to go anywhere and we can move at their pace . . .
Fast forward a few months to this spring, and Allison reached out to me again. She said they were interested in a family session, at their home in Severna Park, and I could not have been more excited to have the opportunity to document her, Chris, Riley and one year old Connor again. And this time, I would get to come to them and play with the kiddos where they feel most at home . . .
Baby Isla Marie was nice and cozy in mama’s tummy and was not eager to enter this cold Maryland February, and who could blame her! Isla made her debut on Presidents Day, February 15th, 2021 at 12:23pm, a few days after her due date, and weighed in at 7lbs 11oz, measuring 19.25”. As predicted, she is a firecracker just like her mama, giving her mama the side eye as soon as she was placed on her chest. I was so happy to meet her and to see Jen and Will again, to capture in home lifestyle newborn photos at their Pasadena, Maryland home.
Sweet baby Nicholas Destin made his way into the world on February 17th, 2021 at 7:10pm, weighing in at 8lbs 6.4oz, and he could not be more loved. I had the honor of capturing in home lifestyle newborn photos at Nicole and Ryan’s Pasadena, Maryland home and it was truly a joy to witness the love this family had for each other. Big Brother Will welcomed me at the door when I arrived and I enjoyed a tour of the house, including a visit to Will’s room where I got to see his favorite stuffed animals and admire his school artwork that adorned the walls . . .
Victory of the People. The name Cole means Victory of the People, of a triumphant people. I cannot help but think how appropriate it is that Cole’s cake smash was the first session I was able to do after the majority of the world spent a few months staying “safe at home,” trying to shelter ourselves and our families from a global pandemic.
Jennifer and Jeremy welcomed James William earthside on at 6:38am on November 4th, 2018. His name holds so much meaning, named after two of his grandfathers who passed away within days of each other earlier this year. Family is so important to Jennifer and Jeremy, that James William was exactly the blessing they needed to honor their loved ones and hold them a little closer to their hearts . . .
A year goes by so fast. It feels as if it was just yesterday that Amanda and I were talking about doing Adelyn’s newborn photos. And here we are a year later and Miss Adventure, Miss Personality, the Pilkerton Wild One is smashing her cake and wrapping up her first trip around the sun.
Life was lived, lessons were learned, I’m still growing, as a human being, and so is my business. Read on to see what this year held for me and what I hope for in 2019 . . .
I met this sweet mom at a mom’s night out held by the organization where both of our son’s attend speech therapy. When we started talking about getting a photo session in before Christmas, I was thrilled that she would consider an in home session. We took advantage of our local neighborhood park, and captured some in home photos that portray the love and laughter that this family so clearly enjoys . . .
My friendship with Meredith dates back to early high school, with days of running around the ice rink where our brothers played hockey. We didn’t go to school together, and we lived an hour away from each other, but somehow a friendship developed that has endured over 20 years, and hopefully will continue for many more.
It feels as if I have known the Palmer family my entire life. I went to elementary school with them, and Stephen is one of my brother's closest friends. So I was very excited when Stephen contacted me last November to set up a family photo session as a Christmas gift for his mother.
It feels as if I’ve known Brad and Jess forever. I have at least know them since Bradford, who we used to refer to as Little Brad, was around my Noah’s age. He recently had a birthday and is now in the double digits . . . not so little anymore. My parents and Brad’s parents met as “neighbors” at the beach, as in they had condos in the same building and spent several summer weekends soaking up the sun and good company in the sand in Ocean City, Maryland. And whenever I go to the beach, even though my condo is 17 streets away, I always end up on the beach by their condo because their street just has this amazing sense of community. And that is where I got to know Jess, Brad, Bradford and Josie.
