{princess belle}

Well, since birthday party invites have started to arrive in mail boxes, I thought I'd share the rest that I took during princess's little photo shoot. Mommy is having way too much fun with this new lens!

{princess belle}

{Father's Day 2011}

We headed out to the Morton Arboretum on Father's Day to celebrate the awesome Daddy of this house! Two things John loves more than anything: his children and nature. Perfect combo for the day!

It was a little muggy and buggy, but we spent some great time among some amazing green spaces. This was the first time I really got to use my new lens in some incredible natural light--it didn't disappoint! I got some awesome pictures (and also learned some "trial by error" lessons for next time.)

We can't wait to enjoy our new membership there year round--we are SO excited for the fall and all the stunning colors.

Enjoy...there are SO many great ones of John and the kids.

{Father's Day 2011}

Pinocchio

We took in another performance by the Chicago Kids Company Theater at the Beverly Arts Center this week. Three of Lola's best buddies joined us on the outing--Alexis, Parker and Preston! I saw a Groupon come through last month and snatched two of them up so we could all go together as a big group. We lunched at good ol' McD's afterwards. Great day!

The kids absolutely LOVE these productions--and I love that they perform such a short distance from our house. Enjoy the pics of these little sweeties at the theater!

Pinocchio

Preston is 3!

Our buddy Preston turned 3 and we helped him celebrate his big day. After looking at the pictures, you’ll understand why I think my friend Tiffany needs to go into business decorating kids parties! Wow. Best decorations ever! She thought of everything and I had to capture all her hardwork and planning. Decorations are just half of the party planning--of course the food is the other and the spread, both sweet and savory, was delicious. We had so much fun and since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I’ll will surely be stealing some of her ideas for Lola’s 3rd Birthday Party.

Enjoy the pics!

{Preston is 3}

johnny updates

A few important developments in the life of our sweet baby boy:

Sitting Up

• We're still not there, but he has made awesome progress in just the last week. He really seems to be getting the hang of tripod sitting, which is the first major step. He holds the position so much longer than he used to. Just this afternoon, he held the position for 30 seconds before toppling over. This is a huge gross motor milestone. I said I was going to throw a walking party when he took his first independent steps, but screw it. I'm throwing a sitting up party!

Teeth

• Two pearly whites are busting through his bottom gums! He has been getting his hands in his mouth for some time and while it may not seem like that big of a deal, there are some kids with such tight muscles, they can't. The exploration of the hands in the mouth helps encourage proper oral development and foster strong language (by the way, his babbles are adorable!)

Feet

• He found them! And he loves playing with them, especially during diaper changes. This boy loves being naked and since he seems to play with his feet more when he is in the buff, Mommy lets him roll around in his birthday suit quite often. This is so important because with feet to hands, he is using flexion and strengthening his core. Which could explain why he's starting to sit better.

Smile

• This boy is so full of life and so full of happiness--his smiles are 1000 watt! And he loves to giggle at his sister's antics. Think dancing and singing like a goof ball in front of his high chair.

sue {maternity}

My cousin Sue and her husband Mike are expecting their second child in less than two months. Sue asked if I could take a few maternity pictures for her and I was so glad she did! She's positively glowing! I'll never forget the feeling as we were on the verge of three becoming four. It's such a special time and I'm so happy I was able to capture it for them. I especially love just how sweet Caiden is in all the pictures...His big brown eyes are amazing! Enjoy the album...

sue {maternity}

Summer afternoons...

...are made for eating ice cream cones.

bugaboo babies

Johnny & Mommy headed up north on Thursday to visit my dear friend Aimee (from my Holy Cross/SMC days). Aimee and her husband welcomed beautiful twin girls just a week before Johnny. We had a lovely visit and strolled our babies in their 'boos through her beautiful neighborhood and then lunched al fresco at a delicious cafe. Nothing beats the company of a good friend.

Last dance!

Well, only for the year. Lola finished up her dance class on Friday. She'll be with the 3-5 year olds in the Fall for an hour of tap & ballet. We were so happy with the studio we joined--the teachers are great and they have some amazing older dancers. Something to aspire to for Lola! She'll do 2 1-day dance camps in July with the 3-5 age group, so she'll be able to get her feel for being with the "big girls" now that she is one. (How did that happen so fast?!)

Pictures AND VIDEO! Video is always best in this case :)

Last Dance Class of the Year!

baby elmo

hello, new lens.

I mentioned awhile back I had taken a photography class and learned how to shoot in manual mode. I quickly discovered that to really make my photos better, I needed a better lens. I treated myself to said lens with the generous birthday gifts I received from my wonderful family. I was like a kid on Christmas morning waiting for Santa (aka, the UPS man) to deliver it last week. So here's an album of Day 1 shooting in Manual Mode with the new lens. I can't wait to improve my skills but already I can see such a difference in the pictures!

Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 (Day 1)