| Willa | 2 Year Old Portraits | Decatur IL |

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I have such a soft spot in my heart (and a HUGE burst of gratitude) for the families that have been with me for years. I’m thrilled to say that I’ve been working with Myra since before this little lady existed! It’s been a treat to watch her grow (check out her first birthday session here) and we had such fun on her session this year playing in the dandelions.

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| Burges Family Welcomes Newborn Baby Oliver |

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I’ve gotten to work with some really amazing teachers at Warrensburg-Latham high school through my work with them on yearbook, dance and graduation images and this little guy’s momma is one of those very teachers! She is so sweet and I was absolutely thrilled when she called me to get Oliver’s newborn portraits scheduled. He was the tiniest baby I’ve had in awhile and boy have I missed those itty bitty snuggles (our little lady will be ONE in just a month so my days of 5lb palm of my hand kiddos are over in this house).

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I’m in love with the album we’ve designed for him and it’s so cool to be creating first portraits and albums for this tiny guy at the same time I’m designing the final portrait albums for all these seniors in the class of 2019 as they step out into adulthood. I’ve been doing this job for 15 years now and have gotten to follow some families through so many milestones! How crazy would it be if in 18 years we’re designing his senior album (AHHHH no ok don’t think about that #momtears).

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And I just have to add a disclaimer to this image ^^^ he was crying in the cubs bib ya’ll NOT laughing. He knows the best team, I promise! #gocards #sorrynotsorry

| Miller Family Maternity Portraits Decatur IL |

Guys!!!! I just got a message today with a super fun surprise. Baby Miller decided he couldn’t wait to come meet his awesome family and made his debut a bit early which means I get to meet him NEXT WEEK! I cannot wait and in celebration of his arrival how about a look at the Miller Family maternity session. I love the product they chose to feature these images with, our image folio was a limited edition product we released last fall as a special gift and it’s the perfect way to show off a few images in a special way that’s easy to display, share and even pass down.

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I’ve been photographing the Miller family since Grant was a newborn and I’m beyond excited to meet the newest member of the family so soon.

| Oladipupo Family | Beautiful Winter Sunset Family Portrait Session |

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With kids that don’t all live at home any longer scheduling family sessions can get complicated. We had a small window of time to get in the Oladipupo’s family portraits and with that window being in the first week of January we knew we were gambling on the weather… was it going to be a blizzard? Negative 12* outside? Windy? Well, honestly it could not have been any better! I’m not sure how we lucked out into the unseasonably warm sunny day we got but it was absolutely perfect!

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We just had Kolapo’s senior session earlier this year on their property and having the family session there was a no brainer. I always encourage families to think about having their sessions at home. The backyard, front porch, heck even the driveway can be perfect for your images and best of all it’s personal. It’s the place that’s a part of your family right now (or from the beginning, or forever!).

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And, of course, when we have everyone dressed up and together we always take a few minutes to photograph everyone solo (and mom and dad together too!).

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Don’t worry if it’s been a few years or a decade since your last family portrait. I know scheduling will be tough (I joke that it’s about 80% of my job!)… but finding the perfect time to photograph your whole family and working hard to take any and all stress out of the process is absolutely my job.

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| Rick Family Welcomes New Baby Boy Hudson | Newborn Portraits |

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Ahhh today’s the day! Hudson’s big debut on the blog. I don’t know if it’s knowing that we are done having kids here and my almost 10 month old baby is getting farther and farther from the squishy little newborn stage or what but I have been bit by the newporn portrait bug (those who know me stifle your gasps haha). I have gotten to soak up some major baby snuggles the past month with a few newborns in the studio and I’m even more excited about what the new studio building will have available for us for newborn and first (2) year portraits!

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That’s right, did you catch that 2…. most of our little newborns come in and join us for our full 2 year grow up program. Why 2? Well, as a baby and toddler momma right now I am simply amazed by the transformation from 0-1 for starters as your squishy little baby turns into a curious and mobile toddler. But the transformation from 1-2 is no less amazing as they really begin to discover who they are and their little personalities become not so little anymore!

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So stay tuned for a couple years of unbelievable cuteness with this little man. He’s already working those grumpy man eyebrows and adorable little grin!