If ever there was a blog post to convince you to have photos taken of your 2 month old baby, this is it!  Little Celeste was so sweet and smiley, gave me some beautiful eye contact and was just a dream all around to photograph.  Seriously such a wonderful age to capture!  Her parents Danielle and Matteo were so fun to work with, and naturals in front of the camera (we know where Celeste got it from!).  Celeste's name was chosen partially because her parent's loved the sound of it in English and Italian, since her daddy is from Italy and it's where her parents met.  I had such an enjoyable afternoon hanging out with this new family and learning their story.  I know Celeste will only add to her parent's already beautiful adventure!

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From our very first emails I knew Margaret and I were going to be fast friends!  She said that she could feel the love between the families in my photos, and wanted me to capture the love in her family as well.  What beautiful words for me to hear!  Margaret and Wes made this so easy for me, you'll see in the photos below that they just exude love for one another and for their baby girl who is set to make her appearance this month.  We did a mix of indoor and outdoor shots, and Margaret was such a trooper hiking around outside, which isn't easy when you're in your third trimester (at least from what I hear, I did no hiking in my third trimester, or in any trimester for that matter)!  I left our session relaxed, refreshed and feeling like I had just spent an evening with good friends.  What more can you ask for from a session?!  Margaret and Wes, I can't wait to capture your sweet baby girl when she finally arrives!

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Hello friends! Meet adorable little William!  You may remember my cousin Megan and her husband Danny from their cozy maternity session back in February.  This sweet baby boy has been long desired and prayed for by his mom and dad.  It was such a joy to get to see them in their first days as parents and to freeze these little moments in time for them to look back on.  William was not my biggest fan (he much preferred to snuggle in his mama's arms!), but luckily we're family so there will be lots of opportunity for me to try and convince him that I'm cool ;) I am so excited to be able to watch this little boy grow in the days and years ahead and to witness the joy he will continue to bring to his family.  Much love to this special family!

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When I rolled up to Hilary and James' home for their baby boy's newborn session it was a gorgeous April afternoon, nice and bright, plenty of beautiful light for an indoor session!  We started in the brightest room in the house, baby Damien's nursery, and while we were in there it started getting darker, darker, darker, until it was so dark my camera was having trouble focusing!  Some serious storm clouds had rolled in, and since it was so dark we ended up doing 90% of our session in the nursery.  One room and one window made for a fun creative challenge and we got such a great variety of shots in that little space.  Handsome little Damien was such a good sleeper through the majority of our session, and then peeked his soulful little eyes open towards the end to round out his collection of portraits!  Hilary and James, thank you for giving me the privilege of witnessing and documenting your first days as a family of 3. 

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The day of sweet Cara's newborn session there was a massive downpour and heavy cloud cover, but walking into this new family's bright and beautiful home, I knew the dark weather wasn't going to be an issue!  Allana and Andrew designed Cara the most gorgeous neutral nursery which we spent a lot of time in capturing snuggles with both her parents plus a few shots of big fur-brother Winston along the way.  One of the highlights of the session, for me at least, was that Andrew ate like half the box of cookies that I brought during our session, so I'm feeling super confident in my baking skills as a result haha!  Or maybe they were just short on groceries, but I'm choosing to take it as a compliment either way ;) Miss Cara was a sweet pea and was happiest snuggled up on her mama's chest in a swaddle.  She snoozed away until we tried to take her swaddle of, which she was not a fan of at all!  So, of course, baby runs the show and we swaddled that girl right back up and she was a doll for the rest of the session.  Wishing this lovely family all the blessings as they enjoy life with their little lady!

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Photographing newborn sessions for first time parents is such a special privilege.  To be able to come into their home, witness and capture their first days as parents is an honour.  There is still a lingering sense of disbelief and awe that this is real life!  Jenna and Daniel were so enchanted by their beautiful baby boy, Hunter, and I think he was pretty amazed by them as well!  He spent some time just studying his mama's face at the beginning of our session, and it was the sweetest thing (exploding ovaries over here!).  If you're searching for some nursery inspiration, you need to check out Hunter's...bright and beautiful space with a monochromatic palette and adorable woodland accents. I had so much fun shooting this delightful family in their home and to witness their love for their newest family member.   

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Oh you guys! Fresh 48 sessions are my FAVOURITE!  They're just so beautiful and real and as the parent you're in such a crazy whirlwind of emotions and exhaustion (and hormones!) that your time in-hospital just feels like a blur.  It feels so important to me to capture those memories for new parents, so they can go back and re-live those first moments that changed your life forever.  Helen and Glendon, who you may remember from their maternity session, welcomed their perfect little baby boy, Cayden, at the end of March.  He was so so adorable, and I think I smiled at my monitor the entire time I was editing this beautiful new family!  Less than 24 hours in, and Glendon was already proving himself to be a wonderful, doting dad (and already swaddled like a seasoned pro), all the while taking excellent care of Helen as she recovered.  It was an honour to capture these precious memories for such a kind and genuine family and I look forward to seeing sweet Cayden grow and continue to bring his parents joy!

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You all know how much I love photographing newborns...but I think I equally love the older babies! I met up with Bennett and Jenn and their 5 month old baby girl Bailey on a chilly morning in March to capture some beautiful memories in their home.  Bailey was full of sweet smiles (as well as some drool haha!) and has the most beautiful blue eyes!  Seeing her chewing away on her chubby hands and Sophie the giraffe took brought back so many memories of Levi at this stage.  Her parents just love their little lady to bits and it was an honour to capture this fun stage in Bailey's life for them!

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Say hello to baby Matthew, his big sister Alexandra and their wonderful parents, Adina and Mike.  This family was such a pleasure to photograph...Matthew was so perfect and content and gave me some super sweet poses as he moved his hands wherever he pleased!  Big sister Alexandra was quite possibly the friendliest two-year-old I've worked with, and although she was not one to sit still for the camera we got some really fun, candid moments of her being herself!  My favourite is the one of her cute little face peeking through the curtains.  I just love love love capturing toddlers in all their energetic glory!  They are so uninhibited and joyful and these qualities can make for some truly memorable photos :)  Adina and Mike were super laid back and game for whatever I had in mind, and I had a wonderful time playing with all the beautiful windows and light in their gorgeous home.  I wish them many blessings as they enjoy these first days with their new baby boy!

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Say hello to miss Bea!  Her family's beautiful and charming old home was the perfect setting for Bea's newborn session.  She was five weeks old, but as you can see that didn't stop her from sleeping through most of our time together!  As you will note below, big brother Wally was a bundle of fun and energy, and although he kept insisting on "no pictures", he still somehow managed to give me a few of my favourite toddler shots to date!  I think it's safe to say we were friends by the end :)  Their parents certainly have their hands full, but in the most wonderful of ways! Congratulations on your sweet girl Caitlin and Blaine!  

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Oh hey! That's right, another adorable newborn to melt your heart today.  Laura and Brian welcomed their sweet baby girl Lily into the world in January and I had the pleasure of meeting her when she was 6 weeks old for her newborn session.  From the moment I came into their home it was just so obvious how head-over-heels Laura and Brian are for their little lady.  There was a constant outpouring of love for her and it made my job of capturing the love between their family so effortless. I also love Laura and Brian for the fact that they let me sit and hang out and eat a banana because a was foolish enough to not have breakfast before their session! Shaky hands and cameras don't mix! Their kindness and hospitality towards me was so appreciated...Lily, you have some amazing parents to look up to :)  

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You know that awkward, self-conscious feeling you get when someone is pointing a camera at your face and you're trying to look super cool and natural at the same time?  Well meet baby Kyle.  He has obviously never experienced this before.  I mean, look at that first photo...that pose was all him.  I think he gets his laid back ways from his parents, Mira and Ken.  They were so calm and natural in front of the camera and just let their love for their baby boy shine through.  They also didn't get mad at me for moving half the furniture in their apartment, which was a big plus ;)  I seriously enjoyed every moment of this newborn session, editing and all, and look forward to seeing this little man grow!

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Meet miss Leah! Newborn baby daughter to my wonderful friends Cait and Ryan.  As you can see, she has the best head of hair! I honestly could have photographed it all day, and I think she actually would have let me.  She was so well behaved and our session went so smoothly thanks to her cooperation.  It was so fun to see Cait and Ryan in their new roles as parents...Peter and I were the first of our friends to have a baby so it was nice to see someone else yawning too haha!  I look forward to many walks and playdates (a.k.a. protecting Leah from Levi's hugs and kisses) with this little one and her mama :)

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This family was every photographer's dream.  Kind, laid back, well dressed, white walls (my fellow photographers will appreciate how much easier this makes our lives!) and so much love.  Julia had given me the heads up that their son had a lot of energy, and he did not disappoint! He was constantly on the move and provided so many great moments that I had a hard time choosing which ones to post, so as you will see below I posted all of them (not actually, but close!).  Julia and Daniel are expecting another baby boy in just a few weeks, and I am confident that he will be both well loved, and well entertained ;) Julia and Daniel, thank you for welcoming me into you home and trusting me to capture this beautiful time for your family.  

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Oh hey there! This golden-haired beauty that you're about to see below is my cousin Megan.  We are the same age and have grown up together playing house, Barbies, and boarding school (complete with a mean headmistress), and even made our younger siblings dress up and marry one another with all of our stuffed animals lined up there as witnesses.  Now twenty or so years later she is about to become a mom, and I think its safe to say that all of those games were good preparation for her next phase of life ;)  Oh yes, also that guy in the photos is her husband Danny and he is awesome too.  He was more than willing to trek into their backyard that had like 3 feet of snow without any boots so we could get a few more outdoor photos.  That's a winner in my book! Anyway I could rant for a while about these two because I love them, but I'll let the love and joy in these photos speak for themselves.  This baby is already so incredibly loved and cherished and I am so excited to capture their sweet baby when he or she makes their appearance in April. 

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I knew I was going to have a lot of fun with Helen and Glendon from the moment they emailed me some silly photos of them modelling their maternity session outfits.  These two clearly had a great sense of humour.  And, of course, they didn't disappoint! We did their maternity session on a freezing cold February morning and they were crazy enough to brave the cold so we could get some outdoor shots.  I was in a parka and I was freezing, so they deserve some serious credit for posing and looking amazing without any jackets!  We had such a fun time, and I cannot wait to capture their baby boy when he arrives in April :)

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This is my beautiful friend Cait and her sweet baby bump (P.S. she was 38 weeks pregnant during this shoot...doesn't she look AMAZING?!).  When Cait first asked me to do her newborn session she thought she probably wouldn't want any maternity photos, but as she neared the end of pregnancy she changed her mind and I am SO glad! When you're going through it pregnancy can feel so long and often unglamorous and it can be hard to feel comfortable in your own body...or at least I know that's how I often felt.  But in reality it is such a fleeting time and to me it felt hard to imagine that it had ever happened once it was over.  I remember after Levi was born and was in the NICU, lying in my hospital bed and thinking how weird it felt that I was really by myself for the first time in so long.  Cait, I hope you look back on these photos and remember this beautiful time of anticipation and closeness with your precious baby girl. 

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Here you have it folks! The last few weeks of my Project 366.  I kind of stuttered through the last month, rather than finishing strong, but such is life, and I'm still proud that I completed it! I'm not sure what I'll do now.  I like the feeling of not having to force myself to come up with a new idea every day, so I am going to enjoy shooting our life only when I feel inspired for a little while.  I'm thinking that I may do another daily shooting project for the 100 days of summer, but we shall see!  To any who have cared enough to follow along, thank you! I enjoy sharing my work and have seen so much growth in my art over the past 12 months.  Now please brace yourselves...there is a lot of Levi happening in this post!

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It was a grey foggy morning when I pulled up to this family's home after a bit of a sketchy drive (because of the fog, not my driving skills!).  But as you can see there was nothing grey or dreary going on once I walked through the door!  I was greeted with so much warmth by Kassandra and Brent, as well as by the littlest cutie who was running around sans pants! Both boys totally ignored my camera which was a real treat, and we captured some beautiful, candid memories of them enjoying time together, with their parents and destroying a beautiful cheese board.  There was also a very patient kitty thrown into the mix somewhere.  It would be crime for me not to mention their gorgeous home...it was the perfect setting for an in-home family session and I will be stalking Kassandra's beautiful blog, Little DeKonings, for decor inspiration for many years to come!  If anyone has any suggestions for how to convince my husband to redecorate our entire home, please send them my way ;)

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December is always an exciting month.  The Christmas tree goes up, a tub (or two, or three) of candy cane ice cream makes its way into the freezer, we celebrate birthdays, wrap up presents and get to spend many days cherishing time with family.  This December was extra exciting though because my baby sister got engaged to an amazing guy just before Christmas, and I can finally officially say that our family has the best siblings-in-law. That's right, be jealous. The Christmas festivities themselves were a little crazy with a toddler (remember how he was just a little immobile blob last year?!) but Levi loved all the attention and we are thankful to all the uncles, aunts and grandparents and others who helped keep him out of trouble. I hope that your holidays were both fun and restful and that your New Year is off to the best start!

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