Today I got to visit my close girlfriend in the hospital as she just welcomed twin girls into the world yesterday morning. At 11 weeks premature, these girls are so tiny (about 2 lbs each), but they are strong girls! Witnessing my friend and her husband go through such an intense experience has made me look back on the last three months of my life and how it has changed so much by having a baby. I think the only word that can accurately describe my experience being a mom is intense. Never did I think I would love someone so much and so effortlessly. Don’t get me wrong, I fully expected to love my child. But I don’t think I understood what that felt like until she was actually here. It has also been one of the most trying times of my life. This little creature is work. Hard work. I think I went into this thinking that my years of experience with infants and children would somehow make the experience a little easier for me than others. Well, God sure played a joke on me! While she is such a blessing and a joy, I will not hide the fact that I am exhausted, anxious, emotional and scared all at the same time. We have been dealing with a severe food allergy since Willa was about 3 weeks old. The process of trying to figure out what she is reacting to has been a huge struggle, and we are still trying to figure it out. I have felt like a crazy mom, calling and seeing doctors countless times because I just have a “feeling” that something is off with our daughter. While we are a step closer to figuring it out, it is still a day by day journey with her health. I am just praying that we are on the right track and that we will see some improvements in her very soon.
It’s not very often that I post personal thoughts on this blog. I know, this is my business site. I have always put my business as #1, contributing blood, sweat and tears to make it a success. Since becoming a mother I now have another top priority, but I think it will only make me a better children’s photographer. I feel like I am now in the secret “parent club” where I totally get my clients so much more now! I now know how it feels a week after birth to try and get ready for a newborn session, look cute, and pray that the baby cooperates all at the same time. Or that there are just days where there is crying for no reason. I love my clients, and feel like many of you have become friends in the process of working together. I know that I have not been as prominent on here lately, and I just thought maybe it would be nice to explain why. Please be patient with me as Kirk and I try figure out how to juggle a baby that has health issues, as I know that this will sometimes interfere with other aspects of life. Thank you for listening to my story, and I am always willing to lend an ear for whatever is going on with you and your little ones as well.
Ok, enough babbling. I have gotten to photograph some ridiculously cute babies lately (my own aside!). First up is miss Selah. I mean, cmon, she is adorable! She has such a sweet nature, and is just a cuddle bug. I am in love with her images!
We have had such an overwhelming response to our Mother’s Day Mini sessions that we have added Friday May 10th to the schedule! Saturday May 11th is completely sold out, so if you want in on the action schedule your spot for the 10th now! There will only be a few spots available this day, so get them before they are gone!
I don’t need to say much about this little girl for you to see that she is a doll. Absolutely adorable, and such a happy baby. I had such a great time photographing Tabor and her family for her 8 month photos. You might remember mom and dad awhile back when I did maternity portraits for them. If you missed it, you can check out that session HERE. We did the same location, Powell’s books, which was so much fun. It is a great spot to really show off Portland in your portraits. Anyway, you can see for yourself that she is a natural in front of the camera!
Baby Macy was the one session I agreed to do during my maternity leave. Her mom was set to deliver a few weeks after me, and it ended up working out perfect with both of our babies being born just about 2 weeks apart. Little Macy was an absolute doll to photograph, and it definitely gave me a whole new perspective on newborn photography after going through the same thing myself. I am so excited to share these images with Macy’s parents, and I hope they will treasure them as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Studio Christy is now back up and running! We are currently scheduling sessions for the end of March and April, and we are also in swing for auction season! If your child’s school still needs any donations, contact us and we would be happy to participate. Stay tuned on the blog and our Facebook, as our biggest sale of the year is coming up very shortly. You definitely don’t want to miss it! I will also be posting some photos of my own new little family very soon. As I am sure many of you are well aware, the time flies by with a baby and there never seems to be enough hours in the day 
Thank you for your patience during this time of transition, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this year holds for Studio Christy!
We snuck this little guy in for a session just before the New Year as the studio’s last session of the year. Liam Alex was born just a few days after Christmas, and isn’t he a sweetie. I am so excited for parents Catherine and Chad as they now are the most adorable family of three. Thank you to them also for being extremely patient with me as I photographed their son a little more slowly than normal, being 38 weeks pregnant myself at the time. Here are some shots from the session, I hope you enjoy! Hopefully the next photos you see on here will be of our own little girl, and then we will be back at it for sessions in March!
This 5 month old could not be any sweeter. She was just so happy and had the cutest smile. I have worked with this family for the last few years now and it is always so fun to work with them. I love seeing how big Ellery is, and can’t wait to see her and her sister Ava as they grow!
Just a reminder that this Friday, DECEMBER 21ST, is the LAST day to pick up your orders before Christmas!
I can’t believe Christmas is just a few weeks away! We haven’t even gotten a tree yet, and I don’t have any holiday decor up. I guess with finishing up the remodel of our kitchen these things have taken to the back burner, but it is my goal this week to remedy that!
I know this stuff is boring, but I wanted to take some time to clarify our holiday deadlines and information about the upcoming studio closure. Please note that our deadline for holidays orders is today, December 10th, 2012. Please contact us as soon as possible if you need to order any last minute gift items.
If you have already placed your portrait order with us, please be aware that all orders must be picked up at the studio no later than Friday, December 21st. Our offices will be closed for the holidays after this and not available for pickups. Please let us know if you would like to have your order shipped as well.
We are so excited to be expecting our first child next month! We are looking forward to spending the holidays with family and friends, and very soon after welcoming our own little bundle. We finally buckled down and did our own maternity session last week, of which you can see some of them below! Please bear with us as we adjust to new parent status and take some time to spend it with our daughter. The studio will be closed until March 1st, 2013. During this time orders will not be processed and all new appointments must be approved in advance. Please allow some extra time for correspondence, we really appreciate your understanding and patience!
A HUGE thank you to the two people that made these pictures possible, makeup artist Austie Eckley and photographer Rachel Konty. Both of these ladies are dear friends of mine and I can’t thank them enough for helping us capture this special time.
