We’ve got all sorts of cute going on with this session! M, his two adorable bottom teeth, and his cookie monster cake were just too much. Mom wanted a cookie monster theme that matched M’s blue and green bedroom, so we decided to do something a little different with the cake and background. Sweet Indulgence definitely knocked it out of the park with the cake…it’s just so creative and cute! I love the shots where M is so focused on getting that frosting into his mouth. 

Happy Birthday, baby M! We’re looking forward to your next session.

~ Mariah

I just love this little lady!  I didn’t think it was possible for baby S to get any cuter when I met her at her newborn session.  Then, I was pretty sure that there wasn’t a more adorable baby around at her 6 month session.  Of course, she showed up for her 1st birthday cake smash full of smiles and sweet as ever!  The whole family is crazy photogenic so it is no wonder that S rocked one of my favorite cake smash sessions ever.  Even big brother was a breeze to photograph during every one of our sessions together.  THAT is impressive mom and dad!  I started narrowing down favorites for this blog sneak peek and I had 115 FAVORITES.  I don’t know who is in bigger trouble with this gallery, me, or mom!  I want every one of these and they aren’t even my kids.  Okay, I would take these two cutie pies any day too!  Enjoy your sneak peek.

Last week started off in my favorite way; a fun first birthday cake smash with an adorable, smiley baby!  R seemed to love having her picture taken.  She was full of expression and so playful with mom and dad.  Mom picked out my favorite color scheme for their cake smash.  Not only did the pink and turquoise combine for a soft girly set, they made R’s gorgeous blue eyes shine in every frame.  Thanks for all of the fun R family!  Enjoy your sneak peek!

Another one of my adorable newborns from 2011 turned one year old recently and celebrating with her family was the perfect way to come back from my maternity leave.  We originally had our session planned for last Monday, but with our area experiencing some serious thunderstorms, it was dark as night in the studio and we decided to reschedule.  The H family made it in on Friday instead and we had a fabulous session together.  This family holds a special place in my heart.  They traveled from London for both their maternity and newborn sessions last year and they took part in a very special project we started back then and are finally about to share with you!  You can learn more about that project and see a sneak peek here: A Birth Story Preview (warning: get the tissues).  For A’s first birthday session, mom and dad loved soft girly colors and some of our previous floral back drops.  I was in the mood to create something new so we surprised them with these giant handmade flowers!  A was full of smiles from start to finish.  Can’t wait to show you the rest mom and dad!

Last week was my first back at the studio and it felt so great to return to the swing of things!  I had 2 cake smashes for 2 of my adorable newborn girls from 2011 and I couldn’t wait to get started on their sets.  I loved breaking out the glue gun and creating these fun backdrops.  Getting outdoors to shoot was even more fun and baby E was the perfect subject for my first session back.  Totally gorgeous and full of smiles, this baby girl reminded me of just how much fun my job is!  I am so looking forward to all of the sessions we have coming up this summer and we’re already booking well into 2013 so pick up the phone and give us a call if you’re considering a HHP session this year!  Thanks for the fun day baby E and family and happy first birthday!

Baby R’s first birthday shoot was so colorful and creative! How beautiful are these traditional clothes? Mom and dad hadn’t worn their Korean hanbok since their wedding, and wanted to incorporate it into their family photos. I love the colors and patterns, and R seemed to love his new outfit, too! The day we had our session was his actual birthday, so it was a perfect time to bring out clothing traditionally worn for special occasions.

Mom also requested a suitcase shot, but had the idea to use an airplane above the suitcases for an adorable ‘travel’ look. I love how it came out! R’s cloud shirt completed the look. He was also pretty proud to be standing by himself with our chair, and kept trying to scoot it around the studio like he does at home.

Happy birthday, baby R!

~ Mariah

If there were such a thing as a Cakesmash Model, little M would be a serious contender for the job. Even though she hadn’t touched anything with frosting before, she dove right into the cake- literally! She expertly smashed, all while smiling the entire time. I loved her girly set, too…we added a touch of lime green to our ribbon curtain to match her custom-made outfit and butterfly cake.

Between those blue eyes and her adorable smile, she made my job pretty easy! Happy Birthday, baby M!

~ Mariah

These two were unbelievably cute together. All I had to do was make one laugh, and they’d both dissolve into fits of giggles and look at each other laughing, then laugh even more. Big brother A sweetly held K’s hand, kissed her cheek, and shared blocks with her. I hardly had to ask him to put his arm around her!

K watched everything A did, and loved following his lead. At 1.5 and 3.5 years old, it’s already clear that they’re best friends and perfect partners in crime. This connection will be so fun to watch as they grow, and I’m so glad I got to capture it for them and their mom!

~ Mariah

Baby D has been with the studio since his birth, but it was the first time I got to photograph him. It was great to work with a family that’s been with Heidi Hope for so long!

For the cakesmash, we decided to match the set to the theme of his bedroom- vintage race cars! Sweet Indulgence did a fantastic job with the cake, and I had some fun putting checkered flags together for the background. The complete look was so ‘boy’, and something we hadn’t done at the studio yet. D was delicate with the cake, but luckily his big brother was there to show him how to eat all that frosting. 

H family, it was great to meet you. Enjoy your preview!

~ Mariah

1-year-old Baby C brought some sun to the studio on a cloudy, rainy day! She didn’t stop laughing, clapping, and blowing kisses to the camera for her entire session. You might recognize her last outfit from one of our blog sponsors…The Measure! Love that little sundress.

One of the toys we have at the studio is a Tickle-Me-Elmo, and it never fails to make babies laugh, even if they haven’t been introduced to Elmo yet. “Well, I guess we need to get an Elmo now!” mom said at the end of the session, and it’s probably true- C was smitten. We apologize in advance to any parents who need to get an Elmo after sessions with us.

It was great to meet you, W family! Enjoy your preview!

~Mariah