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Boy, Oh Boy! | Kansas City Child Photographer

I can't even begin to tell you how much I adore these boys and their amazing mama. I've been shooting them since Melanie was pregnant Otto. Most of you know him as Mantle Baby. He'll be five this year so he's definitely not a baby anymore and neither is his two year old baby brother Hank, also known as Doll Face. We had so many great shots - I could almost blog their whole session.

This one just cracks me up. So Otto!

Really? Total. Doll. Face.

And Melanie? She's too gorgeous for words. And she's just an incredible woman with so much love for her boys. 

Such a gentleman. One for his mama and one for me.

Mel, it's been an amazing five years watching your boys grow and I'm looking forward to many more. Thank you for having me there to document it all. 

Lots of love, 
H 

My Peeps

I got to borrow a friend's new camera yesterday for a commercial shoot and I snuck in a few shots of my peeps beforehand. 

Roo.

Lu.

Hope you've had a fabulous Monday! 

H

 

A Long Awaited Miracle | Kansas City Newborn Photographer

Happy New Year, everyone! After some much needed rest and relaxation at the end of an amazing holiday season I'm finally back to blogging and I've got so much to share with you. 

I posted a little sneak peek of this darling baby girl and I'm so excited for you to see more. Jenny and Matthew welcomed me (and my two amazing assistants for the day) into their home to photograph their sweet Julianne who is just as beautiful and photogenic as her parents. See for yourself.

This girl is a spitting image of her daddy.

I'm a sucker for a yawning baby. Gets me every time.

So, I mentioned I had two assistants that day. This next shot is the reason why. So hard to pull off, but so worth the effort! Thanks to Genna and Kristi for all their help on this one. And to Jenny and Matthew for trusting me enough to hang your precious baby from a tree branch. No babies were harmed in the making of this photo, but if I remember right, at least a couple of us got peed on. Ha!

So sad but so sweet with that tiny little cry of hers.

I told Jenny when we shot her maternity session to be prepared to fall in love with Matthew all over again and on a whole new level once Julianne arrived. Those of you who are parents know what I mean, but until you see it for yourself, it's indescribable. One of my favorite things about becoming a mother was seeing my husband become a father, seeing the way he looked at our daughters, the way he held them so delicately and loved them so whole-heartedly...there's nothing like it. And after this session Jenny concurred. She totally got what I was saying. There's nothing like the love these two have for their baby girl. She's their long awaited miracle and she's one lucky girl.

She wasted no time wrapping him around her finger.

This was the shot I was most excited for Jenny to see. May she never outgrow the desire to snuggle with her daddy.

Or hold her mommy's hand.

Congratulations, Jenny and Matthew. I can't wait to watch her grow!

Until next time, 

H

Girl Power | Kansas City Newborn Photographer

Now that their birth announcements have gone out I can finally share these two little princesses without ruining the element of surprise.  

First is Miss Julianne Faith. You saw mama Jenny Matthews' maternity session last month.  

Jenny shared a photo with me this week that I just loved. She had returned to her hometown where friends and family threw a baby shower for Julianne. One of Jenny's friends made the shower cake which was inspired by Julianne's birth announcement. It even had one of her photos and the bible verse we used on the front of the announcement. It read, Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17.

 

If you ask me, that cake is almost too pretty to eat. Keyword here being ALMOST. I have a hard time turning down cake, you see.  

And the next little lovely is Miss Reese Joy, daughter of Erin and Brian who's maternity session I also shared last month. Erin is a very talented designer so it's no surprise that Reese has one of the most amazing nurseries I've ever seen. It was Reese's nursery that inspired her announcement.  

I usually have a strict no clothes policy for newborns, but how could I refuse this little black tutu?  

Both of these little ladies were so good to me and are so loved by their very proud parents and grandparents. There's no doubt what these families are thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Until next time,
H

Words of Wisdom and a Sneak Peek

Some of you already know Melissa Evans.  She's an amazing stylist who I absolutely adore.  She's got mad skills when it comes to hair and makeup and I was so excited to finally have her in front of my camera. 

What a fun session it was!  Gorgeous parents, darling little boys, amazing wardrobe and a such a beautiful day.  We were rocking along getting great shots and as we were getting ready for outfit number two panic set in.  Something was missing.  Can you guess what it was?

Any guesses?  Nope?  She's just that smooth.  Not only is she crazy talented, but she's as laid back as they come.  This was Melissa's facebook status after she arrived back home from our shoot : Good advice to all - if you're planning a family photo shoot w/ multiple outfits - Don't forget your pants! Yeah, that happened...

But Melissa didn't let it trip her up.  She just rocked her amazing shirt with the black sweats she came in.  

And she looked damn good doing it, don'tcha think?  Love ya, girl!

Until next time, 

H

A Long Overdue Share | My Peeps

Rilee turns eight this month so we've been working on her party invitation.  I'm not sure who's more excited about the animal theme - me or her!   

And how is it possible for my little freckle-faced Lucee to be six (and a half)?  

Hopefully I'll get around to some more blogging over the weekend.  I've got LOTS to share, but that big to do list is calling my name. 

Happy Friday, friends!

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Four | Kansas City Child Photographer

I had almost forgotten how fun it is to photograph four year old girls.  I love that age - carefree and finding their independence.    

Genna and I met Ella at her home near Lake Winnebago on one of the hottest days of the year.  It was one of our last shoots together and it was amazing!  Here are just a few images that I loved.

Ella's daddy sent me a photo of her before our session and I was totally blown away by her gorgeous eyes and those long, thick lashes.  All the mascara in the world won't give me lashes like hers.

Isn't she such a doll?

It's just a sneak peek for now, but wait until you see how we ended the session!  It was an amazing evening.  Stay tuned for more.

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Not Your Average Family Car | Kansas City Child Photographer

Zach and Shelby are long time friends and clients.  They have three beautiful children you've seen on the blog and the website before.  When Shelby sent me a text saying that they wanted to use their 1951 Rolls-Royce this time I was beyond excited.

I snapped this with my iPhone in their driveway before the session.

Then we headed down to Union Station to shoot.  Here's a quick sneak peek because I know Shelby (and her friends) are dying to see what we captured.

It's amazing to me how much the kids have changed since we first started shooting.  Of all the kids, I think Ryley has changed the most.  She's so grown up now and such a beautiful young lady - a spitting image of her mama.

Miss Ava is such a natural beauty.  I could shoot her all day.

And Zeke.  He's gonna be a heartbreaker for sure.  This little man is an absolute spitting image of his daddy.  He just kills me with his cuteness.

Originally belonging to Zach's grandpa this car will likely be passed down for generations to come.  Zach told me there are photos of him with this car as a young boy and I can't wait to hear what his grandpa thinks of these.

More to come in a few weeks.  Happy Monday!

H

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An Extra Special Birthday Girl

I love this girl.  She's girly and giggly and I simply love her.  I've known her since she was three months old and have loved watching her grow into the amazing little girl she is today.  I can't even count how many times I've photographed her.  Over the years she's been my muse.

Here she is the first time we shot at three months.

Six months.

Nine months.

Twelve months.

A little over a year.

Almost two.

Two.

Three.

With baby brother on the way.

Holding baby Gavin for the first time.  (I was lucky enough to be in the room when he was born.)

Becoming such a wonderful big sister.

Four.

Marc and Kristi started out as my clients and have become some of our dearest friends.  I like to call Kristi my "sister from another mister".  We have so much in common and Marc and Chris are two peas in a pod.  We've shared so many milestones and memories with them over the last five years and now they're more like family than friends.

Today, Miss Emma turns five.  My girls and I celebrated with her yesterday and had an incredible time.  I snapped a few quick pics of Kristi and Emma after the party.

Since I've always been behind the camera with Emma and Gavin I handed it over to Kristi for a couple of shots and I'm so so glad I did!  Kristi did a great job, didn't she?  Sweet, little Gavin was born with these amazing dimples and I hope he never outgrows them!

And here I am with the birthday princess.


Happy Fifth Birthday, Emma Corrine!  You are an amazing, sparkly, spunky little girl and I love you so!

A Favorite Family | Kansas City Family Photographer

I've known Angela for almost twenty years.  There has always been a special place in my heart for her; and there always will be.  She comes from one of the kindest most special families I've ever known.  Her mom was like a mother to me at a time when I needed it the most. 

It's no surprise that Angela is an amazing mother herself.  She's kind and loving, funny and sincere and she loves her children for exactly who they are, unconditionally.  Motherhood suits her well and it's great to see her so genuinely happy. 

Meet Aliya and her daddy.

And Asher, the boy with a thousand nicknames. 

 

Angela and Daniel.  Their level of gorgeousness is borderline ridiculous!

Patiently waiting for the train...

And then we ended our adventure with a little ice cream. If there's one thing I love to photograph more than kids, it's kids with ice cream!

 

I had a great time with Angela and her family.  It was an afternoon adventure I'll always remember.

Until next time,

H