Noelle Kristen: 1 Year Portraits // mt. pleasant, tx child photographer

On November 20, 2010 I and a group of my friends got The Text.

Bethany is in labor.

That split second sent me back...9 months back to when we first heard the wonderful news that Bethany and David were going to have a baby. :D

The next day we went and saw them at the hospital and got to meet the precious Noelle Kristen Rogers for the first time. :)

Then three months later I had the pleasure of photographing how much she had grown. :)

So it was really a no-brainer when Bethany came and asked me at the beginning of December if I would do some 1-year portraits of Noelle for David as a surprise Christmas present. 

"Are you kidding me? Of.course." :)

She got her ears pierced for her 1st birthday! Something about baby girl earrings...I lose it every time. ;)

We also grabbed a few shots of her and Mommy in the casuals. :)

Then she got gussied up for the next half of the shoot. :D 

Don't you just love that dress and bow ?! Go Bethany! Perfect outfit choice. :)

AH! I LOVE this one! She looks STUNNING! It almost has an old Russian feel to it. :)

I couldn't decide :)

Oh, I can't think of what face to do for y'all!

Maybe if I...ok, wait just a second...let me get my bow fixed...

Ta-da! :D

How was that? Pretty good?

Now I know what you're thinking...maybe it wasn't that impressive...

Hang on, I got another one that will blow your socks off...Wait for it...wait for it...

Shazam! Told ya. :D

Btw, check out the cedar bush to the right...it totally looked like a Christmas tree. Score! :)

Then Bethany joined in again for some dressy pics. :)

 Bethany's friend  Kjelse  also tagged along to help Noelle smile and to keep us all company.

Which ultimately worked out great because we were able to get some of their babies!! :) So adorable! {I think this was Kjelse's brilliant idea btw :D}

Hey Mom, did  I do good today? I did? Great! I thought you did good too. :D

Wait, what are you doing? Why are you...oh no...you're not actually going to...

Yes...yes you are. *Sigh* Yeah, ok Mom, I love you too...

 Alright, alright, move along....beat it people...there's nothing to see here... ;)

~Through Christ's Love ♥

Home is where the Sun Shines...[Atlas Elizabeth Update!] {paris, tx newborn photographer}

If you were to travel southwest of Paris, out of pure curiosity to see the landscape or just to take a leisurely drive you may soon come across a sign that looks like this:

This may get you thinking and it might make you remember this post or perhaps even this post about a certain baby girl who once lived in the NICU.

If you continued down this road in this little close-knit community you would eventually come to a field such as this one:

And across from this field you would find a cute little house surrounded by a pack of gorgeously bred majestic Great Danes like this one:

If you walked down the driveway, took a left turn at whispered dreams, hidden hopes, unspeakable love, and answered prayers you would then reach their home tucked behind all these. And inside there would be that little baby girl who finally got to come home.

She is...

Atlas Elizabeth: {Now over 6lbs and 18.5 inches long!!}

My parents and I arrived at my uncle and aunt's house Thursday night hardly able to stand the anticipation...I had planned on an inside shoot, assuming Atlas would not be able to be outside, and started contriving up ideas of big basket, fluffy blanket, cascading window light kind of poses... 

But to my surprise...

She was perfectly free to be outside in the luscious sunshine :D

Of course, we weren't quite aware how lush it was actually going to get...

But we were soon to find out...

Because Atlas was getting cold so we needed to move her more into the sunshine...

Best...decision...everrrrrrrr!

She was happy to be all warm and cozy and we were happy to watch her be adorable :D

Kenneth and Mary are already super amazing parents...it is SO fun to see them love their daughter....and they are more than grateful to their Lord for finally bringing her home to them. :D

You know, as if it weren't remarkable enough that Atlas survived the emergency birth, remained exceptionally healthy through all those days in the NICU and day by day she gained weight and was taken off this or that machine to function on her own...what is even more of a miracle in my eyes is that her Mama was able to carry her to even 31 weeks. Mary has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) which is commonly something that prevents someone with it to successfully get pregnant and carry the baby any significant length of time. For years, Kenneth and Mary expected that it would be far too dangerous for herself and the baby and so thought pregnancy was something they would never experience. But God was pleased to put just the right people in their life at the right time at an Ehlers conference and they found out she might be able to have a baby after all because of the type of EDS she had. And so, it wasn't long before we heard the news that Mary was finally pregnant...after all those years of hoping, and wishing, and dreaming, and praying. And now, to see her holding that precious baby girl...her precious baby girl that she carried in her body for 31 weeks even when everyone thought it was impossible...

its breath-taking  to realize how great God truly is. :')

Now, back to that luscious sunshine I was telling you about...

 This sign was SO cool! Mary is a school teacher at a local High School and one of her students found this antique sign...its from an old tire and battery company :D

 Then Mary put her in this adorable {and rather large} pink dress :D

It officially became the dreamiest shoot I have ever done :) :) :)

Just when I think, "Maybe golden hour is overrated...all we photographers talk about how essential and mind-blowing it is but are we talking it up? Is it really that wonderful?" And then when I take pictures like these I realize..."Yep. It is really that wonderful." ;)

This makes my heart happy :)

I think I'm gonna love watching this girl grow up :D

~Through Christ's Love ♥

P.S. If you are interested and would like to donate to the Ehlers-Danos syndrome Foundation go here. :)