Last night I sang you a special song all about spending your 2nd birthday at the zoo.  After all, you said “Bus!” so I knew exactly which tune you were requesting.  Then you said “Choo choo!” and “Fraff!” And just like that, I changed the words to honor what a fun day we had with you! (I think The Wheels on the Bus may forever be stuck in my head!)  Earlier in the day, we hopped in the car to venture downtown Indianapolis to visit the zoo.  It was just one surprise we had in store for your special day.  During our drive, we mentioned all of the animals we hoped to see…bears, elephants, lions, ha’s (monkeys)…and your favorite one of all, giraffes!

The weather was perfect!  Sunny and cool!  And it felt like we had the whole zoo to ourselves since it was a Monday!  We saw the sea lions, a polar bear, and some jolly walruses before checking out the underwater dome where the dolphins darted happily around us.

In the distance, we heard the whistle of the train.  We knew we would definitely ride the train!  We opted for the TAP (Total Adventure Package), which allowed us all-day access to rides, animal feeds, and the dolphin show (we’ll have to check that out next time!).  We boarded the train and got a behind-the-scenes look at the zoo.  From there we rode their newest ride, the Skyline, overlooking the new orangutan center!  Very cool!  Even your new little dog, Brownie, got to go for the ride!

It seems like it was just a few weeks since I photographed this sweet baby boy for his newborn session!   My how time flies!!!  William is now 1 year old!  And his parents, Seth and Becky, couldn’t be more smitten with him!  He is a little charmer, with his bright eyes and sweet smile!  He brought his favorite monkey with him, and it was just a ton of fun to watch him interact with his Mom and Dad, bringing the biggest grins to their faces!  We roamed the beautiful property at Mustard Seed Gardens on a bright summer morning to capture some photos that truly document this family right now.  And what a delightful family they are!  Seth, Becky, and William, here are some favorites from our day!  Family and friends can view their online gallery here.

It’s crazy to me that we have 2 toddlers in our house!  Remington will be 2 in September, which I can hardly believe… And Lucy just turned 3 in June!  Dogs count as toddlers, right?!  Well, rather than planning another birthday party for Lucy… Yes, yes, you read that correctly.  I’ve had birthday parties for Lucy, just one actually.   Granted, aside from myself, the only other guest was our cat, Lola.  It was for her 1st birthday.  I blame it on being pregnant and stir crazy!  Last year, Remington and I sang Happy Birthday and took her for a walk.  So this year, we were even more low key about it all.  Even though she’s not allowed on the furniture, I did include the very chair that we bought the day we found Lucy.  And gosh, she has changed since some of her earliest photos at 8 weeks old!    I still remember when she used to curl up on my shoulder and snooze while I edited photos!  It was so sweet!  Little did I know that she would show me a tiny glimpse of what it might be like to be a mother, with a tiny, precious being cuddled up in my arms.  And now these two are great friends!  Remington likes to chase her more than she would prefer, but it’s just because he loves her so!  Her antics make him giggle and screech, which in turn makes her bark…which in turn makes him laugh even more.  Although it’s nap time in the house right now (Lucy and Lola nap when Remington naps!), I can still hear their giggles and arffs echoing in the living room.  And it makes my heart full.  

We met up on an incredibly warm and sunny afternoon for portraits of this family.  They were troopers!  The heat didn’t seem to phase them one bit!  And Graham, 8 months at the time, was just as happy and smiley as could be!  Nick and Kristen love chasing after their two sweet and adventurous boys!  They make it look so effortless!  And their boys just adore them both!  It has been so fun to see how Colin and Graham are bonding – they both seem to love seeing what the other is going to do next!  Graham watches Colin’s every move with so much wonder and awe.  He’s been pulling up and working on taking steps – by now, he’s probably so anxious to run and play with Colin!  Speaking of playing, we worked quickly to get out of the heat…and to give Colin time to jump and climb on the nearby playground!  Friends and family can view their entire online gallery here.  Here are some favorites from our summer afternoon!

It’s hard to believe that Anne and Nick have been married two years already!  Their wedding day was so beautiful, so vibrant, and so them!  And as luck would have it, they were expecting their first child…due on their 2nd anniversary!  However, their sweet baby girl just couldn’t wait that long to see the world and meet her amazing parents!  And now Miss Alexina Marie is 2 months old!  Don’t you love her name? It’s a family name that Anne has been longing to use if she were to ever have a little girl!  Anne and Nick, you are wonderfully sweet and caring parents.  I love how smitten you are with your precious daughter, and how in love the two of you are, making for one strong family!  As we were getting some portraits of Alexina in the studio, I told them both that I hear their first dance song all the time and always think of their special day.  And Anne told me that now they’re even better together with Alexina!  So sweet!  This adorable family lives in Baltimore, and it was such a great honor to meet little Alexina and to photograph them together as a family!  Nick, Anne, and Alexina, it was so wonderful to see you!  It makes me so happy to see you both – proud, loving parents who are madly in love with each other.  No wonder Alexina is such a happy little girl!  And I’m smitten with her too!  Congratulations and enjoy the wild, crazy, totally amazing journey that is parenthood!  Family and friends can view their entire online gallery here – Coming Soon!