Seattle Newborn Photographer | Tacoma Baby Photographer | Maternity Jennifer Wilcox Photog

Rachel, bless her heart, didn’t want to have anything to do with the beautiful cake her mommy had made her.  We couldn’t even hold her above it without this little porcelain sweet heart breaking into a panicked fit.  There wasn’t going to be any baby photography going on, that was for sure.  I didn’t know what to do, she was TERRIFIED.  How can you be terrified of cake and frosting???  The only thing I could think of was to give her time, not push her and to play some music to distract her a little bit.  It took a while……

And then…a miracle!  I am amazed looking at her session images that the pictures I have are of the same girl that wouldn’t even step foot in the vicinity of her cake.  She was my best cake smasher ever.  By the end of Rachel’s session she was tearing into her cake with both fists.  Turns out all she needed was a little taste.  What a riot it is to see this timid princess go after her cake so ferociously.  She was still pretty dainty with the eating (not a lot of frosting on that cute little face), but look at that mess!

Job well done Rachel!  That is definitely something to proudly add to your baby resume.  Cake smash….check!

James came to his baby photography session ready to show off some soul!  His mom had such fun ideas for his session.  I love this rock ‘n rock set that she dreamed up.  It is always fun to step outside my box to try something new.  And James was game to try almost everything (not a fan of air mattresses though).  James danced and smiled the whole session through and I have no doubt that there is a musician’s heart in this little guy.  We played some toddler tunes and he wiggled right to the beat.  It isn’t very often that I get to photograph a baby with no inhibitions.  Usually being in a new place and with a new person that holds funny things (camera) makes little people a little nervous.  Usually there is a warming up period.  But James jumped right in.  I have to credit his Daddy for the amazing smiles he shared with me.  I can’t wait to show you more tomorrow!  Stay tuned for his Face book gallery;-)

This cake smash baby photography session was a celebration.  Not just of turning one.  Definitely not for the love of cake (turns out Azalea is definitely NOT a fan).  But a celebration of blessings.  What a blessing it is to have children.  What a blessing that after a year of growing and learning this little princess is so healthy and happy.  What a blessing she is to her family and in her home.  Babies absolutely 100% change our world.  We don’t know that they will, we might expect to make a few changes here and there.  But little by little they reinvent our worlds for us.  One of the magical things about having a baby is that we mothers start too see, as if we had been blind before, all of the blessings we have.  We see for the first time all the wonderful ways other people touch our lives.  It might be realizing just how much you love your own mother.  Maybe you finally see just how much you need your husband.  It might be something like learning how much a good friend can make a great difference.  Babies awaken our sleeping souls.

There are so many reasons to celebrate the birth and journey of this beautiful little girl.  For me it has been getting to know her mother.  You don’t expect that work will bring you friendships.  But it has and Afsi is one of them.  It has been a long time since I have had a baby in my home and I needed a reminder, someone to refresh my soul.  Afsi brought me her little princess and in doing so has changed me for the better.  Through knowing her (I know this is making her cry) I have remembered how wonderful it feels to step outside my little comfort zone and serve another.  I have learned to think and feel deeply about others.  There is a quote I love by George Eliot.  He says,”Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul to another.”  That about wraps it up.  I know I just hijacked Azalea’s post in order to share my feelings of admiration for her mother.  But someday I hope she sees this.  And that she will celebrate being the daughter of such a remarkable woman.

I love this Scale prop.  I love that so many parents chose it when they come to see me for their newborn photography session.  It was one of the very first props I purchased for my studio.  It was the beginning of Jennifer Wilcox Photography.  Even from the beginning I knew I wanted to be very selective with the props that I purchase and use for baby sessions.  I really, REALLY, want your baby to be the focal point of his own portraits like Callum here.  I don’t want your friends and family to say, “Wow, what a great bowl…”  My goal for this prop specifically was for a baby’s parents to see there portrait like this and to remember how small and fragile their little one was.  How their whole world was wrapped up in just 7 pounds of PERFECTION.  Your whole world, everything…your future, the point that life has led you to…all in 7 pounds.  That is what I want parents to see, not a scale…  And that is exactly what I hope Callum’s parents will see and feel.

I knew Tori’s newborn photography session was going to be a little different than normal.  She was coming to see me 6 weeks old, not my normal 7-10 days.  Let me start by saying that there was NO sleeping going on in the studio that day.  We tried really hard to help her drift away into dream land.  But she is a big girl and there was no telling her what to do.  I was a little discouraged after her session, feeling like my “baby whispering” skills had been defeated.  And then I sat on the couch in my studio as my five year old came in for snuggles and we looked at the images I had taken.  They are stunning.  She is exquisite.  I had so many beautiful images that her session has been one of the hardest to cull (pick the best) ever.  I love that you can see right into her tiny soul through her bright blue eyes.  And her sweet little smiles; they kill me.  When I look at these images, I think, was she looking at me like that.  Looking right at me, all sweetness and happiness.  She is a treasure.  These awake images make me want to have another baby, because I captured her and the true unconditional love a baby has for everyone.  Even if you are just their humble photographer.  And it makes me yearn for another.