Oh the joys of turning one!

In many ways, photographing while pregnant is no different than photographing any other time. But in many ways, this experience felt different. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the event was a one-year-old's birthday party, and it won't be long before we are throwing our own daughter's birthday parties (which feels incredibly exciting and overwhelming all at once). Or perhaps it was related to the fact that I can't get up and down quite as fast as I used to. In any case, capturing the celebration of Wesley's first birthday was incredibly memorable and amazing. So many times I glanced at the back of my camera, and was just ecstatic at the image displayed. Wesley's big grin, his mom's loving glances, his friends and family holding and playing with him, his excitement over balloons. It was truly something to behold. Wesley is so incredibly loved by his friends and family, and it was evident in everything that went into this party. The planning, the prep, the party itself all oozed with love. Each detail was so thought out, from his place setting at the table to the balloon arch at the door. The elegance, beauty, and intricacy that went into every aspect of the party was simply unbelievable. And having the opportunity to capture those moments... well. That was a blessing beyond belief.

Wesley's nahni, Jamie, is the one who reached out about taking photos at the event. Jamie is a good friend of Joe and myself, and I was honored to be considered for the event! However, we were scheduled to be out of town the weekend of the party, so I had told her I was unavailable. Our trip ended up being cancelled, the party got rescheduled, and through a whirlwind of events, she found herself without a photographer yet again, and reached back out. As we chatted throughout the party and looked through some of the photos together, Jamie continually expressed her gratitude that I was able to capture it, and at one point, said that God knew what He was doing with all the scheduling changes because she was just so blessed by the images she had seen so far. It was a stark reminder of why I do what I do. As much fun as the actual process of photography is for me, my whole purpose is to capture these moments in a way that can bless my clients for years to come. I can only hope the results are as incredible as Jamie thought they would be! Check out a few of my favorites: