The Cardona's~the bump

You may remember Eric and Desiree from last year, as I documented their 1 year wedding anniversary.  Now they are moving onto the next chapter of their journey as a married couple, having a baby.  They decided last year that having a baby was next on their to-do list after celebrating their first year as a married couple and as luck would have it on their first try...boom they got pregnant...well with a little help from our dear friends the Bigani's...I think it was the lemon martini's that made them a little loosy goosy! ;)

Eric and Desi are beyond excited for their baby girl, April Nalani Cardona to be born in just under 2 months.  If all goes as planned (which isn't always the case with due dates) she'll be born August 17th.  I know that Desiree would love April to come early, but we all know babies have a mind of their own and would rather stay comfy and cozy in their mothers womb!

Last Sunday, we headed to the Heritage Museum for their baby bump photo session...enjoy!

doesn't Desiree look radiant in the summer sun?!

i love the sense of calmness in the photo

go ahead with your bad self Eric...GQ style!

The Almira Family

Kristie and Carlos are our amazing friends who recently added a new member to their family in March, Elias Luke.  This little boy has stolen not only their hearts, but the hearts of all of their family and friends too.  He is such an incredible little guy, so tenderhearted, sweet, carefree, smiley, and overall just a great baby!  Kris & C lucked out with such an amazing little blessing to their lives!  The wait they endured to have this little bundle of joy was well worth it and it was all in God's perfect timing...funny how he always knows best. =)

I cannot wait for Elias to meet his friend Atalia in just a few short months!  Kris and I constantly talk about how cool it will be when they meet and when their old enough to play together.  I'm sure they'll be great friends just like their parents are.

Last Saturday, we headed out to The Lab & The Camp in Costa Mesa for their family photo session and they were all troopers, especially little Elias!  Here are many of my favorites from the day...

Those eyes!

 

                                        love this one...just because                                         Carlos & his Blue Steel look

Kris you are gorgeous!

one of my absolute favs

this one cracked all of us up...Elias woke up from his nap and somehow he began unconsciously flipping me and my camera off...PRICELESS! =)

nothing like a mothers love...beyond sweet how they are looking at each other

another one of my absolute favorites...I love the feel of this photo

can the Almira family be any more adorable? seriously...

when I saw what this last step said...I had to get Elias asleep to take the shot...even if the lighting was harsh...its beyond amazing to me!

Amie & Mark Haselton~bun in the oven

I had such a great time photographing Amie & Mark today at the Huntington Beach pier, even though it was a chilly 61 degrees~they were both troopers for grinning and bearing the cold! =)

The funny thing about Amie & Mark is that when she contacted me to shoot their maternity session, we began to find out the many similarities we had~and for the record let me just say there were A LOT!  First off, we knew each other from high school, Loara to be exact.  She was the class ahead of me, and although we didn't necessarily run in the same circle, we knew the same people.  As Amie and I were exchanging emails back and forth she had mentioned that she thought she had a prom picture of her, Mark, me, and my husband Roland with a bunch of our mutual friends.   I had totally forgotten that we all went together to prom that year, and when I saw the picture it brought back a ton of fond memories. =)

If you haven't caught on by now, Amie married her high school sweetheart~just like I did!  Not only that but Amie & Mark have been together as long as my husband and I (13 years) and married the same amount of years (4)!  And...well as we've both settled into married life, now comes the babies, as her and I are both expecting this year too!  Yes, now you see, so many similarities...its just mind boggling!

Amie is due July 21st with a baby boy, and while his name is under wraps for now~I must say it is quite adorable and I just love it!  Little baby Haselton will be the first grandchild on both sides of their families and I'm sure he'll be well loved and spoiled, as it should be for a first grandchild!  ;)

Thank you Amie & Mark for trusting me to document this exciting time in your lives as you both embark on parenthood!  I know you both will make excellent parents...only 9 more weeks to go! =)

I had so many favorites from today...enjoy!

You both are spectacular in this one!

Amie~you are beyond gorgeous in this photograph...

Seriously...again with the gorgeousness in the beautiful light!

I'm in love with this one, because of how Mark and Amie are looking at each other!

Oh...and can Amie's bump be any cuter?!

Our baby girl~Atalia Jewell Perez

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 forever changed my life and my heart in a way I'll never be able to fully explain and I know it had the same dramatic effect on my husband too.  We got to see our very active baby girl, Atalia Jewell.  This day was different than others because our baby actually looked like a baby!  We could see her rub her eye, scratch her chin, suck her thumb, roll around, and even move her foot near her head.  It's like she knew her mom and dad were going to be seeing her in all her glory and she wanted to show off her skills. =)  She did not disappoint...not that she could...and it just made us fall even more in love with her than the day we found out we were expecting her!

I'm finally at the stage in my 2nd trimester (20 weeks) where I can feel her move inside of me and it is so amazing and weird at the same time!  When I think of what's going on in my body, I am simply in awe.  It is so incredible how the Lord gave me the ability to bear and eventually birth this child, a child that was simply created from my egg and my husband's sperm into a human being.  I think about everything we saw in the ultrasound, from her brain, skull, ribs, spine, fingers, hands, toes, feet, and heart and it just takes both of our breaths away that we created this life!

Baby girl, you have no idea how much your mom and dad love you~not to mention all your extended family!  I know you will be spoiled beyond belief, and to an extent that's okay, as long as you don't expect it your whole life.

You will be raised to respect your mom and dad and any future siblings you may have.  It is also important that we teach you to have a strong faith in God, a mutual respect for everyone in this world, and a good head on your shoulders!  Your dad and I promise to love you unconditionally and support you in all your decisions and goals.  We just ask that you be athletic like your mom and dad! =)  We have already decided you're going to be a star swimmer and water polo player...and well that's non-negotiable! j/k =)  Well maybe just a little, but no seriously we will never push you, we just ask that you try things in life at least once before saying you don't like something...never settling and never putting limits on your abilities.

Atalia, September 19, 2010 cannot come soon enough!  =)  We already love you so much and are beyond excited to meet you, hold you, cuddle you, and kiss you!

The Wentworth's + 1

I've known Sherri Lynn (aka SLW) for 5 years and through those 5 years she's been not only a former co-worker and family interpreter, but a dear friend.  We met when my husband graduated USC, as she was assigned to be Ro's parents sign language interpreter.  Then 2 months later, I got a job at a Deaf non-profit organization in Sacramento.  While training, I saw SLW walk into the office, and quickly found out she was one of their full time interpreters on staff...and well the rest is history.

As long as I've known SLW, she's loved children.  She's amazing with them and especially with her own nieces and nephews.  The road has been more than bumpy for her and her husband, Lewis to conceive a child of their own.  I remember several conversations with her discussing adopting whether it was here in the states or from another country.  There were many drawbacks, which I won't get into, because that would be a post in and of itself, but lets just say it made it difficult, which lead SLW and her husband to think about potentially fostering a child.

Then one fateful day in the fall of 2009, it happened...all on its own!  SLW was pregnant!!!! I remember when I found out I actually started crying (which I don't think I ever mentioned to her).  You see, more than anything I always knew SLW wanted a child of her own and well as the years progressed it seemed that it maybe wasn't a possibility for her and Lewis.  It's so true what they say, when you stop trying, it just happens...case in point baby Wentworth will be born June 25, 2010!

I cannot wait for baby Wentworth!  I'm more than jazzed about this baby boy entering this world, and even more jazzed that SLW and Lewis are going to be parents!  Thank you for letting me document this special time in your lives!  I love you both =)