Brand New

The biggest, tiniest grins.

The sweetest, scrunchiest yawns.

And the most adoring, loving first-time parents. 

If you'd like to schedule your lifestyle newborn session with me, I'd love to hear from you! Click here to get in touch. 

The Good Stuff | Tampa Bay Lifestyle Photography

I just delivered prints to this family, and then I realized that I hadn't shared them here on the blog. :)

I absolutely LOVE this type of session... in a client's home, relaxed, with plenty of time for snacks and snuggles. Cuddled up in bed with blankies for soothing, thumbs for sucking, and goldfish for nibbling. A newborn baby in Mama's arms, and toddler tickles and funny faces with Daddy.  These are the days, aren't they?

I hope these two darling brothers will always know how much they are adored. 

Sweet When They're Asleep | What I Love About Being a Mama

"God gives us kids so we'd know how He feels about us."  - Bob Goff

Do you ever wonder if God looks down on us throwing our "tantrums" and disobeying Him, and instead of getting angry with us, He just thinks, "but she looks so sweet when she sleeps."  And then He is merciful to us, and forgives us when we ask Him to.  He shows us grace instead of the justice we deserve.

I don't always show grace and mercy to my kids.  Sometimes consequences are necessary.  They do receive their fair share of discipline and guidance, and I am quick to throw out the "no screens for a week!" card when the rules are intentionally broken or one kid is picking on another.  But I yell too loudly, and too often.  I lose my patience more quickly than I'd like to.  Sometimes I forget to return a permission slip, or I have to break a promise.  I don't always have it all together; in fact it's a rare day when I actually CAN say that I have it all together.  I let them play electronics more than I probably should.  I nag them about their chores and I expect far more help around the house than they ever want to give me.  Sometimes we have to say, "sorry, no company today," or skip a class birthday party.  (Speaking of which, I did not send in cupcakes for Parker's birthday last month and we didn't throw him a big party, and I did not feel guilty about either one.)  I'm not always attentive, my iPhone is in my hand far too often, and I do not bathe them every single night.  Poor Lila has been asking for gymnastics classes for over a year now, and I've yet to sign her up.

But.  BUT.  I open my arms to them when they creep into my bed in the middle of the night, scared from a bad dream or that monster under the bed.  I hold her like a baby because she asks me to.  I show him how to stick up for himself and how to be polite and how to respect women and teachers and grandparents and adults.  I know each one of their unique love languages and use them to lavish affection upon them as often as I can.  I pray with them and for them and in front of them.  I read an extra chapter at bedtime just because.  I love their Daddy absolutely to pieces and try to set an example for them for how a strong marriage should be.  I teach them good manners 24/7 it seems (oh little boys, you are so gross).  I tell them about God's love for them and about Jesus' sacrifice and about Heaven waiting for us someday.  I encourage sharing and respectfulness and kindness and asking nicely and thinking of others and not spending your allowance all in one place.  I am real with them and show them that I am human as well, and I try very hard to explain truths to them in ways they can best understand them.  I chaperone field trips and help with homework and shuttle them to school and soccer practice and birthday parties.  I pack Lila's gluten-free school lunch every single day and I bake gluten-free brownies and buy gluten-free cookbooks and make homemade granola bars because they love them and eat them all up within a day.  I nurse fevers and administer Tylenol and hold cold washcloths on their foreheads and pour orange juice and hold their hands and say extra prayers.  I change wet sheets and find missing blankies and dolls and I French-braid hair over and over until it looks like Elsa's.  I "holdju" and help them clean up their messes, and I fix endless meals and snacks and cut off all the crusts.  And I love them, fiercely.  With all my heart and then some.

I'm not the perfect mama, because there is no such thing.  Repeat after me, THERE IS NO SUCH THING.

But I'm the perfect mama for my children.  And that is enough.  Because He says it is.

I'm convinced that Bob Goff had it right when he stated the quote above, and I am trying daily to view my children the way God sees them. I want to parent them the way God parents us.  He's not always gentle (after all, even natural consequences do sting), but He always cares for us and even His discipline comes from a place of love and protection and guidance.

Being a mama is a full-time, exhausting, rewarding job, no doubt.  And if I do all of those things above and more, can you just imagine all the little things that God does for us, day in and day out?  And even after we've been disobedient and rude and disrespectful, He still thinks we are worth saving.  That we still look sweet when we're asleep.

Just like our babies.

xoxo,

Stacey

Isa's 1st Birthday Party | Part One

I had such a wonderful time photographing beautiful Isa again, this time for her first birthday invitations.  (I will do an entire post on that session, but here is a sweet favorite for now....)

And how she looked after she dived into her cake.  Birthdays are so much fun, aren't they?  :)

And here is just a preview of the loveliness that was to be had at her beautiful birthday soiree.

More to come from this event soon, I promise!  I have so many images and ideas -- and resources! -- to share with you.  Enjoy!

xo,

Stacey

Small reminders

My favorite style of portraiture is the sort that happens naturally. I have photographed this beautiful family twice before, and I love that they "get" why and how I do what I do.

We don't pose, really.  We hang out and I photograph them.  I ask them where they spend time and how they normally sit and what they like to do.  And they do that.  And I shoot it.  Simple.

I believe with all of my heart that it's not the big things in life that we will wish we could remember.  Rather, it's the littlest things that we try to recollect.  Nuances and expressions can so easily be forgotten, if we aren't careful.  As we get used to life with a newborn in the house, those first few days and weeks of their lives soon become a blur in our memory.

Daily routines and couch-snuggling and sippy-cup refilling and hugging your husband goodbye for work... while some may see these activities as mundane, I view them as beautiful.  I see the meaning, the significance, and the importance in those small things, and I purpose in my heart to always photograph reminders of them.

A beautiful family showcase on this gorgeous Friday.

Happy Friday!!  I just wanted to share a sweet client session as we finish up their print order.  They had such great style, and I loved their laid-back, fun, vibe.

Whew.  So I had more than a few favorites.  They were such a lovely family though, and it was hard for me to resist posting them all.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend, friends!

The Newborn I've Never Held

When I first met my nephew, this is what he looked like.

Tiny and sweet in my sister's arms.  Barely five pounds.  Couldn't eat on his own, couldn't stabilize his heart rate (due to bradychardia).  He was born at 34 weeks gestation... coincidentally, the same progression I'm currently at with this pregnancy.

I flew to Kentucky just after he was born and visited him in the NICU.  I took this photo through the thick paned glass because I was not allowed to go inside and visit him.  I held my own two babies up to the window and introduced them to their newest little friend.  Parker was thrilled to have another boy cousin on my side...finally!

I left a lot of kisses, smudges, and salty tears on that slab of window glass.  I wished desperately to hold him, to smell his sweet little head, to touch his soft skin and trace his hairline with my finger.  To welcome this new little boy to our family.  But we were separated by the window.  He had to stay in the NICU for several more weeks, long after I had to return home to Florida.  I didn't get to hold him.

---

The last time I saw him (last night), it was just past midnight and he had just turned ONE.  Alas, we were again separated by a window.  He was wearing my son's shark pajamas, and he was smiling again in his mama's arms.  Only he was a lot bigger.  He has come such a long way in a year!

Although I'm thankful for these "windows" through which I get to see him smile, hear him laugh, and watch him snuggle his mama... I can't wait for the day when no screen separates us.  I want to grab him up and give him all these hugs and kisses that I've been saving just for him, for the past year.

Happy 1st Birthday, "Baby Finn".  We love you to the moon and back, little man.  XOXO (and even more smudgy kisses through the window).

SACRIFICES AND BLESSINGS

I've had this post on my mind for several days now.  Trying to find the right words.  Thinking of the importance of this session, and really, of every session I am commissioned to shoot.  I will tell you that immediately upon meeting them, I could tell that this darling baby girl is loved beyond her wildest dreams, and by so many people.  Her Daddy is undoubtedly thinking of her while he's overseas fighting for our country and protecting our freedoms, his daughter's freedoms, on a daily basis.  Her Mama has strength like I've never seen, and she is to be thanked for her many sacrifices as well.  I know it isn't easy. But I will say that there aren't many things in this life more recognizable and powerful than a parent's love for his/her child.  It's a beautiful thing to see.  And let me tell you, this child is loved.  Truly adored.

We met at a natural spring in this area, and the entire park was beautiful.  I plan on going back just as soon as I can.  The fields were beautiful and the light was delicious.  Backlight is my soft spot, you know.   ;)  And so are snuggles with Mommy.  Watching them together was mesmerizing.  And I must confess that I just kept shooting, and smiling behind my camera, long after I'd gotten the images I'd intended on getting... they were just too sweet together and their connection was so obvious, their adoration so mutual.  It really was precious and hard to turn my eye away from.  Every child should be this blessed!

Daddy was only in for a short while, in fact he was leaving the next morning and would soon be on his way back overseas.  But watching him interact with his daughter was touching.  You see, he hadn't seen since she was just a few weeks old, and she had just turned one a few days before our session.  I imagine he'd had to get to know his daughter all over again as a toddler.  And that made me realize how lucky my children are to be able to see their Daddy at home every day.  It also reminded me to be extremely thankful for those who sacrifice that very precious thing for our sakes.  I don't think we could ever thank our servicemen and women enough.

Ami, Frank, I'm grateful that you were so willing to be in front of my lens.  Your daughter has such a sweet smile and personality.  You're doing a great job with her, and you are both such an inspiration of strength to me.  Thank you!

I have so many more images that I'd love to share, but I have to save some lovely surprises for their gallery.  Thank you everyone for stopping by the blog.  I appreciate you being here!  And I'll be back with more sessions to share soon.

xo,

Stacey

DOS. DEUX. TWO.

Our darling baby girl turned two last week.  We celebrated.  We sang.  We clapped.  I cried, as everyone expected.  And if you've been reading this blog for more than a minute, then you know that my crying over my children was never a question in the first place. So whether I want her to be or not, she is two.  :)  She is fiercely independent with bouts of "holdjuuu" mixed in.  She can carry on a conversation with an adult and they can understand almost every word.  She speaks in full, detailed sentences.  She blows us all away on a daily basis.  Intelligent beyond my wildest dreams (just watch her navigate an iPhone).  She's compassionate already, and so sweet to others.  Snuggly.  Loves her big brother.  Loves babies, whether they are real ones, "her" babies, or the children on my computer screen while I'm editing ("cuuuute bebee!").  She has the best laugh when she's tickled in just the right spot.  She loves music.  (Especially Justin Bieber.  Seriously.)  Loves to color, and always hands me the crayon and then asks me to "dwah a hawht."  (translation: draw a heart.  Or a silly face.)  She is full of light.  My Lila.

This isn't the birthday photo I'd envisioned including in this post.  In fact, we haven't even done her two year photos yet.  Those are planned for next week.  However, when I came across this image in my folder it would not let me leave it alone.  I decided that it is perfect to convey my feelings about her turning two.  About my secret wish to smooth right over her birthday and pretend it didn't happen.  That she's not growing up this fast.  That the past two years have not been such a blur.  Although I've hung onto every moment possible, there are some that still slipped through my fingers.  Things that I missed, laughs I didn't hear, naps I didn't see her take.  But that's alright.  She runs into my arms every afternoon.  She snuggles with me every night, and wakes up to me every morning.  She is joyful, and amazing, and perfect.  And now I can choose to wipe aside those tears that burn my throat and make my sight blurry, and recognize the raw beauty that lies within her.

My sweet girl.  I love you so.  xxoo  ~Mama

THE COMFORTS OF HOME

I had the chance to spend the morning with a really lovely family this past week.  They were warm, relaxed, comfortable, and made me feel right at home too.  I love when sessions just play out this way.  It means that they seem to forget a little bit that I'm there, and we capture their true connections to each other.  All those little moments in between that makes their family so unique and amazing.

Gorgeous mama, and gorgeous girls.

Her bed was fabulous, and so was the gorgeous handmade piece hanging above it.  "DREAM" really does suit her space, that's for sure.  Although I'm not so sure she gets a lot of actual sleep ~ judging from all the books and flashlights hidden down inside her covers!  ;)

She had such subtle differences in expression that I loved.

I have so many favorite images from this session. . .  but of course I have to save some surprises for their gallery!   ~Thanks so much for welcoming me into your home this week.  I hope you love your sneak peek, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.