Maternity Photo Session - Baby Boy's First Photos

Maternity photoshoot - Baby boy is due in October!

These two are going to make the best big sisters

Baby brother's big debut is just over a month away, and we are all so excited for his arrival in mid October. I was happy to get a chance to do my first maternity photoshoot, as I never did any when I was pregnant with the girls. I was so tiny with the girls, and even though we took some photos I really wish that I did a maternity session like this. I'm grateful to have a wonderful and talented best friend, Christy, who took these beautiful photos. We will cherish these memories for years to come and I especially love seeing the genuine smiles and excitement on the girls faces. They are on pins and needles waiting for the arrival of their sweet little brother and my belly has received plenty of love and kisses over these past several months. He moves like crazy now and loves when his big sisters talk to him and give hugs (well actually, that's a maybe...he usually kicks when they smother my stomach). We are so eager to meet this little man and see his sweet personality unfold. The countdown to October 19th is on!

Obligatory belly shot, he's a squirmy fella

The little man's first photo

Alina showering baby brother with love

Fall Family Photos 2014

Thankful for our sweet family of four

Fall family photoshoot 2014, so many favorites

Mommy & Alina - say cheese...how cute is she!?

Alina posing with her parasol by the pretty fall trees

Such a fun day. The girls loved posing it up

My favorite of our two little beauties; our world!

Last week we had the pleasure of taking some new fall family photos. The picturesque trees and fall leaves, at the nearby park by our house, made for a resplendent backdrop. Thanks so much to my amazingly generous and talented friend/photographer, Christy Leopold, for capturing these beautiful family photos for us. She's taken some of my favorite and most cherished photos of the girls over the years and really outdoes herself with each new session. The girls love being around Christy and it shows in the photos. They were so happy and playful and really just embracing each moment as it unfolded. It took me by surprise how much Alina was into posing this time. I think she's finally reached the age where she is embracing the camera. Elise looks like such a young lady now, especially with her fashionable little outfit choices and poses. It's hard to keep up with how quick these two grow, which makes me even more thankful to have these beautiful memories.

So many smiles and giggles, the kind of photo shoot we love

Alina with her parasol, she's such a sweetheart always

Playing in the fall leaves makes for fun photos

Sometimes the perfect moment is captured summing
up the happiness, joy and energy of two little girls

Love is a beautiful feeling, thankful for all he has given us

October Trip to Apple Hill

The four of us enjoying our day in Apple Hill

Fun with little friends at Bill's Apple Orchard

Little pumpkins

Beautiful views at Bill's Apple Orchard

Mom with her two little dolls; love them!

We visited Apple Hill this past weekend with some of our close friends and their kids. As we were driving up it quickly dawned on me that the last time we took a trip to Apple Hill was before Elise learned to walk, so this trip was long overdue! The weather was beautiful and sunny and the kids had a fantastic time frolicking around the flower fields, apple orchards and pumpkin patches. Our first stop was Bill's Apples Orchard. We were drawn in by the bright and beautiful yellow and orange flower fields; perfect for fall photos. The kids were excited to get a free freshly peeled apple when they arrived. They ran around exploring to their hearts content. We then made our way over to Apple Ridge Farms for a visit to the pumpkin patch, hay maze and petting zoo. The kids got to pick out pumpkins and feed the goats. The biggest highlight for the girls was getting their faces painted. We waited over a half hour in line for it, but they were thrilled to show off their freshly painted faces and pose for some cute fall photos. It was a fun little weekend adventure and we certainly plan to make Apple Hill a yearly excursion from here on out.

Exploring the pumpkin patch at Apple Ridge Farms

Sweet Alina posing with her Minnie Mouse face painting

Elise showing off her Halloween face paint plus missing tooth

Cuties having fun posing for photos

Love these two sweet pumpkins

Alina's Summer Photo Shoot at 3-Years-Old

Alina at 3-years-old - sugar and spice and everything nice

Every variation of her smile is pure sweetness

I asked her to show me a 3-year-old pose :)

Alina enjoyed her summer photo shoot by the plum tree

Her sweet smile here was the best reward of the day

We had a very fun and impromptu backyard photo shoot for Alina's 3rd birthday. I think we really captured her sweet and playful little spirit in these photos. She had so much fun posing for momma, and in between all these photos she was proudly belting out the lyrics to "Let it Go" from Frozen. She loves that movie and is appropriately a big fan of Anna (the little sister), hence wanting her hair in long pretty braids for her photos. I love the age of three because she's growing up and mostly independent, yet at the same time she's still our sweet baby and needs plenty of cuddling and affection. Since she's our youngest, she really relishes in being babied. She loves kisses and hugs from mom and dad, and even being carried, but never...and I repeat...never try and open or close a door for her, flush her potty, or dare turn off Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, she will certainly protest over those offenses. 

I love her spirit and how carefree she is at this age. She's a girly girl, who loves Minnie Mouse and dressing up pretty, but at the same time she's not afraid to get messy and flex her muscle when needed. She's the perfect balance of sweet and tough, and she is always the first to volunteer to try something new. Alina is one of the happiest and most even tempered kids. I am often taken by surprise in how quickly she will relent and apologize just because she wants to smooth over a situation and see everyone happy again. She's a determined little fighter where it counts, but is wise in choosing her battles. She embraces harmony and love, and all the revolving world of things that cultivate those feelings. We are so proud of our adorable little girl with her playful spirit and loving demeanor. We look forward to all the milestones this sweet girl achieves at three!

A break from posing to highlight her playfulness

Plum spotting

Exploring while still posing; such a good girl

Peek-a-boo momma - she's just so sweet

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Alina!

Our adorable little Alina at 3-years-old!

Happy 3rd birthday to our sweet little Alina! From the moment she was delivered into our arms, she's been just the greatest joy and love of our lives. She was the happiest and most mellow little baby, with the face of a sweet little doll and the most playful/good-natured personality. She always given us big smiles and laughs. Her genuine little laugh is truly one of the best sounds imaginable. She was also our early walker at 9-months-old. She's been pushing to keep up with her big sister since birth and she truly excels at everything she does.

As a two-year-old, she was our inquisitive little climber and daredevil; always pushing the limits. She was virtually fearless and rarely slowed down. She loved climbing (and still does)! If she could climb it she would, and the girl would scale things like they were of no consequence. We were always surprised by where we would find her, because she found ways to climb up the counter or in her closet to get things she shouldn't be into. Sneaky little thing. Despite her pent up energy and curiosity, she's always been the sweetest little love bug. She took excellent care of all her baby dolls and always displayed her innate desire to nurture and calm those around her. In fact, when I last asked what she wants to be when she grows up, she responded, "I want to be a mommy just like you, and I want to take care of little babies". Not gonna lie that this had me in tears of joy, and it really highlights her loving and nurturing personality. She's definitely going to be a wonderful mommy someday, and this brings me so much happiness.

At three-years-old, she is the kindest and most loving little girl with an unparalleled love for all things Mickey and Minnie Mouse. She had a great time celebrating last month, with all her friends and family, at her Mickey and Minnie Mouse party too! She moved up into the bigger class in preschool several months before her third birthday because she was already ready and determined. Her best friend in preschool is Annie and they are like two peas in pod, little friends with birthdays only a week apart. She loves making art projects at preschool and is excellent at coloring, she has nearly mastered staying in the lines and has even started writing her name. She loves to stay active too, whether its playing outside, showing off her gymnastic talents on the playground trapeze, riding her bike and scooter in the court or just running through the grass on a little mini mission. We've embraced her boundless energy and know that someday she will be out little athletic star. She brings us countless moments of joy every day, and we are so proud and happy to have been blessed with this adorable little angel. We love you so much sweet girl. Happy Birthday baby doll Alina!

She's our big girl now, but I love that I still see her baby face here

 

Elise is Almost Five!

Little beauty Elise at almost five-years-old

Having fun on the swing

Sisters bonding...and smiles

Sister hugs are the absolute best

Elise will be turning five-years-old in just a few days! I still can't believe how much she's learned and matured in these five short years. I took some photos this past weekend and stopped in my tracks when looking back through them on the computer. I no longer see a little girl and instead a sweet young lady, who is yearning to grow up and dress her prettiest at all times. I have to admit, that I got teary eyed seeing how beautiful she looked in these photos. She is still very much a child and has those adorable childlike qualities, but we are also slowly seeing aspects of her maturity and growth. Aside from being very tall for her age, she now has what I like to call the "grown-up voice", she talks in complex sentences and now tells stories dispersing the occasional colloquialisms throughout (for some reason this makes me feel as if she is five going on fifteen). She also makes very intelligent inferences from the things we say, and spelling things out won't always get past her anymore.

Our girl can read all by herself now and she only needs help with big words. I hope Kindergarten will be challenging enough, because she has aced every single one of those simple 1-4 letter site words. She is so inquisitive about the world and how things work; she's a definite thinker. She is still a little ball of emotion though! I will say that she has come a very long way from the tantrum laden days of past, but she is still quite emotionally driven and strives for perfection and order (according to her interpretation). All this said, I see a very sweet and very determined young lady at the core of it all. I am so proud of her for all the things she has accomplished in these last five years. She is setting a great example for little Alina to follow, and she is even helping teach her how to read small words. I am so grateful for both of our sweet girls, and for the very special bond that they share.

Sharing secrets

Serious look, but I love it as I see a glimpse of her baby face

All smiles, she brings so much joy to our lives

Lunar Eclipse April 15, 2014

Beautiful phases of the total lunar eclipse on April 15, 2014

The recent lunar eclipse on April 15, 2014 was completely worth sacrificing sleep on a weekday evening. Dad and mom stayed up until 12:45 am watching the phases and progression of the eclipse and we took plenty of photos. Once it reached the final stage, the moon turned from its usual white/gray illumination to blood orange/red in color. It was an incredible sight to see. This is the first of a series of four total lunar eclipses set to occur over the next year. We will certainly be watching the next one on October 8, 2014. A big shout out to Mother Nature for the free show, and for making it a series (hah)!

Sunny Spring Day at William Land Park, Sacramento

Spring family photo in the lovely daisy field at Land Park

Sweet Elise posing by the flowers

Little Miss Sunshine, Alina

Daydreamers - Alina and Audrey

When it comes to flower power and girlish prowess, we've got it down. Dad is along for the ride, and he's a good sport at that, even if it means posing in a field of dainty daisies just for his girls. The girls had fun playing in the flowery grass with their littlest friend, Baby Audrey. They picked flowers and then went to feed the geese and ducks at the pond. Once they fed the ducks, they made sure to help them run off the snacks by chasing them all around the park. Afterwards, we all headed to nearby Fairytale Town for an afternoon of fun. More photos to come soon!

Future besties - Alina and Audrey

Playing by the tallest tree they could find

Borrowing dad's shades

Feeding then chasing the geese and ducks at Land Park

Elise chasing a mallard. This makes me smile every time