Hello, Chicago.

I feel extremely fortunate that I am able to spend my days doing something I love so much… hanging out with my own little ones AND photographing some down right amazing families and new little peanuts.  And now that I’m a bit more comfortable with all of our schedules, I’m excited that I made the decision to take on a few destination newborn sessions (way cooler than destination weddings, right??).  And while I’ll have a bit warmer trek to San Diego in a few weeks, traveling to Chicago this past weekend was quite exciting… which brings me to my next point:  I feel even more fortunate that I am asked to travel to these locations.  Pulling from my facebook wall this morning:   “Thanks for visiting and making yourself available to shoot our second baby girl. We didn’t have you up because nobody in Chicago could have taken the photos, it was because we wanted you. You are the best. Thanks again from the Cohen’s.”  Ohhhh… melt.my.heart.

Previews from the session are coming but I promised myself to first edit a few others from the trip.

I obviously carry my camera around for many of our days… capturing the little moments in our life.  And believe me, we are not always posing and saying cheese… it’s just more about capturing them exactly how they are.  Yet with how stinkin’ cold it was this weekend and how many coats/hats/mittens/snacks, etc… I was toting around, I decided to forgo the camera on most of our outings.  And I’m not going to lie when I tell you that I kind of liked it.  It’s not that I didn’t want to document everything, but I’m often times more behind-the-scenes making sure I capture the moment than be in it.  And perhaps this was a good eye opener to me… to remind myself to live in the moment with them instead of staying 50 mm back 🙂

Not that I don’t love always being able to remember these moments….

* Like Jacob and his doughnuts.  If there is one food this child really loves, it’s doughnuts.  He knows he always has one waiting at his Mimi and Poppa’s house (since I refuse to keep them in our house) and rumor has it he sometimes gets one when he grocery shops with his daddy.  But at our hotel, they had the most amazing doughnut shop in the lobby and how can you say no to that??

* Audrey Rose & her observations.  It truly is amazing to me how she studies everything, takes it all in and then wants to go explore it all… She does her best to keep up with her almost-four-year-old big brother, has finally starting sprouting some curls on that precious head and was a little monster on the car ride up.  Which positioned me for the bulk of the trip in between two car seats feeding her goldfish and singing “Once I saw a little birdy” fifty thousand times.  #joysofmotherhood

* Shedd Aquarium.  We only stayed for one extra day but we had to make it to this remarkable place.

Jacob literally would bend over laughing every time the dolphin swam right by them.

And though he may act like a tough almost-four-going-on-ten-year-old, he’s the sweetest kid you’ll ever meet…. making sure his baby sister sees exactly what there is to look at.

“You see it, Audrey?? You see it???”

{The birthday party planning has begun… for a sneak peak from his invites and the theme, check instagram – I’m scpstudio.  And side note:  When you don’t want to lug around a big camera or don’t have one, instagram is just perfect for capturing those little moments 🙂 }

On our to do list for this week?

Print some pictures and order some canvases for the new house.  I mentioned it on facebook the other day, but the hard thing about taking so many pictures is having a difficult time deciding which ones to print.  I’m finally ready to say the heck with the fact that I might take the most gorgeous picture of them tomorrow, I want to be looking at these precious faces on my walls today.

And the quote that I’ll be finding some way to incorporate among the prints?

I will love you forever,
I will like you for always,
As long as I’m living,
My babies you’ll be.

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday evening with your own little ones…