New Family

It is no secret that I love babies.  Their little squeaks and sighs, the way they stretch themselves out and then curl back up.  I could watch and snuggle a tiny person all day long.  So when this little guy came to visit me last week- I was in heaven!  He is absolutely perfect.  I think his parents would agree with me on that.

Congratulations on your new little love!  Thank you for bringing him in to meet me.

Look who just turned one...

You may remember her as one of our best of 2011 winners in this image:

She came back in on her birthday last week with her parents to mark the occasion.  

I love watching little ones grow and their personalities form.  It is such a fun and exciting time in life.  And she sure is brimming with personality already.  The world is a wonder and she is determined to explore it!  We had a hard time containing her in the big open meadow with all those fun things to check out a space to run.  Thank you for making a visit with me part of your birthday celebration!  I'm sure this was the first of MANY happy birthdays for you.

Silly Little Monkey...

It is such a fun stage when little ones begin to interact with the world around them.  This little guy was all smiles the day he came in!  You can tell his heart really belongs to Mommy because his attention is easily distracted by her voice.  Such a sweet little snuggle bug!

I love that crazy hair!

Isn't she beautiful?!?

This lovely little one was so happy!  Mostly smiles from the time she came through the door until we turned off the lights.  I love the Giggles and Grins sessions at 3-4 months!  They've started interacting with people other than their family and their little personalities start to develop.

She also came in with an adorable diaper cover, which was very timely for the event I am teaming up with Baby Time for next month.  If you haven't had a chance to check out her site filled with great cloth diapers, baby wearing accessories and more, you really should! http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.babytimeia.com%2F&h=IAQFg1ZLd

A few details about the event:  We will be holding a photo contest at JP studio on April 27th & 28th.  The proceeds will be going to Families Helping Families of Iowa (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Families-Helping-Families-of-Iowa/29340451379) an organization that helps foster families meet basic needs of the kids they care for, a truly amazing group of people over there doing incredible things and I'm so happy to be helping them out!

The categories are Cloth Diaper Babies (1 yr and younger), Cloth Diaper Tots (age 1 and up) and Slings/ Carriers all ages.  Don't worry if your little one hasn't worn cloth diapers before, Kristen will have some on hand to try on and use for your photo!  And if your little one isn't so little anymore and isn't in diapers or slings, bring in their favorite doll or teddy and we'll get them all decked out for the photo!  Each entry will receive a 5x7 of the their image and there will be lots of great prizes from Baby Time and Jungling Photography.  I'll be sure to post more details as we get our plans finalized.

Little ones in the studio last week...

It was a busy week last week so I have lots to catch you up on.  I thought I would combine sneak peeks into one blog post so your news feed isn't filled with all my posts so here goes:

All those babies that came to see me last year are getting bigger and coming back to see me again, some for their 1 year portraits- I really can't believe it has been that long already!  Here are some of the sweet faces that I got to be with last week.

Little Mr D.  Just like his big brother, he never disappoints when it comes to great expressions!

C just turn one!  We 'celebrated' with a cake smash.  I use that term loosely because he mostly cried in his cake more than he ate it.  But that made for some cute images too.  His big brother turned 4 (I just can't believe that I've been his photographer for that long!).  Handsome little guys, aren't they?

 And happy little girl H!  This little pumpkin was very excited, expressive and on the go.  I love her little bonnet!

Her tiny Valentine...

I love when new babies come to see me!  I could seriously cuddle all day with them, and that is exactly what was on this little guy's agenda for the afternoon... every time we tried to lay him on the warm, cozy bean bag, he could just sense that his mommy wasn't right there.  Doesn't he just look so peaceful in her arms?

Mom is one off my high school classmates and I'd been following her posts on FB about her pregnancy and delivery.  I was so excited to hear the news that her little miracle had arrived and I was even more excited that she agreed to bring him in so I could try out a few new props.  It was good to see her, to catch up and to see what amazing mother she is to her little man.  Thanks so much for bringing him in to meet me, he is so precious!

And you are as stunning as I remember you from back in the day!  Congratulations!

Itty Bitties Contest

Here we go... The Itty Bitties of 2011.  To avoid breaking any of the guidelines that Facebook puts on contests, I'm going to hold the voting here.  You can still tag yourself on my FB page (www.facebook.com/junglingphotoblog) and share the albums or the link to this blog on your own Facebook page so your friends know where to vote.  In order for your vote to count, you need to put your comment on here with the number of the image you are voting for.  I still appreciate new likes, followers and comments so be sure to share!  Voting will continue until Jan 31st at 8pm.  Good luck!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Uncertain little sweetheart...

The nap on the way to the studio may have helped her get over a case of the grumpies, but she was a little uncertain of her surroundings when she woke up.  Good thing Daddy knows how to make her smile!  We managed to get a few in between quizical looks and finally a few tears- which I happen to think are also adorable and just HAD to snap one of her sad face.

LOVE this expression!

Tell me this isn't precious!  Don't you just want to scoop her up and snuggle?

A very loved little Valentine!

This little pixie thought she was just coming in for some family and one year photos over the weekend.  I surprised her with a big heart cookie as a prop (and bribery) to help me promote some Valentine's Day mini sessions coming up (see below for more details and some sample Valentines).  I think she was happy to accommodate, wouldn't you agree?

Here are some images from the planned session:

I just the ones that show the purest interactions of a family!  She is so loved and such a happy girl!

Valentine's Minis:  2 days ONLY!  Bring your Valentines into the studio for a quick session on Friday Jan 27 10am-3pm or Saturday Noon-4.  Session fee is $30* and includes a set of 15 personalized 2x3 inchValentine cards and a 5x7**.  Space is very limited so don't wait to have your time reserved!

*session is for one person or one group; for additional individuals or groups there is an additional $20 fee  and includes a set of cards and 5x7 for that individual/group.

**additional Valentines of the same design may be purchased for $12 per set.  Additional prints may also be purchased at regular print prices.

More Christmas fun...

Precious baby girl!

Babies are always so amazing to me.  Just the wonder of new life and how quickly we fall in complete and utter love with them.  This family is so enamored with their sweet little addition!  And why shouldn't they be?  And isn't there something extra special about a baby around Christmas?  The perfect early present and the perfect reminder of what the season is all about!

I know I'm going to enjoy getting to know this family so much more over the next year!