Jessica Lemmons Photography Blog, Longview Washington (Wa.) photographer.

 My good friend Cindy (who photographed my family in the previous post) came down for her session on the same day.  We traded sessions with each other and like I said in the last post I could not possibly be happier with my photos!!!! I had so much fun getting to meet her kiddos and hubby…I’ve met them briefly before, but this was the first time I really got to be around them.  Her kids are SOOO precious!  I grew up in a big family myself and so I was totally familiar with the big family dynamic.    Cindy and Nathan were absolutely adorable – you can tell that even after years of marriage and kids that they are madly in love with each other and they both love their kids with all their hearts.

Her kids were adorable and I can only hope that I captured their sweet personalities!  Thank you SOOOOOO much Cindy and Nathan for making the drive down here.  

I HAD to blog about this session, not just because she is adorable, but because of how special this little gal is to me.   I’ve been photographing her since the second she was born.  Really.  I was THERE!  Her mommy and I have been friends for a long time (in fact, she was MY wedding photographer 5 years ago!), I did her mom’s maternity sessions here and here, and then was invited to photograph her birth as well – THEN to make it even better, she was my newborn model for a shadowing by the Daily News photographer for this article which was on the front page of our paper.   I can’t believe she is already 1.  I know I say that with every 1 year old, but seriously!  It goes by so fast!

I met up with the “L” family this last Monday for some family photos at a park next to the Columbia River.   They have the most precious family,  3 beautiful daughters and one adorable son.    It was really windy out when we did the session because we were right next to the river, and so the poor kids were freezing, but despite the coldness they did amazing and I was so happy with how these turned out!

A big thank you to the “L” family for having me as your photographer and I hope you enjoy your preview!

I had a moment yesterday.  I was playing out in the backyard with my kids, and had my camera around my neck just in case they did something cute.   Olivia was singing a song about something……I couldn’t tell what it was, but it was cute.   And that’s when I had my moment, I realized while she was singing and swinging on the swing, that she’s not a baby anymore.    Over the last couple months, something has changed in her.  Maybe it’s that she can communicate verbally with me, maybe it’s that she goes down the slide head first, maybe its that she loves horses and tells me all the time how she wants a “horsey”.  I don’t know, but she’s not a baby anymore.  It hit me inside -  “She’s a kid.”  After taking a few shots of her, I came inside, put my kiddos down for a nap and uploaded the photos.  My husband was peeking over my shoulder while I was processing the shots and he noticed it too  “she’s a girl!”  he said, ” what happened to my baby? I don’t know if I like this”.  I don’t know if I like it either.  I don’t know how, as parents, we forget sometimes that they are only little for awhile.  I’m doing my best to  live in the moment with these precious little lives I’ve been entrusted  with.   I’m not ready for them to grow up, but it’s happening and much more fast than I had anticipated.

I’m getting towards the tail-end of the National Charity Model Search that I am participating in for the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep foundation.  Mr “E” is my second to last session before my deadline  and I couldn’t have asked for a better session!  I seriously have never had a more cooperative 4 year old – he did amazing, and had a very natural little smile that photographed perfectly!

Good job Mr “E” and best of luck to you in the contest!