hadlie | celebrating one

in-home lifestyle milestone session

The best part of my job is getting to watch my clients, especially the littlest ones, grow through the years, seeing how they learn new skills, gain new interests and become the people they’re meant to be. I first photographed Shannon + Tyler’s sweet family when their youngest daughter Hadlie was just six days old. Now, she’s turning one and I’m thrilled I was able to capture this beautiful little lady once again.

Just like with her newborn photos, we shot Hadlie’s milestone session at the family’s home full of the perfect natural light. One of the things I remember most from her newborn session was how much Tyler loved to read to big sister Emmalyn. Over the last year, Hadlie has joined in with daddy daughter story time and reading is one of her favorite activities.

Rocking an adorable fluffy tutu and big glittery bow, we started the session on Shannon + Tyler’s bed reading books with perfect lighting flowing in through the windows. During Hadlie’s newborn session, I captured a moment of Tyler reading to big sis Emmalyn while Hadlie was getting changed. It was one of their favorite daddy/daughter activities and now Hadlie loves this special time as well.

In the middle of capturing Hadlie with her books, Emmalyn ran in with her “lamby” (a favorite stuffed animal), hopped on the bed and joined her little sissy for story time. Cuddled up on their great-grandmother’s blanket (a staple since she was a newborn), I captured one of my favorite shots of the day – their sweet little bare toes twined together as Hadlie sat on Emmalyn’s lap.

As a big one year old, Hadlie is almost walking. Standing on her own and taking steps while holding mom and dad’s hands, it’s amazing to watch this sweet little baby grow more and more independent and strong everyday. Shannon describes her best when she wrote…

“Hadlie is the best snuggler ever. She is famous for climbing up and laying her little head right on your shoulder for some snuggles. Also every night at bedtime after we get her in her pajamas we get her pacifier and Minnie security blanket from her crib and she will grab it and lay her head on you. It melts me every time. She has been ready to take on this world since day one and is our adventurous one. She has no fear of new situations and jumps in head first…..literally sometimes 🙂 She is full of sass and smiles and keeps us on our toes. I look forward to watching her grow into a young lady.”

After a fun afternoon of reading, Shannon changed Hadlie into a outfit that coordinated with the rest of the family and everyone gathered on the bed to recreate one of the shots from her newborn session. I love that we included this shot. It will be so special for this family to look back year after year and see that while so much changes over time, some things – like the love a family shares for each other – always stay the same.

With the most expressive big blue eyes, Hadlie captivated me in every moment of our session. Shannon + Tyler, thank you for allowing me to capture her contagious personality and witness what an amazing little lady she is becoming. I love the relationship she shares with Emmalyn and can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for her.