here’s to your first cupcake,

your first close encounter with fire,

your first birthday…

and many more firsts together.

(taken on his birthday, one month ago)

We got him many stuffed animals, but for some reason, he really loves the gorilla he’s holding in this first photo.  We wanted him to like this little lamb (easy to carry around), or even this floppy giraffe, but there is just something about this gorilla that makes him squeal with glee when he sees it.  He hugs it, kisses it, wrestles it, and rolls around with it.  Jonathan ended up buying him that giant one and as expected, Cameron loves it too.  There’s no getting in between a baby and his best friend(s).

They get into trouble together, but always have each other’s back.  See no evil, hear no evil, and speak of no evil… because he’s busy eating.

And then we got him another one, just in case something happened to the original one.

Silly rabbit, you’re not a gorilla!

…no more monkeys jumping on the bed…

Cameron and his best friend (lovey), gorilla

Tonight, 15 minutes after putting him down for bed, he started crying uncontrollably.  We didn’t know why.  We tried to wait it out, be we knew something was wrong based on his cry.  We went in to soothe him, and as I was about to put him back down, I realized that his gorilla was on the floor.  He must have accidentally threw it outside of his crib while wrestling it to sleep.  I hope he grows up to be as loyal as he is to his gorilla.

For those who follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter, you’ve already heard all about Cameron’s first birthday party this past weekend.  It was so much fun!  I can’t wait to share photos with you all.  I’m slowly catching up with life and have a long list of things I want to do before flying out to Thailand, so stay tuned!

When I first met Hannah and her mom, Amy, I instantly knew we would work great together.  In Amy’s words, “Well, this was a great first date!”  It was indeed and I was very excited for our future dates!  I met Dave for the first time on this shoot, and meeting him really completed the picture for me.  They could not be anymore perfect together.  I love the way they adore each other and just how they really complete each other.

Hannah’s an interior designer, so I had her pull some textiles together.  I love the way she mixed patterns here!  (Something I cannot do!)  It was the perfect place to cuddle.

LOVE this shot:

I can’t wait for their wedding next year!  They’re just so sweet together.  You know it’s going to be special!!

I apologize for not keeping up with the blogging.  This little man is turning one and we’re planning a big party!  It’s seriously like planning a wedding.  My dad and I are building some stuff for it, and I have a team of amazingly talented vendors hustling right now to pull everything together.  Can’t wait to share with you all!

I’m incorporating bits of things from other cultures that I’ve seen and love… going to start some new family traditions here!  Would love to hear some of your favorite 1st birthday traditions!

Random facts about this photo:

1. This was taken during my birthday week a few months back.  For my birthday, Jonathan took Cameron along to all my shoots that week and I got to take some photos of him before/after my shoot.

2. You can see Jonathan & I in the reflection.

3.  Having them along made working even more fun… works in small doses to balance work & family.