End of year "sale" - book now to get 2007 pricing

It's the end of the year and time to re-evaluate the financial end of things. Unfortunately, since inflation and expenses always seem to go up, both session fees and print prices will be increasing as of January 1, 2008.

For customers who have already booked or are members of the Little Lovebugs or Watch Me Grow clubs - no worries! Your prices are locked in and you will pay the 2007 prices.

So, if you've been thinking about booking a session and have just been holding off - DON'T! Book before January 1 and you'll pay the 2007 prices. Even if you're pregnant and not due until June, by reserving your session now you'll save a little money and get yourself first choice of appointment times.

Please note that the 2008 prices have already been added to the main website, although the 2007 pricing is in effect through the end of the year.

Remembering our lost little ones

For a photo blog, this is a rare occurrence: a post without a photo!

Tonight is the annual lighting of candles in remembrance of all of the children who have been lost. This is a worldwide event, and it lasts 24 hours. During the darkest part of the year, people in each time zone light their candles for one hour, from 7 to 8 pm.

Many people attend local ceremonies; many more light their candles privately.

I will be lighting my candle tonight in memory of my son Nicholas. He was with us for 11 days in 1999. He died due to complications from surgery he had after developing necrotizing enterocolitis. His brother and sister, born 5 days after him and weighing a few ounces more, will also be remembering him this year.

I am also lighting my candle in memory of the little ones I've met as a photographer for NILMDTS - nine little boys and girls who were only able to stay with their parents for a very brief time, but whose memories will live on forever.

If you'd like to know more about the candle lighting, visit the Compassionate Friends site.

Happy birthday!

Aren't these just the cutest little ones you've seen in a long time? Not only are they celebrating Christmas, they have their first birthday coming up later this week!

Multiples can be tricky, they never seem to want to do the same thing at the same time. The key is the Santa Hats. Give them something that they can steal from the other one and they'll stop trying to get away and start spending their energy on removing their brother or sister's hat!

Happy Holidays from Max!

Max doesn't really like to sit still for photos. Although he loves to hang out in the studio and keep the kids smiling, when it comes to pictures of HIM - he'd rather not!

I did manage to keep him occupied by giving him a beautiful Christmas-themed chew toy, so this will have to do for his holiday photo. No Santa hats for him...he's just not that kind of a dog.

The holidays are here!

I last saw this family when the youngest one was a newborn - my how she's grown in 9 months!

It's hard to believe the holiday season is starting, when it has been in the 90's all week and you still need the a/c in the car sometimes. But the holidays are definitely here, as you can tell by the festive outfits in this shot. Somehow it's hard to get into the holiday spirit when everyone is still wearing shorts, but there are little signs that winter really is on its way.

Welcome, baby Elizabeth!

Elizabeth was born on October 29, and I got to meet her when she was only 2 weeks old. What beautiful little hands she has, and the most expressive eyes. Congratulations to her family, what a wonderful little girl she is!

Niyema's baptism

I just saw this little sweetheart a couple of weeks ago for her Halloween photo (she's the little bee from October 26). She was recently baptized and her she is, looking absolutely beautiful in her Christening gown.

Holiday photo cards - deadlines are approaching!

Be sure to book your holiday portrait session in time for holiday delivery. If you plan to order holiday photo cards, you should book your session for November in order to receive your cards in time to send out before the holidays. Orders placed after December 7 can not be guaranteed to be received in time for Christmas, due to overwhelming demand at the printer.

Call 623-556-1227 or e-mail Heather@lovebugsphotography.com
to book your session today!

Happy Halloween from a busy bee!

Happy Halloween from little Niyema! She's certain to get lots of candy and goodies with that sweet little face and precious smile.

Baby Annie - 3 months old

Three months can be a difficult age to photograph a baby - they aren't sleepy newborns any more, but they aren't yet old enough to be able to be entertained very easily. Baby Annie was such a great subject, though - she was full of smiles and was so easy to work with. Here she is safe and sound in her daddy's arms.

Playing catch-up

I've been so busy with the start of the holiday season that I've fallen sorely behind on my Blog! Anyway, I loved this little girl's outfit, so retro but so perfect for her. She wasn't too happy when we started our session, but I'd like to think we were friends by the time she left. I love this silly expression, it's so typical 4-year old girl!

Halloween/Fall photos from Lovebugs Photography!

Just in time for Halloween, Lovebugs Photography is offering
special Halloween mini-sessions! One day only -
October 27, 2007 - the studio will be set up with pumpkins,
straw and a cute fall theme. For $50 you will receive a
15-minute mini-session, one 5X7 and 4 wallets
(all photos same pose). As a bonus, if you bring a donation
of two cans of non-perishable food, you will receive an
additional 4 wallets for free! All ages are welcome,
even newborns will be able to show off their cute costumes
this Halloween.

The number of mini-sessions is VERY limited - so don't wait,
book today by calling 623-556-1227 or e-mail
Heather@lovebugsphotography.com

Happy birth day, Tatum!

Tatum is such a precious little girl - so cooperative, and she pretty much slept through whatever I did. She did open her eyes for a few shots, and what beautiful eyes they are. When she wasn't sleeping, she was certainly interested in everything that was going on around her. She's only a couple of weeks old, and what a beautiful addition to her family she makes.

Maddox - a bundle of energy

Maddox recently turned 2 years old, and he had his birthday photos taken at Sun City Grand. He chased rabbits, met a cute little girl, threw rocks in the pond and generally had a good time. Happy Birthday, Maddox!

Will - two years old.

Doesn't he look thrilled to have his very own birthday cake? Will is 2 years old and came in for some birthday portraits. The fake cake looks nice but wasn't nearly as much fun as the REAL cake he got to play with later on!

Welcome, little Brady!

Isn't this little guy just the cutest? He was so easy to work with, such a happy baby! Congratulations to Brady's mom and dad, he really is a bundle of joy.

Cousins!

These three little ones are cousins. The youngest one is visiting from back east, unfortunately he's here in the midst of a new heat record for Arizona! Hot weather or not, I know my kids love to hang out with their cousins.

Gorgeous blue eyes

This is Kaden, and what a little cutie he is! I have loved his blue eyes since his first session when he was 4 months old. He's a bit older now and has grown up a lot in that time, but his eyes are just as beautiful as ever.

A precious little bundle of joy

This is baby Hayden. He was born July 30, and I got to meet him when he was less than a couple of weeks old. He is definitely the most mellow baby I've ever worked with, sleeping almost the whole time. He looked so precious and peaceful, and really was a pleasure to photograph.

First Holy Communion

This is Travis, he's the son of one of my friends from work. He had his first holy communion back in April and she wanted to get some portraits done before he outgrows his clothes. That happens so quickly at his age, it seems like nothing fits for more than a few weeks. Anyway, Travis is a pretty cool kid and he follows directions so much better than all of the newborns I work with. I think his marroon shirt was pretty cool too...all the kids wear white shirts, but he was a little different with his outfit.

Welcome, baby Steven!

I got the chance to meet little Steven this past week - only he's not really LITTLE Steven! He was a big guy, born at 9lbs 11oz. He's got the most beautiful skin and hair and was wonderfully alert during our session.

Welcome baby Shanaiya!

Shanaiya is the cutest little girl, isn't she? She has beautiful curly hair and the most expressive brown eyes I've ever seen. She was quite cooperative as far as newborns go, and she was so much fun to work with!

Welcome Gavyn!

This is Gavyn, born July 20. He was so well-behaved and cooperative for our photo session, and such beautiful dark eyes!

3-month old Avery

Avery is the newest member of the Little Lovebugs VIP club. She's three months old and already a little cutie! I love her blue eyes, they are such a gorgeous color.

Baby Connor - an honor for me.

This past week I had the honor of photographing the arrival and first hours of life for baby Connor. Connor is a miracle baby - he has a chromosonal defect that often causes babies to be stillborn, or to die within minutes or hours of their birth. Many babies with this problem don't ever get to leave the hospital.

Connor is a fighter, though - not only did he survive his birth, he was able to go home with his parents. Nobody knows how long he will be able to stay here with them - but every single minute is a precious gift that is appreciated by his family.

I have always felt that every NILMDTS session I have done is an honor for me. These babies are on earth for such a short time - and yet their parents allow me into their lives during that short time. Every baby that I have met through NILMDTS has been loved and has made an impact on those around them. It's not how long they are here on earth that matters - sometimes, even the smallest of tiny feet can leave imprints upon our hearts.

Update: Connor was able to spend several days with his family at home and passed away on July 22. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

At last - a girl!!!!!

After all of these boys, I finally got to photograph a little girl this week! She was only 9 days old when she came in for her newborn session. It was fun to break out the pink stuff, since all I've been working with lately has been baby blue. She sure is precious, with such beautiful pink lips and a cute little nose.

Look how they've grown!

I first photographed these little miracles back when they were only a few months old. Now they're 18 months old and getting into all sorts of mischief!

Multiples are one of the trickiest subjects a photographer can work with. There will always be one (or more!) child who doesn't want to cooperate with the camera. It can be very frustrating if you're not used to dealing with twins, triplets, etc. - it's easy to fall into the trap of expecting "the perfect shot" with all babies smiling and looking at the camera, then being disappointed when it doesn't happen. I'm lucky to have two surviving triplets of my own, and I can say for the record - you will never have ALL the babies happy or sleeping at the same time! It's an unwritten law for multiples that at all times one child MUST be contributing to his/her parents' impending loss of sanity.

Another little boy on the way!

The trend of little baby boys continues! I've worked with so many couples this summer and it seems that the majority of them are expecting boys! This couple is expecting their first child in a couple of weeks, and it's going to be a boy.

Four boys in one day!

Saturday was a busy day - four sessions, and ALL of them were baby boys!

First up was this couple. They are expecting a little baby boy who will be called Hayden. That's a cool name for Arizona, there used to be a ferry that ran across the Salt River to get to the Tempe campus. It was called "Hayden's Ferry" after the owner. Most people nowadays have no idea that was the case, largely because the Salt River no longer has water in it. Well, not enough to require a ferry.
Second up was a first-time mom who is due to have baby Steven this week.

Third was a sweet little newborn named Zaire. He's such a cute little guy, and only 9 days old! I love them when they are so tiny and scrunchy.


Finally, baby Braylon who is not so babyish anymore! He's 6 months old and has the cutest smile, we you can get him to show it!

A new crop of babies coming!

I've been busy with maternities lately - LOTS of maternities! These three couples are all due around the same time, and I can't wait to meet their little ones. There are two boys and three girls, can you guess who is expecting the girl and which two couples are expecting the girls?

They always tell you ultrasounds aren't foolproof. But for every customer I've worked with (so far!), the ultrasounds have been correct. I'm sure one of these days mom and dad will be surprised, but I don't think it happens often.

Best wishes to all three for a safe labor and delivery. I just can't wait to meet your little ones!

Happy Independence Day!

Yes, it's the 4th of July - and yes, I'm working today! It's so hot here in Phoenix that I'd just as soon stay inside and get some work done than try to do anything remotely festive. Sure, we'll have our hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner, but as far as going outside to watch fireworks? We'll probably be better off watching them on TV! A better view of the festivities and a comfortable 83 degrees - unlike outside, where it is supposed to hit 116 today.

This little guy is just about 4 months old. I posted about him several months ago when I did his newborn session. He's gotten a lot bigger, but he still has the beautiful blue eyes he was born with. It's so much fun to watch these babies grow up, and time always goes so fast for me. I'll get a call from a mom saying "hey, it's time to set up my 4/7/12 month appointment!" and I'll do a double take, since it just doesn't seem possible that the time has gone so quickly.

A boy's dream comes true...

For the past year or so, my son Adam has been obsessed with airplanes. His two favorite movies are Flyboys and Pearl Harbor. He doesn't care too much about the story aspect of it, he just likes to watch the airplanes flying around. His favorite Wii game is Blazing Angels, and he loves to use the flight simulator. He dreams of being a pilot someday.

When we were in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, we had the chance to send him up in a Stearman biplane. We didn't tell him ahead of time where we were going, because we knew he'd get way too excited about it - and we didn't want to be talking about planes for hours ahead of his flight! Our first trip to Dillingham Airfield didn't go so well - it was way too windy for a flight, so we had to postpone it a few days.

We returned June 19 to the airfield where Adam got his chance to go up. He was so excited, he had the biggest grin on his face the whole time. He got to wear the little cap (and goggles, if needed). He sat in the front and enjoyed seeing Oahu from the air. He came back with some nice pictures taken from the air, and a renewed determination to become a pilot someday.

Since we've returned from our trip, he's been diligently working to learn to "fly." He's been landing 747s on the flight simulator, "just in case" he needs to help out the pilots next time we fly somewhere. He knows the rules for getting a pilot license (16 to solo, vision 20/40 corrected). Only 8 more years to go, and he'll be pushing us to take flying lessons!

Aloha from Hawaii!

We've been in Hawaii now since Wednesday afternoon. Yesterday we visited the USS Arizona Memorial. It is an amazing sight, full of history. Parts of the ship are visible from the memorial, above the water. The rest is under the water but still visible beneath the surface. It is Hawaii's most visited attraction, and there is a long line to prove it - even an hour before the ticket office opened, people were lined up all around the park. There were even a few survivors of the 1941 attack on hand to talk to visitors.

The weather is beautiful here, and you can walk very easily to many of the places you might want to go. It's much more expensive than Arizona, especially groceries. A box of cereal is about $6 and a gallon of milk is $5! But it's easy to see why people are willing to pay more to live here, as it really is a gorgeous place.

Cynthia - red, white & blue!

Cynthia is ready for the summer with her red, white & blue outfit! I've known her now for a couple of years and boy has she grown...from a little baby into a precious toddler. And she just gets cuter every single time I see her!

Beautiful Christening baby & dress

Abby is 5 months old and recently had her Christening. What a beautiful little girl she is, and a gorgeous dress! Congratulations to Abby's family on the precious new addition, and congratulations to Abby on her special day.

Willow Canyon class of 2007!

This morning is Willow Canyon's graduation ceremonies, and Ryan is a member of the class of 2007. Congratulations on reaping the rewards of all your work over the past 13 years, and best of luck in college next year!

Heaven welcomes another little angel

Sometimes children are only here for a short time, and yet they still have an impact on the lives of those around them. Ethan was born just a couple of weeks ago, and yesterday he was returned to Heaven. He was truly a beautiful little boy, the most perfect nose and toes and hands, and it is sad that he wasn't able to stay a while longer. He spent his short life in the NICU, where he was able to touch the lives of his parents, the nurses and the doctors, as well as my own life.

Please keep Ethan's family in your thoughts and prayers. I am honored that they allowed me to share in Ethan's short time here on earth, and I hope the images of him will give them comfort and peace in the coming weeks.

Jack visits the park

Jack is Madison's cousin (see Madison's fairy photo bel0w). I've known Jack for two years now, and I've seen him grow up a bit since the first time I took his photo. He's full of energy and all sorts of little-boy craziness. He's certainly a handful!

Jack chased the rabbits and the roosters, but never quite caught any of them. I'm not sure what he'd do if he did manage to catch one, but it's probably best that he didn't.

Welcome baby Preston

This little guy is Preston. He's less than a month old and is so alert! He has beautiful eyes, doesn't he? He was a very cooperative subject, so easy to work with.

Congratulations to Preston and his family. Enjoy your new little boy.

A fairy and a rose

I don't do a lot of fantasy stuff, but this photo just begged to have a little fairy dust thrown in!

We did this shoot at Saguaro Ranch in Glendale. It's a beautiful location for picnics and photos. I was happy to see that the animals have returned! I was there in February and there were only chickens - now there are not only chickens, roosters and chicks - but peacocks and lots of bunnies!

Of course the weather is getting warmer, and pretty soon the park will be a bit unpleasant for photos, unless you go around 7 in the morning. And who wants to do that?

Welcome baby Maya!

Baby Maya is Addy's brand new little sister (see the previous post for more on Addy). Maya is just beautiful, and the perfect little subject for me to photograph! She was so cooperative at our session, and she's still newborn scrunchy, so she fit inside my little basket.

Congratulations to Maya's family, and welcome to the world, little princess!

Support the JDRF

This is Adalyne. She is one of the approximately 176,500 children with diabetes in the United States. She has type 1 diabetes, which means she must take insulin to survive. She wears a pump to deliver the insulin, and needs to carefully monitor her blood sugar.

I've worked with Addy twice now, and she's been a real trouper both times, dealing with low blood sugar. I was amazed at how well she dealt with the fingerpricks for blood samples, I'm sure my own kids would have been screaming their heads off after the first one.

Here's what Addy's mom has to say about living with diabetes:

"Thank you so very much for putting the word out about JDRF and Addy. It's little stuff like your blog that will help find a cure one day. Low blood sugars are the pits and you've witnessed 2 of them...everytime it happens, my heart races, my palms get sweaty and I wonder if this is the one that will cause a seizure - is this the one I need to call 911 for - is this the one that will leave her little brain permanently affected??? When it's over and I have my Addy back, my soul cries inside - and on the outside sometimes too - because she's so little and it makes me sad that life with type 1 diabetes is our reality. "

This Saturday (May 12) is family zoo day for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Organization. The zoo will be hosting a scavenger hunt for diabetic children and their famililes. They are in need of volunteers to host the event, so if you have the day free, don't hesitate to contact them! They also host a walk in the fall, and can always use donations. If you have a little extra money in your pocket that could use a good cause, please check out their website and help Addy and many other children by funding research and support.

A visit to the Surprise police department

My son's Cub Scout pack took a tour of the Surprise police station last night, and they certainly had a great time. Our tour guide showed us everything there was to see, from the communications room to the booking room and all points in between.

The favorite part of the tour was the cop car, of course. The boys got a chance to sit in the front seat and talk over the speaker. "Hi mom!" was a favorite. The siren and lights also were a thrill for them to see.

Thank you so much to the Surprise PD - we appreciate all you do to keep us safe, as well as entertained!

Welcome little Reese

Reese was born three weeks ago, and she already has her parents wrapped around her tiny little fingers! She is a beautiful little girl with the most precious little fingers and toes. She was alert and looking around throughout her session, no sleepy newborn poses for her!

Baby Judah - a precious bundle of joy.

Judah is the newest addition to a family that already has one little girl. I first met them when they were expecting baby #1. It's so much fun to do repeat sessions for families, since I get to see how the children grow and change. Jadyn is now almost two years old and the best big sister in the world to little Judah. I was so excited to work with a baby so alert, and what a cute little head of hair he has!

It's that time of year...

May is the month for first communions, and "the season" officially started for me yesterday. Sam is a beautiful little girl who will be making her first communion in a couple of weeks, and she is perfectly precious in her dress and veil.

My own children will be making their first communion next year. This is one of those events that really do remind you just how quickly children grow up. It seems like yesterday that they were being emergency baptised after being born 14 weeks early. Now they are "big kids" who can do so many things on their own, it's hard to believe they ever used to be so tiny and helpless.

Congratulations to Sam, and best wishes for a happy first communion.

One little girl on the way...

This lucky mom is soon to have THREE princesses ruling the house! With two older sisters to help show her the ropes, princess #3 will be certain to add joy.

Mom is scheduled for induction this coming Wenesday, so there's not much longer to wait. It's so exciting to meet these precious little ones.