Cutie pie on her first birthday

How often do you get to photograph a baby on the exact day she turns one? I was so glad I was able to schedule Ms T right on time. She was such a little love... Mom brought a cupcake to celebrate the occasion, and when we were all done, she brought it out for Ms T. Ms T looked at her like, You have got to be kidding me! Is this for real? It was, and she made a wonderful, glorious mess. Happy birthday, Ms T!

Here are some things Ms T's mom had to say about her:

Our little Ms T has an older brother. How many years between them? Did you plan the spacing?

T is 3 years apart from her brother J. Yes I did plan to have them at least 2 yrs apart so I can relish each child at their different stages-one with diapers and one without. If they were too close together I think everything would be more of a blur.

Do you have more photographs of your firstborn?

I think I have more pictures of T now. I wanted to be diligent in having as many pics as my first, if not more. Because we decided she would be our last baby and I wanted more infant photos.

What does Ms T do that melts your heart the most?

When she pouts her mouth like a piggy's snout and makes a funny weird sound with it. She can actually do this on demand. I just think she's soooo cute when she does that face.

Does Ms T sleep well through the nights?

She does!!! She's been sleeping 10+ hours a night since she was 4 weeks old. We're really blessed. She sleeps well through growth spirts, teething, and fever. The only thing is that she's a very light sleeper so we need to be very quiet when she's down. And it's difficult to tell a 4 yr old boy to stop making noises of destruction.

What was her first word?

BaBaa (for daddy)

Has Ms T taken her first step yet?

She has taken many steps with children furniture that she can drag along with, but not on her own.

Are there other kids on the way in your family, or are you
stopping here?

I am stopping here at 2. Two is perfect for us.


What is your favourite time of day with Ms T?

My favorite time of the day with Tallulah would be after her first nap, around 3:00pm. We play, watch a little bit of cartoons and take a fun bath which she loves a lot.

Does she have a cuddly blanket or other favourite lovey?

She doesn't have a favorite blankey nor a lovey. I've heard some scary stories when children lose, forget or won't allow you to wash their favorite thing- they can get into this rage and fuss where they're just not happy campers. I didn't want my children to be too attached to just one thing but instead be comfortable with alternating a few favorite things. They need to be flexible. I have 3 organic favs for T-a sleeping bunny, a dolly, and a ducky teether.

Little Ms S was such a delight to have in the Jane Photo studio! She had such a wonderful look with her springy curls of dark hair--and her funny faces. She had me cracking up from beginning to end, that's for certain. I haven't met a single soul who can do a fishy face quite as well as the divine Ms S, and I'll just bet she's been endless entertainment for her loving parents, T and M. Here are a few to enjoy!

As always, feel free to leave blog comments below.

Take it away, mom:

S is the cutest patootie wootie in the western world. Do you just look at her and melt?
Ummm, yes. I can barely get anything done in the house, I am so busy trying to take in her every moment. I dont want to miss a single expression (except maybe the screaming ones). I think as every mom knows, you could never imagine before baby how obsessed you will become with them.
S is the only baby who has ever made me laugh out loud when I was editing her images.

I have a whole series of S making faces that just crack me up. I know you said she is known for making faces. Why do you think she does that?

Thats the big mystery of Sophie. Since the very day she was born, people have commented on the strange and funny faces she made, especially the things she does with her mouth. She has a whole range of looks, from Zoolander, to fish face, to kissy mouth and beyond. The more annoyed she gets, the weirder the faces she makes. Half of all the pictures I take of her are variations of her "funny faces"....maybe she likes the feeling of her mouth making interesting shapes, or maybe thats her nonverbal communication....if she still does it when she's older I'll be sure to ask!

How has it been for you and M moving from being just a couple to being parents? How has your relationship changed?
Well honestly, it was certainly a shock in the beginning. Sophie took up all of my attention of course and I dont know that Martin was prepared for that, but as the weeks past, he readjusted his expectations of me and of our relationship. Now he is completely in love with Sophie and our relationship is more layered and meaningful than ever before, but it took a few months to get there.

What is the best thing about being a mom? When is S at her most adorable?
Sophie is at her most adorable when she wants us to make her laugh and when she is first waking up in the morning. When she wants us to make her laugh, her eyes light up and start sparkling and she starts screeching and kicking her little legs and arms to attract our attention. I know right away that shes in the mood to laugh her little head of, so we entertain her until we are all laughing together. Also, first thing in the morning, her hair is standing in every direction and she smiles the sweetest, most contented smile when she sees my face looking over her crib. Her cheeks are all rosy from sleep and she lifts her little arms out to me to be picked up. I live for those moments.

How has it been getting up nights to feed little Ms S? Do you enjoy your quiet late night moments together, or are you mostly nodding off and hoping to get back to bed?
Luckily for us, Sophie has slept 12 hours straight pretty much every night since she was 3 months old. So the odd night she wakes me up, when shes teething or not feeling well, I try to enjoy the peaceful sounds of her breastfeeding, the quiet in the house, and her warm little half asleep body instead of rushing back to bed.

What are you looking forward to doing with Ms S as she grows up?
Everything! Listening to her talk about what she is learning, thinking and feeling. Watching her experience the world and trying to see it through her eyes. Sharing in her interests and trying to forge a bond that will keep us close for the rest of my life. Bringing her joy and helping her become who she wants to be. Well, and because shes a girl, perhaps a bit of mommy daughter shopping and spa adventures.

Any thoughts/suggestions etc for other new moms?
Every day, every passing month, It just gets better and better. Try to enjoy every moment, takes loads of pictures and videos, because they change so quickly and your memory for details you thought you'd never forget is remarkably poor.

Okay, here's the question: how many bits of your heart can you give away before you don't have any left? Call the paramedics, 'cause now I've lost a whole lot of mine. Say hello to the inimitable Ms J and her baby sister, the smiley-puss, N. They visited the studio on different days, but I'm blogging them together. Ms J was such a hoot going costume-crazy--the studio is something of a paradise for dress-up. What a wonderful and fun person she is, and I hope to see more of her as she grows. She's a big girl 4 now, and I think she's destined for the big K pretty soon.

Ms J and Little N have the very same smile and it is one of the most fabulous I've ever seen. In Little N's face, it takes up the majority of the room for features and is, therefore, megawatt. Little N just couldn't stop grinning. And her language was very sophisticated for such a little sprout; she was organizing her thoughts into patterns of speech that cleverly mimicked adult intonations.

Here's what their delightful mom, S, has to say about them:

You are the mom of the baby with the greatest smile ever. How on earth do you cope with the world losing their marbles over your little girl (and her equally cute big sis)?

Well, we always appreciate the compliments over the smiles, and we do love the way her little mouth curls into that smile when she sees us. I have a feeling that we might have a hard time resisting anything she asks us for when she flashes that smile, so we'll have to be careful! But it is wonderful, and just reinforces for us how lucky we are with our beautiful girls.

Tell me your favourite all-time thing about your eldest daughter, J.

"Snuggle Time" in the mornings when she wakes up. From about age 1 1/2 until about 3, J. would come in to our bed in the morning for a snuggle (and a bottle of warm milk) before we all got up to start the day. She still occasionally graces us with a snuggle in the morning, but it's much more rare these days.

How did she handle the advent of a new sister?

J. has generally been a really tolerant and loving big sister. I think she was old enough when N. was born that she had some independence and didn't rely on us as much as a younger "big sibling" would have. She's always been interested in N., and rarely too rough. She's never asked us to "send N. back", which I know other big siblings often do. J. has also "been pregnant" and "had babies" many many times since her little sister was born - she seems to think that being a mommy is pretty great and having a baby around is neat. Now that N. is more active and able to play, I think J. is enjoying her even more, and she has been heard to say "Mummy, N. is my bestest friend ever!".


What is N's favourite thing to do? What is N's favourite toy? Favourite food?

N. LOVES to creep/scoot/crawl around, and to put anything and everything into her mouth. She also LOVES swings, and jolly jumping. Her favourite toy at the moment seems to be her Leap Table, which makes all kinds of wonderful sounds and has flashing lights etc. She also can't be without something to chew - a sock, a spoon, a stroller toy. Her favourite foods - sliced canned pears, which she will gobble up several slices at a time, and rice rusks and Cheerios.


What is J's favourite colour? Does she like running or jumping more? Is she looking forward to turning five and going to big kids' school? What is her favourite food? Favourite bedtime story?

J.'s favourite colour is pink, but she also loves combining many vibrant colours, preferably in many different patterns. She loves to jump, especially on her trampoline. She absolutely loves going to preschool, which she does every afternoon, and she's always asking me about going to kindergarten, and how old she'll be in grade 1, and so on. She thinks school is quite marvelous. Her favourite food (she says) is Maple & Brown Sugar Quaker Instant Oatmeal, although I'd say rice and Chicken Noodle Soup are very close seconds! Her current favourite bedtime stories are "Stella Fairy Of The Forest" by Marie-Louise Gay, "Miss Fannie's Hats" by Jan Karon, "Would You Rather?" by John Birmingham, and "My Dog" by Angela Joy.

How do you like being a mommy to two? How does your hubby like having two?

Two is fantastic, most of the time! We were always positive that we wanted more than one child. We are fortunate and blessed to have had two "easy" babies, and they are growing into wonderful girls. I'm glad we had some space between the girls (3 1/2 years) so that we had time with J. on her own, and that she's independent enough now that I also get some time with N. when J. is at preschool. They seem to have a good relationship - N. clearly adores her big sister and smiles every time she sees her. Hope it stays that way!

What is the biggest challenge in having two kids?

I think my biggest challenge is finding "me" time - I need a certain amount of quiet time to myself, which I got when J. was little while she napped, or even as she nursed I could read a book or snooze. But now when N. is napping or nursing, J. wants my attention and sometimes I feel like I just want to be quiet.
Oh, and getting out of the house in a relatively quick time is almost impossible! One day, I won't be always late!





This must be one of my favourite images ever. I have another take that's very close that I love just as much, but as you can tell, I already post too many images when I do get around to it:














And, well, this one's just for fun. I imagine N saying: Woman, if you don't put that dang camera down, I am going to choke myself until I pass out!

Little E was the most photogenic baby! At 5 months old, she wasn't quite steady for sitting on her own yet, but she loved flying in mama's arms.

I know I shouldn't be posting such recent work when there are too many Jane Photo sessions languishing on the sidelines, but I just wanted to show mama--who had the patience of a mother of five (which she is) with this little niblet--just how well little E did despite her meltdown partway through!

E--she's our brand-newest Winter Fairy, and doesn't she rock against my red wall?

As always, I know E's parents and I would absolutely love it if you leave comments below.

I was so pleased to photograph F and her family again a couple weeks ago. Little F came to see me as an infant, and ended up being the model on my studio sample for photo handbags. She's grown up so much now! Soon she will be two years old. We were taking pix in a park near Ambleside in North Vancouver, and when I was coming across Second Narrows and along the highway, it was pouring down in buckets. I was so happy when the rain let up and let us enjoy a very soggy hour--munchkin, mommy and daddy-- together.

Please leave comments on the blog! We love to hear from you.

Here are some questions I asked M about her little girl:

What are F’s favourite things in the whole wide world?

Cats, babies and Winnie the Pooh

What are the family routines for bedtime?

Meal, playtime, bathtime, story reading, bit of milk then sleep!!

What is Ms F’s favourite food?

Fishy crackers (but mummy doesn't allow this often so 2nd option is cheese rice crackers!)

You’re having another baby. Do you know if you are having a boy or girl? What does Ms F think about it all, or does she really realize at her age?

We will have a boy. F doesn't realise what is going on but LOVES babies... can't stop wanting to touch, cuddle, rock any other baby she sees so this is promising...!!

What are you most looking forward to about having a second child and a sibling for F?

The interaction between them... also as this one will be a boy, can't wait to see the difference of character and attitude.

Little baby N

Little baby N is really a phenom. Only 11 months, and walking up a storm. She's been up on her feet for months already. This happened with my first little one, Sarah, at 9 months, and she looked ever so funny walking along the roads of Castlegar with me that winter--everyone would stop us to exclaim because she was so tiny.

The loveliest baby in Vancouver, I swear

Baby H came in to see Jane Photo last week with her loving mama and I wanted to share a few of her images with everyone.

Oh my goodness, what a sweetie. She just charmed me. It's not very often one can cajole a 7-month-old into a series of strange hats without complaint, but H was a little trooper no matter what we asked her to wear. Course we got loads of perfectly ordinary photos too, but the hats are a definite favourite of mine. Her parents just loved her images, and I do too. Thanks, L family, for choosing Jane Photo, and please bring your little cutie back to see me again. H is just a doll.

Wonderful maternity

I just love my job. I love it so much sometimes I want to pop. Do these images rawk, or what? Jane Photo was soooo lucky to be hired to photograph Becky and her upcoming bundle of joy. Becky's babe is due in another month. She doesn't know yet if she's expecting a boy or girl. That's so cool, I think, to have the anticipation. As Becky put it, there aren't many happy surprises left in the world these days, and this is definitely one.

Can't wait to photo your little arrival, Becky, and it was so much fun today.

Who's yer baby?

Everyone, meet little Tristan, who was ready for his close-up at six days of age. What a little cutie patootie. What a little snoogle-y-woogle-y adorable redhead. He took on a bit of 'tude when his papa styled him a faux-hawk.

We wish Tristan and his family all the best in the coming months. Mom and Dad are over the moon with joy, and it's so easy to see why. Dad, a former model, was the most natural baby-wrangler I've ever seen, and I'll be hard pressed not to call him into action for all the babies I photograph.