When Arizona photographer Heather Frackiewicz of Lovebugs Photography told me her family would be vacationing on Oahu and wanted a family portrait session on the beach, I knew we were going to have fun.

Heather’s three children were so polite and sweet, with beautiful smiles and contagious laughter.

I did underestimate just how wet everyone would be by the end. And by everyone.. I mean myself as well. Good thing the D3 is weather sealed- when I said “See if you can splash me!” these kids rose to the challenge. I loved it!

Heather, thank you so much for being patient with me through my kids’ illnesses and the baby boom of the past few weeks. Your photos are in the mail and should be arriving very soon. I hope receiving them makes you smile as much as I did taking them!

I am excited to announce the launch of Cake Mommy, a new e-zine and resource for modern parents.

The first issue can be viewed here, and features photography by Windwardskies/Simply Baby Photography. It was so much fun working with Jodi and all the adorable models! Commercial children’s photography, especially featuring more than one child at a time, is always an enjoyable challenge.

Our shoot began in Yogurtland Manoa with a party and ended with a cool tasty treat.

From there we ventured outdoors on one of the hottest days of the year to shoot some back-to-school fashions.

And of course, we finished off with another treat- delicious cupcakes from Cake Couture.

I also photographed pieces from the Jolia and Jane line on another little model- I love the soft, vintage styles!

I just had to share this awesome sunset family portrait session. Sheena, a friend and fellow photographer, is relocating to the East Coast in a few weeks. When she told me she’d never had her family photographed professionally, I knew we had to do something extra special. She had some fantastic ideas for her session and I hope I did them justice.

I first photographed the littlest Bean just before his first birthday. He’s grown into such a handsome and curious little boy!

Both Sheena and her husband are avid surfers, and this what Sheena’s idea. No toddlers were harmed in the making of this photo

And last, but certainly not least.. my favorite photograph from the session, and one of my all-time favorite family portraits. Sheena’s specialty is silhouette photographs, so it was important to her to have one of her family. I was more than happy to oblige!

Sheena, I wish you and your family all the best now and always! You will be missed.

This sweet big sister is so proud of her new baby sister.

Mom is a nurse and postpartum doula. She was glowing with love for her new baby girl, and it’s plain to see baby adores being held and snuggled in mama’s arms.

Despite being up most of the night before with the beginnings of a cold, this sweet girl was so sleepy and posed perfectly.

The chub, the wrinkles, those pouty lips- it’s cuteness overload!

Thank you, C family, for welcoming me into your home. It was a pleasure meeting your new addition!

I had the pleasure of meeting the Cruse family during their recent visit to Waikiki, thanks to an introduction courtesy of Dallas child and family photographer Catherine Clay. The Cruse family is a quintessential all-American family, and as beautiful inside as out.

Oldest son Connor, age eight, is a sweet, slightly mischievous soul. He is also one of the bravest warriors I’ve ever met- at age 4, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. You can follow his story here and learn more about how you can join the fight against neuroblastoma.

Theirs is a family filled with hope and love. Mom Joy is an amazing person full of grace- her inner strength and love for her children binds the family together.

Dad Tait is one of the most active, hands-on dads I’ve met. It’s easy to see where his boys get their energy!

Both Joy and Tait have a great sense of humor- a trait their kids have inherited. I can’t remember when I’ve laughed so much!

Hug your children a little tighter, and say a prayer for Connor and his family.

In your journey, may you shine your light on all whom you meet along the way.

After an exciting three weeks on the mainland visiting family and friends, I’m glad to be home! With the cold weather in Washington and California, I came back craving Zippy’s chili and grilled cornbread, mmm. One lucky reader will win a $10 gift certificate to Zippy’s- read on for details.

Our trip began in Washington, visiting dear friends. The last time we saw each other, Miss G was barely a bump in her mama’s tummy, and Baby C hadn’t yet been planned.

Aren’t these three sisters beautiful? They are so sweet and special, with their own unique personalities. We found “fairy coins” growing in a little field.

Little Miss G is about to turn two. Something about her makes me think of on older time, like Anne of Green Gables or Little House on the Prairie. I think maybe it’s her “old soul” eyes.

Sweet Miss L will be five soon, and when I last saw her she wasn’t much older than her little sister and sported a halo of blond fuzz. Now she’s a caring, stylish little girl with a bright smile.

And Miss N.. serious, inquisitive, funny, perceptive. She has grown from a little girl into a young lady, leading and guiding her younger sisters with love and kindness.

After we bade our friends goodbye and promised to return (in hopefully less than 2 1/2 years!), we traveled to Southern California. Along the way we stopped at a few of our favorite places, one being the Griffith Park Travel Town in Los Angeles.

And yes, at nearly 18 months, Baby C is definitely the center of the universe. I can’t believe that in just a few short months I won’t be able to call him a baby anymore.. but he will always be my baby.

What do you get when you put two Hawaii boys in the snow? Fun!

T loved the snow. C was a little uncertain at first, then ran around having a lot of fun, then decided he was too cold and wanted to go home. T, on the other hand, had to be dragged out.

Now, I ask you- what do you look forward to most when you return to Hawaii? Leave a comment below and tell me no later than March 1. One winner will be randomly selected to win a $10 Zippy’s gift certificate!

Sometimes when I tell new parents how beautiful their new baby is (or babies are!), I hear “Oh, you must say that to everyone!” And to some extent it’s very true. There are moments when I’m photographing and I pause to look at this precious new life and it makes me catch my breath.

These twins were extra special. Born 6 weeks premature and photographed at 11 days old, they were so tiny and perfect in every way- a double handful of love.

Brother and sister, best friends now and always. At birth, brother weighed half a pound more and was one inch longer than his sister, the elder by one minute.

Miss M has the sweetest, most delicate features. She’s also a smiler and I caught a few grins!

Handsome Mr K loved curling up. Judging by his big blue eyes, I think he’s going to be a charmer!

Pink and blue looks great on this family!

I can’t wait to watch Miss M and Mr. K grow up. They’re surrounded by so much love. Thank you, mom and dad, for inviting me into your home to document your precious babies.

Just before the holidays, I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph this beautiful family on a perfect Hawaii morning. Our first session date was rained out, but we were able to reschedule a few days later and the weather couldn’t have been better. I’m happy to say that this image was ordered as a large gallery wrapped canvas, and I’m looking forward to seeing a photo of it hanging in their home.

All three children were a delight, and got along so well. Baby brother adores his big sister and brother, and they were so patient and gentle with him.

The baby of the family shares the same name as my oldest, and some of the same personality traits- he was definitely happiest with his mama! She got the biggest smiles from him. This was his first real beach outing and he did very well.

Meanwhile, the older two were off exploring tidepools inhabited by a few fish and several tiny hermit crabs. I couldn’t believe how many they caught!

Thank you again, K family, for a wonderful morning. I hope your portraits will always bring back memories of a beautiful morning spent exploring the beach together!

2008 was an incredible year. I had the opportunity to meet so many beautiful babies and families!

The year ended on a high note, celebrating the birth of my friend’s new baby boy who was born peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Isn’t he the sweetest little thing?

And mom..

I stopped by an hour before he was born, and would you believe she looked every bit as gorgeous and composed then as she does in this photo (and real life too)?

Finally, the weekend before Christmas, I had the incredible opportunity to join San Diego based master photographers Carrie Sandoval and Brittany Woodall for an afternoon on Maui as they photographed an adorable 3 day old baby boy. They’re an amazing team, and every bit as sweet as they are talented. The image below was shot just before sunset at Kapalua, Maui.

I created a slideshow of the beautiful newborn babies I photographed in 2008. Click to view Babies of 2008.

Wow! After 3 solid months of exclusively photographing newborn girls, I finally had a chance to photograph a baby boy. There is definitely a trend- lots of girls, then mostly boys, and back again. It looks like I’ll be seeing a few baby boys in the near future- I met a 6 week old baby boy recently, a good friend gave birth to her 4th child (and 3rd son!) last week, and just yesterday I got back from a day trip to Maui where I assisted with yet another newborn boy session!

But back to this sweet little guy! At 10 days old, he was a dream model and slept a good part of his session. He slept so well, in fact, that I never really did catch him with his eyes open!

Dad was so proud of his little guy. Born at just over 7 pounds, he certainly wasn’t the smallest baby I’ve photographed, but in Dad’s strong capable hands he looked tiny.

Mommy and baby images make me melt. Perhaps it’s because I can remember just how it felt to have a tiny baby on my shoulder, snuggling close and breathing sweet fresh baby scent.

I never quite know what will make a baby smile- but here, I’m pretty sure being wrapped all snuggly made this little one’s dreams sweet. Baby toes and baby smiles- what could be cuter?