And Gloria Makes Five!||Boston Family Photography

All four of them waited, and waited, especially the momma with her heavy, moving belly and then, after all that, after almost 42 weeks of waiting.... she's finally arrived...

Here's the most beloved baby Gloria. She joins two goofy big brothers ready to teach her the ways of their family....With these experts leading the way, she will undoubtedly become quite talented at making silly faces soon, pushing her parent's buttons in time, and, eventually joining her family in singing practice. (How cool is that?!)

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I think this is how we are supposed to be in the world -present and in awe.   Anne Lamott

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I briefly interrupt for a brief four year old interlude..... And now, presenting this lovely momma of three, who parents her brood with such an amazing base of calm.... I'm sure she may beg to differ, and certainly she must have her moments of, eh-hem,"cursing like a sailor" but she has such a relaxed and go-with-the flow attitude, that watching her roll with the chaos of all the kiddos is quite remarkable. And the daddy of the three kiddos? Here he is, being all good-natured, with an easy sense of humor. And lastly, the whole family of five... (it's possible that certain members needing a bit more corralling... any guesses?) A big huge thank you to all of you. And a big huge welcome to you, Gloria! I'm so happy that you arrived safely, and that I had the honor of capturing this amazing time for your family.

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you need beautiful photos of your family? I would love to take them!  It’s never too early to contact me about a future session – I often schedule a few months out – 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com   

Also, for more cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for new adorable-ness every day!  #willowbabydaily

The Fur Siblings||Boston, MA Baby and Pet Photography

Oh, the pups! I do adore my tiny human subjects, but I have a special spot for their older (fur) siblings. It's so important not to let first borns feel ignored when a new baby arrives, so I always love to include them in our family photo sessions. And so, this post is in honor of the first babies of many families....

My sunshine doesn't come from the skies/It comes from the love in my dog's eyes.

-Unknown Poet

No one will invent and no one ever did/A happier pair than a dog and a kid. 
-Berton Fraley

The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic.   - Henry Ward

When Finn was about three, he and I borrowed (okay, dog-sat) the remarkably sweet Walter-dog for a week, and it was pretty awesome to see them enjoying naps together. And amazing how they slept with their legs mimicking one another almost perfectly.... 
The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.― Johnny Depp

The photo below with two pups looking right at me nothing less than a hard-earned miracle!

Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog;
but you're never friendless ever, 
if you have a dog.  
-Douglas Mallock

To all the families with big, brave hearts that choose to parent a pup and a babe, what an impressive and lovely feat!  Thank you for the honor of photographing all your babies, the human and the furry alike!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all: 

Do you need beautiful photos of your small people with their fur siblings? I would love to take them!  
It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com 

Also,  for extra cuteness in your life, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there to see a little darling every day!  #willowbabydaily

Hazel||Wakefield, MA Baby Photography

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.

-Angela Schwindt

So this little teacher is basically the cutest. See?

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It's the sweet Miss Hazel, seven months, and working her way steadily towards crawling - and quite pleased with herself...Hazel does tend to be a bit more of a serious baby, although the pleased little grin above snuck out more than once. A sneaky bit of goofiness, not unlike her momma, who was blow drying the daffodils in an attempt to get them to open faster when I arrived. (This pleases me to no end - I find quirky moments like this to be the most endearing....)Snuggling time - giggles with momma & kisses with daddy - is seriously delightful. Might I suggest you look closely at the size of daddy's and Hazel's hands next to each other? The mini version next to the big version is quite remarkable. 

Hazel sleeps in the crib that her momma also slept in as a baby. Daddy made a few modifications, and thus the crib was able to host this newest generation. Much of Hazel's nursery is decked out in Peter Rabbit, which can be seen a bit here on her sheets as we show off the heirloom crib. (What you can't see are Hazel's bloomers - also adorned with a Beatrix Potter bunny!)

So, for this little teacher, some words of excitement about the beginning of her story....

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you.” ― Beatrix Potter

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you need beautiful photos of your small people? I would love to take them!  It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com   

Also, for more cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for new adorable-ness every day!  #willowbabydaily

Baby Penelope||Boston Newborn Photography

You are my sun, my moon, and all of my stars

-e.e. cummings

Oh, look! It's a new little person, the darling Miss Penelope. I think she's here to remind us of the amazing amount of beauty that exists all around. Looking at her tiny little hands, strawberry blond hair, and delicate lashes, brought me such a wave of gratitude for my job as documenter.

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Penelope was alert for just a bit of her newborn session, as she was still needing a lot of rest after the tiring experience of being born. Her momma couldn't take her eyes off her sleeping babe, and watching the two of them snuggle up was almost too much.... just look at Momma's face - she radiates a calm joy that is remarkably beautiful. Could Penelope's daddy be more smitten with her? I just adore the sweetness of this moment.... To Penelope - I am so happy you arrived safe and sound, and that I had the honor of being your very first photographer. And to Penelope's parents - it's been a joy getting to know your family, and I hope to see you three again soon.

Love,

Ceilidh

Do you need beautiful photos of your favorite people? I would love to take them!  It’s never too early to contact me about a future session – I often schedule a few months out – 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com  

And, for more daily cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for daily adorableness!  #willowbabydaily

The Magic of Flying||Arlington, MA family photography

what if I fall?

oh, but my darling, what if you fly?  

                                                                                                         - Erin HansonI remember the feeling of swinging as a child - like I really might suddenly become a winged creature and take off in flight. The magic of swings doesn't feel as potent now as it did then, but it is still a little adventure, the back and forth rhythm as soothing as a rocking chair, but with that amazing floaty feeling. Like so many of the magical feelings from childhood, I can't quite get back that sensation. But photographing this amazing little girl in her 5th birthday wings brought me big feelings of gratitude for being an adult, and observing her as she experienced the swinging magic.Here's to your day, my dear ones, and the hope that you see at least a glimpse of that old familiar magic.

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Postscript for you all: 

Do you need beautiful photos of your small people? I would love to take them!  It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com  

Also, for more daily cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for daily adorableness!  #willowbabydaily

One last note - this post is in honor of Sophie & her family - wonderful neighbors and friends who are moving away soon. Sophie & my Finn started kindergarten together, and her mom and I have spent many mornings corralling and coercing our kiddos on the walk to school. Finn and Sophie have developed a quintessential kid-neighbor relationship - yelling to one another from porches, planning spontaneous get togethers and adventures, running back and forth between houses way more times than is logical. We have been so lucky to have them next door, and we will miss them dearly. 

My Sleeping Child||Arlington,MA family photography

"It's time to sleep, little bird, little bird, so close your eyes not another word...." 

-Mem Fox, from Time for Bed

Is there anything more amazingly sweet then your little one sleeping? My heart feels so big and full when I gaze at my boy's freckles, his absurdly long lashes, his kissable little lips. The love feels so big that it aches sometimes, needing to burst out as an energy to share with the world. When I was pregnant with my darling boy, I read a quote by Elizabeth Stone that struck me hard, and has remained lodged as a jewel of truth throughout my momma journey: "Making the decision to have a child... is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."Watching my little one sleep restores so much goodness - it refills some of the energy that has waned after a day of arguments over putting on shoes, clearing his place at the table, or negotiating for more screen time, more treats. Loving my child awake is often joyful - he is hilarious and creative and fun, but it also pushes me to new levels of patience, and doubt and questioning: parenting is so hard. Of course the love never falters, but it's not the same as when he sleeps - loving my sleeping child is sweet, and quiet, and easy.

One of my favorite writers and momma bloggers, Glennon Melton, writes about the struggles of parenting with so much humor and wisdom. Her viral post, Don't Carpe Diem, is a read I can't encourage strongly enough. She writes, "I think parenting children is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they’ve heard there’s magic in the climb...They try because even though it hurts and it’s hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard...[but] I think that if there were people stationed, say, every thirty feet along Mount Everest yelling to the climbers – 'ARE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF!? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE! ONE DAY YOU’LL BE SORRY YOU DIDN’T!” TRUST US!! IT’LL BE OVER TOO SOON! CARPE DIEM!' those well-meaning, nostalgic cheerleaders might be physically thrown from the mountain."For any weary mommas or daddies out there, definitely check out the post. It has helped to ground me many a'time, offering much needed reassurance that I'm doing the parenting job-thing alright.

And for mommas and daddies that are still at the pre-toddler stage, that magical era* before our tiny humans become so disagreeable?  I'd love to suggest the gorgeous little book- Time for Bed by Mem Fox & paintings by Jane Dyer - that I quoted at the beginning of this post. Of course you can find it many places, but since I'm a huge fan of supporting our independent peeps, I'm linking my local readers to the fabulous Porter Square Books.

With love and many glimpses of your tiny one sleeping,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all: 

Do you need beautiful sleepy photos of your little one? I would love to take heirloom photos of your family!  It's never too early to contact me about a future session - booking is usually done months in advance - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com  

Also, for more daily cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for daily adorableness!  #willowbabydaily