Ohhh, friends of the blog will remember Jessie and Dan’s wedding at the Pittsburgh Aviary in 2018 where I met a really lovely little penguin named Disco who pooped on my shoe and it was the best cocktail hour ever. I also met a very small adorable owl. It was the best. Anyway, it was also the best because Jessie and Dan were there and they are absolutely two of the kindest, sweetest people in the universe. I like them a lot. I’m sad that we’re far away from each other, especially since I developed a strong, undeliable, and presumably lifelong bond with their cat Lola in the 1.5 hours I was at their house. Lola is an *extremely friendly!* cat. I’d like to assume that she only loves me, but I don’t think this is the case since she seems to also really love Jessie, Dan, their dog Charlie (also very sweet!) and their lovely little toddler Lilli (also VERY sweet!). Lilli is extremely close with Lola and Charlie. She hugs Lola a lot, and Lola is totally cool with it. Charlie also accidentally hits Lola in the face with his wagging tail a lot, and Lola is totally cool with it. Lola recently went to the groomer and came away looking like a small little tortie lion, and she is totally cool with it. Lola is cool with a lot of things and I am totally cool with Lola.

I love toddlers who love animals and treat them gently and lovingly and I know that Lilli will grow up to be a sweet and kind person like her parents. She offered both of her parents her crackers. She offered both of her parents her ice cream (!!). She even offered Charlie and Lola her ice cream (we intervened). I can’t say that I’ve voluntarily offered anyone my ice cream ever, and maybe I think I should take some notes on sharing from Lilli. It was so much fun to see this family all together – cats and dogs getting along together, toddlers and cats getting along together, world peace and harmony. I’m so happy to have gotten to work with Jessie and Dan again and to meet their amazing little crew!

toddler sitting on couch holding a book
parents sitting next to toddler on couch reading a book
parents reading a book to a toddler in front of fireplace
parents holding toddler in living room with black dog
portrait of a toddler holding a book
toddler walking through a babygate
toddler standing in a hardwood floor and smiling
mom holding laughing toddler upside down
toddler feeding a dog treats and cat with lion haircut
family portrait with pets at home
dad tickling toddler and laughing
dad and daughter at home with black dog
smiling toddler on couch
mom handing juice to her daughter
toddler standing in a kitchen
cat doll on fireplace
parents helping toddler walk on the couch
mom and daughter sitting on a chair
girl hugging baby bunny doll
girl carrying around bunny doll and black dog
girl carrying around bunny doll
parents playing blocks with young girl
dog photobomb
girl laughing as blocks fall
girl stacking blocks in living room
dad crawling after baby girl
toddler photobomb
family portrait with pets
mom reading book to daughter
parents reading a picture book with toddler
toddler climbing to look out window
toddler looking out window in pittsburgh
pittsburgh family photographers
little hands on windowsill looking out window
mom and daughter looking out window in pittsburgh
toddler running around house
mom laughing with daughter
parents trying to get little girl to dance
smiling toddler reading book in a chair
mom reading a book to her daughter
mom reading a book to her daughter
parents reading book to little girl in chair
parents reading book to little girl in chair
parents reading book to little girl in chair
dad reading a book to his daughter
dad reading a book to his daughter
little girl carrying book around house
little girl and bunny doll
toddler meltdown
toddler meltdown during family photos
toddler smiling during family photos
toddler looking at stained glass in house
mother carrying daughter down the stairs
little girl eating crackers
little girl eating crackers
little girl eating crackers
little girl eating crackers
toddler hugging cat
toddler and cat with lion cut
toddler and cat with lion cut
parents coloring with daughter
parents coloring with daughter
parents coloring with daughter
black dog and tortie cat with lion cut
girl holding ice cream cone
girl offering ice cream cone to dad
toddler gets cold while eating ice cream
toddler eating ice cream next to cat while holding cat doll
toddler eating ice cream next to cat while holding cat doll
toddler offering ice cream to dog
black dog smiling

Geoff and I photographed Chelsea and Austin’s wedding a few years ago down in North Carolina, but now they live in our hometown of Pittsburgh, PA! They absolutely love it and are even recruiting their NC family and friends to join them up north. They know I’m from there, so on a recent trip to my native city, I had the pleasure of reuniting with Chelsea and Austin in their home and taking family photos of them with their son Fox. Fox is an amazing kid with the best head of hair in the entire world and an extremely enthusiastic disposition to match. He is *high energy!* and likes *vacuuming!* and *unloading the dishwasher!* and *umbrellas!*. He is very excited about the fact that Chelsea is pregnant and that he’s about to become a big brother, and I know he’ll do an amazing job. Everyone deserves a sibling who is so excited, and Fox is the best.

You know who else will be a fantastic big brother in this household? VIRGIL. Virgil is an orange and white tabby cat and my hero. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cat who more closely resembles a cartoon version of a cat more in my entire life. We locked eyes and I fell in love with him instantly and he knew it, so then he proceeded to follow me around and presumably ask me for food, which I did not give him. But I did pet him. I love Virgil a whole lot. I also love this whole family a whole lot and am so excited for their family adventures with their new little girl. Congratulations friends, and thank you for having me!

Woman petting orange tabby cat
Woman petting orange and white tabby cat
Orange and white tabby cat
Family portrait with cat in home
Family portrait with cat in home where boy is hugging cat
Mom playing with kid's hair
Mom putting a scarf on boy's head
Boy and mom smiling at camera
Portrait of a toddler
Toddler portrait funny
Kids acting like dinosaurs
Kids acting like dinosaurs
Kids acting like dinosaurs
Orange and white tabby cat sitting on kitchen counter
Orange and white tabby cat standing on kitchen counter
Kid laughing with his dad
Kid playing with car keys
Toddler unloading dishwasher
Toddler unloading dishwasher
Toddler unloading dishwasher and helping to hand dishes to his parents while tabby cat stands on counter
Toddler putting a spoon away in a kitchen drawer
Toddler unloading dishwasher
Toddler jumping on chair
Toddler jumping on chair while parents hold his hands
Toddler jumping on chair
Toddler jumping on chair
Orange and white tabby cat sitting on chair
Kid talking to his cat
Toddler giving his cat a hug
Orange and white tabby cat
Toddler playing with bookbag
Toddler putting a bookbag on
At home documentary family portraits
Toddler eating cereal
Family portrait with toddler and pregnant mom
Family portrait with toddler and pregnant mom
Maternity couple portrait
Photobooth pictures hung on door
Toddler smiling
Parents smiling at toddler as he cleans room
Dad laughing at toddler
Toddler shrieking
Toddler shrieking
Toddler laughing
Toddler vacuuming his room
Toddler meltdown lying on floor
Parents building blanket fort with kid
Kids and parents in blanket fort
Kids and parents in blanket fort
Toddler meltdown
Mom handing son a polkadot umbrella in the rain
Toddler holding polkadot umbrella
Toddler walking around with umbrella in the rain
Toddler smiling at umbrella
Toddler walking around with umbrella in the rain
Toddler walking around with umbrella in the rain
Toddler walking around with umbrella in the rain
Toddler putting on his jacket
Parents taking a rainy day walk with toddler down the street
Parents taking a rainy day walk with toddler down the street
Parents taking a rainy day walk with toddler down the street
Parents taking a rainy day walk with toddler down the street
Parents taking a rainy day walk with toddler down the street
Mom getting snack for toddler
Dad getting pregnant wife cheese from the fridge
Parents eating snack with kid in the kitchen
Toddler unloading dishwasher
Toddler unloading dishwasher
Toddler unloading dishwasher
Orange and white tabby cat
Orange and white tabby cat
Toddler playing in ballpit
Toddler playing in ballpit
Toddler playing in ballpit
Toddler playing in ballpit
Toddler playing in ballpit
Toddler climbing slide
8 month maternity photo
8 month maternity photo with skeleton
8 month maternity photo
8 month maternity photo

I’ve been having such a good time giving Carolyn Scott Photography bat logo stickers to toddlers all over the Triangle area before I take their photographs and seeing where they put the stickers. So far they’ve put the stickers in a lot of normal places (shelving units, paper, toys), and a lot of not-as-common places (cars). After “The Car Incident” I started telling toddlers to ask their parents for permission before they decide on sticker placement, but I have about a 20% success rate with toddler instruction retention. Elijio was one of the 80% who hear my instructions, understand them, but swiftly disregard them because it’d be more fun to cause sticker mayhem. He came into this game strong. First he put the stickers on his parents’ leather couch. But then he immediately pulled them off (they came off, thank goodness), and stuck them in his dad’s hair. I was a bit worried about that because Humberto has thick curly hair and I was… concerned. But thankfully the stickers also came out of his dad’s hair and then went directly onto Elijio’s own face. All within the first 5 minutes of the photoshoot.

It could’ve all gone horribly wrong so quickly upon my arrival but thankfully leather couches, hair, and faces were all saved. In fact, more stickers were added to the mix when Mom and Dad introduced The Little Gems. The Little Gems were tiny gem stickers that Elijio then put all over everything. Best placement there was, by far, the bejeweled Pterodactyl. Then Bill and Susan, Maggie’s parents, came over, and also became bejeweled before we all went down to the park and played dinosaurs and threw pinecones into the pond. All’s well that ends well and another successful photoshoot was ended without too much Goo Gone being required. A big thanks to Maggie and Humberto for their sense of humor and for having me back!

Kid putting sticker on dad's head
Bat logo stickers in dad's hair
Kid with stickers on face
Family sitting in living room
Durham family photographer
Dad and son playing with stickers
Family Photographer - Maggie+Humberto+Elijio // Durham Family Photographer
Kid putting stickers on shirt during photoshoot in Durham
Dad putting gems stickers on kid
Family Photographer - Maggie+Humberto+Elijio // Durham Family Photographer
Durham NC family sitting on couch
Father and son portraits
Mother and son portraits
Family Photographer - Maggie+Humberto+Elijio // Durham Family Photographer
Family on couch in Durham NC during photoshoot
Smiling family in Durham
Mother and son sitting on floor playing
Family Photographer - Maggie+Humberto+Elijio // Durham Family Photographer
Plastic toy animals sitting on the floor
Dad playing animals with son
Kid holding stickers
Dad playing with toy animals with son in living room
Kid putting stickers on dinosaur toys
Kid holding a dinosaur on living room floor
Parents reading to son in bedroom
Family photo of mom and dad reading to son
Parents reading the Little Blue Truck
Kid eating a banana
Kid eating a banana at kitchen table while talking to his mom
Family sitting at eat-in kitchen table
Toddler eating a banana at the table
Mom clapping while singing to toddler
Dad drinking out of mug with kid's face on it
Family eating breakfast in kitchen
Kid reading book about Old MacDonald
Toddler's grandma arrives to greet him in the kitchen
Grandma dancing with toddler in the kitchen
Grandma playing on the floor with grandson in the living room in Durham
Grandma helps grandson build a tower of blocks
Three generations of family sitting in the living room
Three generations of family talking on the couch
Kid playing with little gem stickers
Grandma playing with a donkey toy with grandson
Mom helping son put on his shoes
Mom holding kid outside house
Mom putting kid in the stroller and family photo together in the park
Couple photograph in Durham NC
Durham NC couple portrait photographer
Little kid playing at playground
Kid at a neighborhood park
Grandma using the slide at park while playing with grandson
Grandpa using the slide at park while playing with grandson
Kid playing with dinosaur sculpture in the park
Family playing on dinosaur playground equipment
Candid family photographers in Durham NC
Parents walking with son to the pond in the neighborhood park
Parents and kid playing at a park in Durham
Family laughing while throwing pinecones into a pond
Dad showing son how to throw pinecones into a pond
Kid and parents laughing at the park
Family walking in North Durham NC
North Durham family photographer walking outside
Kid playing with toy truck in Durham
Family playing outside in Durham with toy car
Kid waving goodbye to grandma in a car
Cat at photoshoot