The last time I met Ralfi he was an itty bitty baby and now he is somehow 5 (?!) and he and his parents are somehow just as adorable as they were half a decade ago. Although now everyone knows way more about EDM than they did back then. And if you meet Ralfi, he will 100% tell you about EDM and also maybe even drop the beat on his Casio keyboard for you. Ralfi also enjoys breakdancing, but not on slippery carpets on hardwood floors. A sturdy surface is required – safety first – and I respect it. He is a high-energy wonder kid who loves Legos and coloring and I am extremely jealous of his race car bed. He is a Lego Master Builder who makes awesome stuff without any instructions. He has [coincidentally and accidentally] made a near-identical replica of the Waterworld set even though he hasn’t seen a Kevin Costner movie yet. We had a great time pretending that the floor was made of lava, and a less great time having a Redi Whip fight that went sideways when the Redi Whip can malfunctioned, causing Ralfi to be defenseless against the adults (he’s since made a full recovery). It’s always a joy to see Sarah and Chris and so it was an extra joy to see the great kid that Ralfi is now!
Team Emmerika have been our clients for such a long time now (since 2013!) and it’s been so wonderful seeing them grow. We knew them when they were living in an apartment with one cat whom Emmanuel was very allergic to but loved nonetheless. He was a homeless cat they rescued and took care of and his name is Lobo. Now, you should know that Erika and Emmanuel are very doting people. If they like you, you will know, and be a great recipient of their love (and snacks). So even though Emmanuel was allergic to Lobo, they took him in and cleaned him up and loved him fiercely. Then they bought a house! Then, with an adjustment of allergy medications probably?, they adopted two additional cats. THEN they adopted a puppy! THEN they adopted another puppy! And now Lobo lives with 2 other cats, 2 dogs, and one baby (not a cat!) named Felix. And I’m glad, because no one has more love to give away than Erika and Emmanuel… and every single dependent creature who lives with them has the BEST life. Plus, I am extra glad they had a baby because LOOK AT HOW CUTE FELIX IS. IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. LOOK AT HIS TINY CORDUROY PANTS. AND HIS LIL FACE. AND THE SIDE EYE HE OCCASIONALLY GIVES HIS PARENTS. I want to squeeze him and steal him and never let him grow up and out of those tiny corduroy pants. The cutest, handsomest gentleman who likes to give me high-fives and talk about cats. He is loved by many and will do great things. His name is Felix but he is not a cat.
P.S. Thank you to Quail Ridge Books, a favorite stomping ground of Erika and Emmanuel, for letting us take some pictures inside your store! P.P.S. Thank you to Helen, who is always such a big help on shoots and a wonderful grandma to Felix!
Ohhhh remember baby Alden from last year who loved to stare into your soul with intense, prolonged eye contact? He turned ONE during this session (happy birthday, Alden!) and now stares into your soul slightly less (disappointing but age-appropriate). Now when he looks at you, it’s quickly followed by a clever little smirk like he knows everything about you from previous soul-stealing baby sessions and is definitely going to use it against you in the future. His smile is hilarious and almost looks like he’s incredibly proud of himself… the type of smile that happens right before you’d get a big head nod and he’d open his mouth and say, “Hey bro,” except he’s a baby. It’s incredible. I’d be confident too if I knew how to successfully fish for cats at the age of twelve months. Also, his parents are Kathy and Andrew, whom we love, so obviously this helps to bolster his self-esteem. He’s cute and charming. We did a lot of activities and so by the time we busted out the adorable water table that Alden’s parents bought him for his birthday, he was way tired, and I can say with hands-down certainty that Kathy was the person who enjoyed that table the most (this may have happened even if Alden wasn’t wiped out… Kathy really loved that table). We’re so glad we were there to document this little future-cat-lover (and hopefully extremely good secret-keeper) turn one.
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