Lovely Lucy

This lovely little lady was so much fun to shoot! Mainly because I fell in love with her whole family as soon as I walked in the door!  They were all so friendly, and welcoming, and I felt like we were long lost buddies.  I was sad when our shoot was over and I had to leave!  Especially because Lucy was such a gem... such a little rollie pollie with the best chubby cheeks.  And for only being 3 weeks old her head was  SO strong!  We put her on her tummy and she was in heaven, and just lifted that little head up and looked around until we moved her.. no head bobbing or anything.  I was impressed!  Lucy wasn't sure about the whole picture thing when we first started, so we did a little shooting of her new family while Mom could hold her, and she could warm up to the idea of being the center of attention ;)

Larry and Claudia- Congratulations on your newest little girl!  Your entire family is beautiful, and Lucy sure is lucky to have come into a family where so many people dote on and love her!  You guys were so great and I can't wait to see you again in a few weeks for family pictures!!

Valladares Family

I got the chance this weekend to meet up with the lovely Valladares family at Irvine Regional Park.  This is my sister in law Anna's family, and I love them!  They are the nicest people you'll ever meet, and I was super excited to get to spend the morning with them.  They all looked great, and were amazingly easy to take pictures of.  My nephew Dylan is 2, and he was the youngest one in these pictures, but did a wonderful job thanks to the good examples of his big brother and older cousins.  They were pros!  In a few weeks I am doing the grandkid picture for my in laws and there are... wait for it... 13 of them  under the age of 7!  Something tells me that won't be nearly as easy of a job as this shoot was!  Either way I am still excited about it!  Hopefully this was good practice for Dylan and he'll be just as awesome the next go around for pictures :)

You guys were so great! Thanks for starting "the crazy season" (family picture season) off on a great foot for me!  Your family is beautiful inside and out, and I am so glad I was able to capture it for you.. Love you all!

Sneak Peek... Cousin Love!

Sneak peek of a fun family shoot from this morning! What a cute bunch of cousins! Can't wait to share more!

Sneak of Little Lucy

I got to meet this little lady this morning... What a doll! I couldn't get enough of her full head of hair, and delicious chubby cheeks. More of Lucy coming soon!!

The Birth Story of Kade Mason

I thought if I finished the birth story, and let my thoughts have a little more time to form themselves that I would know what I wanted to say today.  Not the case.  I wish I could fine an eloquent way to convey the thoughts and emotions that were felt through the nearly 24 hour process, but this is the best I can do...

"There are thoughts which are prayers.  There are moments when, no matter the posture of the body, the soul is on its knees." 
-Victor Hugo

I would say that I will always remember the feeling in that room while Rachelle labored was a combination of willful persistence, and reverence. And in the moments right before Kade's birth, I will always remember the fear that I felt in the pit of my stomach when the nurses rushed in, and the quiet, reverent room became chaos.  

I will always remember them wheeling my best friend away and leaving her husband standing in the hall.  And then watching him turn back into the then empty room we had spent so many hours in, and falling to his knees in prayer.  I will never forget the tears that ran down his cheeks as he pleaded for the lives of his precious wife and unborn child.  That memory will stand as a testament to the power of faith in something bigger than ourselves... and a reminder that "ordinary miracles" happen every day.

The feeling of relief that came when I could hear that perfect, little newborn cry through the operating door... and the way my heart felt when we got to the other side, and could hold that sweet baby, and hug my sister in law, knowing they were safe...  There really aren't words for that.  

Rachelle keeps telling me she doesn't know how she can ever thank me enough for capturing this for them... I feel the same way.  This experience was incredible, and I loved every exciting, scary, confusing, amazing, wonderful second.  It's such a blessing to have people in my life that I love so much... and even more so to get to be around to love another little blessing from the very, very start...

Kade's Birth Story from kelsey crowder on Vimeo.

Kade's Birth Story Sneak...

Here's a sneak of Rachelle and baby Kade's emotional birth story.  Luckily the pictures tell the story all on their own, because I don't think I'd be able to find the words to describe it if I sat here for 3 weeks.  I don't think the words exist...

JD and Katie

This shoot was so emotional for me... from conception to the finished product.  Katie is as close to a sister as you can get for me, and we've known each other for our entire lives.  The journey to her getting pregnant has been a long, tumultuous, and often tear-filled one.  We have all been silently rooting and waiting (along with many others) for this time to come for both JD and Katie.  When she finally told me her news I could hardly believe that this was it... the time was now!  And then when she told me that she was having twins, well, I cried like a baby.

Their road was littered with painful tears for so long, but now the joyful, thankful tears are taking their place. It feels like the whole world is excited for JD and Katie and the lucky girls who will get to call them "Mom" and "Dad" in just a few months.  And those two truly couldn't be any luckier... Not only will they have the most wonderful, fun loving, patient, and humorous dad... They'll have a beautiful, tender, nurturing mother to love and guide them through this crazy life.  The best part of all is that those girls are coming to a family to be loved by two parents who love each other so much.  JD has always adored Katie, always bringing a smile to her face, and a laugh to her belly.  She still glows when he's around... I can't imagine any better setting for two little lives to begin...

JD and Katie-

I know there were questions about whether or not this was in the cards for you... lots of prayers were prayed on your behalf, and tears shed for the pain you felt while you waited.  Even as we all imagined what this time would be like if it came, I don't think any one of us thought it could be this good.  The love, the thankfulness, you feel for your sweet girls is palpable.  The happiness is tangible.  Happy is an understated word.  Because "happiness" when it feels like this... to be so happy... that is rare, and it is wonderful.  This is a blessing of everlasting proportions, and one that I, for one, cannot wait to enjoy along with you.  I can't wait to watch you embrace your roles as parents, and to laugh your way through the bumps together.  The time is here... enjoy every little piece of it.  You were made for happiness like this!

Kelsey

Claire

This little peanut was such a sweetheart!  She was very awake and aware for most of the shoot... just looking around, and trying to find Mommy and Daddy's voices while we moved her around and snapped about a million pictures of her.  She was so tiny!  And her hair had a hint of red in it... I hope that when I get to see her again I'll see that it stuck around... so adorable!

Congratulations Andrew and Beth!  She is sooo perfect and sweet!  Enjoy her this tiny because, as I'm sure you've already heard a million times, they really do grow too fast!

Jared and Rachelle

My wonderful brother in law, and sister in law are pregnant with their fifth, and final baby.  Rachelle has never taken maternity pictures with any of her previous babies, so she wanted to go out with a bang!  Now she is kicking herself for never doing something like this before, but I am just glad she did it for at least one of her babes.  She is such a beautiful woman inside and out, and truly one of my dearest and best friends. She and Jared are a hand in glove pair, and after 12 years and five children still love and adore each other.  That was extra fun during the shoot, because so many of the shots were just them composing themselves by doing what was already so natural to them. And I have to give props to Jared who was such a wonderful sport as we made him trek all over, dressed to match his wife, and take pictures for a couple of hours... What a guy!  But seriously, who could complain about having to snuggle up to this HOT MAMA?!

Rachelle and I had so much fun collaborating together about what she would wear, how we would style, and where we would take these pictures.  We shopped, and seached, and conspired for weeks so that everything would be just right.  You have no idea how hard it was to narrow down all the amazing things we captured to just this few!

I love these "three" so much!  I cannot WAIT for sweet baby Kade to get here in a month!  In the meantime I could not be happier about these "treasures" for his Mom and Dad.  Pregnancy is such a special thing each and every time you do it, but I think especially so when you are trying to breathe in each moment of it, knowing it will be the final time you get to experience it.  

Soak it in, my friend!  Savor the kicks, and the wiggles, and even the heartburn, and the aches and pains.  You are about to close one chapter, and forge your way into a new one.  I can't wait to watch you conquer being a mother of five children... each and every one of them lucky to have been born to a woman who lives to be a mother.  I have no doubt that you will take it all in stride, and continue to amaze all of us who get to watch you nurture and raise your family.  I love you!