If you have a toddler you know it’s definitely not easy but it is rewarding. They transition from babies into this little young child with their own personality and desire to do what they want when they want. Is this sounding right?

I wanted to do something a little different on today’s blog post. I typically share images from family sessions but this time around I wanted to share something a little more personal to me. Time is precious. Yes, cliche, but precious nonetheless. I make a goal of taking out my camera once a month to photograph our daughter with whatever milestone/day/event/holiday that comes to mind for that month. These photos are from a trip we took in the fall and looking back on them brought me all the feels.

I’m a lifestyle family and newborn photographer and I love moments like this.

Here are some images of detail moments of daily life with my toddler that I don’t want to forget:

snacktime & independence

man oh man are we in the “I do it!!!” phase. I love her little hands with some of her favorite go to snacks- pouches and fruit cups!

showing emotions

she’s been furrowing her brows since she was a baby and I hope she never stops. Not only this emotion, but a toddler shows a wiiiiide range of emotions, sometimes several within a few minutes.

onesies, stained pajamas

We are finally at a point where we aren’t having to buy clothing so often and she can wear the same pajama set for several months. Along with that comes dirt and stains. But I’m such a sucker for my toddler in footed pajamas. It makes me feel like she’s still a little baby!!

playing & hide and seek

She’s not *really allowed to play in this tv stand but I felt like it would be appropriate to entertain the hide and seek for a quick little game. She’s so into it right now and we have fun!

loveys

Loveys! She likes to take a different one to school each day. At night she sleeps with at least 5-7 of them. I absolutely love this. My mom told me that when my brother and I were little we weren’t attached to any lovey’s or blankets and for a while our daughter wasn’t either. Now, she will tell us which one she wants and she has an attachment to the idea of the lovey and taking it with her to school and sleep.

following their lead

Toddlers truly have a mind of their own. I like to follow her lead for what she wants to do (within reason). After all, she’s 2 years old! It’s so much fun seeing her brain, language, and social skills develop and I think it’s important that I’m not always the one with the agenda. Sometimes she just needs to be able to run around outside looking at flowers or playing chase, other times I guess she needs to play in the blinds with her friend?

Thanks so much for being here and I hope this blog post makes you feel more comfortable and relatable to me! I love getting to know the families I photograph. I love when they trust me to capture their family and more importantly when they come back year after year and tell their friends about me. Happy February!