Caroline was as adorable as always… She definitely enjoyed the birthday spotlight.

Lots of people came to celebrate with her, and she enjoyed every second. I think she likes the attention :)

Even with all the fun stuff going on, Baby Caroline still had time for a bit of Mommy snuggles…

The main event arrived…

At first Caroline wasn’t quite sure… She just wanted to share…

But when her dad snuck one of the grownup cupcakes onto the highchair, Baby Caroline turned intense.

But she still wanted to share…

How awesome are all of these expressions? She was seriously excited :)

Just don’t try to take away her cake :)

Happy happy baby girl. I can’t believe she’s already one! Such a fun day…

Christie and Nathan… I’m so excited that you guys let me spend this year with you. I can’t wait to see how Caroline changes over the next year :) I hope you guys enjoy your slideshow… and I can’t wait to see you again soon!

hugs

amber

I was completely delighted (delighted? is that an odd word for me to use?) when I pulled up in front of Katie and Gregsby’s house and was greeted with this adorable setup…

The details were perfect… (as is to be expected, Katie is pretty perfect, in general:))

Details are great…but this is really about the birthday boy, right? And this birthday boy is absolutely adorable. Tucker woke up, and was immediately in the best mood ever.

Although, who wouldn’t be in a good mood when they were getting to perform tricks like these? :) (Gresby loves teaching his kids tricks that will give me a heart attack:))

He’s so cute, and he’s become such a big boy!

Emeline was as beautiful and charming as always… I adore this child.

I love parties with this family, because it means that Sally & Stephen and their adorable offspring will be in attendance as well :) And Will and Maggie always make things fun :)

Bubbles never fail to be fun :)

Tucker wasn’t particularly interested in the bubbles…

But that’s probably because he was ready for some cake :)

He had some help blowing out the candles :)

Emeline looks very very tempted…

Tucker’s cousins decided to join him in the spotlight… it was spectacularly adorable :)

But cousins don’t really like to share…

(Poor Maggie… Life is hard:))

Baby lashes and baby feet… love them both :)

There was a lot of cake on a lot of Tucker, so a post cake bath was definitely a necessity :)

When I left… Baby Tucker was still as happy as he was when I arrived :) It was a perfect party :)

Katie and Gregsby, I love you guys:) and let’s get together again soon! Enjoy your slideshow!

love y’all.

amber

You already know that I’m crazy about Tamara and Ryan… I’ve said it at least 12 times in the last few years:) but just in case you missed it… I’m completely crazy about Tamara and Ryan. I love them. Lots. I kinda want to be them when I grow up :)

Now that that’s out of the way… on to the party :)

Baby Davis was walking a tiny bit when I saw him at our last session… but he had fully mastered the skill by his birthday party! My first glimpse of him was full speed ahead!

Ben was so tempted by the cupcakes… They were right there… so close…

Isn’t the birthday boy the cutest thing ever?

His big brother’s kinda cute, too :)

And he has the most wonderful parents…

Baby Davis’ adorable cousin Jack was there… I photographed Jack for the first time when he was just a little bitty guy… It’s so crazy to see him all grown up now!

Crazy cousin time… I have no idea how this particular activity got started, but I loved capturing it!

Isn’t Baby Davis’ Aunt Vern absolutely beautiful?

After a bit of eating and bed-bouncing and playing and socializing, it was time for the main event. The cake. And Baby Davis did not disappoint:)

(Ben REALLY didn’t want to keep waiting:))

That chocolate icing smelled SOOOOOOOO good. I’m so mad that I didn’t steal some before I left! (And I don’t even like cake!)

Don’t you want to just eat him?

Isn’t this such a typical scene? I thought it was so cute how everyone was documenting this moment :)

Tamara and Ryan… it has been an absolutely wonderful year. I love you guys, lots, and I’m excited to continue documenting your family as you grow up! You guys amaze me! I hope you enjoy Baby Davis’ birthday slideshow :) and I will talk to you guys soon!

much love!

amber

I love that he woke up smiling. I stand by my previous assertion that this is the smiliest baby ever.

The birthday parties that I have photographed this year have all been SO great. This one was no exception… Baby Evan’s circus theme was adorable.

Baby Evan enjoyed spending quality time with some of his favorite people…

And everyone had the opportunity to do some serious playing.

I love these two images of Ryan and Colin on the swings!

And Evan enjoying the bouncehouse :)

Then it was time for some cake…

Evan’s not really big on sweets…

But his guests were definitely excited about it!

Poor Baby Evan ;)

He was just thirsty… a CapriSun made everything better :)

We headed inside so he could show me his newest trick… He’s become very adept at stair climbing.

And continues to be ridiculously cute regardless of what he is doing.

Colin was completely submerged in the world of iPhone games…

And Ryan was just being ridiculously cute :)

There was a bit of playing in the new fountain…

A bit of swinging…

And a bit of napping…

All in all… the perfect party :)

Mindy and Brett, I hope you guys enjoy this slideshow! Don’t let these boys grow up too much before you call me so I can come see you again!

It had been awhile since I had seen Kristin and Brad and Baby Larkin, so I was excited about getting to see them. Birthday parties are always a little bit crazy (and not exactly quality time), but I knew it was going to be fun… and we have a family session scheduled for this upcoming week, so I get to hang out with them even more! The birthday party was at a cabin, somewhere near Signal Mountain, in one of the most interesting parts of the area that I have ever visited. Beautiful…strange…and a tiny bit creepy ;) The cabin itself was absolutely beautiful, and perfect for this party. Particularly once Kristin had a giant bounce house put in the front yard for the kids :)

Love the cake (and cupcakes)… so cute and yummy-looking.

Larkin was VERY excited about the chance to get into the bounce house. She seriously had NO fear.

Amusingly enough, the grownups seemed to really enjoy it as well :)

We took a break from the bouncing to grab some pizza and cake… (isn’t this seriously the perfect party? You can burn off extra calories before you consume ridiculous amounts of bad for you food!)

Some singing… some candle blowing…

And some more eating :)

A few cute details… (love this headband by my girl Tobi at Ivy Handcrafted!)

It didn’t take long before Larkin was ready to hop back into the bounce house. She made a game out of making people retrieve her balloon…over and over and over. Her face here is hysterical!

Um… cuteness.

You couldn’t keep the adults out of this thing!

Trying to escape :)

Final item on the birthday party to do list was the pinata. Larkin found the whole process to be hysterical. Love it.

After a bit of candy indulgence, Larkin received a lovely kiss from an admirer… and decided that was the perfect note to end the evening with.

Kristin and Brad… I can’t wait to see you guys next week :) I hope you enjoy your slideshow… and that you have recovered from all that crazy bouncing!

xoxo

amber

I’ll try to get us caught up by sharing a bit of the reason why I woke up bright and early on 1/1/11 and flew to Fort Lauderdale. Baby Julia was turning one, and Christine and Gavin wanted me there to capture it. I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with Christine and her family in Florida in the past, and it’s so much fun, so I was excited about the opportunity to do it again.

Just like with Mia’s recent treehouse birthday party, Christine was a master of the details.

The birthday girl was as adorable as always… Baby Julia really loves me, so taking pictures of her isn’t like working at all. Love her :)

Mia decided that the cupcakes needed to be tested before everyone arrived. She had to make sure they were ok :)

And the birthday girl had to get into her birthday dress…

Guests began arriving… I love this image of Baby Julia and her Papa… That single hand in the air depicts one of the funniest things I’ve seen in awhile… Julia’s dancing. She has this one-armed hand pump that she does every time she hears music. So funny.

Julia started showing signs of sleepiness early in the evening, but luckily, she was a serious trooper.

With so many exciting people and fun toys to play with, who can pay attention to that sleepy feeling?

Then it was time for cake :) This picture makes me laugh… she somehow hasn’t quite noticed that there’s a cake in front of her yet :)

Oh. That’s for me?

She started off somewhat daintily.

But thankfully, that didn’t last for long :)

Gavin offered to feed her a few bites, but Julia wasn’t interested in being fed… She’s definitely opinionated :)

She was more than happy to share a few bites with Christine though. Yummy ;)

What a perfect mess!

This is Neil and Shane… you’ll see more of them soon…  I had the opportunity to do a full shoot for Shane while I was in Florida. The session was just as action packed as this shot is :)

Mia and Julia got an awesome new toy for Christmas… this was Mia’s first attempt at really driving it. She was so proud of herself (and how much fun is her entourage?!)

One minute she was out on the road driving her car… the next (literally) we found her inside in bed… asleep. So adorable.

Julia, on the other hand, was much more interested in hanging out with everyone. She didn’t want to go to sleep at all. Plus, there were presents to open!

Happy happy birthday Baby Julia… Thank you for liking me so much. Your incessant smiles are very appreciated :)

Christine and Gavin (and Mimi and Scott and Scottie)… you guys are wonderful. I feel like part of the family… like I belong on that twin bed in the middle of the most awesome toyroom in the world. I really appreciate how at home you always make me feel. I’m crazy about y’all :)

Enjoy your slideshow… and don’t worry, there’s another one coming soon :)

love,

-amber

It’s funny… I actually turn 30 later this month, and I’ve wondered how that milestone was going to feel for me. And honestly? I feel nothing. I don’t feel “old” or even “older”. But when I think about Addy turning 5? That somehow makes me feel old. And a little sad. But then I stop and look at her, and I can’t really stay sad. I can’t even wish for her to stop growing up. She becomes more amazing, with every year that passes… so I’m excited to see what the future holds for her.

I love this image that Nathan grabbed of the most beautiful girl I know…

This year, on Addy’s birthday, the four of us spent the evening at Chuckie Cheese’s. I may have other “birthday week” pictures to share with you later on, but for now, I hope you enjoy celebrating Addison’s day with us!

Lots of fun time spent playing in the arcade… Both kids are old enough to really enjoy this, and to do a lot of stuff by themselves. It was fun!

Nathan grabbed a few images of me trying to show Addy how to skee-ball. It was a fairly dangerous undertaking… Addy doesn’t quite have the concept of aim nailed down.

Austen gets pretty intense when he plays… and Nathan turns into a big kid! I haven’t seen him laugh like this in a long time… it was wonderful to watch :)

Addy isn’t quite big enough to do everything on her own… Thankfully, she has her Dad to help her.

Finally, it was time for cookie cake and presents. It looks like Addison might’ve snuck a taste of the icing before we cut the cake… Yum.

It was Birthday Barbie day (yes, we’re geeks and we do themed days for birthday week)… and Addy got a Barbie house that she’s been dying to have, and two new Barbies. She’s SO fun to watch open presents, because she’s so animated.

I have to take a second to mention how much I love my husband for always taking over the camera at moments like this… I generally do most of the documenting for our family, but when I look back at the last few years of Addison’s life… it’s been Nathan that was behind the camera at crucial moments like these. Love that.

(totally mad that I can’t take credit for this shot. Perfect!)

And yes, poor Addy still can’t keep her pants up :)

I love my family. I love our little traditions. I almost even love Chuckie Cheese’s and the little sketch booth that “draws” our picture in exchange for a token. We have a ton of them on our fridge, and every one of them represents a fun day in our lives. I’m pretty easy to please… some yucky pizza, loud arcade noises, a paper sketch of my family smiling like crazy… sounds just about perfect to me!

Happy happy birthday to my favorite girl in the whole wide world… Four was a pretty amazing year, but I have a feeling that five may be even better! Addy, we love you SO much, and we are so thankful for you. It’s hard not to be happy when you’re around.

Everything’s better with a little bit of Addison added to it :)

love you so much,

mom.

Side note: At the Holritz house, we actually celebrate birthdays for a week! It’s a fun tradition that started the year I turned 21 (by accident) and has continued on in full force, ever since. We love finding unique ways to celebrate :)

Baby Addy turns two… (from our old blog… you’ll notice the branding evolving a bit with these posts, as well:))

Addison changed so much, just in one year. She had transformed from that non-snuggly, screaming baby that I referenced in the first post to this warm, loving, bubbly toddler. One of the cutest things about this year was that she finally grew a bit of hair… adorable curls that lasted only for a season.

Nothing is more fun than a party at Kathy’s! Look how big and proud she is…

Only two years old, and already, she’s her Daddy’s girl. I didn’t even know my heart had capacity to love Nathan more, until Addison arrived and I watched him cherish her. That whole Daddy/Daughter thing is an amazing thing to see.

Baby Addy turns three… (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6)

I held strongly to the believe that my girl was still my baby, even when she turned three… but deep inside, I knew she wasn’t a baby anymore… She was the most grown up (and tallest!) three year old imaginable… She was so affectionate and loving, and it was SO fun having conversations with her. She was already brilliant, and her vocabulary was insane. It was funny to listen to people talk to her, then ask her how old she was, then be completely shocked when she told them she was only three :) (This phenomenon hasn’t stop yet! Just the other day someone asked Addy a random question, and when she didn’t know the answer, he looked confused… He asked her how old she was, and when she answered that she was almost 5, his jaw dropped wide open. He looked at me and said,  ”I thought she was my daughter’s age… My daughter is 8!”)

Not a baby anymore, for sure….

Another birthday celebrated at Kathy’s house :)

Addison’s relationship with Austen has been special from day one… but at this point, they started being slightly more “equal” and had so much fun being together :)

And it was still amazing to watch her relationship with Nathan. When she was two, it was amazing to watch him with her… when she hit three, it became amazing to watch her with him. Her hand on his face here sums up their relationship…

She shared plenty of snuggles with me, too :)

Somedays, I think I live for this smile. It’s one of the most consistent things in my life! I love these three people more than I have any ability to express… (uh-oh. I’ve still got a long way to go with this blogging, and I just hit the stage where anything I type is going to make me cry!)

Addison turns four… (Nathan’s post from her birthday week, my post from her celebration at Kathy’s)

Enter the world of the ridiculously grown up Addy. There’s really not even a trace of “baby” left in her… and although I never thought it could be possible, I enjoyed the 4 year old Addison even more than the toddler. She’s the perfect child for work from home parents. She can entertain herself for hours (although she will make a serious mess in the process), tell stories that make us laugh incessantly, dress herself in the most hysterical (but somehow still doable) outfits, and behave as a perfect little lady when joining us on a business lunch. She has a sweet and sensitive spirit, and will laugh wildly and cry softly…often within the span of seconds. She always wants one last “Addy hug and Addy kiss”… and even though I think it’s really just a delaying tactic to keep us in her room longer at bedtime… I can never resist, “just one more.”

This is possibly my favorite thing to see during birthday week…

Poor Addy suffers from an inability to keep her pants up :)

Seriously, isn’t she the most beautiful grown up girl you’ve ever seen? It’s hard to believe she’s only 4 here… she looks 13!

And yes, her relationship with her brother just gets better and better… This image was completely unprompted.

And she still completely her Daddy’s girl :)

I’m blessed to have these three amazing people in my life…. (and to have Kathy to host all the birthday parties!)

Whew! Made it through four years of Addison’s life… and only cried a tiny bit :) I’m going to sign off here, and start a fresh post for her fifth birthday celebration. It was a fun one!

love,

amber

This is my Baby Addy… just a few days old and already full of personality.

These images might fool you into thinking that Addy was an easy happy baby, but in reality, she was a little bit stressful. Austen had been SO easygoing, quiet, and snuggly, and Addison was the polar opposite. She liked to scream (often enough that we actually nicknamed her Screamer), was very moody, and had absolutely no interest in snuggling. The occasional smile like this one, early on, were what kept me from going completely insane.

(By the way, somewhere around age 1, Addy had a complete personality transplant… she became (and has continued to be) extremely laid back, sweet, and super cuddly. She’s absolutely amazing.)

She was my photographic experiment. She arrived on the scene just in time to help me find my photographic voice. It took a few months… but we found it.

She was the most adorable sleeper. Sucked her thumb and held her bunny tight. This hasn’t changed too much. When I look in on her in the middle of the nights these days, she still has her bunny (poor bedraggled bunny) held tight, and her thumb is often directly beside her mouth… although she stopped sucking it a few years back.

So many moods… so many faces.

And finally, an image of Addison from her first birthday party. She’s grown up so much!

Several more posts are coming, as I share a few images from her 2nd, 3rd, and 4th birthdays… and then a full post for this years celebration! Thanks for hanging out as I reminisce :)

Baby Addy… I miss your chunky legs and toothless grin… but I’m glad to have said goodbye to the non-snuggling Screamer. Every once in a while, I can still see a glimpse of this adorably chubby little bald child, and that makes me happy, because it reminds me that are still my girl. Your dad and I adore you.

love,

mom.