That first birthday is such an accomplishment

for baby, but for mom too.


I was recently talking to my own father and brainstorming ideas for my little one's first birthday, and when I asked him what he thought he said "i don't know...it's his first birthday"

kind of insinuating...like...what's it matter, he won't remember it anyways

but it DOES matter. even if he doesn't remember it.

It's not just a celebration for baby, but for mom too.

A year of milestones,

of sleepless nights,

the smiles and giggles,

the tears and screams,

the scrunchy toes that are not so tiny anymore,

the hard days and easy nights,

and the easy days and hard nights;

It's these moments that have been so challenging, yet so rewarding

(not to mention SO DARN FLEETING) that deserve celebration.

Portrait series showing delighted expressions and genuine smiles.
A playful moment of lifting and spinning outdoors in a grassy field.
Candid shots on a lawn showing joyful movement and expressions against a brick building.

It doesn't have to be a party worthy of Pinterest

(although this one was, and I'll be pinning these photos later)

to be documented.

Wooden decorative cookies and pastries displayed with greenery on a blue tablecloth.
Closeup of decorative mushroom cookies and wooden ornaments on a dark surface.
Red and white woven basket with mushroom decorations and wooden cookies.
Birthday party dessert table with chocolate cake and treats outdoors.
Outdoor picnic setup with food and treats on a wooden picnic table.
Food spread on a picnic table with snacks and treats.
Decorative wooden mushroom cookie being held against red background.
Outdoor party setup with blue tablecloth and wooden picnic bench.
Two people sharing snacks on a wooden picnic bench outdoors.
Two friends sharing treats at an outdoor party.
Person sitting at rustic wooden picnic table with blue shirt and brown pants in outdoor setting.
Decorative burlap bunting with tassels hangs from wooden high chair in sunny outdoor setting.

As a birth photographer, it is truly so special to be able to document the same babies over time.

So when mom reached out to me with a vision for some milestone photographs I knew we had to give it a go. Honestly, we both thought Hawthorne wasn't going to fit in the tub (he's a tall boy!)


But he fit p e r f e c t l y.


Mom also tried growing pink oyster mushrooms but unfortunately they dried out before his party so I made a quick trip to the Hong Kong Market (those of you on the West Bank know what's up) and was able to gather a good variety of mushrooms at the last minute.

Small figure sitting in grass with autumn leaves scattered around.
Close-up detail of hands gently grasping wooden mushroom decorations in a rustic setting.
Joyful moments captured while eating chocolate treats outdoors.
Close up portrait showing bright blue eyes and joyful expression.
Rustic outdoor photo with mushrooms and a glass bowl in dramatic lighting.
Creative forest photography with glass bowl and scattered mushrooms.
Sweet moment captured in a metal basin surrounded by flowers and greenery.
Baby sits in a glass bowl surrounded by mushrooms in an enchanted forest setting.
Whimsical garden scene with clear bowl and scattered mushrooms on forest floor.
Close-up view of scattered mushrooms around transparent bowl in garden.
Artistic arrangement of mushrooms around glass bowl in natural outdoor setting.
Sweet moment captured with mushroom snack in outdoor autumn setting.
Extreme close-up macro shot showing eyelashes against soft natural lighting.
Playful autumn scene with mushrooms and glass bowl in natural lighting.
Artistic close-up of glass bowl with mushrooms in outdoor garden setting.
Dreamy autumn photography with glass bowl and scattered mushrooms in nature.
Baby sitting in clear glass bowl surrounded by chocolate treats and wooden mushroom decorations.
Baby enjoying playtime in glass bowl surrounded by natural outdoor elements.
Side view of baby exploring wooden mushrooms and treats in glass container outdoors.
Baby reaching for treats while sitting in transparent glass bowl with woodland decorations.
Baby exploring wooden decorative elements while seated in clear glass container.
Baby playing with wooden mushroom decorations in glass bowl against natural backdrop.
Hands reaching for wooden mushroom decorations arranged around glass bowl in nature setting.
A small child sitting in a glass bowl surrounded by various mushrooms in an outdoor garden setting.
Baby in diaper placed in glass bowl with mushrooms scattered around on grass.
Infant sitting in clear glass bowl amidst wild mushrooms and grass.
Close-up shot of small hands reaching for mushrooms in outdoor setting.
Detail shot of mushrooms scattered around glass bowl in garden setting.

I thought it was so adorable that the first thing he did when he got into the tub was pick up a raw mushroom and bite right into it.

Baby explores plate of cookies and treats while sitting outdoors amongst natural elements.

Seriously, it does not get any cuter than the theme "Hawthorne's "One Fun-gi"


I feel like I'm going to be obsessing over that forever.

Thank you for taking the time to browse my art.

If you've made it this far;

Please consider voting for my image of this sweet boy being born one year ago by clicking the link below!

Catagory is "Between two worlds"
and image title is "The Many Hues of Birth"
image #12

You can vote once a day until July 28th!

Click here to vote!