back on track...

I know it seems like I have dropped off the planet lately! I promise that we are still here and things are just as busy as always in the photography (and in the baby) world. We are having so much fun in this new season of life with a little one. I can't believe it but he has been home with us for a month already! Time is flying. We even ventured out of town for the first time and he did great.

I feel like becoming a mom has changed so much about the way that I approach photography. It's like seeing the world in a whole different way. I have met so many really great families and couples in the last few weeks. I can't wait to share them on the blog! Now that we're settling in around here, I will be posting pretty regularly. Here are some from a sweet session I did several weeks ago. I posted one other shot from this session awhile ago but here is a show that I did that is a little different than the usual. Melissa wanted some pictures of just her and the girls...they are so beautiful that they made my job a breeze!

old friends...

We love photographing weddings. I always say that one of my favorite parts of photographing weddings is the relationships we're able to build with couples and their families. There is nothing like leaving a wedding and feeling like you've known people forever. However, in the case of Amy and Daniel, I realized that it was actually true. Daniel and I have been friends for a long, long time (I think we figured out that it is like 15 years or something). I spent so much time at their house in high school and each member of the Little family holds such an important--and different--place in my heart. When we met Amy earlier this year for their engagement session, I knew that she was the perfect girl for Daniel. She is as sweet as she is beautiful and we are just so happy that they have begun their life as husband and wife.

A few wedding details. The bridesmaids' bouquets were unbelievable.


Some getting ready fun...
Amy was truly a princess in her dress and fabulous wedding shoes.
This is my dear dear friend, Sara. She also happens to be the sister of the groom and one of my favorite people in the whole entire world. For those of you who have seen my Facebook picture, you have now seen the flipside of the moment.
I love how Corey captured Daniel's expression as Amy walked down the aisle. It is actually really hard to capture that moment in most weddings from the back of the church where we usually are during the ceremony. Married!

The reception was super fun and filled with a ton of laughter and emotions. There is no way I can post all of the fun dancing and toasting pictures but I really love how they all turned out. Amy and Daniel, thanks again for asking us to photograph your special day! We are so, so grateful to have been there to celebrate with you.

good fortune

So, I'm perfecting the art of working with a sleeping baby on my lap. I keep thinking I should put him down but then I keep hearing the words of EVERY person these days telling me how quickly these days are going to pass. I don't know how to hang on to to them any more than I am.

Tonight I was working on the pictures from one of our recent weddings. We're working hard to dig out of the pile that accumulated when the surprise of our life arrived. I found this picture and loved it. For one, I love it for Janna and Michael--an awesome couple who were wonderful to photograph. But I also love it because it's true for us in this season, too. In a fun, fortune cookie kind of way.

Back in the swing of things... Senior Session

Well, it's been quite a week. Were it not for an amazing baby, incredible family members, and too many friends to count, I would not be able to make this post right now. We have been loved and supported so much through this that it seems like it might just be possible to keep things moving right along.

Corey and I had our first wedding since the baby came. Outside of the few times we both thought we were going to fall over with exhaustion and the one argument we had over when our baby should be put down for the night, we were pleasantly surprised at how well everyone did in our first full day away. More from that later.

In the meantime, I have a pile of shoots that just haven't made it to the blog yet. Hopefully I can get those up this week. This one is of Katelyn. She's soon to be a senior. Corey & I had a lot fun with her and her mom. She really was such a natural and I think it really came through in her pictures.

the whole world

Here are a few more pictures of our sweet boy. I know they kind of all look the same but he is just so cute and sweet in each of them. He continues to be more wonderful than we ever imagined having a baby could be.

I cannot believe that it has already been one week that he came into our lives.

In some ways, it feels like he has been here forever and in others, it feels like this has been one long day.

In every way, I cannot imagine our world without him.


We have been truly humbled by how many people have been there for us during this past crazy week. We are so grateful and honestly just overwhelmed by the way our friends and families have shown up in these past few days. There have been borrowed cribs and bouncy seats, incredible meals, a gazillion phone calls and emails, friends who have come from near and far, really fun presents, and my personal favorite: blog comments! And all for a precious little boy who has no idea.

I can't believe how much I love him. I told Corey that it is like realizing a whole dimension of love that you never knew existed. I have thought for a long time that I at least had a little bit of a grasp of how God loves us. I know that there is no way that I'll ever really understand that. But what I do know is that if THIS is anywhere close to how God loves us, I really had no idea before now.



Also, I feel like I should say that we are still working in the midst of all of this. Though we were completely surprised by little one's sudden arrival last week, we have known for awhile that a baby would eventually be coming and we have worked hard to structure our work situation accordingly. Please feel free to still call and email us to set up sessions! More than ever, we are thankful for the gift of what we do!

Everyone keeps saying that he is going to be the most photographed baby in the world...we have been hearing this for months. I have been terrified that it would be the classic case of the cobbler's children having no shoes. So, at least for now, I have been trying to capture him every chance I get. I have to give some major credit to my mom for helping me out even when I know she really thinks laying a naked baby down on a hard surface is super mean. He looks really unhappy, huh? I will post more from our time later.

We are having so much fun and really just cherishing every second. Every expression and sweet sound. Even waking up in the middle of the night feels like a gift.

love

I know I'm in big trouble for not posting yesterday. Here's the cutest baby in the world...we are so grateful for this miracle. We love him more than we ever thought it was possible.
He loves hearing his daddy sing and play guitar.

update

Okay, okay! Tomorrow I'll post pictures...promise. But you're not even going to believe how cute he is.

update

Due to some recent exciting news, Nolen Photography may be hard to catch up with in the next few days! Please feel free to call or email us and we will get back in touch with you just as soon as we can. We are so thankful and humbled by the support and encouragement in our lives. Updates to come...