Maxton's First Birthday
My fondest memory of Jamie is letting her convince my sister and I to hop into the little red wagon we had in our backyard and fly down the hill beside our house in it at full speed. Now Jamie is a mom to a sweet one-year-old and I've made a promise to myself that once Maxton is old enough, I would warn him of the dangers of little red wagons. Jamie used to call me her baby doll - but now she has her very own baby doll - really and truly. Max is an absolute cherub. He is the happiest, sweetest little one-year-old that I've ever met and he only cried once when he took an unexpected nosedive off the rocking chair (and who can blame him - I would have cried too). But even then he was quickly pacified by the site of his birthday cake (again, understandable). He was constantly smiling and giggling and seemed to just know that he was made for the camera!
Last August, I took newborn photos for Maxton when he was just a few days old. At that time, he was teeny tiny and could practically fit inside the baseball mitt we took photos of him with. Just a few months later, we found out the reason for this was because he had been born with Shones Complex - which is a rare congenital heart defect. Max braved open heart surgery at only a few months old, and this little warrior came out victorious and has been growing into the healthy little muffin he is today. I can't even believe the difference one year (and a lot of prayers and amazing doctors) has made. I am so blessed to be able to capture Max's one year transformation and I cannot wait to continue documenting him growing up.
This was one of my favorite shoots from the entire summer; Jamie, Tyler, Luke, and Max were so fun to hang out with and photograph! But even more, taking these photos for Max's first birthday to celebrate his journey was so extremely special. This sweet boy has been through so much in his short little life, and has overcome more than most people have to in their entire lifetime. He is so strong and has come so far, and I feel so honored to have been the one to document his journey.
Candidly,
Katie :)
