One Year Old Chicago Birthday Smash Cake

This sweet girl was born just before Covid-19 was declared a pandemic last year, and she was the last newborn I photographed prior to Chicago going into lockdown. I had a surge of newborn sessions in early 2020, and I’ll be forever grateful that I was able to get the majority of them photographed before the world shut down. Those babes are all turning one now, after living their entire first year under the weight of a global pandemic. I know they have no idea the magnitude of this burden, but I assure you their parents do. Phew, what a year!

Nonetheless, this little lady LOVES Elmo and was able to have some photos taken for her first birthday to celebrate her big milestone. I love her so, and I love how full of joy she is. Her smile makes my day every time I see her and it has helped me get through this year many times. I adore you, little A, and I love watching you grow!

Chicago Smash Cake Session - One Year Old Lumberjack!

The pandemic isn’t stopping Mr. Jack from turning one and he is here for his smash cake! I had so much fun with Jack while he smashed, played with, and gobbled his cake. We took a few photos of just him in his little lumberjack shirt before he switched to the lumberjack diaper cover overalls & bowtie. Have you seen anything cuter?!? He took this cake-eating business extremely serious, using all appendages to grab cake when his hands were already full and putting his face right in his cake!

And can we talk about that cake! SO beautiful. It’s from Toni’s Patisserie in Hinsdale and it was so pretty. It looked just like a birch tree for this perfect little lumberjack and the way he devoured it, I’d say it tasted amazing as well! The very last photo here shows him trying to share with me - I politely declined, obviously! But he sure is sweet!

Pro tip: Chocolate Cake Is Great For Smash Cakes!

Chocolate cake, or darker cakes or even dark frosting, tend to show up well in photos if you’re really looking for that “messy” smash cake look.

I photographed Jack’s Fresh 48 session last year and he was not happy I was there! His in-home newborn photos were a breeze and I’ve photographed him & his sister a few times this year for their family’s milestones. This smash cake birthday session was full of smiles and curiosity! I so enjoy this guy, and his whole family and am so so grateful.

Fresh 48 Newborn Session at Prentice Women's Hospital - Northwestern {Chicago, IL}

It’s been almost exactly one year since I set foot into a hospital for a Fresh 48 newborn session and it was so good to be back. My friend Lauren had her pandemic baby at Prentice Women’s Hospital here in Chicago on one of the coldest days of the year so far and I was honored to be her one and only guest, aside from her husband!

What’s a Fresh 48 session?

A photo session that takes place within 2 days of baby being born (3 if it’s a c-section baby), usually wherever baby was born. (I’ve only ever done them in hospitals but in a post-covid world I’m dying to photograph a home birth!) Oftentimes I’ll photograph a Fresh 48 and then do an in-home session a few weeks later & it’s fascinating to see how much baby changes in just a few short weeks! After graduating with my photography degree, back when I lived in Madison, I worked as a newborn photographer for a few years at Meriter Hospital, with Susan of Serendipity Photo Studio, and my dear friend Jamie. It’s where I fell in love with Fresh 48 sessions, even though I’m not sure they were actually called that back in the day!

World, meet Miss Emory! This little peach arrived at almost 10 pounds!! I’m so obsessed with her cheeeeeeeeeks! Congrats, H family! Thank you for having me :)

I love photographing at Prentice because of those city views! My only dilemma was that winter is wreaking havoc on the windows there and the spots & splotches drive me crazy when they’re on full display with the sunshine. But, I felt safe inside and all of the protocols were in place. I wore two masks while photographing this sweet baby & sanitized, sanitized, sanitized.