virginia – ittybittywhitty

baby noelle | newborn photos

Can we talk about the sheer joy you get while holding a perfectly new little newborn in your arms?

August 23, 2018 ittybittywhittyLeave a comment

What comes next in the series…one adorable baby boy…two (identical twin!) adorable baby boys….

If you guessed three adorable baby boys – you are incorrect – and I think Nikevia and Julian are breathing a sigh of relief that their 4th child was not in fact triplets, but instead one beautiful baby girl, sweet Noelle!

When Nikevia contacted me about doing a newborn shoot for her daughter, I felt like I was counting down the days till her arrival just as much as she was. Her and I went to school together and not only did she excel at everything – sports, academics, heck she was even our homecoming queen – she is honestly the nicest person on the planet and someone I am lucky to have stayed in touch with over the years. Spending time at her and her husband’s house taking photos of their family was such a fun experience…and also a challenge! Do you know how hard it is to try to get a photo of three little boys three and under all smiling and looking at the camera? Throw a newborn into the mix, and its darn right impossible! Despite the challenge, I was able to capture some real candid family moments, and I hope they treasure these photos for a lifetime!

Fun fact: Somehow between juggling 4 kids under 4, Nikevia owns an incredible business called Cinnamommy. If you are local to western Maryland, you need these in your life!

The 12 Doors of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a fun photo project in Waterford, Virginia.

December 22, 2017 ittybittywhittyLeave a comment

One of the (only) highlights of having a long commute, is passing through the quaint Natural Historic Landmark town of Waterford, Virginia on my way home. After paying tolls and battling traffic, the last stretch of the commute is actually SO beautiful. As I am driving through, its hard not to admire the craftsmanship of the beautiful old homes from the 18th and 19th century that have been so carefully preserved over the years. It almost feels like you are venturing back in time while traveling through.

It is obvious that the owners of these homes put so much love and care into them. As the holiday season approached, I started to notice all of the beautiful doors being decorated with stunning wreaths and it sparked an idea! One day after work, I decided to take a stroll through the town and capture as many of the festively decorated doors as possible. For a very pregnant me, this was only about 30 minutes of walking before I had to call it a quits, so I apologize to the houses further down the road that I didn’t capture! I hope you enjoy looking at these “12 Doors of Christmas” as much as I do!

Door.love. ❤ Swooooon.

Of course, since I had to narrow it down to 12 for this post, I had to omit a few but I can’t bear to not include those ones too so please see the rest in this collage.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

love & lots of whit – jen xo

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I’m telling you why…Lucy’s 2017 Christmas Photoshoot is sure to put a smile on your face!

December 5, 2017December 5, 2017 ittybittywhitty1 Comment

This holiday season compared to last year is a whole new experience for Lucy and our family. She is slowly catching onto what Christmas is all about, well in toddler terms that is. She lights up looking at her Christmas tree, can identify Santa in an instant, and helped me set up the nativity scene complete with the tradition of kissing baby Jesus before laying him down. She surprises me every day with all that she learns and can pick up on. Her latest talent is singing jingle bells and deck the halls at the top of her little lungs!

Last year, I stumbled across a photographers Christmas paradise while visiting the Old Lucketts Store in Lucketts, VA, which I pass everyday on my way to work. They strategically set up all sorts of Christmas displays and allow photographers to utilize their beautiful grounds. Here are a few of the highlights from last year (which I strangely never posted!) when Lucy was 9 months old:

This year 20 month old Lucy and I ventured back, but with photographer BACKUP! If you have a toddler, you know how unpredictable they can be. Last year was so simple since Lucy was not mobile, but this year the idea of going alone with Lucy and a camera scared me to death! My friend and fellow photographer, Tammy of Berks Nest, came with me and ended up taking most of these photos of Lucy while I was on get Lucy to look at the camera and smile duty (LOTS of elephant impressions)! There are a few mixed in that I was able to snap, but being on toddler duty proved to be full time job. A couple key hints when photographing toddlers: 1. Bring distractions – you will see a little present and a bell in Lucy’s hands in most of these photos – without these props it would have been harder to keep her attention. 2. Allow them plenty of time to venture around themselves in between posed/planned photos. This is also KEY to a great nap afterwards!

Please enjoy these photos of my fiery little Christmas Lucy. A huge thank you to Tammy for capturing her with these beautiful photos!

Something tells me this little girl is going to get spoiled by Santa this year! Merry Christmas to all & PEACE AND JOY TO THE WORLD!