The result became one of the most celebrated photos in our family.

Yesterday, we tried to recreate the magic with our family’s newest set of cousins, born just two weeks apart.

The result was hilarious…

…and also just the beginning.

Now with their Mommy & Aunt armed with an arsenal of camera gear,they can expect a long life of documentation ahead of them.

PS- Not one WORD about my cheeks. Do you hear me?

Well, as usual, we learned a few lessons on this shoot.

#1: Talk about the belly before the session. Do you want to show your belly? If so, what will you be wearing? Kristine was an awesome sport. She just pulled up her dress and wrapped her bottom half with a blanket. Neighbors, be damned!

#2 Bring a neutral colored blanket or even a sarong to the shoot. Hello, props? Editing the blue and white blanket out of our shots left us both cursing at our monitors.

Yesterday, Kristine was able to view her gallery online and here is what she had to say:

“I think those turned out great. All I have to say is that’s a lot of belly, at least to me it is. I’m comfortable with them all; I think my fave is the black and white with my belly exposed, which surprises me. I think you guys did a great job with the shoot – I just wish that I had been a little more prepared for you guys in terms of what I wanted and expected.”

Actually, we should have been the ones who were more prepared…but since this was not only her first maternity shoot but also her first baby, we’ll all just live and learn a little. Or a lot.

Thanks Kristine!

Atoundra wanted to surprise her husband with pictures of her boys and her bump for Father’s Day. On the day of the shoot, she wasn’t feeling the camera. She wanted pictures of just the boys. I begged her to let us turn the camera on her. She called me a few names but I got my way, thankfully.

I haven’t met many people who ask as many questions with as much genuine interest as Atoundra. She makes everyone feel fascinating and hilarious because she really is fascinated and really thinks you are hilarious. All of you. I love that about her. That and her smile.

While she got herself gussied up, we took pictures of her eldest boy, T. He suffered through the mosquitoes and our endless questions without a complaint.

Meanwhile, little brother, D, was hamming it up with my boys. It’s not easy to drag a kid away from his friends for family pictures. Even someone with as much showmanship as this one. That’s okay because attitude is awful cute. Especially in a picture.

When Atoundra was camera ready the boys were pretty much done with the camera. If my own boys hadn’t been their to entice D away with sword battles and chase we would have had an entirely different set of pictures. Lesson learned.

Funny, nevertheless.