Sometimes it’s a little crazy for me to think about the stages we all go through as humans and the many experiences we share. For some of us, that includes bringing a baby (or babies) into our lives and then soaking (and sometimes drowning) in the moments between the first few hours of birth and the day our children leave the nest. I’ve been told countless times to appreciate it because everything goes by so fast. So from the very first day that each of my three children were born, I really did all that I could to consciously enjoy as many moments as possible. However, as often as I took the time to cuddle with my babies, to read to them, to take them outside to explore nature, to visit the library with them, to teach them life skills in the grocery store or at the park or with friends, and to create so many other special memories, I still can’t believe that my very first baby is now already sixteen years old. As much as I thought time wasn’t really going by as quickly as everyone said it would, I look back now and feel like it truly is like the “blink of an eye.”

As a photographer who loves photographing newborns, it seems even more surreal that I am so far past the stage of experiencing life as a new mommy. Yet, there are so many moments when I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing! There were many, many years that I wasn’t sure I’d make it through motherhood with my sanity intact, but as time goes by, I watch proudly as my three children continue to grow and mature. Taliyah, my first daughter, turned sixteen years old at 11:53am (MST) today. With each passing year, I see her becoming more compassionate toward people, animals, and our planet. She is a talented flutist with big dreams and is a smart, beautiful, young woman. I am so excited to celebrate this special birthday with her!! She is the first of my three babies to help me realize how happy I am to have been blessed with the opportunity to learn how to be a better person through being a mother.

Happy sweet sixteen Taliyah!!

My First Baby’s Sweet Sixteen Birthday {St. Louis Portrait Photographer}