Who  would have thought that one little baby boy could bring so much happiness into so many people’s lives! From the minute we knew of your existance we fell in love. Every heartbeat we listened to, every little face we saw, and every tiny kick we felt made us more excited to welcome you into our beautiful world. To finally hold you in our arms and hear you take your first breath was the most special and surreal moment, and every minute since we thank our angels for giving you to us.
From your acrobatic facials, to your tiny little cries, you make every day so much better than the last. We cannot wait until that first hug back so we know that you know just how much we love you!
Santino, you’ve started our own little family.. let the days of smiles laughter and love begin… You are one very special little man…

All our love today and always,
Mum n Dad
xoxoxo

friends, please meet Santino ~ 12 days new.

Santino’s newborn photos shoot by NFE design

click here to see full portfolio

click here to follow NFE Design on facebook

Aria may be just a quiet, sweet little girl who is happy just to sit and watch the world going on around her, but her name, Aria, embodies everything that is strong and brave and independent.  you see, Aria’s great grandmothers name was Maria and her great great grandmothers name was Daria,  so in a way her name is a tribute to two very strong Italian woman.  add to this  her gorgeous middle name, Della.  Della is Aria’s grandmothers name, yet another strong woman in the family.  three generations of grandmothers all coming together to be namesakes to this precious little girl.  that’s something pretty special right there.

so what does Aria mean?  In Italian it means air and in Latin… lioness.  now tell me, is there any doubt in your mind that this sweet little angel will grow up being a strong, independent woman.  i mean how could she not!  she’s surrounded with so much love and strength and inspirational woman.  her destiny is surely to follow in their footsteps.

Aria…strong.  a lioness.

photography nfe design

so by now I bet you’re all thinking Lisa sounds pretty wonderful right?  well that’s because she is and we’re so lucky to have her on board as a regular feature writer.    we’re so excited to have this wise and wonderful lady share her thoughts, feelings and ideas with us and i’m sure you’re now looking forward to her first post.  well you don’t have to wait long.  Lisa is currently working on a 5 minute passion piece for us and i have to tell you, i’m pretty excited to discover exactly what Lisa is most passionate about…

stay tuned!

image of lisa indulge by nfe design

you can follow Lisa’s blog here and on facebook here

on instagram @lisajanehumphries

view Lisa’s full [indulge] photo session here

snuggling up in bed at night… ugg boots… scarves… tights… boots… gloves… lots of layers… hot showers…

and the absolute bestest thing!  covering up bad hair day’s with a beannie :)

love love love!

in celebration of winter, a little photshoot.  it was cold and it was windy, but loads of fun!!!

what do you love [or hate] about winter?

Minime Laura leather boot

Quince Sacha blue denim dress

Sudo firewire leggings – eclipse floral

gloves and scarf we have had for a few years now – cant remember where they are from.

photography NFE Design

i haven’t made it in a while but i decided to fire up the oven and roast some veges to make one of our favorite dips… and the upside to that, maybe the oven will heat the house a little while it is on!!

we eat this roast vegetable dip quite often as a snack or for lunch. with some fresh raw veges to dip in it or spread on corn cruskits is absolutely divine (and gluten free)…  probably similar to some of the ones that you get pre-packaged in the supermarket, but when it is this easy to make, who would want the artificially flavoured and full of preservatives version??

now before i start with the recipe, remember i don’t do lists.  i guess and i measure in handfuls not cups :)  it is pretty foolproof through, as long as you have a good piece of pumpkin it will be full of flavour…

roast approx 1kg of pumpkin and 4-5 carrots till nice and browned and cooked through.  don’t be afraid of blasting the heat at the end, the crunchy edges add flavour!

set aside and let it cool slightly.

in a food processor combine approx 1 cup full of nuts (macadamias are my preference, but cashews could also be good) and 5-6 shallots roughly chopped.

process slightly and then add all of the roast veges.

thin it out a little with rice milk, or olive oil, just a few tablespoons to begin with (i use the milk, and you can of course us normal milk if you have no dairy issues)

add salt to taste.

the key is to not process it too much, it is much better chunky!  and better eaten while still warm!

oh and don’t skip the shallots, they add the flavour and texture.  tried that before because we didn’t have any and regretted it.

you can also experiment with adding other veges if you like.  maybe some sweet potato, or adding a roast zucchini will give you the moist-ness so you don’t need to use the milk.

i took a few pics for you with my phone.  i contemplated dragging out the big camera, but really it looks like chunky baby food.  a better camera isn’t going to maker it look any more attractive.  but it tastes AMAZING.

enjoy!!!

this is her passion and she has so kindly written us a [5 minutes of passion] speech to share this passion with us.  want to hear more?  here you go…

I’m forgetful. If you tell me something and I don’t write it down, I forget it.

There are some things I don’t care to remember. There are other things I never want to forget.

I want to remember my daughter’s babyhood. I want to remember the way she held her little finger out at me and told me to wait. I want to remember her running into my arms and crashing her little naked body into mine after her bath.

These are things I don’t want to forget – they are some of the best moments of my life.

So I write to my daughter. We also take lots of pictures together.

I write to my daughter about everything that’s going on in my mind. My favourite things about her, how I love her, how I feel about her, what she taught me, what my dreams are for her….I want her to feel valued and empowered when she read my letters. I want her to know that she is loved, cherished and that she matters.

Isn’t that the core desire of all human beings? To know that we matter and we are loved?

So I created a business that does just this. I help mothers just like you create tangible expressions of your love by combining photography with your written word. These legacies of your love are for your children to know how much you love them and for you to remember the best moments of your life.

If you want to tell your children how much you love them, use this free Letter Writing Guide to write letters your children will cherish for a lifetime.

Amy and her gorgeous daughter…

and a few random facts from Amy’s email that i cant resist sharing….

When I found out I was pregnant, I had to go on stress leave for a week. Oh yes, I was scared!

The cartoon character I think I am most like is Belle from Beauty and the Beast because sometimes, I’m odd =)

Flowers make me smile, any type is fine!

i must say i love this blog post so SO much and i am so excited to share! because i feel so similarly…  and i always forget stuff…  i am loving these new directions i am following with this blog, writing and sharing and recording memories…  so incredibly excited to share our journey with you all! and to share in Amy’s passion!  i encourage you all to follow the link and check out Amy’s letter writing guide… and i would LOVE for some of you lovely mama’s out there to write a letter to your child or children and send it to me to feature on the blog… only if you want to of course (and can be anon if you like!) the main idea is to do it for yourself and your child…  if nobody but you ever reads it then that is perfectly fine!!

if you do want to share then please message me using the submissions or contact link to the left…  and both Amy and i will share one of our letters each very soon!!

enjoy your writing my friends…

it is a gorgeous dress!!! i think it was just a cheap one from Target – but I certainly got my money’s worth!!!  these pics from Jan 2010…

recently i had to convince her that it was time for the dress to retire, so imagine our excitement when we spotted this gorgeous dress below at the Juliet’s closet Launch party a few weeks ago…  it is blue [her favorite colour] it is flowery and girly and she loves it!!!

so excited that we found a suitable replacement… the old party dress can now be passed on to another lucky little girl!!  or, maybe we will keep it, i’m not sure i could bear to let it go…

if you want to check it out her new dress – you can purchase the dress here from Juliet’s Closet.  the boots, tights and purple undershirt are also available on the Juliet’s Closet website now…

and, some pics of Liana wearing it, when we were out to lunch for my birthday last week :)

Style Me Gorgeous is all about print and web base design for small to medium businesses including logos, business cards, ads etc.  but wait!  there’s more!  Sarah also offers print and party décor.  yep, if you’re putting on a party then you need to talk to Sarah about everything from invites to decorations.  Sarah is one amazingly talented and creative lady and i just had to share her and her awesome business with the rest of you.  i met this lovely lady a few years ago when i photographed her handsome son’s 1^st birthday party.  the detail and thought that went into Max’s party just blew me away and I knew right then that Sarah was onto something special.  since that time i’ve had her create custom designs for many of my parties and get togethers, always with AMAZING results!  i wanted to take the opportunity to talk to Sarah more about her business and the success she has had over the time she has spent growing and nurturing her “Style Me Gorgeous” brand and asked her to share a little about herself, her business and her advice.

Sarah’s a perfectionist. she’s sensitive and she claims she’s a worrier but she has such confidence in person that you honestly would never know.  dream vacation… well that stretches between two extremes.  new york in the winter or somewhere tropical, or maybe both in the one trip.  now that sounds like perfection to me.  Sarah was born in England and lived there until she was 10 year of age.  she’s hopeless at sport, loves the smell of tinsel, in another life would love to be Channing Tatum’s leading lady and her ultimate day would include blue skies,  hot sun, the beach, a boat and friends and family.

so now that you know a little about the personal side of Sarah, lets delve into the business side and find out how Style Me Gorgeous came about and how the business works.

so what motivated Sarah to start her business?

“I studied Graphic Design at university and have been a freelance designer ever since. After the birth of my children Jack and Max, I naturally became more interested in design for all things baby / mummy related and began to specialise in this area finding a huge demand for it as many other mums like myself were wanting to work from home and were starting small businesses that required my services.

When Max was born I was inspired by a few party blogs to design an invitation and matching decor to create a dessert table for his Naming Day. This became my first printable party decor set, the Baby Elephant theme, it was received so well I decided to design more party printables and haven’t look back ever since!”

now when Sarah says the baby elephant theme was received well, she’s being just a little understated and coy.  Seriously… google “style me gorgeous baby elephant theme” and you come across blog posts and forum posts and pictures and reviews from hundreds of people who have used and fallen in love with this popular Style Me Gorgeous theme.  it’s clear that right from the beginning Sarah was onto something big!

the name “Style Me Gorgeous” is perfect for Sarah and her business but how did it come about?

“When I began specialising in graphic design for baby/kids/mum related industries I of course found myself designing a lot of ‘cute’ and gorgeous’ stuff, I was creating a gorgeous and stylish image for small businesses so the name ‘Style Me Gorgeous’ seemed to be perfect.”

what does Sarah love most about her business?

 “I love that I can work from home and be my own boss!”

oh i hear you on that one sister!!!!

now with such a gorgeous range of products and services Sarah must have a favourite right?  we were interested to know exactly what that was?

“The printable party decor packages are fantastic. Personalised to suit your event, they allow you to be creative and style a gorgeous and coordinated looking party for an affordable price.”

ok so we all know it’s easy to come up with an idea or service but it’s not always easy to put that plan into action, get a business running and do it with success like Sarah has.  so we asked Sarah from some tips for people starting their own business.

“Great customer service is key, always be as accommodating and helpful as you can, remembering that word of mouth is a powerful tool. If you are doing a great job and your customers are happy they will tell others, which will help your business grow. Work on building up a loyal customer base, and also join networking groups – these are great to help promote your business and to give you support and advice.”

and the thing all us working business owning mothers struggle with… what about juggling your own business with small children?

“I probably have enough stories to write a book on juggling small children and a home business, but I am yet to find the answer on how to create a happy balance between the two. Everyday if different, some flow nicely from start to end and I get plenty of work done and have happy kids. Other days I feel Im chasing my tail and accomplish nothing.

It is extremely hard to close the doors to the office and ‘switch-off’ from work when you are always there, it takes a great deal of discipline which I am lacking.

I do find that getting out of the house and having a coffee with friends does wonders!

Oh, I just started Pilates and really love it, I think it is going to be one of my tools to help me relax and handle the juggling act better ;-)”

it can’t be denied that Sarah is one very sensible, wise and smart business woman.  she’s taken an idea and grown it into something wonderful.  it doesn’t stop there though.  Sarah has huge plans to expand the party printables range to cater for not only children’s parties but also weddings, engagements, teenagers and adults birthdays.  what a fantastic idea and an awesome goal to aim for. i have no doubt that pretty soon there will be brides all over Australia using style me gorgeous to style their weddings.  Sarah is open to all theme requests and also can offer you some great advice if you find yourself with a party to plan but no clue on styling.

now, i have a very exciting sneak peek of two new designs that Sarah is about to release.  so happy to be able to share these with you all!!!

dinosour and masquerade…

if you want to see or know more about style me gorgeous then visit the website at http://www.stylemegorgeous.com.au

 contact Sarah at info@stylemegorgeous.com.au

and to keep up to date with all the latest news make sure you like the style me gorgeous facebook page at www.facebook.com/stylemegorgeousdesign

meanwhile, a few peeks of past designs…

Max’s first birthday featured in Little One Baby magazine

the invitation from Liana’s circus themed party last year… you can see all the party pics here

and the adorable elephant theme which can be found here

yoga with Claire tonight has made me deliciously energetic and floaty… been cooking and baking and cleaning and writing and it’s very close to midnight… if i were pregnant may be called nesting, but i am not. so i think “you will most likely be tired in the morning” is what it is called… fun though ? — at Verve For Life.

so i am a little delerious maybe, and getting tired and coming down off my ‘yoga high’…

but a few things…. i realised today that i had forgot to share these pics that we took for juliet’s closet last month… so here i am sharing :)  according to Megan this dress has been incredibly popular so if you want one for your little girl [or for yourself if you think you can squeeze in] then you better visit this page asap and grab yourself one…

secondly, i was giggling a little and smiling lots while looking at these photos at just how much Liana and i miss each other when we aren’t together… every morning she bounds out of bed and greets me with the biggest smile you could possibly imagine, every day at school pick up she races into my arms almost bursting at the seams to hug me.  none of that cool and casual ‘i’m too embarrassed for hugs and kisses with my mum” from this little girl!  if i leave her at mums, even for 10 minutes while i go to the shops to get something, she greets me when i return like i have been gone for 10 weeks.  she is always so enthusiastic and so genuine in her greeting. argh, i love it SO.MUCH!  so tonight she went for a sleep over at nanny’s so i could go to yoga, and have a bit of a break… all good in theory – nice to have some peace and quiet.  but i rang her this afternoon to see how she was, how can i resist?  i mean, it has been a whole 6.5 hours since i have seen her.  and then rang again on my way home from yoga to say goodnight and ask how her evening was. and i was very tempted to drop in there on my way home just so i could have a hug goodnight… and i will see her tomorrow before she goes to school and we will behave like we forgot what the other looked like…

haha – i love my life, and my girl!!!  lucky i have so many photos of her to look at – i can hardly forget what she looks like!

photography NFE Design

dress juliet’s closet

flowers sapphire designs

Tobey did take a while to arrive though and Anna describes the lengths they went to in order to meet their little man.

“Given Tobey was engaged for 3 weeks before he finally decided to arrive, I tried everything to try & get him out…. Walking, yoga, pineapples, curries (and paid for it with terrible heartburn), baths – everything!!!”

i asked Anna and Kris what was the biggest lesson they had learnt since Tobey was born and their response rang so true…

“Biggest lesson learned is there is such thing as a “normal” baby. They are all very different & thinking there is a “norm” will only stress you out that something is wrong all the time! Common sense is a much better approach.”

and how did Anna, Kris and Tobey find the experience of a  session with me…

“Renee is fantastic at what she does. Tobey was unsettled during the shoot and she had so much patience with him. You can see she loves what she does and it shows in the beautiful photos she takes.”

Anna is right you know.  i do love what i do and i loved photographing Tobey.  here he is in all his cuteness…

Photography NFE Design

what else to do but stop along the way and go for a quick run along the lake.

now, let this be clear, i am not a runner.  for one i am incredibly clumsy, so it wouldn’t be surprising at all if i tripped over my own feet, secondly i have bad ankles and knees so if i wasn’t actually tripping over my big toe or getting confused as to which is left and right then it is quite common for either my ankle or knee to just decide that it has had enough for the day, and literally just collapse.  not nice!

but anyways, a run was the plan.  or at the very least a little running and a little walking in between…  you would think, given the size of my wardrobe that i would have tights that are full length, but nope, turns out i have three pairs of 3/4 length and nothing at all to keep the bottom half of my legs warm.  besides leg warmers, which i did seriously consider…  so, off i set on my run, very impressed with myself for even considering it, let alone actually getting in the car!  and the combination of the intense cold on my legs and my nose and my ears and the burning in my chest was kinda weird.  and kinda cool and exhilarating.

so, my excuse for not running too much was of course time, since i did only have half an hour, but also i didn’t want to be too sore for yoga… and i must say once i was breathing regularly again and i got to class, i actually felt really awesome.  i felt much more centered, and relaxed and able to go deeper into my poses because my body was already warm.  so there you go!  i’m not sure if exercising before yoga is a very “yogi” thing to do, but i might try it again sometime… maybe once i get some long tights…  or once it is summer again.

btw, class was with Amy at Verve for Life ~ fabulous!!!!

a pic from along the way…

so, while on the topic of yoga, Liana has been learning at Verve for Life also…  this afternoon while admiring the gorgeous sunset on our way home Liana was dancing about so i told her to show me a few of the poses she has been learning…

and here you go :)

all photos taken with hipstamatic for iPhone

i LOVE how much the light and colours changed just in the 10 minutes we were there!!!

the most important of course, would be that it is my birthday

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”) is a celebration held on May 5 as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride and Childrens Day is celebrated in Japan and South Korea on this day also.

both Chris Brown and Adele were born on this day [maybe i should have a go at singing?]

really though, after about 10 mins of googling i couldn’t find much else exciting about the 5th of may – so i think the decision has been made – the day is all about me :)

i did have a lovely day, and here are a few pics…

so, i was thinking, and since the 5th of May is a pretty special day, i have an offer to make!!!  i have a little space in my schedule early next week, so i would love to meet a special little baby who was born on the 5th of may 2012 to come into my Belmont NFE Design studio for a newborn photo session.  i have a few ideas i want to try out, so the session booking fee [baby photos only] will be complimentary (save $175) and i will also offer one 8×10 matted print as a gift (total value $270)  additional prints can be purchased if wished…

if you or someone you know had a baby on this date then please contact me asap, i look forward to hearing from you…

my newborn photography portfolio can be viewed here

perfect, adorable, divine Perri…

photography NFE DESIGN

on facebook

colours and patterns and shapes and texture and contrast.

beauty.

hopes and dreams.

each time i open my eyes, i see something different, and find new reason to appreciate…

here, on the eve of my 33rd birthday, i share with you my latest project… my space to share.  if just one person reads, then i am grateful.  if that one person smiles, and enjoys so much that they share with a friend then i am over the rainbow happy!

take some time to look around.  enjoy. smile. and most of all, have a fabulous day!!

Renee

“seriously girl how do you find the time to do it all??” said one friend recently…

do i have an endless supply of happy pills? [unfortunately not]  have i worked out the secret to not needing sleep? [i wish]  is there a magic guide book to the universe that i haven’t shared with others? [not that i know of]  there was even a rumor going a while back that i had won the lotto, and i still cant work out how that would be relevant.  [but i haven't. not more than $10, ever!]  i was reading a blog post a few days ago by my lovely friend Lisa, which discussed the concept of

do what you

LOVE

what you do

and it got me thinking…  about how much i do what i love, and how much i love what i do!  so much that i cram as many hours of “work” into each and every day. and i am happy to do that.  happy to miss all those stupid talent shows and episodes of CSI on television to sit in front of the computer, or with a journal, or photographing or searching for inspiration instead.  happy to work late at night at times, or on weekends.  i am so happy to do this, this thing that i do, to live my LIFE, the life i have chosen for myself, that it almost hurts.  like that feeling of being so overwhelmed because there is so much exciting stuff to do, and you cant work out which thing to do first.  then you do that whole body wriggle and dance around the room a little because it is so exciting.  then you realise the curtains are open, and you decide you don’t care.  remember, back when you were 5, and excited! which toy to play with?  green block or red block or blue block?  argh – the decisions!  how about i work out a way to hold them all?

i love what i do so much that i get butterflies in my stomach every time i think of all the amazing things that i have accomplished, and all that i will do in the years to come. i love love LOVE what i do!

and not only just my business, but everything i do, i try to inject as much hard work and bouncy, giggly, fun happiness into.  i love being a single mum.  i love how close Liana and i are. i love every second with my gorgeous girl. i love being busy with activities, and cooking yummy food and cramming in time for a bike ride, and teaching her “yoga moves” and just 5 minutes more of hair brushing time with Liana before bed. i love yoga, and i love using my iPhone to take photos. i love seeing something new every time i look out the window. i love grocery shopping [honestly, yes i do!]  i love putting on an outfit in the morning and deliberately adding something that will make people stop and smile [or roll their eyes, depending on what kind of mood they are in]  i love taking a shower!  seriously, one of the best things ever!!!  and way cheaper than therapy!  sometimes i even like mowing the lawn…  the fresh cut grass smells so darn good, and i love the feeling of accomplishment when it is done…

how many of you reading out there love what you do?  love the life you are leading…. and i don’t mean every little part of what you do.  lets be realistic here.  baby steps.  i certainly don’t like cleaning up after i cook dinner [boring].  or ironing [though it is fun to find clothes i forgot i had at the bottom of the pile].  and i am fully aware that some people work 9-5 jobs that are a necessity to pay their bills.  but pick one part of your day, and make it about YOU.  make it fun. LOVE it.  love it like you are 5 again.  it only takes one step, then you are on your way!  run a hot bath, take a magazine and lock the door so the kids cant get in. enjoy it!

there is no secret to me.  no easy, surefire way to have my life. or my energy.  to have my successes.  they weren’t handed to me on a platter, and therefore they cant be handed to you either.  there is no instruction booklet.  i worked hard for every success i have had, and for every aspect of my life to be the way i want it to be.  but mostly i am learning along the way, through trial and error.  i am not afraid to try, or to fall flat on my face.  if something doesn’t work, i try another way.  if i have an idea for a project, then i make time somewhere, somehow to do it, i add it to the list and i get it done [eventually]  i have good days, and i have bad days.  i get sick, or tired or grumpy.  someday’s i have a really bad case of ‘butter fingers’ all day long.  does that happen to anyone else?  omg – so annoying!!  but looking at everything from a positive point of view goes a long way… try it – you may like it, you may see!

but, i am passionate and determined and above all else i am doing what i love, and loving what i do.  as many times as i can in each and every day.  and that is all that matters really…  i truly hope that so many of you out there are doing the same!!!  i’d love to hear from you in the comments if you are :)  or not.  either way, i’d love to hear from anyone who has something to say!

-

i thought i might share a little peek, of a new project i am working on….  this one has made it’s way to the top of the pile leaving many others in it’s wake.  it is a space… for me, to share with you.  with all my wonderful friends out there reading.  with all the new friends who will hopefully join in.  and i am so very excited… on Saturday it is my 33rd birthday and that will be the day it gets released.  be sure to come back then and check it out… and in the meantime you can follow on facebook here

so, fancy room at the Vibe hotel. night time Luna Park. yummy breakfast the next morning. train trip to the Rocks for shopping and more yummy food.  a fabulous launch party for Juliet’s Closet.  dinner and great company with the fabulous Lisa, a few shopping expeditions (ikea – yay!!) and then home again… all the while with lots of photos along the way (and i love every single one of them so i have to share!)…

pics of the party for Juliet’s Closet coming soon, along with a fun little photo shoot we did in our hotel room!!!

a fabulous weekend had by all… [even doggy moggy!!]  we must take off on last minute adventures more often!  and in case anyone is wondering, the ironing is yet to be done [we are both almost out of clothes], the weeding i am avoiding thinking about [weeds have a right to live too, don't they?] i need to grocery shop [again!!!] and the work is getting there [new website SOON - yay!!]

so what was so different about these images?  well this was the first time i had taken the plunge and used blue as a feature colour while photographing a baby girl.  not a big deal in the grand scheme of things,  but i know that Charlottes’s mum and dad were a little apprehensive when they saw me drag out a blue hat and blanket.  the bow of course reasured them that yes, i hadn’t forgotten that little Charlotte was in fact a girl.  lucky for me (and them), my clients trust me and so i was left to continue on with the shoot.  as you can see from the images below, blue is totally Charlotte’s colour and her parents were so happy with the “blue” images that the first one has even been printed up in a HUGE canvas for their wall.  during their order session they told me that they loved this particular series of images so very much!

i guess this is all proof that sometimes it pays to think outside the box.  it also shows my clients that while you may think what i do during a shoot is sometimes a little odd, there is always a reason for my madness.  have faith in me and my knowledge in what colour combos will look good and which textures will photograph well and in return you’ll find yourself with stunning images for your collection.  and worst case, they will look awesome in black and white!!!

now, enjoy Charlotte wrapped in blue but still as girly as can be.

photography NFE DESIGN

for now, i will have to be be satisfied seeing Liana wear this dress… it has definitely become her new favorite!!

model: Liana

photography: Renee at NFE Design

outfit: Sudo Violet Whisper Dress available at Juliet’s Closet

flowers: Sapphire Designs

i think this is part of what makes maternity shoots so darn special.  it’s like the lead up to the event.  it’s exciting.  it’s romantic.  it’s special.  Jen and Brendan are pretty special actually,  and they are totally ready for their little girl to arrive. (well they think it’s a girl.  they’re 99% sure it’s a girl.  the people in the know told them it was a girl!  they brought all the pink things. so it must be a girl…right?)

Jen is the caring, perfectionist, protective one.  Brendan… well he’s hardworking, witty and relaxed.  with a combination like that this baby is going to have the perfect kind of personality!  how lucky she is to have these two gorgeous people for parents?  even luckier is that mum owns a cupcake business.  seriously.  never ending cupcakes.  what more could a kid wish for!  honestly though, although Jen has found this pregnancy to be somewhat exhausting (don’t we all!) she also describes it as being one of the most joyful, rewarding and exciting experiences they have ever had.  so even though Brendan may have to soon give up his midday sleep ins and Jen may have to slow down that driving with a baby in the backseat, these guys are totally ready to grasp parenthood with both hands, meet their baby girl and become the perfect little family of three.  it sounds like a wonderful plan to me!

a little q+a with Jen and Brendan, then we will get to the images!

describe the moment you first found out you were pregnant…  Since we’d had a long journey until that point, I was convinced that the test was going to be negative. I couldn’t believe it when it wasn’t. I screamed & ran into our room to wake Brendan up who wondered what on earth was going on. We weren’t convinced so went and bought a stack more tests!

“baby brain” is often used to excuse any forgetful behavior up until your child is aged 18. Jen, please tell us your funniest “baby brain” moment…  I’d tell you, but I honestly can’t remember!

Brendan, please describe Jen’s pregnancy so far in only three words… Always say yes!

what are you most looking forward to when baby arrives?  First day home just the 3 of us

oh, and i had to share this… when asked if they could be a rock star/ movie star for a week who would they choose, Jen responded with Katy Perry and Brendan with President Obama…  wow, what an awesome pairing.   i’d love to witness that dinner conversation!!!  though, to be honest i had no idea Obama had become a rock star!!!