Belly Session: Leighann & Justin (Huxley too!)

This post is a bit late considering baby McKenna made her debut in mid October, but better late than never! And I could not forgo sharing these images with you. They are just that sweet :)

As with many Belly Sessions, we started outdoors at beautiful lawns surrounding The Weston Playhouse. And of course we include the whole family: doggies too!

Thank you so much Leighann and Justin for letting me capture and document the building excitement for McKenna's arrival! Your love and happiness truly shines through your images. What a great thing to share with McKenna as she grows! xo Kaht

Leighann is simply beautiful. And truly radiant at nearly 8.5 months.

Huxley joined us for a few portraits. Did a great job holding still and...smiling!









Leighann played along with me for this one, but I was trying to capture what many women feel at 8.5 months along: like their feet are VERY far away! Plus, Leighann has really cute shoes :)













One of those moments that I love: when the baby moves and everyone reacts!


Your family is so blessed!

Keeping Up with K&D: My Fantastic Husband

As we headed back to the car from the Tunbridge Fair, Devin told me to not look in the trunk at the massive object covered in a blanket. Huh? It was a gift...for ME!

On the way home he made jokes about the blanket-clad object moo-ing or moving about, snuffling and snorting. I heard nothing, but perhaps my hearing was going...either way, I was excited to see what lay beneath the blanket. 

When we got home it was OF COURSE too late to see what lay under there and I had to wait until morning. Booo! Well, morning came and I was ushered into a windowless room so that my brother and Devin could wrestle the object out of the trunk and onto the lawn to present to me. My feet were tapping with impatience!

Then. It was time. 

I was blindfolded, lead stumbling outside, to everyone snickering around me. I even think there was a drum roll of sorts. 

As the object was revealed, my heart jumped and my pulse quickened. All of a sudden there was a jig in my feet and a shake in my hips as I shimmied over to the wedding gift my husband-to-be had made for me. 

A cider press! 

Devin found an old, dead cider press on EBay for a good deal and refurbished the metals parts and rebuilt the woods parts. Amazing! My favorite are the carved details. :)

This photo is courtesy of my brother who is nearly 10 feet tall (okay, just 6' 10" or so), but that is why we look so short ;) Thanks Brian!
It is something I have always wanted, been on the look out for and slightly coveted at every New England museum we have been too. And now, I (we) have our own custom designed and built press. Next fall: cider party time!! xo Kaht

Brittany & Dan E-Session in Woodstock

When you meet Brittany and Dan, you cannot help but adore them. Truly! Brittany has this warm sweet smile that puts anyone at ease and Dan has playful eyes and a smile to match! They are just such a sweet couple that I was so very lucky to meet and get to photograph. Their wedding is not in Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine, but some place warm and fabulous: Jamaica! In January. Oh the jealousy ran deep. But, luckily seeing as these two are such great people, the jealousy oozed away and I just fell in love with their love. 

Brittany and Dan, I wish you the best of luck as you plan and travel to your wedding and celebrations! Our time together was just such a blast and I am just so happy for you both :) Keep laughing and loving and playing in the leaves! And tell Jamaica a fond "Hello" from me. xo Kaht






WHAT did I TELL you! A simple pose and yet SUCH an adorable couple. :)































1

2-3!

So, we decided to out their creative energy to work...

WALA!

So happy!

So see more images, check out their slideshow!

Keeping Up With Kaht and Devin: The Good & Bad

Sometimes it seems that the really good always comes with a side of tasteless bad. Perhaps it is an old wives tale, but once it has happened to you, you peak over your shoulder not really wanting to think it, but slightly wondering...what is going to go wrong. 

Last night Devin and I received some wonderful news: my cat Leisl could come live with us! It had been one of those things that we knew could not happen for a while and we had resigned ourselves to leaving Leisl at The Farm with my family. He is a cat, so what does he know? Well, everytime I go down to visit, that cat comes jogging up to me and settles himself in my arms as if to say, "You're staying now, right?" 

But now, he can live with us! It was some of the best news ever! I went to sleep with a smile, imagining the weight of Leisl at the foot of our bed. 
Then this morning dawned gray and wet. Normal for a fall day in Vermont. I plopped down the stairs to start the day and walked by Ruby's cage. "Morning Ruuuuby!" I sang my normal morning greeting to the round bellied white mouse. And normally she would rustle out of her house and do her belly dance for her morning treat. 

It was quiet. 

I flipped on the lights and inspected her house. There was my Ruby, cuddled in her bed, quiet and still. There would be no mousey belly dance today. 

It had been coming and we knew that. Ruby was pretty old by mouse standards. She started showing her age just this past summer and I knew it would happen soon. She would limp around her cage when she felt stiff and did not run on her wheel as much. But she ate and drank and still did her little belly dance for treats! 

We knew it would be soon and I had hoped it would not happen during all the hustle from the wedding because I might have missed it. And she held on and made the kids at the wedding giggle with her skittery moves and nibbly noises. 

When she moved with me to Devin's, we would stare at her in the evenings and make jokes about how old and fat she was getting. As if she understood, she would hop on her wheel, give it a half hearted turn and hop off. "I exercise when I want too." 

We knew she was old and that it might happen soon...But, I did not know it would happen today.

And I did not know it would make me feel so sad. 

I thought it was an old wives tale, but sometimes the good comes with some bad. You just have to focus on the good and not waste your time looking over your shoulder, waiting for the bad. xo Kaht

Keeping Up With Kaht and Devin: Meet McKenna!

Standing in line in the freezing cold for our flu vaccines was quite bearable and borderline enjoyable because we had a very special treat waiting for us when we were done.

Baby McKenna!

The timing was just such that our friends had not left the hospital yet with their newborn baby girl. They so graciously gave us the "heck yes!" to come up and visit them and for that I am so appreciative! Many things can put a smile on my face, but snuggly cuddly babies are pretty high on the list!

Thank you a million times Justin and Leighann for letting us stop by and snuggle McKenna. She is precious!! Enjoy your beautiful baby and I am already looking forward to seeing her (and you!) again soon. :) xo Kaht




The beautiful mommy and her darling baby, wrapped up like a burrito!

A perfectly complete family, minus Huxley (the adoring family dog).



And of course the best part of the visit for us! Baby snuggles.

Have a great afternoon! xo Kaht