“I would have given anything to keep her little. They outgrow us so much faster than we outgrow them.” -Jodi Picoult

My love for photography begins and ends with children. As a mama myself, I know how fleeting the time is that we get with these little ones, and I love stopping life for a minute or two to document the breathless, delicate beauty of newborns; the silly, wild, big feelings of toddlers; and the momentary glimpses of adolescence that seems to pass by in an instant. Nothing is permanent with children. They grow new teeth, and then they lose them. They shift seemingly without notice, and are endlessly discovering new things. They make meaning of the world around them in big and small ways every day. And somewhere along the way, you realize that in some ways, you are always in a season of lasts and firsts. And you didn’t even know it was happening. Last lost tooth, last time jumping off the swings at the park, last time playing hide and go seek, last time sitting on your lap, last time holding your hand. But alongside these moments of lasts are all of the firsts: first time eating a strawberry, first time riding a bike, first set of braces (hopefully the only set of braces!), first talent show or awards ceremony, first dance, first sport tryout, first weekend away… first apartment. Parenting is loss, but it is also joy. Being given the opportunity to document these moments for families to keep is a gift. I am always humbled to be the memory keeper.