{first birthday} Lucas Shawn

There are very few people I would venture out in 6-degree weather for; Michelle and Lucas are two of them. Despite the negative wind chill, I couldn’t wait to capture Lucas’s first birthday pictures. I got to their house in Maywood, NJ early on a Sunday morning where Lucas was waiting to greet me with his laugh and smile showing his little, perfect baby teeth. His big cousin, Dominic, was there too, with matching PJs and so much excitement to show me all of his toys.

After some time hanging out and playing, we set up in the living room with just a white sheet and of course, the happiest little man in a diaper I have ever seen. Besides his mommy and food, Lucas loves the camera. Using the help of Dominic (who was sitting on my lap while I was taking the pictures), Lucas was giggling and throwing his ONE balloon all over. He loved his stuffed caterpillar and his Eric Carle books which were the ideal props to match the theme of his first birthday party next month.

It didn’t take long before I had over 100 pictures of the (almost) one year old ham. Clad in just his diaper, we decided to put a party hat and suspenders on him…because…why not? Lucas didn’t want anything slowing him down and ripped them off in a matter of seconds. Instead, he started to eat the hats. Thinking he was hungry, Michelle brought out the most delicious, adorable, flawlessly decorated, true to the essence of first birthdays, smash cake. Lucas’s eyes grew wider and we thought for sure he would dive in with both hands and devour the cake in the sloppiest, wildest way.

We laughed at ourselves later thinking that putting down the white sheet on the floor would protect the carpet and living room (and Michelle) from getting covered in icing and cake. Not impressed at first, Lucas started munching on the candle. That was until he sat in the cake, cried a little, then actually ate the cake. He was a much happier man and we couldn’t control our laughter as he rubbed some icing into the rug and gave his mommy a huge, Funfetti hug, leaving her just as messy as he was.

I hardly did any edits to the pictures and had a very difficult time picking just a few. Michelle wanted the originals and I agreed. There aren't enough milestones as innocent and precious as a baby's first birthday, why take away from the moments with edits. Lucas was the perfect subject; no filters or edits needed. I was honored to take Lucas’s pictures a month after he was born. Watching him grow and develop his own personality has been a privilege in itself. Even on the coldest day, Lucas warms my heart and makes this world such a brighter place. He and Michelle are loved more than they’ll ever know.