The roses were in full bloom as they cascaded up the brick wall. The willow tree filled the empty space beside them. And the sun was just barely peeking past the topmost flowers. It truly was a beautiful sight to see at Chicago Botanic Garden, but that wasn’t the best part. Darius hugged baby boy close. He held on to little man’s tiny hand as he pulled their cheeks together to smile at the camera. Baby boy’s beige and white linen overalls hung loosely around his adorable rolls. And his big, beautiful brown eyes glanced at Darius, but were searching for someone else. And then he found her. His face lit up. Morissa was trying to make him smile. And I'm not just talking about making silly faces. She pulled out all the stops. Being dolled up and as radiant as ever didn’t stop her from being silly for her baby boy. Morissa was using funny voices, jumping up and down, and waving his blanket around like a flag. I couldn’t contain my laughter, Darius was only a little embarrassed, and someone walking past us said, “Wow! Those are going to be great photos!” Spoiler alert. It worked. Morissa knows best. And she definitely knows how to make her precious babe as happy as can be. Those little smirks were everything.
I absolutely love this moment from this family session. For starters, the Morissa and Darius are friends of mine. So being able to capture these sweet moments for them was heartwarming in itself. I also love this moment because I always say that family sessions are the perfect time for everyone’s personality to shine through. And that’s exactly what happened here. Morissa is definitely an outgoing and bubbly person. Her laugh is contagious and in a rendition of her own words, she doesn’t really mind if people think she looks crazy. Darius is an old soul. And while he is a very funny guy, he is a bit more reserved than Morissa. Which explains his reaction to her silliness. And baby boy is truly the perfect combination of the two of them. He is quite the chill baby and very observant. But when you make him giggle and laugh, there’s no stopping him. He’s such a little bundle of joy! Pretty spot on from the moment I described, right?
This is why I think that this interaction between them all is so important. It’s such a beautiful depiction of the love parents and children have for one another. Morissa’s end goal was to make baby boy smile. That’s it. And she was going to do anything and everything she could to make that happen. That transcends into all aspects of their lives as parents; the sacrifices and desires to give their child the best life they can. Morissa and Darius’ love for him knows no bounds or (in this case embarrassment). And on the flip side, baby boy loves his parents equally as much. So much so, that he is content in their arms, searches for them when they aren’t around, and smiles at them with or without those funny faces. Such a lovely thing to witness.
Morissa and Darius, thank you for letting me capture your precious moments. You truly are such amazing people and friends. And I’ve loved watching you gracefully and faithfully enter this new chapter of lives. Your roles as Mom and Dad suit you so well and I know little man is SO loved. I may have a position on my team for a personal giggle-getter (just made that up) any takers?
