Meet Cylie - A Session to celebrate National Down Syndrome Awareness Month

As we continue our annual passion project of portrait sessions to celebrate National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I am excited to share this adorable studio session of Cylie and her little sister Hailey.

Cylie was filled with smiles and questions, pointing out everything in the studio and completely in awe of the tiny wraps, headbands, and all of the baby portraits & cake smash photos on the walls. She was filled with curiosity and excitement, and I absolutely loved photographing these portraits for her family to enjoy.

Her little sister jumped in for a few photos, too, and they share the sweetest bond!

Future Rockette with that leg kick!

Did you know that individuals with Down syndrome are generally extra flexible due to the low muscle tone and loose ligaments that are commonly associated with DS? For Cylie, that means she can really get that leg up high for those leg kicks! :o)

These girls are so sweet together, and I absolutely loved capturing their special bond on camera.

Meet Kaysen - A Portrait Session for National Down Syndrome Awareness Month

Kaysen has the biggest smile, and such an infectious giggle that everyone around can’t help but laugh with him.

He is such a little sweetheart, and I absolutely loved photographing him this month as part of our annual passion project in honor of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. When he saw that I had my camera, he was eager to sit down and pose, and he completely melted our hearts with his beautiful personality.

Kaysen’s big sister joined us for a few portraits, and I loved watching the two of them interact and cuddle up together. He adores her! They have such a strong bond, and you can already tell that she watches out for her little brother while also being his biggest fan.

From his mama:

”Kaysen has been special from day 1. He is an IUI baby and after years of trying, he was chosen for us. Kaysen has a more rare form of DS. It's called Robertsonian Translocation 21;21. This means instead of having a full 3rd- 21st chromosome, he has a 3rd attached to one of his current 21st which makes it extended. He was born without a diagnosis and it took 8 weeks to finally narrow down what it was.

”He is energetic, full of life and hysterical. His smile is quite the lady killer… and he knows it! He adores his 13 year old sister, Arabella. Kaysen has exceeded expectations and continues to defy odds. He keeps his therapists on their toes!”

I absolutely loved meeting this special little guy and his family, and I’m so glad we were able to capture these beautiful portraits for them to enjoy!

Three of Hearts Cake Smash | Down Syndrome & CHD Awareness

Meet Harper, Catherine & Mae.  These birthday girls are our "Three of Hearts."

These three baby girls met for the first time at our breastfeeding photoshoot on the beach with Julia's Way in June 2017.  During the photoshoot we discovered that they all were born three days in a row, and they all underwent major heart surgeries at Boston Children's Hospital in their first few months of life.  

These girls are now thriving -- they are heart warriors and breastfeeding champions.  When we also realized that their first birthdays were coming up, we knew we had to do something special to celebrate!  

TIME FOR A VERY SPECIAL CAKE SMASH!

I'm pretty sure that Mae is the smiliest of the bunch -- she has such a wide range of expressions, and I love how excited she was during our session together!  Her sparkling eyes and auburn hair will melt your heart!

You'll see that every baby's journey is unique, and Mae's mom shared a little bit about what makes her daughter "Mighty Mae."

“Mae has had quite a first year. 3 separate heart surgeries including a pacemaker all before 7 months of age. She was inpatient for 75 days before coming home for the first time! A total of 136 days in the hospital in her first year of life. I can’t wait to celebrate her resilience and beauty in this photoshoot. She’s our “Mighty Mae””

— Mae's mom

Little miss Catherine (Cate) is adorable & sweet, and oh-so-dainty.  This sweet little girl didn't want to get her fingers too messy during the cake smash, and she spent most of the time trying to figure out how to get the frosting OFF of her fingers.  Oh, and she has the most adorable eyes framed by her purple glasses!

Cate has come such a long way, and I love this message from her mom!

“Cate was in the hospital for 80 straight days starting right when she was born. She has had 3 major surgeries, one of which was open heart surgery. She has come so far from a 5lb 3oz sick little heart baby to a 17lb happy little girl who sits up, babbles, and plays with toys. ”

— Cate's mom

And Harper was the frosting queen!  Not one to shy away from sugar (this is a girl after my own heart!), this cuddly little girl was immediately covered in frosting and loved making a great big mess.  She had her fingers in the cake before I even picked up my camera, and she definitely loved this birthday experience!

Harper's mom shared a few inspiring words on her heart warrior's journey:

“This session is so important to me because prior to her diagnosis we were expecting a “normal” healthy baby. The news of her Trisomy 21 devastated us, but her heart defect caused us to mourn her. We anticipated the worst and grieved her loss prematurely. I want others to know that neither diagnosis is not necessarily a terminal one and that she has brought so much love, joy, patience and understanding into our lives. She has changed every member of our family for the better!!!”

— Harper's mom

Loved this session?  Leave a little love for our "Three of Hearts" in the comments below, and please share this session on Facebook to help us spread the love for these heart warriors!