Jaxson | 1st Birthday Milestone + Family Session | Omaha, NE

It's tough being a long-distance aunt. I would love to see my four nephews and my niece all the time, but none of them are local, so time with them is limited to once or twice a year if we are lucky.

I grew up with all my cousins living in Houston. We'd see each other for every family birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, sleepovers, sometimes a school carnival, even random trips to the mall with our moms. I wish that was the reality for my kiddos, but it makes me so happy that they still have great relationships with their cousins in spite of the distance.

With our lives slowed down during the pandemic, we had the time to take a road trip over the 4th of July to Nebraska where my husband's family lives. My youngest nephew, Jaxson, is there with his parents - my hubby's brother, Andrew, and our sister-in-law, Stephanie - and his big brother, Javon. I have been itching to photograph their family of 4 for a long time, and this visit was the perfect time to document them because Jaxson is turning 1 next month!

Jaxson is Cute with a capital "C." He's chunky in the best way - cheeks, cheeks, cheeks! He has the most gorgeous head of wispy hair that has a slight red tint. His best feature though has to be his sweet signature smile, and the way his eyes light up when he grins. We missed it by just days, but he started walking right after we headed home. Knew he was close!

I'm not familiar with their area, but Javon found us a great spot for photos less than 5 minutes from their house where he goes fishing sometimes with his buddies. The morning dew was intense, but we enjoyed the lush sprawling lawns, white fences, and beautiful waterscape.

It's been a while since I've done a full session (thanks, no thanks COVID), and I just love how these turned out. In lieu of a cake smash, Stephanie had a great idea to end the session with watermelons since Jaxson loves watermelon. It turned out so cute as Jaxson really savored every juicy bite, and it was a fitting summertime alternative to the cake smash. I like it so much, maybe I'll offer Watermelon Mini Sessions next summer.

Happy 1st birthday, Jaxson! You're One in a Melon!