Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic
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Personal

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Houston

The Eskridge’s Downtown Houston Family Session

A week ago, I met Monica and co. in downtown Houston to capture their family photos. Last year, we did their session in their own fabulous front and back yard – I shared the photos here. Monica said they wanted to try an urban feel this year, so we chose Discovery Green – a big multi-use park right in the middle of our city. I’m telling you: photographing families whose youngest member is almost ten is a DREAM! Ha. No more tickling toes, making silly faces/noises, etc. I wouldn’t trade my young families because I love photographing babies and toddlers, but every once and a while, older kids are a very welcomed change.

I am so pleased with how these photos turned out. It was hot, but they don’t look overheated. It was crowded, but we tried to beat the crowds. The five Eskridges are basically all models (Riley must have grown 8 inches since last year!), and I love photographing their gorgeous family.

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Week in Review

Week in Review

Yesterday: 90 degrees in Houston; today: 69 degrees. Nothing like a good Texas weather swing to make you feel like summer is really over! It’s been raining all day, but we are bundled up and feel like it’s a-okay to be cold right now. Emi took a four hour nap earlier – isn’t there something about a cold, wet day that’ll do it to you?! Kind of wanted to join her!

This past weekend, I met up with the girls and Sasha at our neighborhood harvest festival. I show up and see Emi, in a nice silk dress, wearing pink Teva beach sandals, her hair in a messy bun, her face pain smeared off and red slushie all over her face and outfit. Dad win! Ha. The girls had the best time though, so that’s all that counts.

We had a great week with Sasha in town. We met up with Phil, Sydney and Cam on Monday for dinner, Isla had multiple sleepovers and an after-school playdate with one of her best friends, and we got to spend time with Ivana, Bob and Milly. Despite a busy Sunday with taking family photos, we still made Semple Sunday Supper work and ate at Peli Peli Kitchen, which used to be our regular spot.

The new house had a lot of progress last week and that continued today with appliance installation, completion of upstairs paint, and lights being installed. It’s beginning to look done(ish). We’ll be in next month, and I cannot wait. I’m co-chairing the fall event at the girls’ school, so spent a chunk of last week working on that. It’s next week, so it’ll be a busy next few days, but looking forward to seeing all of the happy kiddos running around (hopefully in non-rainy weather).

I hope y’all are having a drier Monday than we are here in Houston, and that you had a great weekend!

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Baby Whitt’s Newborn Session

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking sweet Whitt’s newborn photos at their gorgeous house. His big sister, Hannah, has more personality in her little body than I do in my pinky – I absolutely loved having her around for these photos. Whitt was one of the calmest newborns I’ve ever photographed. And one of the most expressive too! I loved capturing the millions of emotions that cross a new baby’s face in a matter of seconds.

I cannot wait to document all of the little facial expressions of our babe in just over four months time! PS Did you see our name announcement last Wednesday here on Instagram?

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The Kanneganti’s Family Photo Session

I met my friend Gentry three-and-a-half years ago at a baby shower she was co-hosting for our mutual friend, Julie. The shower was at her house, and I remember talking to my friend Brooke on the drive over. She assured me I was going to fall in love with Gentry and her house. And I totally did. More importantly, Gentry, but her house really is unbelievably gorgeous too (and we’ll be one-street-over-neighbors as of next month – cannot wait!). She is like a young, really well-put-together super mom version of Martha Stewart (minus the criminal record). Gentry’s five gorgeous kiddos (all with the best names – Esther, Olive, Leo, Iris and Moses) are so well behaved and getting to take their family photos again was such a treat for me. I truly struggle to get my two girls looking and smiling in photos, yet magically there are five Kanneganti kiddos doing it in so many pictures it’s unreal! It also helps that they’re all so beautiful.

Isla and Iris are the sweetest little friends. She loved sitting behind me in my desk chair as I edited the photos. She would ask, “Is that Iris? And is that Iris?” and point to her in every one of the photos, ha. I tried my best to narrow down my selection of favorites, but basically failed because they all make me so happy. Scroll down for some of the sweetest family moments!

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Week in Review

Someone posted today that we are 78 days from Christmas, and for some reason, this made me panic. I cannot believe we’re so close to the end of the year already! While I’m all for time-passing-quickly since it means we’re closer to meeting baby girl, I also feel very unprepared for the holiday season. We’ll be in a new house celebrating by then which seems hard to imagine (also not prepared to move!).

Last week brought about the beginning of October, so a visit to Cornelius Nursery for pumpkins was ‘necessary.’ We also visited the Houston Polo Club to see the horses (Isla got to feel one!), had a playdate with Iris at a nearby church with a great indoor play area, took announcement photos for the Nickolases, had three sets of family photos, ate family dinner with Ivana, Bob, Milly and Kristina on Friday (and again Sunday!), announced our new baby’s name (here!), celebrated Emi being pacifier free for a whole week (!!!), went to church at Bayou City Fellowship, and played with Amanda and Charlotte one day after school. Most days, I was at the new house twice a day for meetings with the carpenter, painter, builder, etc. It’s a crazy time in life, but very grateful for all of the changes happening.

Hope it’s feeling like fall wherever you are reading this! I cannot wait for cooler weather. 

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