Meet Baby Alayna

I'm back after a week in Cincinnati with my family.

We enjoyed a mini reunion so

we could all meet the newest family member

my niece

Alayna Caroline!

I was SO excited to photograph her

and bought lots of pink baby outfits and props.

Since I don't own any lights, I planned

to photograph her outside.

Wouldn't you know...it was dark and rainy outside,

so I clipped up a fluffy white blanket in

my sister's living room and

opened up my camera lens as far as it

would go.

I had never photographed

a baby so formally before.

I admit, it was HAIRY and SCARY!

I was thinking...I will NEVER be able

to do baby photography.....EVER!

Thank goodness my sister was there to

help pose the baby and get her attention!

But I was rewarded when I saw

the photos.

Alayna is exquisite and I feel I captured that.

For all you photo buffs...

I had some fun adding textures

in Photoshop Elements 8.

I linked it to

Paper Heart Camera

where you can see more fun photo editing.

My sister and I loved dressing our

precious "doll".

At this point, I think she was

an angel...er, an angel butterfly.

Okay, we over-propped her.

Suddenly, she morphed into a

STRAWBERRY.

I wanted to eat up the strawberry for breakfast,

but my brother wouldn't let me.

Alayna is so EDIBLE!!!!

Here's my 86-year-old mother

holding her newest grandchild.

My mom still looks like a spring chicken herself!

My brother is a first-time dad at

age 48.  I have never seen him so happy

with his baby and wife Iohana (pronounced Yo-honna)

And, I took some time away from

the camera to just snuggle with Alayna.

When I got home I told my hubby that I

want a baby!

He said NO...

so little Alayna will

just have to be my baby.

I wish I lived closer!