This is the newest thing he’s doing… sticking out his tongue all the time. He has the cutest little bubblegum tongue!

If you are interested in having your Austin baby session in my home studio, let me know! The session fee is reduced to $150 for home studio sessions. These sessions are limited to baby and maternity sessions only at this time.

So much has been going on outside of photography. Firstly, we are in the middle of buying our house. No, we’re not moving. We are just buying the house that we’re living in and I’m up to my earlobes with paperwork. It is such a challenge to do this as a small business owner! And if that weren’t enough, we are also planning a career change for my hubby. Years and years ago he graduated from college as a Licensed Vocational Nurse. He tried it out for a couple of years at a clinic and decided it wasn’t for him so he started working at the Westin Maui. Well, we all decided as a family that it’s time for Daddy to go back to school and get his RN degree. It’s going to be crazy in our house as Peter continues to work full time and go to school and I will continue taking sessions and weddings and managing the kids. Definitely a lot will be on our plate, but we’re up for the challenge!

I just love how round he is! Check out those thighs… and those knuckle dimples…

Booty dimple. {love!} All images copyright Austin Professional Baby Photographer, Mariah Milan

Photography by Mariah Milan, LLC

Peter and I are thrilled to announce our new little man

Cruz Nico Ka’ehukai Florencio Dagupion!

It was a long day yesterday and we were discharged from the birth center at 5am this morning. Little man weighed 8lbs, 15oz and was 21.75 inches long. He is beautiful and has been welcomed home by his big sister Ryenne and big brother Kai. We’re all great (but very tired!).

I’m hoping to do his real newborn session on Tuesday… we’ll see if mama and baby are up for it!

I am thrilled to be offering custom framing now! It is really awesome… I can create amazing pieces of art and show previews right on the computer. Email if you’d like to see a sample. The frames come ready to hang on your wall complete with your print already inside…. easy peasy!

I’ll also be updating canvas cluster ideas. The gallery canvas’ are awesome because they don’t need a frame! Ready to hang

And coming **hopefully** in March will be the design site. I’ve got some great cards and announcements I’m working on. Maybe this will be the year I’m actually prepared for holiday cards? One can only hope, right? Yes…. I did it. I mentioned the holidays in January. But really… August starts Holiday portrait season and that will be here before we know it!

And finally… I am a shoe fiend. Always have been. I just can’t wear heels anymore for lack of balance. But … swoon… I love her shoes.

Anyway, my little brother visited over Christmas and we went out to Pedernales Falls for the first time. AMAZING. I can’t wait t o go back sometime in the Spring. It is so gorgeous.

above: Ryenne adored collecting shells and it was warm enough that we all took our shoes off to play on the “beach”.

above: me and the kiddos (photo taken by my lovely mama)

So coming up I have some wedding images to post that I took assisting a fabulous friend, eight babies on a couch (!), a lovely family that I’m looking forward to meeting later this month, a second-time mama in San Antonio, and awaiting a newborn besides my own. Exciting!

This decade so many things happened in my life… I got married in 2000, started my business in 2002, had my first child in 2006 (and another in 2008!), moved to another state… so many things. This has been an amazing decade for me and my expanding family.

As we begin 2010, I have a few announcements and updates (yes more! haha) I am becoming an LLC! I am waiting for the final Texas paperwork to go through. I hope in the next few days it will be finalized. Just as a reminder, this means that any and all payments will need to be made out to Photography by Mariah Milan, LLC instead of Mariah Milan.

The next announcement is that I have (sadly) decided that I’ll need February off. I am just getting so huge and uncomfortable in my last trimester that I won’t be taking on any further work in February. If you’ve already booked a February session – not to worry! – you are still on the calendar and everything is a go unless I go into labor early.

And the final update is a new Mini Session program! I’ve had requests so here it is!

The Wednesday Afternoon Mini-Session

Perfect for those who don’t need or want a full session!

Half Hour Shoot (South and Central Austin)

10-15 full resolution images on disc

one 4×6 of each image

$500 (plus tax)

*not available for newborn or studio maternity sessions

And here’s a look at a couple of my favorite family portraits from this past season… I didn’t want to post these earlier and spoil any Christmas cards!!

Happy New Year to you and yours! May you all be blessed many times over!

Her in-laws live on a gorgeous creek in Hill Country. They are wanting to simplify and sell their home in the spring – 5 acres can be quite a bit to take care of! But they fell in love with the home’s creekside location and my friend asked me if I could capture it for them.

I’m not usually a landscape photographer, but when I arrived, I could see why it was instant love when they saw this creek. It is such a special place. The late afternoon light lit the water like an aquamarine and raced along. I hear this spot is perfect in the summertime. There was even a family wedding here years ago. Wish I had been here for that!

Enjoy these images of beautiful Texas Hill Country… and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am – of all of us – for making such wonderful contributions to this important charity!

I am now officially beginning my slow season. Orders have all been placed for Christmas delivery and I can now sit down and design my own Christmas card (and hopefully get them out on time!).

I’ll be taking it easy the rest of the month to enjoy time with family (my brother is visiting from Maui!) and experience the magic of Christmas with my children. I’ll also be prepping some fun things that will be going into two really awesome Austin locations. I will blog about each… I am tickled to be invited to these awesome spots…. so stay tuned.

As I enter into my third trimester of pregnancy, I’m happy to announce that I will be taking the month of March completely off! But let’s not leave out January and February… so I have a little special for these months… 50% off session fee!!

Email is always the fastest way to reach me! mariah@mariahmilan.com and telephone is 512-940-6116. I am happy to return all phone calls when my kids are nice and quiet

Have a wonderful week everyone!