On her changing table, getting ready for a bath.

Bath time in the kitchen sink.

Fresh and clean!

And then it was time to get all dressed and buttoned up.

I think it would be cool someday to display this photo side-by-side with a photo of Rilla having her wedding gown buttoned by her mom someday. I know… that’s a long way off… but they say that childhood is “over before you know it.” Which is partly why I love capturing bits and pieces of it with my camera.

Next, Rilla enjoyed some playtime in her crib. She LOVES her musical mobile. The daughter of two musicians!

Her other favorite play-spot is in her Play Gym with all the dangly toys.

Tender mother-daughter time.

I loved this “rainbow blanket,” handmade by Heather!

Rilla loves it too.

Next, we headed to the lakefront for a few outdoor photos.

I love the tender interaction of parents with their young baby.

LOVE.

Of course we had to grab a “mural shot” too.

Being the center of attention for that long is exhausting!

Thanks, Heather, Jonathan, and Rilla for welcoming me into your home and your neighborhood. It was a joy to spend some time with you and capture some memories together.

I met up with them at their home for a few indoor pictures.

Jesse sometimes plays in his crib. Of course, there’s no game more fun than Peekaboo!

Beautiful mother-son bonding.

I sat next to Jesse for the short drive to the outdoor location. He spent most of the car ride just chillin’ out…

But he’s also very social.

Next, we checked out one of my favorite murals and found a detail perfect for a family photo:

And then we headed toward the lake.

Jesse was fascinated by the leaves.

Of course, to a baby, there’s no way to fully explore a new object without chewing on it.

We paused for a family photo.

Of course, we couldn’t pass up a quick visit to the playground nearby.

Jesse loves crawling.

It’s even more fun to crawl on the playground equipment!

Right across the street is a beautiful little nature preserve.

I snapped a few photos of Allison and James just before sunset.

Meanwhile, Jesse entertained himself with more leaves.

I’ll conclude with my favorite pair of photos of Jesse from this session. These photos were taken consecutively, about a second apart. This boy has so much personality!

Allison, James, & Jesse, thanks for exploring the neighborhood with me! I’m so glad you moved to Chicago!

And since these four kids belong to the same family, I thought I’d show an example of how their portraits could be displayed together (I leave the picture frames to your imagination, but this gives the general idea of an arrangement).

This photo shoot truly captures the end of a chapter in their lives, as we scheduled the shoot for less than 24 hours before the McMonagles boarded a plane to move to Ireland! They wanted some images to capture their years living in Chicago. On their agenda were mural shots and skyline shots. It was fun capturing some family portraits with urban Chicago flair!

Simple pleasure of a two-year-old: playing a game of “This Little Piggy” during the car ride to our next location.

The menfolk took care of the parking meter.

Ahhhh, Chicago skyline.

These two kids are constantly on the go!

Love.

Thanks, McMonagles, for running around with me and making Chicago look like a fun playground (which it is)! I hope you are enjoying the next chapter of life in Ireland, and that you will always hold Chicago dear to your hearts.

I’ll conclude with a collage of images from the session. This configuration shows seven images arranged as they would appear in a “Canvas Cluster”–a fun way to display several canvas prints together on one wall.

More pictures of this beautiful family coming soon!