The fireworks in Austin are booming like crazy. We are definitely making up for our quiet fireworks banned fourth of July!

I don’t really have a New Year newborn, so I’m designating baby Adaleigh to be an honorary Austin Baby New Year! Isn’t she beautiful? So fresh and new and just perfect!

Wishing you sweet dreams on 2011 and new adventures in store for 2012!

For this post, I decided to go back a couple of years to showcase photographs of Cailyn as a one day old newborn in the hospital and as a one year old birthday girl in the arms of her father, with lots of birthday chocolate frosting on her hands. Yum!

My children are growing up too fast. I tell myself no matter what their state is now (happy, crying, or awake at 3am) I’m going to embrace it and enjoy it for what I can.  When my daughter Cailyn says “I love you so much daddy”,  I do not need another thing in this world.

- Cailyn and Andrew’s father

It may have been a bit too subtle to notice, but a number of the fathers participating in this series are airplane pilots. If you missed that, I encourage you to go back and discover the clues in the earlier features. I don’t think anyone is going to miss it today, though! Morgan and her father are here to show you one of my favorite newborn photographs and share a little about how it is to be a pilot and a father. I also had to include another photo of Morgan and her father when she was past the newborn stage. I didn’t take the photograph, but I felt it spoke so well to this story that it ought to be featured, too!

I never knew how much love my heart was capable of giving until the day my daughter was born. The moment that I saw her, I was instantly hooked. I was overwhelmed with joy and pride that continues to this day. Watching her grow and take in the world has been such an amazing and rewarding experience. Becoming a Dad is the best decision that I’ve made in my life.

As a pilot, the most difficult thing for me is when I have to leave Morgan behind when I leave to go to work. There are days that I wish she could still fit in my hat so I could take her with me on my trips. On the flip side, the most rewarding thing is to come back home and see her smile from ear to ear and run to me when she sees me. Those moments that we share in between flights are priceless. I cannot wait for the day that she asks me to teach her how to fly a plane…

- Morgan’s father

This photograph is another one that connects a brand new baby with his or her father. This antique dresser has been in the family for at least as far back as Frank’s great (great?) grandmother. One of the drawers was even once used as a sleeping place for a newborn in the family. While Frank has his own modern crib, his parents felt it would be meaningful to show his connection to his family’s history while snuggled in one of the drawers.

- What is your favorite thing about being a father?
My favorite thing about being a father is the look in the kiddo’s eyes when you come home from work or they first see you in the morning.. When they are in a good mood that is :)

- What wish or dream do you have for your son?
I wish for my kids to have opportunity to be happy and successful.

- What experiences are you looking forward to sharing with your son?
I’m looking forward to going flying, hunting, fishing, racing.. Exploring.

- Tell me about your son.
Frank the Tank. He’s HUGE now. Has an awesome smile and laugh.

- What do you love most about your son?
I love most is watching him snuggle with Mom.

- What advice would you give to other fathers? What is something that you have learned from your son?
Advice and what I am still learning is patience.

- Frank’s father

“Goodnight, Daddy, see you in the morning,” Amelia will often tell me as she pecks each one of my cheeks with her tender and slightly wet kisses. It doesn’t matter whether it’s two in the afternoon and I’m running to the store to get groceries or whether she’s going down to sleep, this sing-song expression is classic Amelia. “Love you!” she quickly adds as I open the door to leave. We’ll go back-and-forth with this as I head down the stairs until we can’t hear each other’s “Love you’s” anymore. With a large grin on my face, I close my eyes, shake my head and melt. These are great times.

- Amelia’s father

Being a father creates some of the most incredible experiences.  Some of my most memorable have included her first laugh while reading Watch Me Throw the Ball by Mo Willems, screaming “HI DAD!” into the phone when I called, taking her first steps the day before I left on a 2 week business trip to Taiwan, and the day she picked up her wooden airplane and “flew” it through the air making a “bzzzz” noise.  People always told me how fast they grow up, but until you experience it for yourself, you don’t truly understand how quickly they evolve.  I am looking forward to enjoying growing up with my little girl!

- Leah’s father

This post is going to be a little different, because it’s not about a baby or child I’ve photographed, or even a photograph I’ve created. Instead, it’s an image a few times removed from the original print, and a little damaged, but it’s one with me and my own father! I love this picture because it reminds me so much of my childhood…. the homemade birthday cake, the house I grew up in, and being surrounded by family. It is likely obvious, but in this photo my dad is probably jokingly about to blow out my candles for me. If he wasn’t, he was such a jokester at times, I may have been putting my hands up as a preventive measure! My dad was certainly an influence on my current sense of humor.

One of my favorite childhood memories involving my father was when he taught me how to ride my bike on my own with no training wheels. He took the wheels off, and held the seat while I pedaled forward on my bicycle. I’m sure I fell quite a few times into the grass after he let go, but eventually I figured it out. I remember being so surprised the first time I pedaled for awhile, stopped, turned my head and discovered my dad was far behind me. I was riding fine without him right there supporting me! Being able to ride a bicycle, having the persistence and patience to keep working at something, and helping others are just a few of wonderful things my father has taught me. I am so grateful that I had a thoughtful and involved father as a child. And as an adult, I’ve only grown even more appreciative.

- One fortunate daughter

My own effort in honoring the importance of fathers this year is through a series of posts titled “Tribute to Fathers”. I have invited some fathers to share fatherhood wisdom and stories with you this week. This is the second article in the series.

I would like to introduce you to Maryn and her father. Her father has a strong association with basketball, so we incorporated one of his basketballs into one of my all-time favorite newborn images. While you cannot see in this image, she was being safely supported on that basketball by her father’s hands. His assistance was key in getting such a beautiful, special photograph.

My favorite thing about being a father to my daughter is experiencing her unconditional love. When I arrive home after a day at work, Maryn, my daughter, becomes so excited about my being home. She will yell across the room “Dada”, point at me and hustle over to me. As I wrap my arms around Maryn and see her smile my heart just melts. Being a very curious girl, the two of us can spend a long time walking around discovering life’s mysteries. A light switch, TV remote, the iPad, just about anything captivates her tiny brain. She is growing so fast I feel the need to soak her up as I know in the blink of an eye she will be driving or getting ready to go off to college. One must really take advantage of the time you have with your child, life is simply too short not to.

- Maryn’s father

As a way of honoring your special role in caring, raising and influencing your child or children, I am hosting a series titled “Tribute to Fathers”. I have invited some fathers to share some fatherhood wisdom and stories with you this week.

Today we are going to hear from Raymond’s father. Raymond’s father (and mother) serves in the military, and so this was a special image from his session to represent the military ties in his family.

This is our second child, and like with our daughter, my wife and I decided to wait until they were born to find out “what” we were getting. We ended up with a son for this second time around, and although I’m quite happy that we have one of each as it were, I was really going to be OK with either possibility. So, when friends kept commenting after the delivery of Raymond that I looked to be such a proud Papa to have a son, I thought, it’s cool and all, and he’s healthy and “cute”, our daughter at nearly four is such a hoot. At this point I’m most looking forward to him becoming the little dynamic person that our daughter already is.

- Raymond’s father

For her first birthday, Leah was treated to a cake smash photography session with her very own little cake. This adorable daisy cake was made for her by a talented friend. I love that Leah’s mom found the perfect coordinating outfit, too! I’d say Leah thoroughly enjoyed that cake!

In the first storyboard image, Leah was waving her hands with excitement upon seeing the cake. eee! SO cute!