Sweet six month old baby Afton and her radiant mama Courtney took a stroll with me in the rose garden one day last week as afternoon turned into evening. It’s fitting then that Afton’s name means “afternoon” or “evening” in Swedish. For a lot of other babies her age, this can be “witching hour”– when they start to get fussy. Not Afton though; she is engaged and lively at this time. There was a lot to see, however! Where else do you know of that has over 500 varieties of roses, but the International Rose Test Garden here in Portland? It’s pretty amazing. We soaked in what felt like one of the last summer evenings before fall starts to take over, while Afton did all her favorite things– chewed on her cherubic delicious hands, blew bubbles, and drooled adorably, all while happily barnacled on to her mama. This is a particularly sweet time for babies, when their personalities come alive and they pretty much delight in everything, but they can’t crawl or walk yet, so they are still so super snuggly.  I loved the time I spent with these two and it was an honor to document their connection. Can’t wait to watch Afton grow into someone as strong and beautiful as her mama!