In Norse mythology, the goddess Freja is one tough chick.  As the goddess of fertility and beauty, she’s got a lot on her mythological plate. She is accompanied by her pet boar, Hildisvini, who is actually her protégé Ottar in search of his ancestry.

 

In Dan and Elizabeth’s living room, Freja is accompanied by a little lamb, who is stuffed, and apparently fun to throw around by its pull cord as she smiles chats with family and friends. There are puffs on her plate, a sign of a snack in the making. She is certainly a little beauty, and she most definitely knows it.

 

I don’t know about you, but I see the strength of her namesake in her actions.

 

She is now fully able to sit (and scoot and turn and move) for (and away) from the camera. When Freja gives her full grin, it now contains two little bottom teeth that are poking right through, punctuating her super-sweet smile. She spent an hour on a spring-like Sunday smiling and talking to the camera, sitting up pretty in her Easter dress, playing with her toys, loving on Mom and Dad. Not a single fuss was made; she was just a happy baby the whole time (she didn’t even get irritated when she was tired…she simply fell asleep in her car seat as we headed towards our second location). Freja has grown up a ton in the twelve weeks between her six and nine month sessions—heck, it seems surreal that she is already nine months old, since it seems like it was just yesterday she was a bit of a peanut in an enamel bowl.

 

It is hard to believe that next, Freja will be a one-year-old in her photos. As it has been said before, this is the beauty of photography; it is the one true pause button on time. Even as time ticks by, these moments right here are now forever. Enjoy them…