Without actually being aware of it, 4-month old baby Joey Marie Choi has become the new internet sweetheart after being photographed in adorable costumes as she naps.
Her proud mother, Laura Izumikawa, has been sharing various snaps of her daughter wearing pop-culture-inspired outfits and props, along with some pun-filled captions on photo-sharing site Instagram.
From costumes-based Game of Throne’s Jon Snow, Pokemon Mascot Pikachu and pop icon Beyonce, as well as movies like “Stranger Things” and “Star Wars,” the toddler has captivated social media with her undeniable cuteness.
Hey babygirl, let me take a pik at chu. #pokemon A photo posted by Laura Izumikawa (@lauraiz) on
Izumikawa, who’s a photographer by profession, detailed how she started dressing up her daughter and sharing the photos online.
“I would end up just staring at her face all day and night because I was just so in love,” she said in a Huffington Post report. “Because Joey slept so deeply, I thought it’d be fun adding little props on her and just to send some hilarious pictures to our parents. It was away to memorializ e her growth and little milestones.”
The proud mother also admitted that her daughter would sometimes catch her in the act, while she was putting on her costume for the day.
“A couple times she’s woken up while I’m dressing her up, but she’ll just look at me a little dazed and then fall right back to sleep,” Izumikawa said. “I really hope she’ll see the photos and videos in the future and have a good laugh. Hopefully she’ll see how loved she was.”
Ever since she started posting nap-time photos of Joey, her follower count eventually grew and has now reached over 150,000 users.
“Initially when I started getting a ton of online attention, there was a bit of a mother-bear type of panic, and I thought about stopping,” the proud parent said.
“But then I started receiving messages from countless people who said that the photos and videos were the highlight of their day and for some, a thing they enjoy to watch with their kids,” she added.
The rest of Joey’s heart-melting snaps are available on Izumikawa’s Instagram page. Khristian Ibarrola
