Mom Dresses Infant Daughter as Pop Culture Icons

Even in our increasingly connected world, becoming an internet sensation isn’t easy. However Joey Marie Choi has done so (with an assist from her mom) at just four months old, and she’s been asleep the whole time to boot.

Choi’s mother, photographer Laura Izumikawa, found herself enamored with watching her new baby sleep. She explained, “I would just end up staring at her face all day and night because I was just so in love.”

As time went by, Izumikawa’s desire to capture her daughter’s naps for posterity in a rather interesting way. “Because Joey slept so deeply, I thought it’d be fun adding little props on her just to send some hilarious pictures to our parents. It was a way to memorialize her growth and little milestones.”

She began dressing little Joey Marie in costumes reminiscent of various pop culture icons including cartoon characters, Olympians, Beyoncé, Jon Snow, Garth from Wayne’s World, Han Solo, and others and posting photos on her Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHuxIiihYxi/?taken-by=lauraiz

https://www.instagram.com/p/BITGIUuB2XK/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHiH2HXBW0m/?taken-by=lauraiz

The account’s popularity took off when Izumikawa posted a photo of the napping tot dressed as Eleven from the Netflix smash series Stranger Things. The post quickly went viral, garnering over 12,000 likes in its first few day online.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJTPcOShxlF/?taken-by=lauraiz

The newfound attention spooked the mom at first.

“Initially when I started getting a ton of online attention, there was a bit of a mother-bear type of panic. 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.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJbEJ9oBjQN/?taken-by=lauraiz

Izumikawa hopes the photos not only bring enjoyment to other parents, but also remind them to enjoy their kids while they can, saying, “I hope these photos and videos will make people smile and also remind parents to have fun with their kids, and not get too caught up in the seriousness of parenting.”