Newborn

Grady is a First Year Legacy Session Client!  That means he’ll have 3 sessions with me in his first year and his parents will receive digital files from every session, baby announcements, my walnut memory box, and a gorgeous heirloom quality album.  I can’t wait to see him grow up!

This family didn’t decide to upgrade to a Legacy session until after they had finished a Petite Newborn Session.  We didn’t have time to add in the family portion of a the normal Heirloom session on that day so you’ll get to see Grady at both 2 weeks old and 1 Month old.  The change in just that short amount of time just blows my mind!  He’s almost a different baby.

Grady’s daddy thought I was a weird baby hypnotist. Ha!  Every thing I tried to do with posing, Grady did perfectly.  Really he just did so amazing because his parents followed the prep packet and made sure he got a good awake period followed by a gloriously full tummy.

Daddy helped me with this “impossible” pose; his hands never left Grady.  Newborn safety is always my highest priority.

Daddy loves baseball, so we included his mitt in a few images.

Now here are the images from 1 month old.  Do you see how much he’s grown?!

This cross eyed image in mama’s hands absolutely cracks me up! I included it in the gallery for laughs 🙂

I love this beautiful portrait panel wall gallery of so many of their images!


Thinking about the First Years Legacy Package?  Contact me today to get some more details.

And then their are the not quite 2 year old siblings.  I’m pretty sure I made Everett touch his baby sister for the first time ever for this image.  His sister’s face: absolutely hilarious! But we did get the sweet smiling image in the end 🙂

Eloise is Sarah and Justin’s miracle baby.  Everett arrived after a long and trying season of infertility.  Eloise was a completely unexpected miracle.

To celebrate, Sarah brought some special outfits to her session that she loved for sweet Eloise.  Of course it took awhile for Eloise to fall asleep, but once she did, she was pure and gorgeous moldable putty.

This headband and pants are part of my newborn wardrobe.  I loved these soft neutrals on this soft peach backdrop.

Sarah also brought this fun skirt and headband which prompted me to branch out and try a new yellow backdrop.  I loved these colors together!

This pose is quickly becoming my favorite.  Wrapped and on their back where I can see all of their beautiful features, fingers, and toes.  And sneak some lovely detail images as well. Looking to hire a newborn photographer to help you remember all of your baby’s precious details?  My calendar books up quickly, so please contact me today to secure your due date on my calendar.

Let me tell you a secret.

I struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a seasonal depressive disorder often associated with the lack of light during the winter season. My primary symptoms are withdrawal from relationships, sleeplessness, and difficulty concentrating on tasks, but sometimes anger or crying spurts occur.

Since my yearly battle with SAD is similar to mild postpartum depression, I thought I would share some tips for coping with the blues.

1. Acknowledge your Feelings. Telling a trusted friend or your husband that you’re struggling to cope is always the first step.New motherhood comes with a brand new identity along with a wailing adorable task master.  This is often a recipe for moms to withdrawal from relationships or feeling totally overwhelmed. Speaking to someone about your feelings is the first step to moving toward new growth whether you’re feeling some baby blues or dealing with SAD or another mood disorder.
2. Talk to your Doctor. Mental health issues are full of stigma.  If I had a wound that wouldn’t heal properly, I would be quick to ask my doctor for help.  Feeling mentally unwell should produce the same response.Your doctor can help you see if what you’re feeling is within the range of normal or might need the extra help of counseling or medication.
3. Exercise.I know when you’re feeling down, that the last thing you feel like doing is leaving the house to exercise.  But just a 5 minute walk around the block will get you some sunshine and get those feel good endorphin moving through your body.  After a walk, I can concentrate on tasks that were overwhelming me (like writing a blog post!).  Even doing just a few wall sits, squats, or wall push ups makes a huge difference in mood.
4. Fuel your body.  SAD makes me crave carbs. I have eaten entire bags of chocolate chips while editing client sessions.  The worst part of this carb binge isn’t the weight gain, but the sugar crash when I’m done eating.  I actually feel way worse about 20 minutes after eating all that sugar.  Sugar, like alcohol, has a depressive effect on the body.Eating healthy as a new mom or a mom-entrepreneur is often a challenge.  But it’s worth it!One of the easiest ways to get in good food is to make smoothies for snacks or lunch.  Tossing half an avocado, spinach, bananas, unsweetened almond milk, a scoop of protein powder (or nut butter), and cocoa powder in the blender makes me think I’m having a chocolate milkshake, but fuels my body in a way that a chocolate milkshake cannot!
5. Take time to do something you love. 

   SAD steals my energy and my ability to focus on what others are saying.  Similarly new motherhood can steal your sleep, your time to yourself, and clearly the ability to maintain relationships outside of the mother/baby dyad.However, doing something you love refuels your soul.  Whether that’s reading just a couple pages of a book, journaling, painting your nails, going out with friends, having coffee out with your husband, or just taking a shower alone, make sure you spend a few minutes a day doing something you love.

6. Stop Expecting Perfection from Yourself (and others). 

   News flash: Nobody is perfect and nobody does everything the way you want it done. 

   You and I are not going to please everyone.  Our children will cry.  We will have broccoli in our teeth at an event.  Our husbands will load the dishwasher wrong or forget to clean behind baby’s ears at bath time. You’ll have to ask another mom to borrow a diaper.  You’ll yell at your kids and your husband (even in public).  You’ll do things you swore you’d never do before your baby is born.Focus on just three things: loving your people well, offering forgiveness when others fail you, and saying “I’m sorry.” when you fail.  Eventually the baby will stop crying.  You’re not the first to have broccoli in your teeth at an event. Your husband loaded the dishwasher or gave the baby a bath (wooohooooo!!!) even if he didn’t do it the way you prefer. The mom you borrowed the diaper from will feel empowered to ask another mom for a diaper when she forgets her bag. And you get to model to your kids and husband the power of saying “I’m sorry” for yelling or expecting perfection.Make like Elsa and “Let it Go.”  (Your welcome for getting that song stuck in your head…. again.)

Tell me in the comments what tips you have for fighting the blues!

I’d love to learn something new from you!

I offer two types of Newborn Photography Sessions, the Heirloom (the whole shebang with family and props and siblings) or the Petite.  Elena’s mom booked the Petite Newborn Mini Session.

This session includes 10-15 digital files and birth announcements.  Petites are shorter (usually 1-1.5 hours rather than up to 3 with an heirloom) and focus just on the newness of your baby.  We usually just use a few wraps, a headband or bonnet, and one or two backdrop fabrics.

I will give you instructions to make sure your baby sleeps through the session, but if your baby happens to be awake, that’s what I’ll photograph.  I like to keep my Petites relaxed and informal.

Elena’s mom followed my prep instructions and we got a good variety of sleepy images, but then Elena woke up (and messed up a wrap… yes, newborn diaper messes are a normal part of my job. Doesn’t she look so Innocent as she stared at me before falling back asleep?!).

We were able to take a few awake images with Elena wrapped in an exquisite linen and lace family heirloom blanket and wearing a precious white dress before our time was up.

Short, Sweet, Perfect.

Looking for a short session to capture your little one’s perfect newness?  Contact me today to get your due date on the calendar.

This photo definitely wins my award for the most amazing siblings with a newborn image this year! S and K loved baby E and apparently she loves them too!  I could not stop smiling when this image appeared on my screen.

Baby E was just the perfect little model.  We did so many amazing poses and set up in the studio.  Baby E is a rainbow baby; a little one here after pregnancy loss.  She was prayed for over the course of many years before we were blessed with her presence and I was so happy to have met her!

Mommy specifically requested capturing all of the tiny newborn details that we so quickly forget.  Having had twins first, mommy’s memories of all these precious details were scare and she did not want to forget them this time around.  Macros make some of the sweetest images.

During this session, I was able to use all creams colored backdrops and wraps.  If I could photograph just one color and never be bored it would be cream.  the neutral color just showcases all of the yummy baby goodness.

We even had a second to sneak outside my studio door for an image 🙂

Baby E’s mommy is from Malaysia and her parents were visiting for a few months while they welcomed sweet baby E.  It was an honor to be able to capture extended family portraits with all of the grandparents during this special time. 
Looking to book a session for your sweet baby?  Click here to contact me now!