I’ll preface this blog post by stating that I am not a mom so I have no first-hand experience with motherhood, just auntie-hood. But most of my friends and family are moms and I know how hard it can be. I’ve seen it first-hand watching my sisters become moms. And I’ve photographed a lot of babies at this stage. The newborn stage is especially tough on moms! The lack of sleep, the navigating of finding out who this little person is and what they need. It’s all a process. But I’m convinced that’s why babies are so cute! I mean, those every-two-hour-feedings in the middle of the night… you gotta have a cute baby to look at at 3 in the morning or one might go mad from never sleeping. I am certain I would! But then again, I need a looooot of sleep!

I always try to photograph mom & dad/family first at newborn sessions so that mom and dad can relax after while I photograph baby. I tell them they’re welcome to take a nap, or just rest in a comfy chair for a bit while I take their baby’s photos. I do this for two reasons. 1. I genuinely want them to rest while they can and 2. if baby can smell mom nearby, this might make it a bit more difficult for photos as they may want to eat & eat & eat! If this isn’t baby number one, then they usually end up chasing their other babies around ;)

Mr. J’s mom ended up having an emergency C-section so her recovery was much more difficult than anticipated. But you’d never know it in their adorable family photos. I have so much respect and awe for moms of all kinds. And while Mr. J was just under two weeks new for his debut photos, he wanted to be sure he didn’t miss a thing in his new world! No sleeping for this guy! Not until the last 15 minutes of his session. But he wasn’t fussy, either. Just alert, making sure he didn’t miss anything. I loved that so much, and I loved spending time with this tiny little human. So I can only imagine how his mama feels at those 2am feedings. I think we’re all going to be great friends!

Congrats, W family! I adore you all ❤️