Nathan joined his family earthside just two weeks before this session. one thing i love about this style of newborn session - in which the baby needn't be sleeping so as to be posed in wraps and baskets - is that you can do it very early or a little later, and there's flexibility for either and beauty in both. For this session, Nathan's mama, Mandy, opted to capture and immortalize the squishy, floppy brand new stage of his babyhood.
i do these sessions often for families with their first baby, and a bit less often for families that have just welcomed their 2nd, 3rd, or more babies. and there's such a different flavor to it when big siblings are part of the picture. having just welcomed my own third-born (Mandy and I are pretty much on the same baby-having schedule. hehe), i notice the same thing i noticed during this morning spent with nathan and his family: that whereas daily life with a firstborn centers and spins around that newborn's schedule and needs, creating a quietness and a sustained attentiveness to each daily care routine, a third baby sorta just gets pulled into the rhythms of the family. it's not that they aren't loved or cared for - far from it - just that diaper changes are speedier, baths less frequent, and there is always noise and activity swirling around him. the older siblings grasp for opportunities to hold him, the mama tends to a toddler with one arm while holding the infant in the other, and the parents switch off playing with the olders or cuddling the baby.
i love this stuff: the family coffee time, the reading of books, the wiggly attempts at a family portrait on the big bed, the quick diaper change and swaddle, then a trip outside to enjoy wheeled vehicles, to swing, and to tromp through the woods behind the house. and in the middle of all this, nathan is serene and alert, patiently taking his place in the holy chaos of family.
enjoy a sunday morning with this darling little family...
sessions like these are just one of the many types i offer to document families as they grown and change across the years. i'm offering a special 5-year plan that affords some pretty significant discounts and benefits for families that want to invest in regularly telling the stories of their life as a family. click HERE to read more.
savor the day!