milk time :: fall 2017 edition

This past fall was a tangle of busy engagement with so many things, that this fell to the wayside. But I'm hoping late is decidedly better than never with this. Because pulling up the images today -- months after they were shot -- I'm getting the warm fuzzies all over again. This was a great set of Milk Time sessions at Simply Born Birth House. It's really satisfying to know all of these mamas have these gorgeous breastfeeding portraits as keepsakes. 

And I'll be doing this again, soon! In early March! Please keep an eye on this blog, as well as my Facebook and IG accounts so that you don't miss the date and location announcement when it comes. This past time I actually had assigned time slots for every participant, which seemed to work out even better than the former format of first-come-first-serve open house style. So I'm leaning toward setting it up that way again. 

milk time :: february 2017 edition

This really doesn't get old, this Milk Time thing. The gathering of lactating women around muffins and fruit, the babies sitting on the floors and in laps, the conversations around breastfeeding challenges facilitated by Raquel, the nursing and cuddling and smooching. Women and their babies are magnificent co-creatures, the beautiful Mamababy, separate and yet still so truly One. These days are treasures.

If you missed this one and can't wait until the next one this summer, private milk time sessions are an option! 

A special thanks to Simply Born Birth House for letting us use their BEAUTIFUL space for this event. 

milk time at Simply Born Birth House

I'm considering changing the name of Milk Time to Oxytocin Feast because SERIOUSLY: It's like gathering a group of women and babies together to all get simultaneously high on that amazing hormone. 

This Milk Time, which was hosted in the most perfectly appropriate and beautiful venue ever -- Simply Born Birth House -- included 16 mamas, 16 babies, a handful of toddlers, and even one daddy. We also had La Leche League leader Raquel Knack present to do on-the-spot consultations, which proved to be invaluable!

Whether each mama's baby latched on for 2 seconds or 10 minutes or not at all during their session, whatever way(s) she fed her baby, however many babies/toddlers she feeds at once, whether her baby was cheerful or fussy today, and whatever the story behind how her baby came to her, or how she came to accomplish a beautiful breast-feeding relationship... These women are beautiful in their diversity! And these babies are all SO CLEARLY LOVED. 

Enjoy the oxytocin hit. ;)

life with a newborn :: josephine anna

You may remember Elizabeth and Nick from their maternity photojournalism session this winter. They had a lovely date downtown and I tagged along. 

And now the fruit of their affectionate and abiding love for one another is here! The darling and beloved Josephine Anna! At not even two weeks of age, I was allowed to come in and document these precious firsts. Napping on daddy's chest, the gentlest diaper and clothing changes, cuddling, nursing, being gazed at with adoration... and even her first ever bath. The tenderness in these images really grabs my heart every time I peruse them again. 

Enjoy this little snippet of the blessed newborn haze for this special family. 

Life With A Newborn sessions make me so happy and they'll make you happy, too. Promise. Reach out soon to schedule your own storytelling session like this. 

life with a newborn :: jameson charles

oh, baby j! what a darling babe he is. his mom and dad decided to make me theirs, officially, for five years, starting with his birth. there aren't words to adequately say how happy that makes me. because watching this family grow through the years is going be awesome. 

jameson is about 4 months old here. his mama was home with him full time until just last week, at which point she returned to work. i watched from afar as karissa found the courage to leave him at daycare and go back to the office, wearing black as a way of mourning the end of a sweet season that had been all about her and him bonding and cozy at home. she did it, even if through tears, and was relieved to find that it wasn't as terrible as she feared, and that he did so much better than she imagined he would. they're going to be okay. 

this "newborn" session at home was done at around this big shift in their life to capture and celebrate their bond. a bond that will absolutely survive some distance on the weekdays. ;)

and though this is definitely NOT the point of the session, i really love the way nick and karissa have decorated and set up their home. it's definitely a bit of eye candy, trumped only by the chubby-thighed, blue-eyed baby who inhabits it. 

also: bull dogs! and a cello!

milk time :: breastfeeding portraits (vol III)

Once again, Milk Time was amazing. It's like an IV drip of warm fuzzies to be around all these beautifully bonded mamas and babies all afternoon. I just LOVE it. 

I'm so grateful for and inspired by these mamas. And a special thanks to Cedar Tree Birth and Wellness for allowing us to use their space for this event. It was the absolutely perfect venue.

Here are a few previews from the sessions. We had 10 mamas, but only 8 are pictured here. 

Interested in being part of something like this in the future? We'll be doing it again, hopefully before I give birth at the end of March. Stay tuned!

PS: you can see shots from the previous two Milk Time events here, too.