life with a newborn :: atticus

Aleaha and Patrick started their family about 3 years ago in their lovely midcentury modern home near Grand Rapids' Riverside Park with the birth of their first son, Wesley. This summer, Wesley was joined by a baby brother, Atticus.

They're lovers of art and good coffee, they play hard with the incredibly active Wesley, and they are attended most everywhere by their beloved (and aged) family dog Bachman :). These images show a little slice of life for them since Atticus came home and expanded their hearts. 

I'm looking forward to the next 5 years with this family, watching them grown and stopping to tell their stories every so often, as they also signed up for the "Make Me Yours" membership! How am I so lucky?!

life with a newborn :: vaida bea

It wasn't all that long ago that I was out at the Rizley's farmhouse photographing them as a family of three. It was snowing then, unseasonably cold. And since then the seasons have changed with an explosion of growth and green, and the baby on the inside is now on the outside. A tiny sister for miss Cora. 

We spent most of this session outdoors, minus a little nursing break inside. They showed me their garden, played on the hammock, tussled on a blanket in the grass, blew bubbles and played in the kiddie pool. Cora was sort of in charge of the show, but baby Vaida is easy going, as second babies have to be, I suppose. :) 

This is a beautiful family, gorgeous on the inside every bit as on the outside. I'm so happy for their newest addition and all that the future holds for them. 

Also, an update: I'm suddenly booked solid through all of August. If you're looking to have your own family photographed, there are still some openings in September, October and November. Please reach out soon to book! After that, I'll be hitting pause on my photography work as I prepare for a new baby due middle of december. Thanks for all your amazing support!

life with a newborn :: nadine gwendolyn

Sarah's big brother has been and continues to be one of the most influential and loved people in her life. So when she found out that her little boy, Walter, was about to become a big brother to a SISTER, she was pretty giddy at the thought of being able to give her daughter the gift that has meant so much to her own life: a big brother.

Nadine arrived a few weeks ago, and her big brother is already showing great love and interest in his baby sister. Following them around for this Life With A Newborn session was like getting the tiniest peek at the future relationship that will unfold over the years between Walter and Nadine - full of humor and affection and gentleness, all protectively placed under the umbrella of their mom and dad's incredible devotion and attentive shepherding. 

What a good thing it is to become a family of 4. This is just the beginning... 

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!

life with a newborn :: avaline scarlett

chris and sara have a couch series. every year for the last 4 years they've taken a photo together on the couch. each year they've added a family member. first it was the two of them, then they added a dog, next a cat, and then another dog. and this year -- oh crowning joy of family life! -- they added a daughter, their baby avaline. 

how happy i was to help them continue this tradition by creating this year's couch photo. and so much more sweetness between them and their month-old girl. 

come see a snippet of a sunny sunday morning with this family in their bright and artsy home.