newborn photography

life with a newborn :: xavier james

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This story, this family -- Shawnna and Justin and Mya -- has captured my heart and taken up some serious prayer real estate in the last couple of years. Because there were until recently just three of them, but they knew that adoption was the next step in growing their family. About a year ago, they endured a rather devastating failed adoption. It was a hard, hard season, and the tenacity of their faith through it all was brilliant. In the midst of a season of grief and unknowing, they found out they were pregnant! And then, rather suddenly and very quickly, a birth mom on the brink of giving birth chose them to adopt the son she was carrying, Xavier. So now a family that once seemed "stalled" at 3, is approaching 5 in record time. If you're so inclined, you can read their story, in Shawnna's words, on their adoption consultant's blog HERE and in Justin's words HERE. 

And below, you'll see a little glimpse of life since Xavier came home, at 6 weeks old, on a Sunday afternoon, eating, playing, snuggling, wandering their property, and all the other good good things that make up a family life. Look closely and you'll see that Shawnna has a blossoming baby bump. Their newest addition is due this Spring and will be almost exactly 6 months younger than Xavier. It's a unique season, ripe with a million emotions and so much life. 

Love makes a family. 

Amen.

life with a newborn :: lochlan kale

in

About 6 weeks before these photos were made, Lochlan made her entrance into the world in a birth pool in the dining room, and I was there to document that sacred moment, too.

Now, she's already smiling up into the faces of her daddy and mama, getting kissed and caressed by her big sister Tatum, and living the good life mostly on her mama's chest or between her parents in bed. Shauna has been rocking her postpartum season, resting well and often while drinking good coffee as Tatum plays nearby. I love seeing a mama who takes the liberty of abundant rest in her fourth trimester, and the effects on both her and the newborn, which are contentment, joy, and bonding. 

During my visit with them, Lochlan got her second every bath, got dressed, nursed, enjoyed some time on the front porch, and dozed off into a cozy nap while Tatum and daddy did yoga nearby. :) I sure do love this special family. 

life with a newborn :: jonah grace

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Sweet Jonah Grace, the girl with the wild, untamable hair and the loving attention of her godly mom and dad. She's the first grandchild, the beloved of her many aunties and uncles, plus her pup-sibling.

This session was such a joy, from sink bath to couch cuddles, play time on the floor, diaper changes, and coffee-sipping in between it all. I even got to watch Jonah doze off to sleep in her mama's arms in the rocking chair toward the end.

 Afterwards, when I sent over a handful of previews to her, Jonah's mama Audrey wrote, "Its amazing to see the shots you captured, when it hardly felt like you were taking pictures. It just felt like having a friend over for coffee." YES! It surely did. That's precisely how I want it to feel. We can be friendly and relaxed, and magic will be captured without it feeling like you even had to work for it. 

Thanks again for having me over for coffee, Audrey and Xavier. Your girl is truly something special. 

By the way, there's a Black Friday Shop up and in effect today until 11 pm EST, presuming not everything is sold out already. Hop on over here and take a look!

life with a newborn :: ezra grant

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Marrying into a big family means I also get to have lots of nieces and nephews and sibling-friends. My husband's brother, Dan and his wife Jess, along with their boys are so dear to my heart, such easy friends. So after Ezra was born, Tim let me travel alone to Milwaukee to spend a couple of days with them, being helpful as much as I could be while Jess continued her postpartum rest period, basking in their company, and of course cuddling my newest nephew, Ezra! Newborn cuddles on one's own very pregnant belly are a special kind of awesome. 

Ezra is boy #5. He and his family live in a beautiful old farm house on a wee bit of land surrounded by trees changing colors with the autumn winds. Dan works from his home office during the days and Jess fits sewing for her blog into her life as much as she can manage in between homeschooling and managing the household. The boys -- every single one of them-- are OBSESSED with Star Wars, and also love art, reading, and playing outside. 

Though Jess never wants me to "work" while I'm visiting them, I insisted in bringing along my cameras, which I picked up and used periodically across the 24 hours I spent in their home. The result is a collection of photos that's like a stretched-out and incredibly candid Life With A Newborn session. I know other documentary photographers who routinely offer these 24-hour in-home sessions, and though I know they shoot more continuously during such a session than I did during this very informal one, it was a fun taste of what's possible when you really move in with a family and become a natural part of the landscape instead of a stranger-guest who pops in for a couple of hours.

I'm pretty in love with the results, just as I'm in love with this family. 

life with a newborn :: cordelia love

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I met Lacy at a birthday party for a mutual friend, when her belly was rounded with the occupation of the little person who you now see in these photos, the darling Cordelia Love. She mentioned she'd possibly like to have me come take photographs of them after her birth, and I was so pleased when she followed through on that several months later!

At the time of these photos, Brandon and Lacy have spent about 1 month with their daughter, and they've found such sweetness in that space with her. She's well-fed, fussed over to just the right extent, beneficiary of the company of her golden retriever sibling, getting fresh air, and abiding in one of the prettiest nurseries I've seen. 

Life is good for this little lass. And here you can see what I mean. :)