I was fortunate to photograph sweet baby Declan before he was even born.  Don’t believe me?  Check it out here.  Being able to capture the story of growing families makes my heart so happy.  The time spent waiting for baby to arrive is so special and I can always feel the anticipation that couples and families have at maternity sessions.  There are many reasons why I love photographing both the maternity and newborn session combo but one is because it feels like we’re old friends when I show up to take their newborn’s first portraits!  This always also helps with a couple’s comfort level in front of the camera.  They’ve been through it, they’ve posed, they’ve met me and know how I work.  They feel more comfortable and it shows in the images.  I met this sweet little boy’s parents for the first time at their maternity session and yet when I showed up at their home in Lake Geneva for the newborn session it felt as though we had known each other much longer.  It never fails that I feel so honored to be among the first to meet a couple’s sweet baby after they’ve welcomed him or her into their family.  It’s a bit different on the outside but those babies all adjust and find comfort even with me continually adjusting their positions for the 2-3 hours I’m there.  It’s very common for me to hear, “I can’t believe he slept through that!”  What can I say?  I’ve been known to be called the baby whisperer on more than one occasion.  I love the challenge of getting a baby to sleep.  It might just be my superpower.  🙂  Another one I hear a lot is, “Can you please stay and work your magic through the night?”  Ummmm, as tempting as that is…I must decline.  As much as I love my time with each baby I’m asked to photograph I do not miss those first few months of sleep-deprivation as a new mom.  I remember how hard that was, (especially with a body still recovering from giving birth) and how divine that first night my babies slept for seven hours straight.  Of course hindsight is always 20/20 but I also truly miss that quiet, special time nursing in the middle of the night just the two of us even if it meant I would be a walking zombie the next day and the next day and the next after that.  For all of you new moms out there it helps to keep in mind that while you might be in the thick of it right now thinking you’ll never again get a full night of rest this phase will indeed come to an end and you might just be pining for those quiet, middle-of-the-night-bonding moments to return some day, if even for just one night.
P.S.  Can you even believe the lips on this sweetheart?  To. Die. For. CUTE!!!