It seems like adorable, camera ready pups has been the theme at my sessions recently.
Warning: this blog contains a little extra sweetness and a whole lotta cuteness all the way around.
Meet the Collins! Dan and Katelyn are both teachers, previously at the same school [cute, right?] but Katelyn has earned herself some time off for her family before jumping back into that work grind. She has a knack for home decor/interior design and is my DIY soul sister- see all the perfection of their rustic home below, she's seriously a wizard with decorating. Josie is their 3 year old I-don't-know-what-kind of hyperactive sack of furry love, and, all babies are perfect little packages sent from above, [and I swear I don't play favorites- ask my kids] but Luke is the epitome of "Heaven sent"! He was the most perfect little baby during his session. I definitely over shot- I just couldn't bring myself to end this sesh!
I came into their house [welcomed by Josie], carrying my normal armfuls, while Dan wrestled Josie and Katelyn finished up nursing Luke. I prepped my equipment and by the time I was done, Luke was out like a light! I started by wrapping him up nice and tight to get some detail shots and some one-on-one time with that sweet little babe. I had this really cool idea during the session to put Luke in a black and white striped swaddle, epic fail, because he totally camouflaged into his mama's shirt [oops]. He slept right through the mistake of unwrapping and rewrapping into a hot air balloon swaddle that his aunt gifted him.
After spending some time in their well lit, well curated cozy little living area, we went to check out the mint green nursery and share more cuddles. Luke woke up at this point, so Josie got her own spot light shoot in front of my camera, she ate-it-up! Post feeding #2, Luke got to wear a VERY special little onesie that this couple has very patiently and gracefully been waiting and praying to fill with their very own child. After some nursery time, I felt like I should probably leave before I overstayed my welcome, but things were still going way too smooth. We finished up, piling in this mama and daddy's bed for one final cuddle sesh, inclusive of Josie. [Guys- BE CAREFUL, I WILL snuggle the mommies and daddies, too if things get serious enough!] I definitely felt like I would be 100% welcomed if I dog piled on top of Josie girl for their portrait in bed.
I hope you enjoy this Champion, OH rustic, newborn lifestyle session, because I sure did! Congratulations Dan and Katelyn, Luke is a dream.
I'm so excited to share this lifestyle session with you guys! 1. Because Jennifer is an old friend [keep reading to find out her high school nick name!] 2. Bella [enough said]
Jen and I go way back to our school yard days. We are from a verrrry small town [the kind where you know every student k-12 by their first name but you also know most of their parents names, too]. She actually graduated in the same class as my little sister, but we were also both on the basketball team. [Cue nickname story] Our team was more like family and we played together on our off days and off season. One summer it seemed like we were always at the schools rugged outdoor courts playing pick up games. Jen was a scrapper, and, important fact, her maiden name is Blackstone. So, we are on the blacktop court, and she dives for a ball. Expectedly, she emerged with some battle wounds. We teased that Blackstone had blacktop imbedded in her legs and, friends, there was born the nickname "Blacktop". I tell you this because, because at our reunion in her home following the birth of her son a few weeks ago, I struggled [probably more than I care to admit] to call her by her first name.
Anyway, back to the heart of this blog; this brand new family [of 4 if you count furry friends!] James, Jen, Mason and Bella. James and Jen actually JUST celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary [send them some love in the comments!] and welcomed Mason at almost 42 weeks gestation after 108 hours of laboring- props to that girl, am I right!? Their fur-daughter Bella, a full lab mix, is 8 and was all about casually inserting herself in our photos, which was my favorite thing about the day [and it's hard to top baby toes, in my book].
Check out this intimate lifestyle session, in their newly built Garrettsville home. Congratulations to this new Mom and Dad duo on their sweet, sweet baby boy, Mason!
I received a text at 3 pm Saturday, "How long did you wait to go to the hospital? I'm under 10 minutes apart, then over."
Jess had a week left, but more importantly, I had just loaded our carpet scraps onto her flatbed truck, with her, 24 hours prior, so I didn't think things were moving that fast. I didn't pack my camera bag, and planned a Sunday afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese with Drew and the girls.
Exactly 12 hours after that text, I received a picture of a brand new King baby!
I flew out of bed, put all of my batteries on charge and got all of the details. Had their older son, Cooper met him yet? What time should I come? It was 8 am and the baby was born at 1:30 am. No -insert eyeroll- Cooper had not yet met the baby.
At 1:00 I loaded up my car and headed to the hospital for a Fresh 48 session with the brand new family of 4.
After I left the hospital Jess thanked me for photographing her family and for "dealing with their chaos". I sort of chuckled because I didn't think there was any chaos at all.
Looking back at her photographs as I edited them, I saw SO MUCH chaos, and laughed. There were parents, siblings, nurses and kids everywhere. There were so many people in her hospital room I'm not sure how I managed to fit. I was completely oblivious to what was unfolding as chaos, probably because I'm familiar with how their families are; there are a LOT of them and my own life is made up a 24/7 kind of chaos. It comes with parenting, I assumed. I loved being in the middle of the shuffle, the passing of toddlers from adult to adult and surface to surface, and watching the entire family soak up new baby cuddles from Connor.
Congratulations to John and Jess on baby Connor, and to Cooper- big brother status! Your chaos is only beginning... ;)
The other day I sent out my Newborn Session Guide, which is packed with as much information in as small of a space as possible, So there will understandably always be questions. The mommy-to-be responded "What is a life style session, how is it different from a posed session?"
I offer 3 types of sessions and a combination of different sessions and I never thought that someone out there may not know the difference in sessions, but now I'm positive there are many someone's out there who would love this clarification. Why not use a blog space to elaborate and reference!? The three types of newborn sessions that I offer are Fresh 48, Posed Newborn and Lifestyle Newborn.
Fresh 48 sessions became popular 2-3 years ago. They are held where baby is born, and in the first 48 hours of life. Typically, for me, these take place in hospitals, but would definitely be inclusive of home births! Fresh 48 sessions capture the special moments where you are first bonding with your baby, learning every delicate feature, counting fingers and toes. You may be learning how to sponge bathe your baby and do many firsts if you are new to parenthood. We can even plan for me to be there when big bro or sis meet the new baby! There are no "rules" for this type of session. The first day or two in the hospital are full of hustle and bustle, many visitors and tons of nurses checking in on mom and baby. I aim for about 20-30 minutes shoot time, but I do not expect that time to be uninterrupted. If the lactation consultant comes or bath time needs to happen while I'm there, I am not the priority and I am more than happy to shoot these special moments as well- without compromising your privacy.
The next type of session, Posed session, is a lot more traditional. It's held in your home, but I bring a studio-esque set up, will give you a step by step guide to follow the hours leading up to our session, to make for an extra sleepy baby. For posing purposes, we want baby to be at his/her sleepiest and stay asleep for almost the entire session. These sessions last about 3 hours, and leading up to the session, your biggest job it to keep baby as alert as possible. In the hour before I am set to arrive, you would undress, change and feed baby to start the sleep process. It's important that they are undressed when I arrive so that we aren't waking them from sleep to prepare them for their session and diapers should be worn loosely so that those lines and marks on their skin can begin to fade. Once I arrive, I have a lot of things to carry in, backdrops and props, camera, backdrop stands, sometimes even faux flooring and lights, so this will give baby time to get into a deep slumber. Once I'm set up and working working with baby you can relax, nap, eat- I've got it from here and will treat your baby with the utmost care getting him into poses and positions.
If you have special requests for these sessions, such as, color schemes or sentimental items, I prefer to know at least two weeks ahead of time so that I can order anything I may need to accommodate your requests. (I know sometimes babies come sooner than expected- both of mine did!) These sessions still have focus on details, but are less organic and more specific to just baby; hands, ears, feet... those sweet little treats that we never want to forget!
The final type of session, Lifestyle Newborn, is sort of a hybrid of the first two, it's more organic, like the Fresh 48, but held in your home, like the Posed Newborn and usually takes 1-2 hours. These sessions are newly, and swiftly, becoming more popular in 2017 and are so much fun to show of the uniqueness of your home and family. They let in some of that chaos and a whole lot of love that comes with bringing new babies home. We use your whole home for these sessions, but I encourage you to leave everything "as-is". If you are choosing this session it is because you enjoy the authenticity a photograph can give as a peak into the past. If an object doesn't "live" in the place that it is in, then it can be put away for our session, beds are recommended made, but don't worry about coordinating outfits or putting away your furry friends. Your home should be lived in, the way it always is, and I will photograph you and your entire family navigating through what it is like the first few days with a tiny baby. Siblings are welcome to jump on the couch and bring out their favorite toys, we can snuggle in your bed and play in the nursery; the options are endless for this session. I'll also be sure to grab baby all by themselves so that we can document those wrinkly little details.
There is a travel fee if I am traveling 30 miles outside of my home base in Cortland OH. We also have the option for you to come my way for the Posed Newborn, we can use a local studio or use my own home studio. The main purpose for traveling to you is ease in prepping for our session on your end, but also Mommy's can't always drive right away and bringing baby out and about isn't always ideal. The choice is yours, and any option is whole heartedly welcome. Your comfort is my priority. E-mail me to find out even more details about sessions, prices and combo-packages. I also offer maternity, grow with me sessions and you can even combine sessions at a discount!
If you've ever been pregnant, then someone who has also been pregnant [probably very long ago], has had the "How do you feel? ... Oh, you're going to miss being pregnant." conversation with you.
I'm not sure why that is a standard comment that is made. Especially when some womens' bodies put them through hell during pregnancy and others just simply do not enjoy it.
With Savannah I was sort of a cliche. I only gained weight in my breasts and belly, I had nausea but only for her first trimester, only vomited once, I had zero complications, minimal swelling and had her in my 38th week. My biggest gripe was that I'm a belly sleeper and I COULD NOT sleep from about 28 weeks and on. With that being said, I HATED being pregnant. I looooved our connection and I rubbed and talked to my belly, played her music and read her books. It really is the closest I've ever felt to her and I valued every second of having her inside of me. I just didn't like being treated like a handicap person, I didn't function well when I finally did have to start asking for help, the whole no sleep thing, not being able to breath or eat or move- I just wasn't a fan of the whole process.
Before we started a family, Drew and I were on the same page: 2 kids. We wanted our children to have a built-in best friend, like we both do.
Skip ahead two years, Sav's second birthday was in November and we made our first attempt at baby #2. For the next several months we tried pretty lazily, but as a wedding photographer, I had to make sure I wouldn't be 8 or 9 months pregnant around any of my already booked weddings. That July was our last window of opportunity and I told Drew that it was now or we stop trying for a while. A few weeks later we had two pink lines.
From the very beginning of my pregnancy with Evelyn, something just didn't sit right. So many people close to me are trying to grow their families with so much work and disappointment, why did I get to do it so easily? I attributed my sadness to that for the first few weeks. But I was very, very sad. I had then convinced myself that since I was so sad and tuned out from this pregnancy it meant we were having a boy, and I desperately want Savannah to have a sister.
Right around 17 weeks we found out this boy I was sure I was carrying was a little girl! I still felt sad. This resulted in "knowing" that the ultra sound tech had missed something [literally] because there's no way I could still be this sad- the baby HAD to be a boy and my body just knew. I annoyed the crap out of my doctors for the next few weeks asking them to double and triple check the gender.
I finally believed them, but still felt sad.
I went in for a routine check up at 25 weeks and my OB said, "Everything looks great! Do you have any questions or concerns?"
The time between her asking that question and me actually answering felt like a thousands years passed between us. My brain was telling me to just say it, but my throat was closing up, my tongue stopped working, my chin was doing that thing where it doesn't want to cry but knows you're going to- and I do not cry. So I said "Ummm, I don't feel [burst into ugly tears] connected to this pregnancy."
She looked me directly in the eye, with a twinge of sympathy but mostly confidence and asked if I had ever though of hurting myself. Appalled, I QUICKLY answered no, and was scolding myself mentally for actually saying anything to her and blowing this out of proportion. After my very certain "no" she explained that this pregnancy is so much different then my first. Mostly, that a toddler doesn't let you sit around and dream up everything you've ever wanted for the baby you're growing, there are different distractions and less curiosity and that feeling was normal.
She had me at normal. I am normal! I've always been normal. Okay, I thought, I will be fine- like always.
Twelve weeks later, I'm lying in a hospital bed and, between contractions, I'm answering all kinds of ridiculous medical questions. "Do you, or anyone in your family, have history with postpartum depression?" my answer ---> NO BUT I THINK I'M GOING TO HAVE IT.
She laughed. "Honey, you can't know that." Moves onto the next series of questions.
I was so embarrassed.
Four pushes Ev was out and they plopped her down on top of me, skin to skin. The sobs that immediately came out of me literally shook me. It's the hardest I've ever cried, and the longest. It felt SO good to have her in my arms! I was overwhelmed with so many emotions, I can't even begin to tell you half of them. We laid like that for a very long time. The first 3 hours of that little girls life, were, hands down, the best of mine.
They took her, bathed her, started letting visitors in and I felt that high slip out of me. I hadn't slept in 24 hours, I now had 2 children, and I know the drill, so I sent her to the nursery for the night. They kept bringing her back in and waking me up. From that night on I never felt that connection again, I went through an ugly process of regret, fear, and not hate but I just couldn't be around her.
Pretty quickly after she was born- though not near quick enough- I was diagnosed with PPD and I am in a current state of healing- and it's going great! I have made so much progress and I am so grateful for where we are as a family and where Evie and I are in our relationship together. It's not over but it's different and I can believe in the progress.
Right now, I'm angry at my OB for not getting me help when I confided in her at 25 weeks, I'm angry at myself for waiting 25 weeks and then not being more confident. I'm mad at my body for betraying my capabilities as a mother and derailing us before we were ever given a fair chance. Most of all, those ladies who told me I would miss being pregnant were right; I do miss it. I don't want to just be pregnant again, I want a do over with Evelyn, I miss her pregnancy.
Feeling that, and acknowledging it, tells me that I'm healing. I'm glad I'm not brushing PPD under the rug and putting on the "I'm fine" act that I normally default to. I'm working through this challenge with complete confidence that we will not be fine- we will be what I know we can be- amazing, connected, happy and loved.
Note: Please, don't tell Drew that I miss being pregnant- he will have a heart attack ;]
photo cred: Catherine Lape
photo cred: Catherine Lape
photo cred: Catherine Lape
photo cred: gianna james photography
***If you are suffering from postpartum depression, THINK that you are suffering from PPD or aren't sure what is going on with your post pregnancy body and hormones- you just feel "off"- Tell your doctor, and advocate for your body and feelings! Talk to a woman you trust- the support, reactions and shared experiences you get in return will shock you, help you and begin to heal you***
The "Me Before Kids" used to have hobbies, leisurely activities, interests...
I'm kidding. Kind of.
I still have interests, I just can't turn them into a hobby, time is not on my side with two small children. I'm totally okay with that! I love going to the park on my days off and buying bubbles when I pick up eggs and milk.
At some point in high school I had started playing pick up basketball games with a group of friends on a backyard, cement poured, court. After high school, I continued to play and in that time span, built some pretty great friendships. But fast forward 10 years and today many of us have spouses and children and careers and I have lost contact with a few of them, and don't keep in close contact with hardly any of them. They were friendships that I valued, so that's a little sad. Five years ago I found out I had moved 1 mile from one of them, John, and I was pretty excited. We don't have game night, play ball together or do any of the things we would have done together 10 years ago. I have a husband and two kids and he has a wife, a little boy and one on the way. Life just gets in the way. Lucky for me, though, this wife of his is pretty great. We are in similar seasons of life and our brains are wired to work in a similar way. I never imagined life would put us where we are, but I'm so happy to have her as a client, neighbor and, mostly, friend.
If you follow any of my life through the squares of Instagram, you know I have my hands full, and like anyone else, sometimes I have it handled.... and sometimes I don't! With baby number two coming very soon for John and Jess, she has volunteered to take Evelyn a few times, so that I can work easier or just spend time with Savannah and she can get Cooper baby ready. Recently, I've been struggling with balancing two children, my home, my business and life. Jess texted me the other night "I think I'm staying home tomorrow, do you want me to take that sweet baby for a few hours." My instinct is to say "NO- I've got this." Instead, I closed my eyes typed "yes" and hit send. And she did! The next day I dropped Ev off, ran to the bank with Sav came home, edited a session, did some laundry and started a lasagna. In three hours I did that, and I normally can't do all of that in a week. I can't say thank you enough for a little sliver of focus time and the idea for my new contractual agreement; you'll find in clause 6 where "client must offer services of childcare in order for photographer to execute post production tasks".
(I'm kidding- but momtographers, isn't that a grand idea?!)
Here's a little peak into their maternity session for baby boy number two. I was on stand-by the morning of the shoot and as soon as Cooper woke up she texted me "15 minutes". I jumped out of bed threw on jeans brushed my teeth (I think) and drove down to their house. I grabbed a few 'morning fog' shots of her and John before we departed for the Mahaney Recreation in Hemitage PA. The sun rose up behind a cloudy morning and the fog lingered a little longer to make for a calming and romantic backdrop. With gummies in my pocket I was easily Coop's BFF and we had a fun morning of chasing, laughing and compromising.
I feel so blessed to watch their family grow and share in their milestones as their photographer; and I can't wait to meet this second little boy!! Here are some of my favorites from their session.
I met Brandon and Kelly almost 10 years ago, while they were in the process of planning their wedding. Our goofy hubs' work together and their wedding may have been the first time we all hung out. Years later Brandon stole the dance floor at my wedding along side my mother-in-law and shortly after Kelly and I were experiencing our first pregnancies together. Now we are all mommies and daddies of toddlers!
I can hardly even believe that their little boy is already one! It feels like just yesterday, we were tucking him into Daddy's tool belt for his newborn photos. It's been a joy to watch Casen grow from a bump in his Mommy's belly to a spunky little one year old. He was ready to float away at his birthday session; lots of balloons, smiles and laughter and he was totally showing off! Sticking his little tongue out (which his momma said he never does) and chasing us around the "hot air balloon"! Buddy, you are smart, funny and too cute for your own good- I'd like for you slow down little man, you babies are growing up way too fast!
Happy birthday, Casen Lee! xo
Harper's Second birthday is coming up in early June so I got to spend some time with this little chick and her mama at Buhl Park on Wednesday. We had perfect natural lighting right before sunset and Harper was all for running down the paths of the park with a smile on her pretty little face.
I grew up with Harper's Mom and Dad. Jim was the first person I met, at the ripe age of 5, when my family moved to the town I grew up in. He was hanging upside down on the left over pole from a missing chain link fence that divided our properties, plopped down shouted "HI" and eventually I convinced him to play barbies with me. I met Britt shortly there after in school and growing up we shared birthdays and sleepovers and pool parties. After we were old enough to get over the middle school "clicks" [yeah, you know the ones] we became much closer, and had a great group of friends.
Jim and Britt were high school sweet hearts [and middle school, and elementary school..]; the kind that everyone knew, even as kids, would end up getting hitched someday. And sure enough [I don't know how] but someday has came and went and now they have a perfect little girl who's about to turn two!
When we first arrived at the park she was perfectly content, when my camera came out she didn't shy away and was front and center. At first, though, she couldn't figure out if I was totally crazy..
When she concluded that I was, she went right along with it!
We had so much fun making faces and running around the park.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, energy was just bursting out of her!! I was definitely wore out after an hour with this cutie, but it was totally worth it and so much fun <3
Best birthday wishes to you Harper girl, I hope "2" brings you so many fun and new things, it's amazing watching you grow!