I say all the time that I have the best job in the world - and there are so many reasons that I feel that way.
Baby snuggles are a really big perk :) Watching your children and families grow is another huge bonus. But one thing I really love, that I haven't talked about a whole lot, is that I get to meet families of all shapes and sizes. Some families are tiny and brand new. Some are blended. Some are quite large with various age gaps and I just love that I get to witness how each family interacts. Bringing home a new baby changes EVERYTHING - and every family, every sibling, handles that differently. And I LOVE that I get to capture that.
That's where this sweet family comes in. <3 Meet Lee. Isn't he the cutest?! He has just joined these 6 amazing people and he is already so loved. 6 wonderful people to love him, right here in his own home. The biggest perk of lifestyle sessions: you don't have to go anywhere! I come to you. No getting shoes on everybody, no packing a diaper bag, no snacks to pack. You can be comfortable, in your element, and the backdrop has already been created by you, so I know you'll love it. Sometimes people think their house isn't photo session ready. I ask, do you live there? And when they say yes, I say, then it's ready. You don't have to deep clean your home for a lifestyle session. I do ask that you de-clutter. So, shove it in a closet, doesn't matter to me! These lifestyle sessions - in baby's nursery, or the master bedroom, or the living room - wherever you like to be are so intimate and special. They are what make the session uniquely you and that makes it perfect.
Speaking of perfect... each one of these children... they did so well for this session. Life with children is chaos, no matter how many you have, let's be honest! But these 4 handled all of the commotion with such grace. Big brother and big sisters each wanted their turn to be with Lee by themselves. It was so sweet to watch them as the proud responsibility spread across each little face!
I don't know everything, but I do know this little man is going to be well cared for.
One thing that I really enjoy about these lifestyle sessions is that there is time to let big brothers and big sisters get comfortable in their own environment where they feel safe, and they are able to explore the session at their own pace. Sometimes little ones aren't very thrilled with their new baby and they need time to get used to a stranger being in their home on top of that as well. Children can also be obsessed with the new little one which is great, but they can also feel indifferent that baby is even here. All of these emotions are 100% normal and I see a variation of them all the time. But that's what makes lifestyle sessions so great. There's not a lot of posing, no forcing to smile-just snuggles. And who doesn't love snuggles?! (Sometimes toddlers don't! But I'll get to that another day. That's a whole post in and of itself haha!)
It didn't take much coaxing at all to get these 7 to snuggle up though! I love it when I see families that just genuinely love to be together. It makes my job easy.
Congratulations, Madison & Dusty on your new little family of 7! And thank you for allowing me into your home, if only for a short time, to capture all of the love that's there. It's perfect.