Newborn Photography: The Biggest Regret of my Life
I’ll admit, I was never that mom who loved being pregnant. I envy those women. I was miserable, hot, tired of being tired, tired of not feeling beautiful, and I couldn’t wait to get that baby out and get my body back! But I wanted to freeze those final moments of mom and dad in a beautiful way before our lives changed forever and we became a family. I wanted to remember those last moments of anticipation and excitement- and I am so glad I did. We hired a great photographer, our images were beautiful, and I FELT more beautiful than in any other moment of my pregnancy.
But I never scheduled newborn pictures. And I wish I would have. This is one of the absolute biggest regrets of my life. By the time we came home, I was so exhausted and overwhelmed with trying to find my way in the world of mommy-hood with a baby who seemed to cry non-stop, that I literally never once thought about newborn photographs. All I could think about was “oh my gosh will she ever sleep?”
Looking back now, I am honestly brought to tears thinking that I don’t have even ONE beautiful photograph of my new baby. I guess I didn’t realize I should have scheduled these before birth, and how much I would miss not having them. I have some really terrible cell phone shots, that of course weren’t even good enough to print. And while I love them because it’s all I have, I would never ever want someone to be like me- looking back with regrets. So. Many. Regrets. And while I can’t go back in time and get a re-do on those photographs, I CAN help other moms to not have those same regrets.
Your baby is only a newborn once.
You will not get this time back, and it will be gone before you know it.
When we heard that our cousin Dana and her husband, Chris, were expecting, we were thrilled at the news and couldn’t wait to meet that new bundle of joy! It was so exciting watching her belly grow, and my goodness she was just the epitome of grace through her pregnancy! We could not wait to meet that little boy or girl (and they didn’t want to know the gender of the baby, so it was even more exciting!). We were counting down the days!
As Dana’s due date drew nearer, I considered what to give her for her baby shower. Those receiving blankets won’t last forever, those clothes will soon be outgrown and stained with the mishaps of life. Even personalized knick-knacks often end up stored away in the attic. Dana and Chris have always been so supportive, caring, and kind to everyone, and I wanted to really give them something meaningful to commemorate their growing family. I know how important this moment in time is, I know how fast it slips away, and I know how hard and exhausting it is to think about getting photographs done when you are a new mom. I wanted to take the stress out of it for them by giving them a shower gift they would never forget: newborn photography.
Quinn arrived Sunday, February 19, 2017. Beautiful, healthy, and perfect as can be, and with the most unbelievably kind-hearted parents I have ever met. Dana and Chris deserve nothing but the best as they embark on this new adventure.
Seven days later once everyone was home and settled in, I packed up a traveling studio and set up in Chris and Dana’s living room to make some magic happen. It is such an amazing feeling to get to hold those new babies! I am always honored when anyone puts their trust in me with their new baby. Like seriously, amazing.
Quinn was an angel for his shoot, only a few little cries here and there, but he was so easily calmed down. We were able to get quite a variety of shots and lots of different looks. He is an absolute miracle. (He is also an excellent night time sleeper FYI, which is great news for mom!)
I am beyond happy to give this gift to them. These will be photographs that will be looked back on time and time again with each new birthday, new milestone, when Quinn starts school, and graduates, when he gets married, and when he has babies of his own. These photos will be passed down for generations, and looked at with awestruck faces of new generations of toddlers saying “are you sure that is great grandpa?” And they will be cherished.
It is amazing to give the gift of time.
While I know I can’t really freeze time, I know everyone has a moment in their life they wish they could revisit. And babies grow so fast! While I can’t make your babies stop growing, I can give you something to bring those memories back with clarity. Each image is created from a mere fraction of a second in time, but it can bring you back to that moment time and time again, so you can revisit as often as you like. It’s truly an amazing thing.
I hope each new mama takes the time to book a newborn session in advance before the craziness of motherhood takes over. I hope you all have remarkable photos to cherish for years to come. And mostly, I hope that you never say the words “I regret that I didn’t.”
Exist in memories.
Exist in beauty.
Exist in photographs.
-AJ
To get information on booking a session, Contact the studio online or at 330-565-4545
