When creating newborn portraits I love capturing new parents. Yes, newborns are adorable - God's gift of pure love and innocence - but there is nothing like growing a family . . . by two feet :) I work hard to get perfect, gentle, timeless portraits like the black and white you will see if you scroll down.... but it is true that new parents can be a bit nervous and think they have to smile for... everything. The portrait below? Well, definitely NOT what I was going for....
While it isn't the perfect portrait to some, it also is to new parents. It captures what every day is about to look like for this new family! It's full of unplanned events, laughter, and mistakes. It's full of "oops!" and slowing down for your new addition. Babies tend to have a timeline of their own and sometimes they are up for extra activities and sometimes they're not. Sometimes they're cooing and taking in all their surroundings while walking downtown Charleston, SC, and sometimes they're crying and just want to be in the comfort of home. It's a brand new life. . . and a beautiful one at that.
Seeing newborns is nothing new. It's a beautiful thing to have a family grow and to see a perfect combination of the one you love is one of life's biggest blessings. To love someone so much almost seems impossible until you have that little one depending on you and smiling in their sleep up at you. It's amazing how your voice alone can calm down your baby and dad becomes putty in their palms. You spend months preparing for the little one by getting clothes from Kids on Kings and Crescent Moon that you can't wait to dress your baby in . . . then you focus on the nursery and purchase the crib, dressers, bouncers, and more from places like Under the Almond Trees or Lowcountry Baby Boutique. Who knew a baby needed so much??? It's fun to pick out things that you think will match their personality and your home! What will they look like? What hair color will they have? What color eyes? It's months of preparation and then before you know it - they're here! It's a fun and exciting time. You want to document every minute of it because they're already growing. Their eye color is changing from that grey they once where . . . they're starting to plump up a little bit and gain weight! You no longer have a baby that seems to fit into the crease of your arm. It's such a stressful time but at the same time, beautiful. You never forget the first time you fed them. The first time you changed them. The first time they slept for longer than an hour!
While you may never forget . . . it is fleeting. These moments will be over before you know it. They'll be running around Lucas Park or taking ballet lessons at Dance Conservatory of Charleston. Maybe instead of going out for dinner on Saturdays at OPAL, you're getting up earlier for a soccer game at West Ashley Park. Life looks a little different for a short while. You only get so many years of the baby time. The cuddles, cooing, and excitement from rolling over on their own will disappear before you know it. Capturing those moments is priceless because you aren't going to be able to get them back. They're only a baby once.
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