I didn't love being a newborn mum.
That might sound bizarre coming from a newborn photographer, but hear me out.
Having a newborn is hard. When my first baby was born, I really didn't enjoy the first few months. I'd wanted this more than anything, it was everything I'd ever hoped for, what we'd spent two years working towards and longing for, and I loved it (and him) more than my life. I just didn't really enjoy it.
Did you know that when you book a newborn photography session with me, whether in my Te Awamutu photography studio or at your own home, we plan EVERYTHING to be perfect for your family and your home? The colours, the styles, the overall feel, the props… If you've seen cute photos you like, and wonder who came up with the ideas and colours for them, the answer is simple - we do it together!
Nothing is quite as life-changing as having your first baby. No matter how prepared you think you are, nothing can fully prepare you for the moment you hold your new baby and feel like you hold the whole world in your arms. Your life suddenly has a new focus, and it's like a part of your heart is walking around outside of your body.
So much of what you read about preparing for a new baby is focused on the practical side of things, and on all the things you "need" to buy. Those can be pretty fun to plan for and shop for, but to me, they barely even scrape the surface of the things that really matter.
This is what I wish I'd been told about what to expect, and how to cope with and get the most enjoyment from the crazy, precious, exhausting, challenging, rewarding, frustrating and completely amazing experience of becoming a parent.
What a year 2017 has been! I've met so many wonderful people, seen so many new parents created, had the privilege of capturing so many fleeting newborn moments, and laughed with, chased, played with and photographed so many fun-filled, full of life families.
Here are a few of my favourite moments from the year.
Life happens. Remember when you thought that you’d have hours to spend gazing at your baby, playing peekaboo and gurgling to each other, while your house gleamed with cleanliness and your dinner roasted in the oven? How did that work out for you?!
It is easy to let the moments slip away while you are busy just getting by. You realise a couple of weeks have gone by and you haven’t taken a single photo. Then you try to make up for it, and take 50 photos of her in the same spot, doing the same thing.
A photo a day project can be just the push you need to get you out of playing catch up, and into taking the photos that will mean the most to you in twenty years' time.
This family won their newborn photo shoot in my New Year Newborn competition. They wrote such a heartfelt entry themselves, and also had so many of their friends and family submit an entry on their behalf. This entry from one of their close friends sums up why they were chosen and what a wonderful family they are better than I could say myself!
Like most families waiting for their first child, Bailey’s parents were incredibly excited but also a little scared! One of the highlights of newborn photography for me is talking to people during their pregnancy and hearing about their hopes and dreams, and then watching them slot into the role of parents as if they had always known how. There are so many little ways the bond between them is visible, and for me, Bailey’s tiny fingers clinging on to her dad’s hard working, capable hands sums it up in one photo.
