“She's got everything delightful
She's got everything I need
A breeze in the pines in the summer night moonlight
Crazy in the sunlight yes indeed”
—”Sugar Magnolia” by The Grateful Dead
Nothing makes me happier than getting to do an in-home newborn session with a family who hired me for birth photography. Being witness to the birth of a baby is such an incredible experience that leaves me feeling a special bond with that tiny soul for their entire lives. So getting to see them again all settled into their home with their family in those first weeks of life is so lovely and heartwarming.
I hadn’t been to this family’s home prior to their newborn photo session, and was filled with calm as I entered their warm, bright, and inviting Maplewood, Missouri home. From the living room to the nursery, there were so many lovely details that made the whole space feel earthy and cozy and instantly gave me a sense of who they are.
We started the session in the nursery, where I found baby Magnolia dressed only in a diaper. Her mama snuggled and adored her and we got a few shots of her in her bassinet with all that beautiful newborn skin showing (because a naked baby is the best kind of baby). Then her mama ever-so-gently pulled a beautiful magnolia-covered gown over baby Magnolia’s sweet little head.
Those details of dressing and changing baby are some of my favorite to document as they really capture the feeling of that fleeting time in a parent’s life. Sometimes it can feel like a whole day was spent snapping and unsnapping onesies. In this case, she changed Magnolia one more time, into a simple, sleeveless, white onesie, and then we joined daddy in the living room.
It’s so beautiful to see how new parents simultaneously fall madly in love with their new baby and also fall even more in love with their partner than they ever imagined they could. Watching your partner fall in love with this tiny person that you created together is such a magical experience and can make you see them in a whole new way.
So photographing the mutual adoration of parent and child and partner is full of so much tenderness and I feel such a fondness for the whole family. (Dogs included — who are themselves feeling a mixture of confusion, jealousy, excitement, and protectiveness with a new addition to their family unit).
It’s always fun to head to mom and dad’s bed for some family snuggles and the dogs were invited up for some cuddles, too. Again, the warm, earthy vibe of their space made for dreamy pictures of this gorgeous little family. You can just feel the love overflowing in that room.
Magnolia’s nursery is connected to her mom and dad’s room, so we popped back over to that sweet space for a few more photos of the family together. Plus, some of each of them admiring their tiny little love, and a few of mama nursing her baby, too.
This really was one of my favorite newborn sessions to date — so full of love and warmth and playful tenderness.
If you’re expecting a little love and this looks like your idea of a way to keep those newborn memories forever, get in touch and we can set up an in-home session for you, too!