Sage Advice from Experienced Parents {Downtown Charleston In-home Newborn Session}

It is with great pleasure that I (finally) share this gorgeous family’s in home newborn session from last October. It was such a perfect morning in historic Downtown Charleston for outdoor photos of the family. This is the house they brought both their babies home to. It is such an honor to have these moments documented to tell the story of baby {T} from the very beginning.

I have included interviews with new moms in my previous blog posts, but then I thought… why leave the dads out? They can impart some wisdom and perspective to the dads-to-be. So without further ado… I present both of this lovely couple’s interviews about their session experience and any advice they can provide to new mothers AND new fathers. Make sure you scroll all the way down to see their perspectives! Enjoy!

Her motherhood story:

What were your first thoughts when you met baby {T}?

Honestly, I was in shock! He was such a precipitous arrival that we truly weren’t expecting to meet him yet! But seeing that sweet little (rather impatient) bundle of joy completely broke my heart wide open all over again He was such a fierce little peanut!

What do you hope your child will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I hope that he knows how much he was already loved before we even met him and that we wanted to capture as many early moments as we could in photos so that they could solidify our most cherished memories.

What is your favorite thing about being a mother?

My favorites just keep growing! But right now my favorite thing is learning to wear my heart on my sleeve. Loving children fully and completely is so effortless (though motherhood isn’t!); I love being able to just be in the moment & try to see the world as they do… it’s especially refreshing to experience this with a toddler in tow!

Do you have any tips/advice for mothers of newborns and toddlers? Things you wish you knew?

Honestly, I think for me the toughest part was feeling guilty about dividing my time, energy, and love and feeling as though I was betraying our oldest. In hindsight it sounds silly… His little partner in crime seems to be growing on him (and a new source of entertainment!) With that in mind, my only tips/advice would be to give yourself grace and to remember that a mother’s love-even when divided- is only greater than before

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before your session?

Yes! I was nervous that our oldest wouldn’t cooperate (the exciting newness of his little brother had apparently worn off that morning ) but naturally, Jody still managed to capture the sweetness between them!

Do you have any advice for other families preparing for an in home newborn session?

Just relax (as much as you can with a newborn and a toddler!) and let Jody work her magic.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

We love the photos and our heirloom albums! They are so precious and we can’t wait to share them with our boys as they get older.

His fatherhood story:

What were your first thoughts when you met baby {T}?

I thought “true perfection” and also “you don’t waste any time! (This was the couple’s second baby who was born after a VERY quick delivery.)

What do you hope your child will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I hope he appreciates the beginnings of the amazing bonds he has with his mother, big brother and myself.

What is your favorite thing about being a father?

Getting to watch the boys grow and develop their own personalities. They are already so different in certain ways but I’m sure the similarities with begin to show themselves as well.

Do you have any tips/advice for fathers of newborns and toddlers? Things you wish you knew?

Cherish every moment. They grow up in the blink of an eye.

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before your session?

I was not as nervous this time being the second time around. I’m always most nervous about being relaxed and letting it feel natural.

Do you have any advice for other families preparing for an in home newborn session?

As much as you can, pretend like there is not a camera there.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

The finished results. The pictures are amazing. Babies grow up to be toddlers before you know it and it is great to capture it on film before it happens.

Vendors

The chinoiserie teddy bear is DeBuci baby. The sheets are Serena & Lily. The bow swaddle was from the Beaufort Bonnet Company. Film images were taken on Fuji 400h film, developed and scanned at the FIND lab. Digital images were captured with a Canon 5D Mark IV and processed with photographers own formula using The Archetype Process profiles.