Sunny the Dog Becomes the Best Big Sister! [Roscoe Village Newborn Photo Session]

To say I adore this family would be the biggest understatement! I met Sunny and her mom & dad at the Horner Park Farmer’s Market last spring and we got to talking after our dog’s met. My dog Emmie doesn’t love ALL dogs, but she liked Sunny and it made me quite happy! (It’s so hard to meet people as an adult and I’m so thankful for Emmie, who is often the ice-breaker!) These two are the sweetest and most genuine people I’ve met in a long time. I didn’t get their info at the farmer’s market, but I had Sunny’s name and found her on Instagram later that weekend. No shame here, I tracked her down! When Emmie DOES make friends, we need to keep them close by ;) Thus began our IG friendship! Later that summer, Ali announced Sunny was going to be a big sister & I’d been dying to photograph this gorgeous patch of wild Asters around this time. So, I asked them to model for me for a quick little sunset session, and we got the most amazing sunset. I was honored when they asked me to photograph them at home for baby girl’s newborn photos. I had the best time documenting this adorable little family of four and love watching Sunny shine in her new role. I only wish I could’ve stayed all day with them. Welcome, sweet baby girl. You’ve got the best mom, dad and fur-sister in your corner!

In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Session in Chicago With Sweetest Big Sister

Prepare yourself! I’m about to show you the most adorable newborn session with the sweetest big sister. I adore this family and was so honored to document their new addition last year. I photographed big sister, Miss Olivia, last fall & winter and she was so not into either of her sessions. I couldn’t get that girl to smile using any of my tricks, and it didn’t help that I was wearing a mask so she couldn’t really see me. Fast forward about 8 months and she was all smiles for this session, mostly! She couldn’t wait to show off her baby brother and her and I became besties ;) I didn’t want to leave this session! This family is pure sunshine to me and I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do. Especially the melt-down photo when both kids are crying! I used to not photograph these kinds of moments, or would delete them in my culling process, but now I think they’re pure gold! It’s real-life, especially with a toddler and a newborn. They’re often my favorite moments :) Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows so we can’t just show that, right?!

There's a Reason Babies are So Cute…

I’ll preface this blog post by stating that I am not a mom so I have no first-hand experience with motherhood, just auntie-hood. But most of my friends and family are moms and I know how hard it can be. I’ve seen it first-hand watching my sisters become moms. And I’ve photographed a lot of babies at this stage. The newborn stage is especially tough on moms! The lack of sleep, the navigating of finding out who this little person is and what they need. It’s all a process. But I’m convinced that’s why babies are so cute! I mean, those every-two-hour-feedings in the middle of the night… you gotta have a cute baby to look at at 3 in the morning or one might go mad from never sleeping. I am certain I would! But then again, I need a looooot of sleep!

I always try to photograph mom & dad/family first at newborn sessions so that mom and dad can relax after while I photograph baby. I tell them they’re welcome to take a nap, or just rest in a comfy chair for a bit while I take their baby’s photos. I do this for two reasons. 1. I genuinely want them to rest while they can and 2. if baby can smell mom nearby, this might make it a bit more difficult for photos as they may want to eat & eat & eat! If this isn’t baby number one, then they usually end up chasing their other babies around ;)

Mr. J’s mom ended up having an emergency C-section so her recovery was much more difficult than anticipated. But you’d never know it in their adorable family photos. I have so much respect and awe for moms of all kinds. And while Mr. J was just under two weeks new for his debut photos, he wanted to be sure he didn’t miss a thing in his new world! No sleeping for this guy! Not until the last 15 minutes of his session. But he wasn’t fussy, either. Just alert, making sure he didn’t miss anything. I loved that so much, and I loved spending time with this tiny little human. So I can only imagine how his mama feels at those 2am feedings. I think we’re all going to be great friends!

Congrats, W family! I adore you all ❤️

Baby Close-Up Details - A Must!