Lincoln Park Family Welcomes Third Baby!

I’ve had the privilege of photographing this beautiful family several times over the years! Two newborn sessions and family sessions mixed in. This tiny little peanut was SO smiley. We rolled with the punches on this session. We had a mix-up in scheduling and I showed up when Mom wasn’t expecting me until the next week! Note to moms: reconsider emailing from the hospital in the early morning hours just after having your baby to schedule things! 😆 They rallied and got the older kiddos ready while I started with this little lady and she put on a show with all the smiles and sleepiness. She was the sleepiest baby I’d had in quite a while. Even though it was chaos at the very beginning since they weren’t expecting me, it all worked out and we made some beautiful photos for this family that I love and appreciate so much. They say adding a third is easier than adding a second and you’re seasoned pros by the time #3 arrives - has that the case for you?! This family made it look like it this day for sure!

I’m crazy behind on blogging so this little lady is actually well over a year old now and I can’t wait to see them all for their family session this fall and see how much she’s grown! My favorite part about photographing your families over the years is watching your family grow up. It makes me feel like an extended auntie!

The People We're Meant to Meet in This Life

People come into our lives for a reason. I wholeheartedly believe this and while I won’t go into the personal details, I was meant to meet this family. I met them a handful of years ago when I photographed their first-born. They had me back this year to photograph baby brother and in between we’ve both lost our fur babies. I adored them when I met them years ago, but this session was full of more hugs than ever, good conversation, some tears and an impromptu lunch after their session. My heart was so full from this one and I’ll be forever grateful to the S fam for having me back to photograph their family. It was such a perfect day!

Including Big Brother or Big Sister in Newborn Photos

Bringing a newborn home is daunting. Bringing a newborn home with a toddler - phew, buckle up! It’s a HUGE adjustment for everyone, but big siblings go from being the star of the show to having to share the spotlight in an instant. There can be big feelings and big meltdowns when life becomes all about the new baby; it can be tough for them. When people show up asking first to see the baby, and only focus on the baby, it makes them feel even more left out. (It’s kind of like that with moms also… Don’t get me started on the lack of support for moms, though.) I go into newborn sessions with older siblings SO excited for them. I go out of my way to talk to them first, get down on their level, play with them, etc. Then I ask them to show me their baby sister or brother. I show them images we’re making and ask for their help with holding feet/hands, making silly faces to get mom or dad to smile, wrapping the baby, etc. They want to feel like they’re part of the process, and this usually gets more participation. A win for all of us! I also can’t forget my silly noises, which works for getting genuine laughs & smiles from parents too as well as some head tilts from fur siblings. Animal noises of all kinds work and raspberries or toots, especially with little boys, are my go-to’s! Playing games with the noises also usually results in some cute moments - asking them what sound does a dog make, but making a “mooooo” noise before they respond, and asking if that was right, is always a hit!

Photographing kids requires a lot of patience and can definitely be challenging. But I get to act like a kid with them, be silly and just have fun. I often wish that my job was 100% photographing and 0% business because these moments make my “job” feel more like fun than work.

This session was so fun and I made a new friend! Big brother was such a joy to photograph and we became best buds. HIs mom still texts me that he asks about me and that makes me incredibly happy!