girl
“Advice to moms and dads: Cry whenever you want to cry....Feel whatever emotions you want to feel...Take every day one at a time...Your baby is stronger than you can imagine!”
Josephine snoozed through her dreamy newborn session. She mirrored the peaceful demeanor of her lovely parents. I adore accessorizing little girls with dainty headbands. With sweet little newborns, it doesn’t take much accessorizing to create a beautiful feminine photograph. Also, as you can see swaddling babies does not have to limit access to their sweet fingers and toes—those are some of the best parts of newborn photos!
What are your favorite accessories for little girls?
One of my very favorite parts of being a newborn and NICU portrait photographer is to hear from past NICU families that I have photographed. I just love when they reach out with photos and stories about the fun things they’re doing. Like they say, kids grow up SO fast! These preemies are no different! They thrive the minute they’re discharged!
Landry is no different. Here is what her family had to say. Isn’t she just a cutie?!
“ She talks of her mama often and always shares that she lives in heart and gets to live in the clouds with Jesus. She’s a true miracle... She is surrounded by 7 cousins and so much love from my family. She’s a spitfire for sure but brings us so much laughter. ”
And then there were four—four girls, that is. Mallory is the newest addition to this crew of little ladies. I adore this family. It’s been a blessing to photograph all four of these girls and to capture each of their individual personalities. I know I am in for a fun time when they book a session, and I really appreciate how they trust my vision for each of their sessions. I must add—it is such a treat when I see that they’ve printed and displayed my images all around their home! Mallory’s youngest older sister did a Baby Plan with me, so I’ve been able to photograph each one of these girls in her milestone photos. There’s something so special about getting to know families through photographing them over time.
Look at how well these girls love their newest little sister!
This little lady with the captivating smile and full head of hair is Ava! Is she not the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? Also, I don’t blame you if you’re currently searching online for her outfit in your size—can you say timeless elegance?! While we are just starting Ava’s baby plan, I’ve gotten to know her family a bit already because Miles, one of her two big brothers was also on a Baby Plan of his own! Let me tell you, this family is so much fun! They are easygoing and just wonderful in front of the camera.
Their mama is not only sweet as pie and raising some serious cuties, but she is also Dr. Haberle from Metrolina Dermatology. If you’re looking for a comprehensive dermatology practice in the Charlotte area, I cannot recommend one more highly than Metrolina. Just take a peek at Dr. Haberle’s accolades and I bet you won’t disagree with me! From skin cancer screenings and Mohs procedures to microdermabrasion and chemical peels, this office can handle all of your dermatological needs.
Okay, back to sweet baby Ava. This session was all about baby girl. It was so much fun to focus on Ava and all things girly and sweet during this session. Pearls, bows, and lace all made an appearance in her portraits. Every girl likes to play a little dress up now and again, right?
Penelope’s parents are not strangers to parenting, but they knew even before her birth that Penelope would need some extra special care upon her arrival. Her mom and dad are currently balancing care for their other children with time with Penelope in the NICU. Between daily life at home and commuting to and from the hospital, life can really fly by. Being a photographer herself, Penelope’s mother wanted to capture her daughter’s feisty personality during her NICU stay, so she welcomed a NICU session for her sweet little lady. Bundled up next to her very first octopus, here is a glimpse into the NICU journey of this little fighter and her loving parents as well as a note from her mother about Penelope’s diagnoses and how she made her grand entrance into her family of five.
We found out we were expecting and were going to do a water birth until all these unexpected things kept coming up. [There were] multiple doctor appointments with fetal medicine and cardiology. We first found out our little girl would be born with cleft—once we got settled in knowing that, we had a cardiologist appointment and we found out she had hole in [her] heart in two different spots. So being scared we put it in God's hands. We knew He could work miracles. Pregnancy was going pretty smooth other than that until 25 weeks my water ruptured and I had to rush to ER and they had to stop labor. They were able to keep baby in another week but then a turn for the worst her heart started to decel. We had to deliver 12/19/19 and she came out crying and doing great on just CPAP. Two kids at home…and traveling everyday to Charlotte to make sure I'm with my sweet Penelope too it's crazy and a roller coaster, but God is amazing and He works miracles.
There are so many options when it comes to booking a photography session. Some things that factor into your choices are timing, finances, weather, utilization of the images. The list goes on. One great opportunity for both photographers and families is booking mini sessions. There are a number of reasons to choose to book a mini session, but below are three main reasons many families choose to book this particular type of session.
Mini sessions can be a great opportunity to try on your photographer for fit without a huge commitment. You want to ensure you and the photographer are comfortable with one another—if not, the discomfort can lead to images that aren’t of great quality photos that simply don’t feel genuine.
Once you’ve determined the relationship between yourself and your photographer, you will want to examine your budget. If finances are a little tight but you really want to prioritize photos, you can book a mini session, which is typically a less expensive option. Photographers tend to book back-to-back sessions in order to accomodate more families on a particular day. The session will be shorter (around 15 to 30 minutes) and usually does not allow for outfit changes. So they are quick and painless!
Finally, sometimes you’re just not looking for an abundance of images. You may even have a very specific image (e.g., special announcement, Christmas card, pregnancy announcement) that you are looking to capture and you don’t need a gallery of 100+ images. These special situations lend themselves perfectly to mini sessions because they usually yield fewer images in the final gallery.
This sweet girl definitely made the most of her mini session! What kinds of mini sessions would you like to see from me this year?! I have a few ideas in mind but I want to hear from you!
Caroline was born premature and spent a bit of time in the NICU. Her onesie is an ode to the incredible NICU nurses she met along the way. Caroline’s parents definitely have a magic touch and managed to take a temperature, change her diaper, and pose for some sweet family photos, all without waking the baby! She did give them the sweetest smirk though!
Look how tiny she looks in her daddy’s hands! She’s already got her parents wrapped around her little preemie fingers—and toes!
Scarlett is quite the little fighter. She came into this world under one pound! Her story began as one of four quadruplets. She is the only one earth side, but her siblings—Oliver, Amelia, and Vivian—still remain a beautiful part of her family’s story. Recently, the peanut you see below has gained ‘big sister’ status to her little brother Christian, who has already had his newborn session as part of his Baby Plan membership.
Despite the hardships of a pregnancy with quadruplets that ended in preterm deliveries and spending quite some time in the NICU, Scarlett’s parents have a great sense of humor—I always enjoy my time with them. Below, Scarlett’s mother, a nurse, details her family’s journey through a pregnancy with multiples and their time in the NICU.
“We knew we would have trouble conceiving. I have PCOS as well as a bicornuate uterus. We did three rounds of IUI. Our last was successful and we were pregnant with quads. We found out we were pregnant in May. The pregnancy was moving along very easily. My husband and I were so excited, and our family and friends couldn’t even believe there were four. At my 21 week MFM appointment my water broke and the immediately sent me to the maternity unit where I stayed until the babies were delivered. It was a roller coaster from that point forward. I went into early labor and had to deliver one baby who we named Oliver. He passed away during the laboring process. We knew God had a bigger plan for him. We call him his sisters’ hero, he held on long enough to buy his sisters more time. The other three were able to hang on for another week. I ended up getting septic and had to have an emergency c-section to deliver the other three babies at 22 weeks and 2 days. One little girl we named Amelia passed away and his hanging out with her brother Oliver. The other two we named Scarlett and Vivian— sassy and feisty little girls keeping the nurses on their toes. This is not how we pictured this adventure in our lives going but we couldn’t have been in a better place. Everyone from the nurses, doctors, and support staff [were] the kindest most compassionate people we could have asked to have care for our family through this time.”
Below is a glimpse into Scarlett’s time in the NICU, on a ventilator. You also get to see a sweet moment of kangaroo care with her mother and some hand hugs with mom and dad.
Scarlett’s newborn session after NICU graduation—look how much she’s grown!
Scarlett’s spring session with the peach blossoms at Springs Farm — Scarlett is a big sister!
Scarlett turns ONE!
Baby brother Christian snoozes through his newborn session.
I was able to photograph Sarah on her day of discharge. In the NICU, we call this ‘graduation day’, which is why you see Sarah sporting the sweetest pink graduation cap.
Sarah is also pictured with her journey beads. The journey beads symbolize Sarah’s strength and endurance through the triumps and trials of the NICU. More specifically, each bead represents a procedure Sarah endured. Do you see all of those beads? That is a testament to the strength of Sarah and her family through their NICU journey.
While you see these bright-eyed photos of a family at the end of their NICU journey, Sarah’s mother beautifully recapped the start of Sarah’s life as a 24-week preemie and provided some words of wisdom for other NICU families.
Our journey to parenthood has been a very difficult one. Last October we found out that we were pregnant after 5 years of trying. We had been through a few years of fertility treatment and were finally able to complete an IUI cycle. When we got the positive test, we just held each other and laughed and cried tears of joy. We were both cautiously ecstatic as we knew this was only the beginning of a long road to a healthy baby in our arms. At our 18 week ultrasound we found out we were having a little girl but we also found out that my cervix was a little short. We started treatment for that and went back a week later, but they did not want to do anything additional just yet. We went back again one week later at 20 weeks and had to have an emergency rescue cerclage that day. I was counting down every day to that 24 week mark because I knew that gave my baby a chance at life. Everything seemed to be going well until my water broke in a bloody mess at 22 weeks & 6 days. I was devastated because I thought for sure that the baby we had always dreamed of was going to die.
She was born at 24 weeks on the dot amidst chaos as her daddy almost didn't make it to the hospital to see her be born and the NICU team was running into the doorway as I pushed her out into the world. Her birthday was nothing like we imagined it would be...it was exciting and we were full of joy but it was all overshadowed by immense and overwhelming fear and anxiety knowing that her odds were not very good at having a quality life, if she lived at all. It was the best and worst day of our life all rolled into one.
Her NICU stay has been our most difficult journey yet. She has battled with her lungs, she has had pneumonia twice, she had sepsis twice. There were a few times that we were told, it's up to her if she makes it or not now, there's nothing more we can do. There were a few days where we really didn't know if she was going to make it. It has been full of tears and heartache. But it has also been full of little wins, and triumphs, and joy/pride in watching her grow. She is a true miracle from God....our baby girl was meant to be here and she has fought to stay here.
Over this whole journey the biggest thing I would want other parents to know is to take it one day at a time. My husband and I have made this our new life motto...and that is how we survived. ONE DAY AT A TIME. Focus on today's challenges/worries/joys and don't get overwhelmed by the unknowns of the future. Doctors don't know everything, there is no exact science in how things will turn out for your baby. Your baby is a fighter...and you have to learn to be one too. You have to be there for your baby and advocate because at the end of the day that is the best way for you to care for them during their time in the NICU...advocate and be there for your baby. You will know them better than anybody and it is important that they have that voice in their care.
“I couldn’t become pregnant with my husband so we were seen by doctors at REACH and the doctors were able to help me become pregnant with in vitro and we were so excited to finally have a baby!
My water broke at 24.5 weeks and was admitted to the hospital. Tatiana was born 4 days later at 25.2 weeks. She’s the light of our lives and we love her very much!
Being in the NICU is very difficult emotionally and physically, the best advise I can give is to take this journey one day at a time. God is in control, pray every day for your baby, the nurses and the doctors!”
This ‘little lady’ has endured a lot in her first 11 weeks of life, but she is growing and making new developments daily. Growing is hard work for preemies, and Tatianna snoozed through our session!
‘When I found out I was expecting I was…in shock!’
Immaleigha’s mother was surprised by her pregnancy and had quite the bumpy road to Immaleigha’s premature arrival.
‘I was very scared but prayed my way through it all and baby girl is here…Life since birth feels great. Mommy mode instantly kicked in. I can’t believe I have a baby girl. What I always wanted’
While she had all that she’d always wanted, it was hard for Immaleigha’s mother to leave the hospital without her sweet baby girl. While in the NICU she gained some wonderful wisdom on life with a baby in intensive care: ‘I would tell other moms and dads to remain humble keep their faith, it is not over!’ Pictures of Immaleigha have helped her mother to cope with this experience. She loves being able to look back at photos to remind herself of her baby’s progress when the NICU journey feels challenging.
“I would tell other moms and dads to remain humble keep their faith, it is not over!”
Immaleigha might be tiny, but she is not lacking in accessories. Dressed in floral, adorned in bows, and she is even flaunting the tinyest purse! While the pregnancy and her early arrival may have been a surprise, these doting parents are clearly so in love with their little lady.
32 Weeks • 3 Pounds 7 Ounces
“Twins do not run in our families, so we were shocked to hear we were pregnant with spontaneous twin girls.
The pregnancy was going great with no complications until week 30. My blood pressure started to rise but the doctors kept telling us that everything looked great and we could expect to delivery closer to 36-38 weeks.
Week 32 hit and we learned I had severe preeclampsia and fluid on my lungs. When we went to the hospital we were told the goal was to stay pregnant for at least 2 more weeks, but as more tests were done, the goal changed to staying pregnant 2-3 days and ultimately our twins would be born immediately.
We had the twins via emergency c-section less than 24 hours after going to the nurse triage for what we thought was a simple checkup. It has been a hard road for me as the mom because my body clearly failed the girls and couldn’t carry them any longer, but thanks to our faith in the Lord and the greatest friends and family, we’ve stayed strong and are determined to bring home 2 healthy girls as soon they are ready!”
29 Weeks • 2 Pounds 11 Ounces
“I have always wanted to be a mom... I started babysitting when I was 12 years old and was a live-in nanny during the summers while I was in college.
I always thought it would be easy to get pregnant and that I would have a picture perfect pregnancy, delivery, etc. Well, I was certainly in for a surprise! It took us almost a year to get pregnant, then I had a pretty tough pregnancy and ended up going into pre-term labor at 25 weeks. I was in the hospital for 4 days (during Christmas) then was sent home on bed rest.
I was home for 3 weeks and went back into labor at 28 weeks and found out I was 2cm dilated when I got to the hospital. I was given another round of steroid shots and magnesium. We found out I had a partial abruption and the baby could come within hours. I was only 28 weeks and completely terrified! I accepted I was going to be in the hospital for the long haul and prayed my baby girl would hold on a little bit longer...
I ended up making it 6 more days in the hospital and then my daughter decided to make her debut. I had a c-section (the spinal did not work, so I unfortunately felt the entire thing- ouch!). Piper came out a fighter and has been powering through her NICU stay.
This has been an emotional rollercoaster, but each day gets better knowing we are closer to bringing her home!”
25 weeks 1 day • 1 pound 10 ounces
"Logann was a surprise from day one. We weren’t “planning” on having another child as we have 3 and lead a fairly active life. The day I found out was a whirlwind of disbelief and honestly, some fear as I questioned if I would be able to have energy and the ability to give everyone what they needed.
Logann is teaching me many new lessons on a daily basis about love, strength, and that it’s ok to take it slowly. I’ve never been one for extreme patience but this sweet girl has a tremendous amount of strength and overall guiding me through this journey of patience and love."
“I daydream and long for the day this sweet girl comes home and joins what I affectionately refer to as our circus of love and shenanigans. Logann (Tiny Might) is part of a big beautiful and loving family which includes her sister Lilee(8), Liam (6), Lyla (3), Mom, Dad, and two 100 pound pound labs.”
Born at 31 weeks, weighing 3 pounds 14 ounces
“Morgan was born at 31 weeks due to my uterus rupturing unexpectedly, causing me to have an emergency c section. It was a very scary and very painful morning! Never did we expect our baby to come early! We did not know the gender of the baby. We already have a little girl and we were so excited when my husband announced that it was a girl! My original due date was 10/25, Morgan came on 8/25. She is now almost 8 weeks old. She had a rough start because she had pnuemothorax causing her to have 2 chest tubes. Though I feel like we are living in GroundHog's day, time does seem to be passing quickly. Every day is a challenge since we also have a 2 year old at home that we are taking care of as well while also wanting to be at the hospital as much as possible. Since being in the hospital, I now know way more than I should know about babies! We have met so many great nurses that have really become friends. At 5 weeks, a baby was placed next to Morgan and quickly we become friends with that family. The other mom, Jackie, and I now rock our babies everyday while we sit and chat. We think Morgan and baby Nolan will be lifelong friends!! Morgan is doing great and getting stronger everyday, we sure hope that she is out soon and comes home to us soon!”
Audrey hit the streets of Savannah, Georgia for her sitter session. We strolled along the beautiful streets near the picturesque squares full of gorgeous greenery, landscaping, and architecture. Even in the hustle and bustle of busy Saturday morning crowds, we were able to capture some beautiful images of Audrey. The perfectly manicured parks, trolleys, horse-drawn carriages, and spanish moss make Savannah, Georgia a dream location for a photographer!
I met Charlee on a beautiful spring day. One of my favorite parts about meeting her was the drive down a long dirt road to her house. Most homes I visit in the Charlotte area are in neighborhoods with homes side by side, but Charlee's home is at the end of a gravel road without a neighbor in sight. I always grew up in a neighborhood, so being away from the city is always refreshing to me.
Charlee was born weighing a dainty 5 pounds 9 ounces. She did wonderful at her in-home newborn session and is such a sweet baby. Her big brother is still getting used to not being the star of the show, but I think he secretly loves his baby sister.
Charlee came to join her big sister Madison in February of this year. She rocked her newborn session and I couldn't be happier with the results! What do you think? She has a head full of hair and looks so much like her big sister, Madison. I just can't even handle how sweet Madison is holding her little sister.
Charlee's neutral grey nursery with pink accents was the perfect backdrop for her family photos. If you know me, you know I'm all about white, ivory, and blush, especially when it comes to newborn photography. A little grey never hurts either!
Meet Leah! She's quite adorable, and so are her sisters. This newborn session was so much fun and included a surprise visit from Leah's dad! Mom didn't know he was coming home and she was brought to tears when he walked in the door, just in time for a few photos. Newborn photos are such a special time, and I hate when Dads have to miss out and go back to work. I'm so glad he made it to this session because this family wouldn't be complete without him!
