baby 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?
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.
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!
Kayla is another dear friend of mine! I grew up with Kayla, running around the streets of Wexhurst, sliding down her playroom stairs on a mattress, and bouncing for hours on end on her trampoline. We have so many memories together from childhood to rooming together at Clemson. It's amazing that we've been friends for long and it has been fun seeing where life has taken her.
Kayla's first pregnancy was exciting, to say the least! Miss Lula Kate surprised Kayla a little later in her pregnancy than most moms. Kayla was more than thrilled to find out she was pregnant, and now she's totally in love with her new little angel baby.
Speaking of angels, Lula Kate slept like one during her session! She was alert for some photos too, which I am not mad about. Alert babies can make for some really cute photos, as long as they're not crying of course. Check out the photos of Lula in the pearl necklace! I think she looks just precious, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed!
I'm excited to see Lula Kate grow into a little person and watch Kayla and Jim learn the tricks of being parents. Lula is already loved by so many!
