This session was such a sweet one. I met this couple when it was still just the two of them eagerly awaiting a baby. Their enthusiasm and excitement was palpable and you could just tell that their baby was going to be welcomed with so much love.
A couple of months after our first session together I got that wonderful email, saying the baby was finally here! Let me tell you, I LOVE getting that email, I LOVE getting messages from past clients saying they are welcoming another baby and that I get to meet them. It is hands down one of the most cherished parts of my job, witnessing the stories and journeys as "my" families grow.
For this session we had the luxury of a quiet studio space all to ourselves for two and a half hours. It allowed us to really slow things down and focus all our attention on capturing the magic of a new baby. It was during a break while dad was feeding baby, that we began reflecting on how wonderful and startling it can be to go from a party of two to a party of three so suddenly. It is a cliche to say that the lives of parents change completely when the first baby arrives but it's a cliche for a reason. There's truth in that statement. Their world becomes all about the new tiny human, or at least that's always my first thought. But Dad said something during that discussion, while looking down at his son with so much love and adoration on his face, that really stuck with me. He said a new baby doesn't just shift your priorities but it also means you'll never really be alone again. Marriages can end and friendships can fade, but there is a tie of blood to your child that will always be there. Its a permanent kind of relationship that impacts not only the life of the parent but also the life of the child. I don't know...its not an entirely new concept but I never really gave it much thought until that moment.
I will think about that day and those conversations for weeks to come. It was nice to have that break in the session. We just sat and talked about what it was like to be parents, what it means to be “ready” for kids, and the weight of the sacrifice and commitment that comes with being a parent and how it’s all kind of worth it when you think about it.
Believe it or not, I think conversations like those make for better photographs.