This is one of my very first and very favorite photos. My daughter, my first child, her deep blue eyes and sweet curly hair. (She is 8 years old now and so different!) Back then she was just beginning to pull herself up and stand. I was a new mom, amazed at how much she had changed in only months. I remember bringing her out to the backyard on a warm summer day, trying to freeze time and grab some photos before she changed any more. She kept wanting to stand and I was a nervous mama trying to give her the freedom to fall without hovering too close. I remember her crawling off the blanket I brought out... busy and adventurous even as a little one! So many memories tied into one image.
What you don't see in this image...
a new mom who did not know if she could have any more children and just wanted to enjoy every stage to the fullest. My daughter Natalie, was a welcomed surprise but her birth was traumatic at best. After a long labor, I heard words from our doctor that everyone dreads. "I'm so sorry, we need to get her out NOW." That short and emotional conversation ended with my tears and my doctor reassuring me I would be in recovery holding my baby within a half an hour. During the emergency cesarean, I tore internally and severely on both sides of the incision. Sparing the details, after saying what I thought would be a final goodbye to my husband and new baby; four hours later, I was wheeled to recovery. I was told that it was very likely I may never be able to support a full-term pregnancy again. I remember feeling instant grief and simultaneously, gratitude that I was alive and my daughter was well. But the experience shaped me as a mom and a photographer. I see so much beauty in the little moments we are given and I want to enjoy and capture as many I can!
Back to this little impromptu "mini-session" with my daughter... photographing her awakened a passion in me for preserving the details that change too quickly and doing it in a soft, simple, timeless way. My goal for each session is to make it relaxed and fun so that you can be fully present and enjoying the moment while I capture them for you!
I'm so looking forward to sharing more of your stories and mine here!