Niles Michigan Birth Photographer - Baby C's Birth Story

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When I first met Momma T, I was so excited for two reasons: 1) she was a super awesome human and 2) she was having a home birth! For some reason, in our area, birth photography largely happens in the hospital (which is kind of backwards from many other areas). So when I found out I was going to be shooting a home birth, I was incredibly excited! As I got to know this sweet family, it became obvious that this was going to be an amazing birth.

The family of four was team green, meaning they didn't know what gender baby #3 would be. Big sister was pretty set on having a little sister but little brother...well, I don't think he cared much. When I arrived, it seemed that everyone felt confident that we would be welcoming a girl into the world soon. I was so impressed with mom's concentration and calm throughout her long early labor and I loved watching her breathe through contractions as her kids played around her, like nothing exciting was even going on. These thoughtful parents also gave their oldest daughter a camera for her to document the birth from her perspective (can I admit that I geeked out over this a little?). Once early labor passed into active and transition, stuff got real pretty quickly. Once mom got into the birth pool, it was just a matter of time! Momma T's doula and midwife was so supportive and amazing and helped talk her through her sunny-side-up baby who took a little extra effort to bring into the world.

And guess what? It was a BOY! Just scroll through this beautiful gallery below and see if you can pick out which image showcases mom finding out she was holding her new son. I am so grateful for this family inviting me into their home and into this intimate and emotional experience as they welcomed a baby boy, also their rainbow baby, into this world. What an incredible moment!

Fresh 48 Newborn Session at Memorial Hospital - South Bend, Indiana

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I am so behind on my session shares! So lets flash back allllll the way back to Baby B whose birth I was so blessed to be able to capture. I also got to come back and capture the meeting of his big brother and what a sweet moment that was. I have no doubt that these two boys are going to grow up to be the best of friends...and cause lots of anxiety for their momma ;) #boymom

Baby Bodie's Fresh 48 Newborn Pictures in Elkhart, Indiana

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Welcome to the world Bodie Alan! First, I need to say how much I adore his name. He's the second Bodie I've had this year and I just think it's the cutest and coolest little boy name. Second, Bodie Alan also happens to be the son of two of our very best friends (and the parents of my daughter's best girl friend). I always feel so blessed to be included in my friends' babies' first days earthside and this one was even more special because I got to capture the bond between him and his sister. 

Bodie was tiny like his sister, weighing in at just 5lbs 13oz but that didn't put a damper on his handsome! He was also long awaited for by his maternal grandparents; they had four granddaughters which made Bodie their first grandson. This little dude will have his work cut out for him with all of those ladies to grow up with, but I have no doubt he will be a tough guy Harley junky just like his daddy. I can't wait to capture the rest of this sweet boy's milestones throughout the year.

Baby Lindsay's Fusion Film - Goshen Birth and Newborn Photographer / Goshen Birth and Newborn Photography

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Sweet baby Lindsay Cole. Even her name radiates warmth and beauty. She surprised us all (none more than her mom and dad of course) by arriving over five weeks early. While she has faced some health challenges in this first chapter of her life, her strength and resilience continue to shine through. And that is to say nothing of her parents who might just be the most genuinely loving people I have had the pleasure of meeting. Despite set backs and unexpected turns, they persevere with smiles and affection for their new daughter. I was so happy that we were able to squeeze in a low-key Fresh 48 session while baby was feeling up to it; I hope that this video will bring a smile on the tough days and will be cherished in the years to come. While Baby Lindsay continues to grow stronger, my prayers stay with her, her parents and her sisters. 

Newborn Photography in South Bend and Michiana - Leila's Newborn Session

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I had a blogging fail. After scrolling through my old blog posts, I realized that while I released a sneak peek for Baby Leila's newborn session, I never posted the full gallery!!! And seriously, what a total shame that would be to let it go unseen because this baby girl and her family are simply gorgeous.

And so, even thought baby Leila is coming up on her 6 month milestone session (what?!), here is her completely lovely newborn session...

Indiana Birth Photographer / Indiana Birth Photography - Taking Your Own Amazing Newborn Pictures

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I am the first to admit that I literally had to go out and buy a new iPhone with more storage when my daughter was first born. Why? Because I took approximately 236 pictures of her a day. When you first bring baby home and you're SO excited and SO proud that you created this beautiful, perfect little creature, there is no stopping a momma's shutter finger! With that in mind, we also want to get the best pictures we can with our limited camera phones so here are some tips...

Don't Skip the Professional Newborn Images

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If it is in the budget, I still encourage you to get these done professionally. Whether it is a Fresh 48 (pick me! pick me!) or an in-home newborn session, invest in it. You will never regret having those professional photos of your beautiful new baby.

Get the Details

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I would venture to say that there are few things more beautiful than the tiny, intricate details of a newborn. From their squishy cheeks, to dimpled chins (just look at that little guy above), to their perfect little toes, don't miss those shots! Make sure to get creative here and notice your light and your perspective when taking these images. Don't take 12 pictures from the same exact spot, use some variety and move your phone around then delete the ones that are less than favorable (or just upgrade to a larger storage plan on the cloud and keep them all...like me...sigh).

Tell Your Story

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Use your surroundings to tell your baby's story. Even the newest of babies has their quirks and habits and you never want to forget about those. Make sure to reach beyond the beautiful details of your baby's face, fingers and toes and tell the story of your life as it is right now (messy house and all).

Use Your Light

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Unless you are catching that amazing first smile or some other fleeting moment, use all of this newborn sleepiness and down time to make sure you get the best picture possible. Natural window light is your best option so make sure baby is placed somewhere that the soft light hits their sweet faces just right. Embrace the shadows and use it to play up some of those features! Don't be afraid to move yourself or baby to get the most flattering angle.

And probably the most important tip...

Get. In. The. Frame.

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I get it, ladies, I do. You just had a baby. You may not be feeling your most attractive (although you totally should because there is nothing more radiant than a powerful woman who just spent nine months growing a human and then battled for hours to bring said human into the world but I digress...). At this point in time, you are quite literally the sun to this newborn's world. You provide safety, comfort, companionship, food and never-ending love. Capture that. Don't let these moments slip away. Because let me assure you, you will blink and suddenly this tiny baby who once fit in the palms of your hands will have to fold themselves into impossible positions to fit in your lap...if they even let you cuddle them for that long anymore! This time with your baby is irreplaceable and both you and your baby will want these pictures to exist years down the road. So hand the phone over to dad and tell him to click away, because you are the friggin' sun! 

Granger Newborn Photographer + Family Photographer: Family of Five

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When a family grows and a new baby is brought into the equation, everything suddenly changes. Sometimes this looks like loving chaos. And sometimes, every now and then, it just look meant to be. That is how this newborn/family session with the N family went. Their family grew to a total of five, with the oldest sibling being only five. What should, in theory, be utter craziness was just so loving, comfortable and fun. 

From the minute I got there, the kids were excited to show what great big siblings they were to their new baby brother. Between helping mom feed baby to taking turns holding him, they were absolute naturals. Once Baby was settled and in full blown momma-milk coma, it was upstairs for story time with Dad. I loved how into the story both the older kiddos got; complete with singing and shaking their booties (and yes, I got that on video - which I can't wait to share down the road! Stay tuned.). 

After stories was crafts. Mom wanted to do a fun family canvas with little hand and feet prints to go underneath. This ended up as such a fun project for the kids, and even though Mr. Toddler decided to taste some paint and also decorate his jeans and feet, the final product was super cute. This was such a fun session and I feel so lucky to have been a part of their morning!

Granger Birth, Newborn and Family Photographer - The Specialist

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When you have a cold, do you go to the dermatologist? When you want a perfectly prepared steak, do you go to a baker? When you want to learn about literature, do you go to a science teacher? The answer to all of these questions is simply: no. 

In almost every field of work, there are specialists.

These are the people who focus their training and attention on a specified area of work or interest in order to be the best in that field. Yet for some reason, this just doesn't seem to be the case in photography. Many times, photographers market themselves as a "jack of all trades"; they do weddings, engagements, newborns, families, events. You want it, they'll make it happen. And while this may seem appealing, I just can't get on board with it. 

I don't want to be "pretty good" at everything, I want to be exceptional at something I love.

My passion lies in families. I love families. I love their dynamics, their complete and total uniqueness. I love the story of life. I think that families are often under-appreciated and overlooked and I strive to put a stop to that and showcase the absolute beauty of families. This is why I specialize in birth photography and family photography. 

To me, the growth of a family is a new chapter and often one of the most important ones. Birth, fresh 48's and in-home family sessions allow me to focus entirely on what I love and offer skills and experience to you that maybe a "jack of all trades" doesn't have. When I spend every single session out of studio, in unique homes, with unique families, I am constantly learning how to better capture the lives in front of me. This constant practice lets me grow continuously which in turn, means stronger and more priceless images for you. You don't deserve pictures that are "pretty good." You deserve pictures that are captured by a specialist whose love, passion and practice is right where you are: in the heart of your family. 

Michiana Birth and Newborn Photographer - Leila's Fresh 48 Fusion Film

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(Siiiigh). I could watch this every single day - and it's not even my family! I am so in love with fusion films! Obviously, I'm crazy about what photographs offer in terms of capturing and saving memories but fusion films truly take it to another level. Having video to help document your life's moments will bring a smile to your face instantly. No matter how little the moment may seem (like this little gal's sneeze half way through, or Dad marveling at her holding his finger), having that to look back on forever is amazing. Thanks again to Leila's family for allowing me to be a part of these next 11 months!

Granger Newborn Photographer - Leila's Fresh 48 Full Gallery

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This session was the stuff that dreams are made of! I mentioned in the sneak peek post how excited I was to share this story with you and now is my chance! When Momma K and I first spoke, I was thrilled that she wanted to do the "Chapter One" package. Nothing makes me happier than getting to watch babies and families grow throughout their first year of life. Plus, knowing she had three beautiful kiddos at home that would undoubtedly be involved in the sessions was just like the icing on the cake. But what I didn't know was how amazing her kids are, but more on that later.

When I first arrived at the hospital for Leila's Fresh 48, I didn't even know if baby was a boy or girl. Mom was happily bonding with baby while Dad was on a Starbucks run (come on, Mommas, we all know that we craved that the minute after things calmed down) and I saw the pink swaddle. Not that she needed it because one look at Leila and you knew she was a baby girl; she's gorgeous. When Dad arrived with coffee in hand and we waited for their three older kiddos, they shared their story...

Six years ago on February 1st, Momma K and Daddy E's first baby girl passed away due to Congenital Heart Defect (CHD). Baby Leila was born on January 31st. If there was ever a moment that was bitter sweet, this was it. It was without a doubt that Baby Leila was a true gift of comfort and beauty straight from God. As I watched Momma K with her new daughter, it was obvious that her earlier words from our consultation were so, so true: being a mother defines her. This was even more obvious when her three older kiddos showed up. Her genuine, warm smile shows in every picture and her kids were clearly crazy about mom as well. While Dad had everyone smiling and laughing and was adorably ogling his new daughter, the entire room just radiated with love.

And lets just stop and talk about their kids. I have been around a lot of kids in my life and I can say with certainty that I have never seen children who loved each other and their parents more obviously than these three. Each one of them was so excited to be a big brother and sister and where it may look like I instructed the kids to sit on the bed and play with their new sister, I did no such thing. Every single picture in this gallery is unposed and authentic. All of that love and joy and smiles is candid and real. These are the kinds of sessions that make me feel so blessed to do this type of work and I truly hope that this sweet family loves these picture as much as I do...

South Bend Newborn Photographer - Leila's Fresh 48 Sneak Peek

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I am excited about this baby girl for so many reasons. Firstly, because this family has gone through so many ups and downs and always come out the other end stronger. Secondly, this momma is just amazing; I can't wait for the full gallery post just so I can tell you about her. Lastly, this is my first "Chapter One" baby! Until the entire gallery is ready for viewing, here's a quick teaser:

Like what you see? Contact me!

South Bend Newborn and Family Photographer - Baby Bodie's Fresh 48

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Have I ever mentioned I LOVE Fresh 48's? Ok. Just checking...

From the moment that I walked into this mother baby room, I knew that this was a special family. Their newborn baby boy was being admired by what may have been the nicest, most knowledgable nurse ever, with both parents staring on adoringly:

I mean really, have you ever seen such a happy little family? I was so excited that Momma T texted me really quickly after Baby Bodie was born because I got to capture so many sweet, special moments! From his first bath (he loved the hair wash but not so much with the sponge bath), to the delivery of Jimmy John's subs (come on mommas, we all KNOW how much we crave a good cold-cut after depriving ourselves from them for nine months), to the family meet and greets, this was just a beautiful session.

Momma T had specifically mentioned wanting lots of photos of the family meeting Bodie. This little guy was the first grandbaby for both sides so needless to say, he was destined for an infinite amount of love and adoration from the get-go. The way that the grandparents looked at baby was just so heartwarming, I couldn't take enough pictures. When I finally got around to getting some detail shots, I fell head-over-heals for his amazing dimpled chin. This was the baby chin that dreams are made of. I am so excited to share this gallery with you all and hope that Momma T, Daddy B and Baby Bodie enjoy these pictures for years to come...