Celebrating baby boy #3 in a Montgomery, TX newborn photo session
Jayne reached out one week after welcoming baby boy number three to set up an in-home newborn session for her family. It was such a treat to spend an afternoon with this family, including Forrest, the newest arrival!
Family photos with a newborn
Jayne was hoping for a couple perfect family portraits to hang in her living room, so we kicked off the photo session with everyone piled on the bed together. When I’m working with littles who may tire of photos fairly quickly, I always get family shots, followed by sibling + newborn images, right away. Younger kids tend to do best for photos the first 20-30 minutes of a session, which is plenty of time for sweet family photos!
This spacious master bedroom was beautifully decorated in soft colors and neutral shades, which always works beautifully for family photos with a newborn. After I captured lots of smiles from all of the boys, Brooks and Jameson took a break for a few moments so I could work with just Matt, Jayne and baby Forrest. This is an easy opportunity to add a little romance to the photo session with mom and dad snuggled close together!
Mommy & me – and brothers too!
With baby Forrest comfortably sleeping, I captured a few shots of Jayne snuggled with all three of her boys. These are always some of my favorite photos to get because there’s nothing a mama loves more than the chance to snuggle with everyone at once.
While Jayne and her boys simply cuddled together, this is also a sweet time to read a favorite book to your kids. If your children are a little older, I’ll have them share what they love most about mom, dad or the new baby.
Complimentary nursery photos!
I’ve seen lots of parents make creative, beautiful use of wallpaper in the last year in the nursery! Ashley and Lindsay both created incredibly peaceful, beautiful spaces for their sons using wallpaper.
Jayne and Matt also created a lovely space for Forrest with a classic blue plaid wallpaper that worked so perfectly for baby boy #3!
As a gift for all of my clients, I take a few moments to photograph the nursery before we officially begin the photo session. These complimentary images are included in every in-home newborn session photo gallery!
Dual purpose nurseries
Particuarly for families who already have kids, or even first-time parents in an apartment, often the nursery serves two purposes. Sometimes it’s a spare bedroom, other times it’s an office. Newborns don’t spend much time in their bedrooms at first, which is why dual-purpose nurseries can be a great idea!
In this case, Jayne and Matt also use Forrest’s nursery as an extra bedroom! With his crib and changing table along one wall and a full-size bed on the other side of the room, mama can sleep in Forrest’s room at night if needed, or they can use the space for guests.
If baby’s room will be more than just a nursery, we can still use the space for your newborn session! In fact, I love how the series of Matt and Forrest turned out in this half-nursery, half-guest bedroom!
The color and decor on the bed in Forrest’s nursery flowed perfectly with the plaid wallpaper, so I used the bed for a portion of this series. I also focused on Matt holding his son in front of the crib for a more traditional nursery shot.
A whimiscal dinosaur rug
I bring a Moses basket to most in-home newborn sessions for the baby-only portion of our time together. Newborns in a basket are precious all on their own, but I love to add a little extra interest to the images by using beautiful flooring or even a fun rug underneath the basket.
Big brothers Brooks and Jameson had a super fun dinosaur print rug in their bedroom, so I asked Jayne if we could use that space for Forrest’s baby-only photos. I love how the colorful dinosaurs pop in the background, without taking away from Forrest’s sweet baby smiles! Plus, his big brothers were overjoyed to have baby brother in their bedroom!
In other homes, I’ve also used beautiful wood and tile floors as the background for baby-in-a-Moses-basket images.
What happens if I have a fussy newborn?
Many first-time mamas are concerned about having a newborn who won’t settle for the photo session. There isn’t a magic formula to make baby fall asleep every time, but there are two things that dramatically increase our chances: a well-fed, warm baby is my go-to solution!
When babies have a full tummy and a tight swaddle, they’re usually content and sleepy in no time, especially at birth – three weeks old. It’s also helpful if dad carries baby from room to room, since the smell of mama and breastmilk sometimes makes them wake up and want to snuggle!
If you know baby is struggling with a gassy tummy or other stomach issues, it’s helpful to watch what you eat in the 24-48 hours leading up to your photo session if you are breastfeeding. That’s why I include a list of foods and drinks for breastfeeding mamas to avoid 1-2 days before photos in my Celebrate Motherhood magazine.
Forrest was uncomfortable due to stomach pains during his newborn session, which meant we took frequent breaks for mama to snuggle, soothe and nurse during our time together. This is just part of working with new babies, and it doesn’t bother me at all to wait on baby to settle to resume your session! Nobody wants photos of a crying baby, so I usually step away and give mom or dad a few momets alone to calm baby when he or she is upset. Just remember crying babies are part of my job, and I honestly don’t mind at all if we need to stop for your little love!
That’s also why any time I have a sleeping newborn, I always make time for at least a few photos before moving onto the next room or setup. I was especially glad I got these sweet, peaceful photos of Forrest early on, before his tummy started to bother him.
Celebrating life with three sweet boys!
Jayne and Matt are so blessed to have three handsome little guys who are growing and thriving! I know it can feel really stressful to prepare for an in-home newborn photo session when you’ve already got kids, but the memories are so worth it. Just look at all these priceless moments Jayne and Matt will have for a lifetime! When their handsome sons head off to college, and even when they get married and welcome their own children, these will the moments mom and dad recall with joy and thankfulness.
