Marin | Newborn Days

“Several realities play themselves out at once on the inner landscape of a new mother. Meanwhile, she is often hidden from society and--lets be honest--far too tired to adequately explain the miraculous and painstaking labyrinth she has suddenly found herself living within.”

Brave New Mama, Vicki Rivard

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When your job is to glorify motherhood, as it deservedly should be, yet you’re in the throes of new motherhood…let me tell you, it’s a weeeee bit intimidating to get back to work. While these past three months have abso-f**cking-lutely been glorious, they’ve been disheveled and messy. They’ve been sleepless and cranky, and full of a type of love sprinkled down straight from unicorns and fairies.

Nothing and everything prepares you for motherhood. Raising a human takes everything you’ve ever known, combines it with a dump truck of random, yet vitally important things you couldn’t have possibly known, then motivates you with the cutest little cooing, smiling face to put it all together and be the best possible version of yourself. It’s the most beautiful and welcomed chaos I’ve ever been a part of.

Thankfully, amidst the fog that is the first weeks with a newborn, my dear friend Lauren encouraged me to let her snap a few photographs of Marin and I. You see, I had a full newborn session booked with another friend as well, but we had to cancel due to sickness, then never rescheduled during those first days. I had all of the plans to take every little cutesy, cuddly photo of Marin with me and Cory. Surely, as it’s my bread and butter to document this season of life for other women, I thought I’d document this season with my girl so beautifully. I preach it ALL OF THE TIME as I observe and photograph motherhood for my clients, but those days pass by even more quickly than I’d imagined.

Here’s a little glimpse into one of our perfectly imperfect first days. My hair was in a braid because the thought of actually fixing it was more than laughable. My makeup was thrown on in minutes in between cries and nursing attempts to soothe a fussy baby. My dress, the first thing I grabbed out of my closet that I thought might fit. Being on camera felt like a gross bother to me and all I wanted to do in those sleepy, early days was admire my baby on my couch. But oh, my cooing, laughing baby. My baby who already doesn’t want me to hold her like a baby when awake. My quickly growing baby, how I will cherish these blurry, emotional, sleepy first days and the snapshots that will remind me of a little you’ll never be again.

And for all of the mamas out there, I now understand more than ever before, you are the superheroes, GOAT, rockstars, and the real MVPs.

As I mentioned, my good friend Lauren took the above photos for me when Marin was just a few days old.

Here are a few snapshots I took of my girl today, because she is THREE MONTHS OLD. Wah!

Demi | Baton Rouge Birth + Motherhood Photography

“If time has taught me anything, it’s that our differences are what makes this life unique.  None of us are exactly like the other, and that is a good thing because there’s no right way to be.  The room mom, the working mother, the woman without children, the retired grandma, the mom who co-sleeps, the mama who bottle -fed her baby, the strict mom, the hipster mom, the one who lets her kid go shoeless, or the one who enrolls her baby in music enrichment classes at birth--whoever, whatever, you are, you’re adding spice and texture and nuance into this big beautiful soup of modern-day parenting.”

Girl, Wash Your Face - Rachel Hollis

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I could sit here and blab in a multitude of pieced together words about the scope of emotion I've felt over the past few months, learning so much about myself, life, love, family, and entrepreneurship, but no words could truly articulate how overwhelmingly beautiful the learning experience has been. 

Demi's birth day was full of beautiful human connection, support, and love.  As Duston held Deirdre's hand through every painful contraction and kissed her forehead every-so-often for supporting reassurance, I found myself watching from the other side of the room with the most content grin painted on my face.  There's something about the various ways that partners show support for one another during births that sends a reminder to the core of what life's about.  Similar to the ethereal feeling that comes over me when couples recite custom-written vows to one another, it's just one of those moments where I feel like I have to pinch myself and ask if it's real life that I make my living documenting moments that make people feel in such monumental ways.  I could not be happier than to be where I am right now, in this moment.

I hope you enjoy a glimpse into some of the intense, quiet, and love-filled moments captured during Demi's first few days in this world...