“Despite all the craziness of life, motherhood can often feel very fleeting. Even when the days can sometimes feel long, all of a sudden you blink and your newborn is a toddler. That’s why it was so important for me to capture these images of my family with Shannon. We will be welcoming our second baby into the world in just a few short weeks and I wanted to be sure we could always have this moment in time to look back upon – when my first baby was still my only baby.

I’ve always known I wanted to be a mother. Deciding that we wanted kids was easy! The hard part was the transition. I had no idea how much sacrifice comes along with becoming parents. All of a sudden, your life no longer revolves around just you and your partner. You can no longer sleep when you want, eat when you want, travel when you want, etc. A lot of change happens overnight!

Before having our baby, I wish someone would have told me two things. One, it’s okay to mourn your old life ~that doesn’t make you any less of a mother. It’s okay to admit that some days are really hard and that you miss sleeping in. But secondly, the love, joy, pride, and overall swelling of your heart that comes along with raising a child completely outweighs all of those hard moments. Of course, I miss the independence of life before kids, but I wouldn’t trade holding my daughter’s hand or snuggling before bed for anything in the world. It is completely possible to feel annoyed or frustrated with how hard life is now and also be overwhelmingly thankful for life now as well.  It was a wonderful session and I will treasure these photos forever. I can’t wait to one day show our next baby how she was already part of the family before she was even born.” Annalee, Expectant Mother

 

 

“I knew when I met this expectant mother for the wardrobe consult that the session would be a dream. She’s stunning, laid back and has the best sense of humor. She has the ability to relax in the moment and soak in the true essence of what we were trying to capture. Her daughter was shy and a little clingy, but that’s ok. I wanted to document this family as they are, and these images will remind them of how mom’s protection and love made her feel safe in the moment.

Photographing motherhood has given me so much more than I ever imagined. I never grew up dreaming of being a Photographer. I honestly just fell into it when my first child was born. I loved taking her picture, and it grew and grew. It started out as me just wanting pretty photos of my daughter. Then I began photographing some friends’ children, and it snowballed. As I enter my 10th year as a photographer, I look back over the years with nothing but smiles and a grateful heart. Somewhere along the way, the act of documenting growing families and motherhood gave me a gift….the gift to truly see relationships, connection, and beauty in the journey.” Shannon, Photographer

 

Additional Vendors: Mom’s Dress | Free People
Daughter’s Dress | Zara Kids
Mom’s makeup | Victoria Grace Beauty
Mom’s hair | Styled by Laura G