Lola /// Dear Brand New First Time Mama

As it turns out, if you lack discipline, it’s hard to be a good blogger but regardless, I’ve always enjoyed writing (even college papers!  I do not lie.  Actually really truly loved it.), so my plan is to include a small writing snippet before each photo blog post.  I’ll try to keep it to relevant thoughts.

I think writing these “open letter” things is so trendy, but here’s mine, because I want to say it to every new mama I come to photograph now and sometimes I do want to be trendy:

Dear Brand New First Time Mama,

• Tired makes you feel like you’ve been buried five feet under.  That’s not far from six.  Naturally, you’ll assume it’s time to pick out your head stone.  #tiredanddramatic
• Epidurals are wonderful and misleading.  They can make delivery glorious, but they do nothing to prepare you for ALL THE FEELS when it wears off.  #worstsurpriseever
• Why is no one congratulating you on the rearranged – or brand new – lady parts?  That can be more difficult than the baby’s arrival.  C-sections aren’t the only hard thing that can happen when a brand-new human uses you as it’s arrival vehicle.  #needleandthread
• Sometimes that sweet little baby feels like the worst idea you (and your other half) have ever had.  (Are people for serious when they so they’re #soinlove on day 3?!  That’s a gift if so.  Because I was #sonot.)
• And that makes you feel guilty/like a horrible mother.  #already

But it’s all okay.  I have to believe that the first kid is the worst, because you don’t KNOW it will get better.  I mean you know it in your head, but you don’t know know it.  So go hang out with some mothers of 3- and 4-month olds.  Because I still remember month 1, but I also know it WILL end, and faster than you’d think.  The months just keep getting better and better.  You will sleep again.  One day you’ll wake up mildly rested and think, hey this kid is CUTE!  She’ll learn to eat in 10 minutes or less.  You’ll love her so much that you won’t hardly remember that on days 3-29 you wondered if adoption was still viable.  And hey, by day 153…you may even think having another won’t be so bad 😉

So solidarity, new mamas.  Here’s to every first-time mom who heard words like c-section, episiotomy, ripping, or tearing and who spent a whole night in contractions/labor/nervous anti-sleep just to spend the next three weeks trying to get a latch or shake the guilt of feeding formula (where does that come from anyway?  Free with delivery I think.).  You are so far from alone.  And let me be the first to tell you – you may not feel it, but you and your new family always looks beautiful in front of my lens on picture day.  All the camera and I see is the happy.  The love.  It’s there, and it masks any bags you see under your eyes.

Let me leave you with this.  Listen to it while you scroll through these pictures and try not to cry.  I dare you.

/// I was so happy to get to photography Mark and Megan and baby Lola!  They were the first of a string of new babies I got to photograph this spring, so this open letter idea was a few months coming.  So many more babies to come on this blog – but first can we talk about how these guys moved into this house like the week after Lola was born (or something equally crazy), but how beautiful it looks and how calm they were?!  Also wait until you see their backyard.  Holy Moses. ///