On Sunday I did the third of four photoshoots for this family that we're doing this year, and OMG I melted when she sent me this video yesterday.
So before I get into the background story and fun picture stuff, I'll let Colleen give us an intro.
Don't you want to see the pictures now?
If I'm going to tell the story of how we met, I'll start with last spring.
It was March 2020. I did three days of insane "Milton Front Steps Project" sessions all around my town, taking photos for families who donated to a Go Fund Me I created for the Milton Art Center. In those three days in March, I shot 44 families around Milton and we raised over $1300 for the MAC, and (more importantly for this story), I met Colleen's sister.
OK, I'm writing this and now I realize she might be her sister-in-law.
Hmm. Getting distracted, sorry.
So I met Colleen's sister-in-law Abby and their adorable boys during those three days of photoshoots...
Here's Abby, first, since I'm totally distracted by my own story...
Cuties, right?
Had to show you that to start.
But then I didn't get a chance to photograph Colleen during that Front Steps Project thing, and Colleen was pregnant, expecting her babe in August... not to mention she's a busy nurse practitioner with a complex schedule, so every time I emailed the waiting list she would miss the chance because it would fill up really quickly, yada yada yada...
So she and her ER nurse/paramedic/former firefighter husband,
in the midst of a global pandemic, when these two were probably some of the most hard-working people-who-spend-their-lives-caring-for-others in the entire Boston area...
booked a social distancing outdoor maternity session for late July.
Their neighbor so kindly let us borrow his flower-filled yard for the photos... but these two?
I adored them right away.
This one's one of my favorite shots of the two (well, almost three) of them...
And this was early in the year of social distancing outdoor sessions for me, so one of the things I wondered about was... how was I going to show off beautiful round bellies during this pandemic?
I mean, being outdoors, it was just more awkward to imagine pulling a shirt up, showing off a belly - or working in underwear the way we might indoors... it just didn't feel right.
But then we realized... July? BATHING SUIT!
What a natural, lovely way to show off a beautiful baby belly. So Colleen ran inside and got changed, and we went out in their backyard for some private, sweet moments showing off that gorgeous round belly.
Just perfect.
I adored getting to know Colleen and Mike for that maternity session in July. Want to look through more of their photos from that session? I blogged about their social distancing outdoor maternity minishoot here.
Then baby E was born in August!
Colleen and Mike opted to get their feet under them for a few weeks and do the first of her three Baby's First Year package sessions at 12 weeks. That's common - as long as we do our first set of Baby's First Year photos before 12-14 weeks, my clients qualify for the package pricing and the gorgeous coffeetable album at the end of the year.
We had an oddly balmy day in late November for her photos, which was fabulous...
Just look at this beautiful girl!
So many fantastic expressions...
YAaaawn...
Just so many sweet moments from that 12 week old session... and the fact that we pushed this session out to the latest possible moment for my Baby's First Year package means that madame was able to hold her head up quite well!
And this one cracks me up... she is NOT having it...
My fancy zoom lens lets me get suuuuuper detailed shots from a safe social distance.
And then...
Colleen and Mike moved from Milton to Canton, months flew by... but it feels like we just blinked and it was April.
And my GOODNESS, the year is flying for little E. She's seven months old now, and we had such fun at her session this past Sunday.
She adored the opportunities to fly with daddy...
To giggle on their outdoor couch...
And with mama... (oooh those TOES!)
And now, the ENTIRE reason for doing photos with me...
This is what you've ALL been waiting for, I know.
THE THIGHS PICTURE.
Yup. This one. This kind of photo, it's a rare bird. Getting those solid legs balancing the bod just right, at the age before they stretch out too much, when the thighs are still JUST SO? That's the stuff.
I love these nudie doorway pictures, as I'm outside, she's inside all snuggled with Mama and Daddy... but it allows those soft moments to happen, the stuff I miss when we're outside and the wind is blowing and kiddos are impacted by outdoor weather.
And she can give me that eyebrow...
Just absolute perfection.
Interested in considering a maternity or new baby photoshoot?
Let's chat! Schedule a time for a phone call in the next few days at a time that works for you. I have quickie 15 min phone call spots available at my calendly link here.
Not sure if you want to do photos at all?
I get that. Even if you aren't in the market for photography right now, if the whole "having a new baby in your house" thing is happening, I just launched a new VIP Facebook Group and I would just ADORE it if you'd come hang out with me in there!
My new group is called Year One Together.
It's for new parents who are getting excited about or already navigating their baby's first year here in the Boston area. I interview local experts in all things baby every other Wednesday, and then those interviews are saved in the group archive so you can watch them anytime. Topics the experts are covering in their interviews with me will include: "Dressing your Baby in Boston Weather", "Do I want a Doula? A Midwife?", "Postpartum: The Emotional Side", "Year One With Twins"... and so much more.
JOIN MY FACEBOOK COMMUNITY HERE
Don't have a baby in your house right now, but you live in the Boston area and want a fun online community of families to connect with? Come join my group for families with older children - it's called Boston Families Together and you can join that group here.
Hope to see you in there!
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