This lifestyle newborn session here in Colorado Springs was highly anticipated, being a dear friend, and when it finally happened, the timing was perfect!
Baby Cecilia arrived right on time - her big brother Gabriel was an emergency c-section, so her delivery was a planned one. We loved knowing we could plan her newborn session and not have to reschedule - until a nasty stomach bug hit her mama Alexandra's home and made the rounds through almost everyone, and right at the time we scheduled her photos! Thankfully Cece missed out on the bug, and one week later we were finally able to get these photos done. At this point Cece was 17 days old, a bit past when I normally recommend doing photos - babies are the sleepiest (and therefore easiest to swaddle and pose) and usually don't yet have any baby acne around 7-14 days after birth, so I always aim for as close to 10 days as possible. (A side note - you can absolutely still do photos after this, but your baby may be more awake and your posing may look different - and that's okay!) We were blessed that Cece was still very sleepy for us, and only fussed a little bit being swaddled - the wonderful Swaddle Pro soothed her instantly and I was able to add on her cute pink wrap at that point, and she spent the rest of her session happily snoozing!
You might remember big brother Gabriel from his family's maternity session a couple of months ago - we learned a lot about how he handles photo sessions then, and totally took his lead for these photos! Mom and dad used what they knew about their son to get a few of those coveted photos of everyone looking and smiling, including sitting on dad's shoulders and lots of tickles! Gabriel loved giving his little sister kisses, on his own terms of course, and giving her a gentle poke whenever mom and dad said "where's baby?" He was so so sweet and I'm glad he felt more comfortable with the camera this time. His parents, Alexandra and Daniel were so wise and gentle letting him participate as he was comfortable, and letting him be done when he decided to be. Obviously this doesn't work in every area of parenting, but for pictures, this is the way to go with toddlers!
We spent some time first in Cecilia's nursery where mom rocked her and snuggled up with dad next to her crib. Her crib was adorned with a beautiful blanket made and customized by Alexandra's neighbor and made a lovely backdrop for some photos of Cece in her crib. Next Cece and her parents snuggled up together on their bed for some cozy photos, and that's when Gabriel joined us. Alexandra looked stunning in the dress she chose from the EGP Client closet - it's hard to feel your best after giving birth, whether naturally or surgically, but thankfully most of my dresses are chosen because they are soft and stretchy, comforting on even the tenderest of post-partum bodies. You might notice that Daniel's shirt has tiny roses all over it - this conscientious dad selected this shirt in honor of his daughter's middle name, Rose! Alexandra is also wearing a necklace he got for her to commemorate Cece's birth.
Alexandra and Daniel, thank you so much for continuing to trust me to document your family's stories. What a beautiful gift that is for me. It's been a joy getting to know your family this past year and I'm excited to watch your kids grow and your lives move forward into new seasons and adventures!
