Elise’s mom reached out in April to let me know she was expecting a baby girl, due July 11. I’d photographed her second baby’s newborn session three years prior (her second boy), so I was excited to hear that she was expecting a baby girl this time. Two boys and now a girl! We scheduled her newborn session, and then chatted back and forth as spring led into summer, finalizing plans and details.
July finally arrived, and Elise made her appearance one day before she was due. We scheduled her newborn photography session for a day when her big brothers would be home from summer camp, that way we could capture sibling images too. Photographing siblings with newborns can often be a challenge, but these two were perfect big brothers, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. They did such a great job being patient while snuggling and holding their new baby sister for the photos.
Of course, arriving into a house with two big brothers, we made sure to plan lots of pink, frilly, and sparkly props for her session. Elise’s family was extra excited for their new baby girl and all the pink she’ll bring into their lives, and her collection of newborn photos reflects that!
Baby’s Name: Elise Barbara
Due Date: 7/11/2017
Birthday: 7/10/2017
Birth Time: 10:56am
Weight: 8lb 14oz
Length: 20.25in
Elise’s Story…
Sharing the news: “My middle son, Matthew, was secretly instructed to tell grandma and grandpa at Christmas dinner 2016. He blurted it out and surprised everyone”
Cravings: None
On the pregnancy: “The most calm and easy pregnancy of the 3 I’ve had. Go figure, it’s a girl. :)”
Elise’s name: “Elise means Elizabeth in French, and Beth can be used for short, which is a secret to get her mother’s name in there (Bethany). Barbara is her grandmother and great-grandmother’s name. Her great grandmother was adopted by a different name, her birth mother called her Barbara.”
Meeting her: “It was the first birth out of three that I got to do skin to skin right away. She cried a lot. All the doctors commented on how much she cried when she came out. But since then, she’s become a very calm baby compared to her brothers.”
First thing I noticed: “All her hair and her big voice!”
Favorite features and moments that I never want to forget: “Her chubby cheeks and tiny feet. She loves laying in my arms and just staring, cuddling is her favorite.”
I never want to forget: “The skin to skin moment at birth was amazing. It was an incredible bonding moment between she and I. My husband was right there and the two of us just cried.”
Personality: “She’s normally very calm and sleepy, but when she gets hangry—watch out! What a temper!”
