New Jersey Maternity Photographer | Life As They Know It
There is nothing more life-changing for a woman than the birth of her first child. She is, from that point forward, someone's mother. And then the second child comes along and she (after the obligatory post-partum nervous breakdown), cannot imagine her life any other way. But then a lucky few get to experience life with #3. No longer the scared confused new mother or the frazzled scatter-brained how-will-I-keep-them-both-alive-while-I-shower-for-the-first-time-in-five-days mother of two, but a sage, confident, Ivory-scented woman.
Well, let's just pretend it'll be that easy. Don't want to scare this mom, right?
I was so blessed to reunite with two of my former classmates for the documentation of the newest member of their family (to-be). I had such a blast hanging out with their outrageously gorgeous children and thinking back on all the shared memories I have with them from elementary school to high school. I love the fact that photography has brought us back together, especially because the glowing mother-of-three-to-be is, herself, a fellow photog.
It did irk me just a bit that this woman, in her third trimester of her third pregnancy, looked better than I have ever looked, pregnant or not. With her luxuriant hair, her perfectly contoured baby bump, and her outstanding wardrobe choices, I could not help but feel I was in the presence of a maternal goddess. But it didn't irk me at all when I got to view her behind my camera lens, that was just a feast for the eyes.
This session I decided to include a few "outttakes" at the end. Why did I do that? Normally, I only include the pictures that give the appearance of perfect lighting, perfect cooperation, nothing but ease. Why would I ever want to show you what it was "really like"?? Because as much as this mom prepared, as much time as she spent on Pinterest, as much as she labored over choosing outfits, examining color schemes, scrubbing milk-stained cheeks and dirty fingers, ensuring the husband was as eager as she was to have this stage of life documented, promising ice cream cones for smiles, all so she could have the most perfect pictures possible....there is one thing she could not plan for.
Life.
Kids don't always stay put when directed, husbands don't always do as their told, life is rarely as neat and perfect as Pinterest purports it to be. But you know what? I love this so much better. I love that I captured this family with their wonderful spirit, these children with their explosive love for their parents, this woman, with her exquisite maternal beauty who wanted nothing more than a perfect maternity portrait but who was willing to stop everything so she could give her children what they needed. You know what? I love it. As a mother of two, I would not have it any other way.
Because this is life...as they know it.
And not for nothing, but check out the photobomb below. That is pretty epic. And yup, I love it.
