back

Newborn

Baby Thomas | A Columbia, MD Fresh 48 Session

Baby Thomas | A Columbia, Maryland Fresh 48 Session

Buckle up, mama-to-be. I’m about to drop a few truth bombs about those first 48 hours that may come as a shock to you. This is the messy stuff, the HARD stuff, that no one talks about at baby showers.

Day 1 will seem like a breeze. You’ll be riding a high of hormones (and probably pain meds). You’ll think you’re invincible, and that you got one of those GOOD babies that never cries. There’s this fog of perfection and the pain feels like it’s an arm’s length away. Life is good on Day 1.

Day 2 might be the hardest day of your life. There’s this thing called cluster feeding. The baby will probably start nursing around 1AM, and won’t stop for like, fifteen hours. You’ll think the baby’s broken. You’ll think YOU’RE broken. (Neither of you are.) You’ll beg a nurse to take the baby for just a few minutes, because that hormone high has worn off and you just need to not be touched for a minute. They might not oblige. Your partner will feel helpless. You might cry, a lot.

I met Amie, her husband Pete, and baby boy Thomas on Day 2. We’d been planning this Fresh 48 session for months, and he was finally here! But it was Day 2, and it was hard. Amie must’ve been on hour 12 of cluster-feeding and she needed a break, but Thomas was only content in her arms, nursing. At one point, she looked at me and simply said that it wasn’t what she envisioned. I had to hold back tears in my own eyes, because those few words took me right back to my own experience in L&D.

That’s kind of a metaphor for parenting itself, isn’t it? It’s not what we envisioned. It’s harder, and messier, but once we get a moment to catch our breath and look back – it’s even more beautiful than we imagined possible.

Thomas will be back in the studio soon for his newborn session, and I can’t wait to see these three again! Thank you so much for inviting me in to document this time for you, Hall family. You’re doing great!

+ view the comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A

W

BEHIND THE LENS

Hi, I'm  Amanda.

As an internationally-lauded wedding photographer with a decade of experience, Amanda brings her signature timeless, editorial style and classic, romantic aesthetic to modern love stories. 

Learn More

family of three sits on blanket in lavender field in Hollywood MD

 01

Nothing says summer portraits like lavender field family photos! It’s one of the reasons I wanted to share tips for lavender field family photos with you today. This rolling lavender field is by far my most requested portrait location in southern Maryland, and for good reason! It’s a stunning piece of property, nestled along the […]

man and woman kneel with dogs along waterfront in Baltimore

02

Is there anything more exciting than capturing a proposal for two wonderful people?! Dave and Katie are simply the sweetest and I had the honor of photographing their romantic waterfront proposal in Baltimore MD!  Dave was referred to me by current wedding clients of mine, which is always my favorite way to find my people! […]

parents stand holding newborn baby girl during photos in Washington DC

03

Welcome to the world, Bonnie! I’m so excited to share this sweet girl’s newborn session at home in Washington DC today! I photographed Lindsey and Andrew’s maternity session earlier this spring at Washington National Cathedral. Luckily we fit in their maternity session when we did, because Bonnie was born just 48 hours afterwards. Now I’ve […]

Your inbox just got much, much prettier

Thanks! Keep an eye on your inbox for updates.