Amelia | toronto newborn photographer

I spent a lovely morning with baby Amelia and her mom Sarah back in November. It was a chilly day so we stayed inside for most of the session and put their lovely Victorian windows to use. Amelia's grandparents came by for a visit and it was so sweet to see how smitten they were – and it was wonderful to capture three generations together.

When I first heard from Sarah while she was pregnant with Amelia, her email seemed like a typical inquiry from any other parent... until I scrolled down and read the words "I've chosen to have this baby on my own. Therefore, there won't be a dad at the shoot". As I wrote back to her with the typical details regarding a newborn session, I searched for the right words to say to a woman who I had never met, yet had so much respect and admiration for. So I literally wrote exactly that; I admitted I was a bit choked up, and offered her the same words of encouragement that I would to any expecting parent, "You are making a good decision – although it has its challenges, being a parent is the most amazing experience. It's worth all the work, stress and lack of sleep."

Most parents I know would admit that they have moments where they really question what they got themselves in to, and I can imagine that it is that much greater when you are parenting on your own. But I have a hunch that those same single parents must feel even more joy and pride watching their little ones grow, learn and achieve. They really do have so much to be proud of.

Congratulations Sarah :-) Amelia is the sweetest little thing and I'm so thrilled for you. xx

Anna | Toronto Newborn Photographer

I'm working on some really exciting projects right now, but first, I need to get these beautiful photos of baby Anna and her parents up on the blog. Every time I do a newborn session I think to myself "This is my favourite so far" – they make me melt every time. It looks like Anna may end up with her mother's red hair. Gorgeous!!Olive (the dog) spent most of the morning relaxing by the fire, but also joined us for some cuddles and kisses. Olive was by far the best behaved dog I have ever come across at a shoot. 

Baby Anna lives in the neighbourhood so I'm looking forward to seeing her grow. And below is a slideshow with more photos from her shoot.

Music: "Welcome to this world" by Renee and Jeremy. 

Alex | Toronto Newborn Photographer

I can't believe that it is already Easter Monday! Where has the time gone lately!?! It has already been 4 weeks since I spent a an afternoon with this sweet family and their brand new addition, Alex. This little man stole my heart the moment I walked in the front door.

Now you can see why I was so in love. A slideshow of their session can be viewed on the Featured section of my website, here.

Congratulations you three. xx

The C Family | Toronto Newborn Photographer

This is one beautiful family, inside and out. I met them last Friday and it was a great way to end the week. Baby Bryson was so good throughout the entire afternoon. He either slept peacefully curled up in someone's arms, or  casually watched the chaos of us trying to get his big brother, 2- year old Ryker, to sit still long enough to snap a photo. It's a tough time of year for photos because it is so cold outside but we made the most of the light inside and still went outdoors for a quick break and fresh air. I totally felt at home with this family – so much love, laughter and warmth.

For more photos from baby Bryson's (and family!) session, check out their slideshow in the Featured section of my website, here. And leave a comment below!

 

Rachel | Toronto Newborn Photographer

I spent the most lovely Saturday morning with Amy, Derek and their brand new baby girl, Rachel. Amy and I go way back, having worked together for close to 4 years. It's funny, but when you work in an office you sometimes end up spending more time with your co-workers than you do your own family. Good thing Amy and I became fast friends! When we first met, both of us were dating our now husbands so we've seen each other through quite a lot – not just the ups and downs of our jobs, but the planning of dates and vacations, which eventually turned to the planning of weddings and houses. Amy is one of the nicest people I know – she is genuinely happy and excited for others when something good happens to them. So it was such a joy on Saturday to see Amy the happiest I've ever seen her, cuddling with her man and gorgeous baby girl, and savouring such a special time.

For more photos of Amy, Derek & Rachel, check out their slideshow in the Featured section of my website, here. And be sure to leave some love below in the comments section.

Congratulations you three! xx

The H Family | Toronto Newborn Photographer

I'm really not sure where to begin with this post. In fact, I've been procrastinating writing it because I knew it would be a tough one.

These are photos of five people I care about dearly. Close friends of ours, Dave and Melissa, their 2 year-old daughter Kate, and their brand new 37-week, twin girls, Jane and Emily. Yep, 37 weeks – the girls were born 8 weeks early after a complicated pregnancy. Okay, I'm getting choked up already. Sheesh.

Dave and Melissa found out early on that they were expecting identical twins, and once over the initial shock, they were excited. But a few weeks later they were given some scary news – their babies were not only identical, but they were also sharing an amniotic sac, which is very rare. So adding to the other complications that come along with a twin pregnancy, there was now the risk of the cords becoming entangled (which is inevitable with a shared sac), and at some point becoming compressed. The following weeks and months brought along a roller coaster of emotions, all you can really do is monitor and wait, monitor and wait, monitor and wait. Alas, the twins reached an age where they would be viable outside the womb and Melissa moved into the hospital so she could be monitored more closely. Ultimately a decision would have to be made to deliver the twins early because it would be too risky to leave them inside as the cords became more and more entangled, or an emergency delivery would occur if there were signs of distress. Dave and Melissa were pretty much living hour by hour. We decided to make the most of the situation and did a mini-maternity photo shoot at the hospital.

And just four days later, after spending three weeks living at the hospital, Mellisa's baby girls were delivered at 32 weeks, weighing around 4 lbs each. I had the honour of visiting them at the hospital just a few days later. It was an amazing experience to visit the NICU, and they were beyond beautiful. Jane & Emily.

After four weeks in the NICU, the girls moved home and have been settling in to their new life quite well. Kate is loving her new role as the big sister and squeals their names "Janer-JANE" and "Emer-EM". I spent a lovely morning with the whole family last week – my first photo session of 2012 and I couldn't have enjoyed it more.

Emily has a bit more hair on top.

For more photos from Jane and Emily's shoot, check out their slideshow in the featured section of my website, here. And please leave some love for the girls in the comment section below.

All my love to five of my favourite people. xx

James | Toronto Newborn Photographer

Meet adorable James and his adorable parents, Kendra and Jim. I know I've been posting a lot of newbies lately, but this fall was a very busy time for newborns. I met with this sweet family in early October and enjoyed a beautiful warm fall day. James is named after his dad, who was named after his dad, who was named after his dad. Yep, that's right. This is James Wilton Baillie, the fourth. The fourth is even included on his birth certificate – to distinguish him from the other Baillie men. With such a special and important name, it looks like James might have big shoes to fill. But judging by the delicious little feet below (yes, delicious – I could just bite them), he is going to do just fine. This bassinet also carries tradition. James' mom, aunt and grandmother all slept here.This cup belonged to his great-grandfather.

Welcome to the world little James. xx

Astrid | Toronto Newborn Photographer

I'm so excited to finally get these posted on the blog! Here's beautiful baby Astrid with her lovely parents, Baden & Amanda, and handsome dog, Winston. Baden and Amanda's maternity shoot can be seen here. We actually just met up with this sweet family this past weekend in NYC. Kyle and I went away for the weekend and they just happened to be visiting the city the same weekend as us. It was fate! So we got together for a delicious brunch in Tribeca. Baden and Amanda had lived in New York for awhile so they knew where to go and it was perfect. Astrid is adorable! She is growing quickly and she was perfect during our brunch, snoozing the entire time in Amanda's arms and waking up at the end so I could have a quick cuddle.

So I was inspired to get this post up and I really enjoyed putting it together this afternoon. It took me back to my afternoon with Astrid, Baden and Amanda, during such a special time in their life. It's hard to explain the joy and bliss that comes during those first few days at home with your little one. It's subtle – and can almost be lost in the exhaustion and chaos of cluster feeding, tracking pees and poos, and mastering the perfect latch. But I think these photos demonstrate that joy – to me, this is the epitome of bliss.

Before... and after. Winston was so well-behaved. He's going to be a great "big brother".And one more before & after. Amanda's sister suggested this idea based on Pink's maternity/newborn photos. Beautiful!