Now that her birth story is recorded, I feel like I can share Annie’s newborn photos! To be honest, this day lives as a stressful one in my memory. (I’m sure many mamas can say that about newborn sessions, especially when siblings are in the mix!) After being perfect angels for our maternity family shoot with Ally, the big kids were a bit of a disaster for this one – totally rambunctious, not listening well, not taking direction, very minimal interest in smiling at the camera, you know the drill. In case it helps a future mama, I think there were a few reasons for the difference: 1. Our spring shoot was outdoors, so they could run around in between shots and it didn’t feel disruptive.2. Our spring shoot was in a novel location, so they were more attuned to us and both more interested in and less at ease in their surroundings than at home.3. There was a tiny baby at this shoot, so we were planning fewer active photos and more “cuddle together” photos – not as interesting to big sibs.4. John and I were a bit hobbled in this shoot compared to our spring one – I was post-partum and holding a tiny baby, and his ankle was still recovering – which made corralling them more difficult (and they knew it, ha).5. We definitely could have done a better job of prepping them with our expectations in advance. Had a few other things on our mind, though :) I also felt like I pulled our outfits together at the last minute, I could have prepared our house a bit better… BUT ENOUGH COMPLAINING! As always, Graham worked his magic out of our chaos and returned some absolutely beautiful (and spunky) images that we’ll treasure forever. We feel

Friends, I’m so excited to share today’s post with you!! I had a clear vision for Shep’s nursery from the beginning, and it has been gratifying to see it come to fruition. Let’s take a tour! But first, let’s look back. Here’s the before of the former “blue room,” our smallest bedroom: Yikes! My inspiration for turning this dumping ground into a happy spot for our baby boy was one of my favorite childhood books – Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey, a treasured New England author. We’d use the bold but nature-inspired colors and whimsical illustrations from the book to set the scene, framing three spreads to star in the space. This was my original inspiration board: All of the credits are in this post! And here’s how the board came to life! Whee!! Such a good before and after :) To free up floor space, we moved the queen bed into our guest room and set up the full in here. We hired out the painting – prepping the walls to cover up those stripes was a feat! – and he did a beautiful job. When I first saw the finished colors, though, I was convinced we had made a mistake – they looked a little cartoonish to me. But, once we layered in finishes and especially the artwork – what was meant to tie everything together from the start – they totally transformed. Speaking of which… The art!! The illustrations that started it all have turned out to be the crown jewel in this room, just as I had hoped. We had Framebridge frame three spreads from the book (I bought a new copy and cut the pages out verrrrrry carefully!). The gold Richmond frames have a heritage feel even though the illustrations themselves are youthful.

The chapter of our family story wherein we introduce a new character would not be complete without photos, and I’m so very grateful to have had our friend Graham on hand to take these ones. His skill, his eye, his sense of light and scale and setting – they’re all exquisite. But what really sets him apart is his kindness and ease, and that goes whether you’re one of his lucky friends or just meeting him for the first time. I am so glad to share his beautiful work with you today! Here, a few of my favorites from Shep’s newborn session. Once again, my lovely friend Sam was on hand for hair and makeup help. I am almost always FOR hair and makeup help (as I am useless when left to my own devices), but especially a few days after giving birth. Thank you, wonderful Sam!! We took a few more in Shep’s nursery, and they’re some of my favorites — that post will be up next! P.S. June’s newborn photos and my baby favorites from the first six weeks

Friends, I have been itching to share these photos since the day they landed in my inbox (and that was several months ago!!). I only waited because, though I’ve posted other parenthood posts out of order, it seemed most fitting to share these after the story of June’s birth. With that taken care of, it’s finally time. To say we treasure these photos does not quite do my feelings toward them justice. I have known Graham for some time now, and am well aware of his talent — but I’ve come to appreciate it in a new way since having his camera pointed toward my family. I may be biased, but the moments, the light, and the love he captured back in January is, I think, exceptional. We are so grateful to have this particular and extraordinary time of our lives captured with such care and talent by one of our dearest friends. P.S. If you are in the position to take newborn photos and are considering having your hair and makeup done – DO IT. In fact, if you are having any professional photos done and lack basic hair and makeup skills as I do, DO IT. You will NOT regret whatever money you spend. And if you happen to be in the Triangle of NC – I cannot recommend Sam of Lula Hair & Makeup highly enough. She is the best, best, best. You can read more about how we planned for this session here. Any favorites? The one of the three of us smiling on the bed is one of mine – it is hanging on our fridge :)