It was always the plan to make some newborn photographs of little Walker, but when Mardee suggested a few more posed option, we brought our date forward to when he was a sweet 7 days old. By this stage, Mardee and I had been texting all week - which mostly consisted of me trying to come across as supportive and available while giving them newborn-fog space I know you need in those days ... I'm not sure I pulled it off. Mardee had let me know that during that week, Walker had slept a solid 5 hours, through the hours that count - the midnight to five am kind. Bravo! What a little champ they have on their hands, he's sleeping like a super star, feeding like a super star and somehow managing to style his own gorgeous head full of hair!
There's a lot of 'in between' moments during a newborn session, time for nappy changes and milk top ups, settling and burping, rocking and sweet talking them off to sleep. These are my favourite moments to photograph because after I pack up and head home, that is the sort of stuff that keeps on keeping on with life as a newborn.
Once Walker was sound asleep, and I was settling his little feet into the photograph above, something happened that has never happened before during a session. I heard a small sob behind me. I turned around and my beautiful, strong, ballsy, no-BS, hilarious, kind, independent, go-her-own-way friend was having a quiet cry at the sight of her little boy. I adore thinking back on that small moment, I had to sort of ignore it at the time or I would have joined in with her. This time of life is magic.
Daddy's are pretty great at settling their newborns off to sleep - it's generally the no milk factor - but I think it's a degree of no-fuss as well. Pete was no exception. He put on some tunes, rocked Walker and snuggled him with some skin to skin time, which resulted in one my favourite newborn photographs, ever.
After you become a parent yourself, it is such a treat to watch your friends become parents right alongside you, to snuggle their babies, to change a nappy so that it means one less they'll have to do, to compare experiences, learn new things, recommend and loan great books and build on the little village you already had, only now it feels stronger and more bonded. These guys and their little family of five, have always been an integral part of our village and I'm so pleased we're a part of theirs. Being the person that is standing right alongside them documenting these first days, is an honour.
