It is funny what a small world we live in. I received an inquiry from this mom-to-be a few months before her due date about scheduling a newborn session. I shared my work with her, sent a few emails back and forth, and got her session on the books, only to realize this sweet family lives just a few doors down from me. Literally, I could walk to their session!

As her due date drew near, hospitals began to relax their Covid-19 restrictions and were allowing patients to have an additional guest in their rooms. With this exciting news, I reached out to this family to let them know I offered First 48 Sessions and a few days later, I was in the hospital photographing their sweet, brand new baby girl.

Even though I am technically neighbors with this family (they live about 4 doors down!), our paths had never crossed. My time with them in the hospital was so special for a few reasons. It was the first time I had been able to visit anyone in a hospital since the Covid pandemic began. It also gave me the opportunity to get to know and connect with this family before their in-home newborn session.

As we talked in the hospital, I learned that this new dad had recently lost his own father at the young age of 60. It flooded me with memories and emotion of how I felt when I lost my mother just a week before I gave birth to my daughter. My heart both broke and beamed for him at this juxtaposition of life and death that I was also familiar with.

Several weeks later, I walked (yep, walked!) down to their house for their in-home newborn session. I immediately noticed how their confidence had grown in just those short few weeks from when I had last seen them in the hospital. Dad could calm baby with the touch of his hand. Mom effortlessly held and cuddled baby like she’d been doing it for years. It is a difference that only someone like me, who didn’t see them all the time, would be able to notice. It was a difference that I wanted to document for them to be able to see for themselves how they had grown.

Because I had spent such an intimate time with them in the hospital, I arrived at their home and felt like I was visiting old friends. We were able to chat and laugh and catch up. It was comfortable and easy and they trusted me to do what I needed to do to capture the perfect moments they wanted during their session.

Have you considered adding a First 48 session to your in-home newborn session? The connection you build with your photographer at the hospital will make your in-home session even more comfortable and effortless. Not to mention the ability to document the growth of both your new baby AND you in those first few weeks of parenthood is priceless. Want more information on a First 48 session? Reach out to me here – I’d love to chat!