my 3 baby must-haves with our 3rd? | Personal

I knew with our third, he would have to be an on the go baby. We came home from the hospital in January and 3 days later Texas had an ice storm, so I was thrown into 3 kiddos all home very quickly. Thankfully my husband works from home so I did have extra hands, but those first few days of snuggles and laying in bed all day didn’t quite happen.

We also did not have a full nursery in our house which is fine since he slept in a bassinet in our room until about 2 months. Plus, let’s be honest it’s survival mode for the first little bit and sleep at any time is appreciated. I did have a few of my favorite things that kept me sane during the first few weeks plus I still use on the regular. Some of these I used with our second as well.

1. Boba Baby Wrap

   This swaddle has been my life safer! I wore Shepherd 90% of the time, and still use this some days. He LOVES to be worn and will fall right to sleep when he is in the wrap. I found this easier and more comfortable to wear around the house. I wore it when I had my weekly bible study and he’d sleep in it. He preferred this over sleeping in his carseat stroller.

2. Night Light

This was the perfect night light for diaper changes and feedings. I set it by the changing table or chair where I fed him and it has various settings to help with those middle of the night feeds. I do have the Hatch as well, but this simple light allowed you to turn it on and off without changing the sound. I also took it to the hospital to use. It is chargeable and can be used without the plug. You can grab it and go from one room to the next!

3. Portable Sound Machine

The best sound machine! I have people daily asking me what the noise is. I slept with this in the hospital and we take it on the go everywhere with us. He also uses it at nap time since he naps in a different room from the crib currently. It lasts for hours!

Legal Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you.

5 Ways to Prep for Your Newborn Session | Newborn

As a mama, you can do all the things to prep for your newborn session, and still be thrown a curve ball. We recently had our newborn pictures taken for Baby Boy #3, and even I had a few bumps in the road. I even wore baby boy while I did my hair and makeup so I could be ready beforehand. Yes, you read that right! My favorite wrap saved the day! I thought I had a plan for swapping out our bedding, but nope it didn’t go as I had hoped.

But guess what it’s okay! I tried to stay calm and not stress about it. I knew it wasn’t something I could change, so I made do. I changed my vision, and it all worked out!

Mama, the more you stress, the more stressed your baby and family are too!

Here are 5 tips to prep for your newborn session:

1. PICK YOUR OUTFITS OUT BEFOREHAND

Plan ahead. Go shopping and pick out your outfits beforehand. Make sure you try them on and lay them out to see how it all looks together. YOU are the most important one that day. Make sure you feel comfortable in whatever you choose to wear!

2. ASK FOR HELP

It is okay to ask for help. Have a friend or family member come over to hold your new little one or help with the big kids so you have time to get ready without feeling rushed. Take some pressure off yourself.

3. MAKE SURE YOU PULL OUT THE IRON FOR BEDDING AND OUTFITS

Iron all the things. Does your bedding need to have a wrinkle or two ironed out? This is really if you decide to put something new on. You see I was going to put a new duvet cover on and opened it up the day of. It had an orange string through the trim, and I realized if I was going to use it, it would need to be ironed. All that to say, you do NOT need to purchase new bedding for your newborn session we will be using it in our bedroom once I get a new one.

4. FEED YOUR BABY 30 MINUTES BEFORE

Make sure your baby is well fed. It is a good idea to feed your little one about 30 minutes before your session then allow mama to put her clothes on and finish any last minute touch ups.

5. TAKE A DEEP BREATH, AND RELAX

Lastly, take a deep breath and relax. Yes, easier said than done. Your energy feeds to your baby and family. If you are relaxed, everyone else will be too.

I also shared 3 must haves for your newborn session. If you missed it, you can find the blog here.

If are interested in booking a newborn session, I am currently booking through early Fall, and I would love to chat with you! You can reach out to me here for booking information.

Motherhood. The Why behind my business | Personal

I took a big leap in November of 2020, to go full time with photography and take a step away from the corporate world. One of my goals when doing this was to have more time to be mama to our two boys. Though launching a full time photography business is a big task in and of itself, I took 2021 to settle in as a full time photographer. I launched my Heirloom Portraits and worked to adjust my weekly and monthly schedule to see what worked best for our family.

As I began dreaming of 2022 and what aspects of my business worked in 2021, one of my biggest goals was to take more time for our family and be intentional with our boys during the week. As we enter April, my hope is to focus on our boys on Monday and Friday when they are home, and spend Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on business specific tasks.

Our oldest begins Kindergarten in the Fall (cue all the mama tears) and I want to be present, make memories and be the mama I need to be. I mean I dreamed of the days I could do photography full time and be at home to chase these two little guys. Now is the time for me to cherish these days at home crazy as they can be, they don’t last long.

I may be slower to respond, but my hope is to focus on my clients and my business on the days the boys are in Mother’s Day Out. Scheduling will be a little more limited, and I will only be shooting one (maybe two) weekends a month. I will be scheduling sessions two days during the week, and have set business hours for emails, editing and all the behind the scenes things. Much of this is already in place, so you may not see much change from the outside.

If you are interested in booking a session, please reach out to me early to make sure your date is available, especially if you are hoping for a weekend option! You can contact me here for booking information.

Thank you for your patience as I work to balance this business and being mama!