Welcoming Your Newborn | Dallas, TX Newborn Photography

As a mama, when we welcomed our second little boy there was worry and anxiety over what our oldest might do. How would he react? Would he act out towards me or his little brother?

Our oldest, Sutton, was just under 3. We had talked about baby brother coming for months. He had even been with us to an appointment or two, and he knew baby brother would be born at the hospital. In fact, one of our last appointments we went to, sweet Sutton asked if we were picking up baby brother. He loved to play in the nursery and rescue kitties from the crib.

We kept Sutton on his schedule going to Mother’s Day Out and getting to spend a few nights with his grandparents. He was even able to come to the hospital to meet baby brother shortly after he was born (before Covid). He could not have been more excited to hold him! To this day, he still asks to hold him in the mornings or when he gets home from Mother’s Day Out.

We included Sutton in so many of our daily activities: naps, feedings, changes, etc. He really just wanted more of mommy. Mommy to do bath and put him to bed. I reminded myself frequently to stop and enjoy the time. Though I was exhausted with a newborn, the time is fleeting.

To this day, big brother loves to hold his little brother, go in to wake him up in the morning and has been the biggest helper. He wants him to have a monkey as his lovey like he does (we will see if this takes), but yes we still get upset when little brother gets into our things. We are now building our firetrucks and setting them on shelves or a table out of reach of Sawyer.

Mama as you adjust to your first or forth baby, it takes time. Give yourself grace. Do something little for yourself. And remember this is a season, take joy in the every day.

Three Things to Know About Your Family Session | Richardson, TX Family Photography

Why do you book a family session? Is it for Christmas cards? Do you just want to update your family photos? Or is it to capture your family and kids in the stage you are currently in?

There are so many reasons why people get updated photos each year, many just want a picture for their Christmas cards while others really want to capture this season of life. For me, it is important to capture the season of life rather it be in the Spring or Fall. I want to remember the crazy that is our family.

Family sessions can be fun!

Yes, as a lifestyle photographer, I want to make your session fun! A portrait session consists of your traditional family photograph; as well as, the candid images of you playing with your little ones. We run, walk together, bring out toys and bring out all the things to get the genuine smiles from your family.

When is the best time to do a family session?

For me I love the Spring! The flowers are blooming, the colors are simple, clean and neutral. The weather is still gorgeous and summer heat hasn’t hit yet. You aren’t sweating while trying to chase your little ones. Plus, the craziness of Fall hasn’t set in. Bonus, you have plenty of time to find the perfect Christmas cards!

What if my kids are having a hard day?

That’s why we play! A full hour session also allows your kids to warm up to me, and get a little more comfortable with their surroundings. Truth, we did pictures for our son’s 2 year birthday. Very few smiles came out that day. We played, tickled and got just enough for this Mama! Come to find out, he had 100+ fever and an ear infection coming on. But these pictures are still some of my favorites! We can make it work!

2020 a Year of Unexpected Growth | Dallas, TX Newborn Photography

2020 was a year of unexpected changes, growth, and a lot of family time! We were looking forward to 2020 as we anticipated the arrival of our second baby boy in January! Little did we know how differently the year would turnout to be.

I took maternity leave from both my corporate job and photography, our oldest was in Mother’s Day Out and my husband was doing his daily work grind. I was soaking in all the newborn snuggles, having our mom’s help every couple of days (who thoroughly enjoyed the newborn snuggles too), and planning for some big changes in 2020.

We took Spring break with our oldest, played at the park, did a Costco run and went to the zoo with our cousins to round out our break. I had a few more weeks before maternity leave was up and had two Fresh 48 sessions planned for the following week! In a change of events (literally overnight), we kept making adjustments for the Fresh 48 sessions, but soon they would be completely cancelled. Little did we know this was just the beginning of our stay at home order.

I went back to work in early April, working from home and balancing two little boys. We spent our days playing, taking two or more walks a day, watching more Disney+ than I would like to admit, and Face-timing with grandparents. We have adjusted, made some major changes for our family, and to the wonderful clients Mallory Shelton Photography grew more than I expected during this unusual year, THANK YOU!

For us, 2020 was much different than we anticipated. Our youngest has been in our church once for a music concert for our oldest. He has seen few people outside of our family with no mask on. He still looks at us when we have our mask on with an unusual face and tries to pull it off.

But all that to say, I enjoyed the extra family time, learning to be a mama to two while working full time, growing my photography business and leaning on my husband for support and encouragement. Though there have been many challenges, it was a year we are grateful for and grew more than we knew possible!

Here’s to 2021!