OK, get ready for a fairly long blog post….
Daddy & 2 month old Jazlyn share a moment in bed at our home in Denver, Colorado
Jazlyn playing with the drums, her 1st birthday present from Daddy
Recently my baby become a toddler. I now have a one year old. And its so strange to think of the day when I’ll be saying….I now have an 18 year old, yikes! From the day we found out we were pregnant it has been a roller coaster ride that I’m pretty sure won’t be ending anytime soon. From a miscarriage scare to learning how to walk, the ups and downs will keep coming and going. But I am so relieved I can honestly say its been the most amazing journey of my life. Despite all the sleepless nights and crying episodes, its still the best thing that has ever happened to me. I was not one of those woman that always dreamed of having kids and started choosing names long before choosing a husband. There were a few years in my late 20’s that I didn’t even want kids and could spout out numerous reasons to stay childless. But it turns out that biological clock is real, and in my early 30’s mine started ticking very loudly. And I’m so glad I stopped hitting the snooze button and finally let that alarm clock go off. Now I can’t imagine my life without my little girl. As the weather begins to warm and clouds clear, I know my slow season is soon coming to an end. And as probably any professional photographer will tell you, its near impossible to keep up editing your own personal pictures when you’re spending all your time behind the computer editing client’s photos. So I finally caught up with editing all the pictures from Jazlyn’s first year, (and my maternity pictures from over a year ago) and wanted to share some of my favorite pictures documenting the beginning of her life. The self-portrait series playing below have been about 1 year and 9 months in the making. Trust me there were a lot of days, especially towards the end of my pregnancy, when the last thing I wanted to do was set-up my equipment and get in front of the camera. And since no one was holding me responsible for these pictures, except myself, there were many times I wanted to say “forget it,” and go lay on the couch instead. But now I’m so thankful I took these pictures, as I will always treasure them, and hopefully one day Jazlyn and her kids will too.
Maternity to 1yr Baby Self Portraits
Maternity to 1yr Baby Self Portraits
I do feel lucky to have the time and knowledge to capture pictures of my own daughter. I’ve already cried looking back at the pictures of her as an infant, and can only imagine how these priceless photographs will make me feel 10-30 yrs from now. Below is a monthly series documenting Jazlyn’s growth her first year.
12 months of baby portraits
I have so many favorite shots of our first year with Jazlyn that it was so hard to narrow it down. And I’m also thankful I know so many other great lifestyle photographers that could capture a picture of my whole family, with even me in it! So while yes, I can set up a tripod and get self-portrait maternity pictures, I would not even try to do the same with a family picture. So thank you to Ash Marie Photo & Jenae Lopez Photography for all the pictures below that actually include me in it (without a tripod!)
I know not everyone has the ability or the time to capture pictures of their own children and family. If you want to document your kids before you turn around and realize they’re teenagers, consider hiring a professional photographer, your pictures will be priceless. Click on the “contact” button above this post if you would like more information on my lifestyle baby photography options.