WHEATON NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER: MELISSA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY: CHARLIE
My husband and I waited 11 years into our marriage to have kids. Sure, I got married really young, that was part of it. But society sure knows how to put the fear of childbirth and having a newborn into people who have no idea what they are getting into. Threats like: “Good luck! You’ll never sleep again.” Or tales of how horrible childbirth is are told like badges of survival. Who knows if I would have had kids sooner if I knew the truth. Sure; pushing out a human is hard. Of course. And the lack of sleep is for real. But oh my! That is just a drop in the ocean of love that comes with having kids. I can only speak for myself, but I actually love childbirth. Yep. You read that right. The crazy difficult, miraculous joy, the long laborious time to pause in awe of this little creation; process of childbirth.
Time, especially in those early newborn days feels irreplaceable. So when Sarah contacted me way earlier than her due date to say she delivered precious Charlie early, and they’d be in the NICU for some time, my heart went out to her. Those early days, where you’ve envisioned creating memories as a family, now looks so different that it’s hard to not feel like you’ve lost that opportunity. That you’ve essentially lost time. The one thing we can’t rewind or create more of. So the first chance we could get when they all were home I captured little Charlie and his oh so sweet family. I love that photos stop time. When the clock feels against you, images freezing moments in time is such a gift.
