It is with such fond remembrance (for myself) that most email correspondence I get with moms of newborns happens at 3am. The world is so quiet then–dark, warm, insulating–just a time for mother & child to rock, soothe, nurse. Connect. It’s a small, significant chapter, and as the weeks….errrr, sometimes months….go on it may feel a bit like The Neverending Story, but it does indeed come to a close.

The weight of her body

the smell of her neck

the sound of her cry

the pace of your stride

the sway of your body

the shush of your voice

the temperature of the room in the middle of the night

the tick of the clock

the light of the moon

all belong to a newborn parent in a magnificent, all-emcompassing way.

Most glorious night! Thou wert not sent for slumber!
~Lord Byron, Childe Harold

The details get me every time.

Dad plays Avett Brother for baby Alla and Mom.

It was such a joy to hear music and laughter in their gorgeous apartment. Filled with layers of colors and textures and delicious aromas all Christmassy and cozy added to the beautiful family ambiance.

In this documentary-style session, I had the privilege of capturing the quiet moments that made up their new day-to-day—a reminder that the most beautiful memories are often the simplest, unposed moments.

As they head back to Texas soon, we really wanted to capture a Wisconsin Christmastime birth. The Capitol building all draped in evergreen wreaths and red bows helped establish this time and place, especially since we were in a rare year of no snow at this time.