These early days happen in a blur, and there is something incredibly surreal about how this time passes. There is a palpable authenticity to these days. You may not think it’s all registering with you, that you might not feel present, but it’s there.
It may be a year later when a certain gentle wind out of the north carries the intoxicating scent of a lilac bush from two streets over that you are rushed back to early moments of late spring, window cracked, and a swirling memory of fumbling through midnight nursing, tiny bleary eyes, the heavenly powerful weight of seven lovely pounds.
Or you may step outside on February morning three years later and the biting oxygen filling your lungs, the soft pad of your boots on packed snow, and the insulated stillness of a snowy morning gently hugging you is a quiet memory of your last days as Mom to One.
Or maybe you’re sorting through a stack of pictures and you come across an out-of-sequence newborn shot of your third. You see dishes in the sink, remembering that it just wasn’t a priority. You see the curtains all drawn tightly, recalling those oppressive 100 degree days. You see one impossibly small sock strewn on the floor. You see a diaper station in the corner with shin guards tossed beside it, knowing your oldest was in a soccer camp in the weeks that followed.
And you’re filled. You’re flooded. It all comes back to you, and you’re so far away from the physical exhaustion that you’re just left with memories as warm as chocolate chip cookies. This is why I can’t pose a newborn in a glass bowl. Or hanging in a net from a tree limb. Or inside a pumpkin shell. This is why I am compelled to photograph the Realness. I want to take you back to those moments you thought you were missing because you were so tired, because they happened so fast, because it was all so new.
It’s all there. Let me be your lilac bush.
“Jen Lucas is the newborn photographer who you’ll want to become your BFF! Not only did she take amazing photos, she was a calm and reassuring presence in the fog of life with a 7-day-old baby. She was so sweet and encouraging with our entire family, 2 dogs and 2 cats included, and gave us the MOST beautiful images in her signature documentary style. We loved every minute of our session with Jen!”
Interested in a Fresh 48 session? See below!
