12 months of Braelynn // Happy Birthday!

I never intended to take any sort of weekly or monthly photos of Braelynn.
Honestly – that’s probably why I was successful with it.
I didn’t have any pre-conceived plans that – oh I was going to be this amazing super Mama who photographs the entire first year of her baby’s life. Nope. The thought never crossed my mind. It just sort of .. happened.

I remember it suddenly being Sunday morning – 1 week after Braelynn was born. I literally could not believe that a whole week had passed! It was such a blur of being in the hospital, visitors, nurses, trying to sleep, trying to nurse, that awful video they make you watch about shaking your baby, showering for the first time postpartum, waiting for the okay to leave, snow, pulling in the garage, introducing B to Abby, realizing that night-time suddenly had no meaning [because it definitely wasn’t for sleeping any more!], trying to nurse and being unsuccessful, crying, going back to the doctor for her “day after you leave the hospital check-up”, being told we had to come back, going back, being told we had to come back, going back, being told we had to come back, being so angry at the doctors, begging B to nurse, going back, admitting that we weren’t having success with breastfeeding, and finally finding a lactation consultant who could help. Granted – that whole process was about 10 days long, but it was such a blur. The only reason that I survived those first 10 days [and first few months for that matter] was because we were living with my family & they were there for support & help & encouragement. I would never have made it otherwise.

But back to the 1 week point. I took this super cute picture of my little munchkin wrapped up in a blankie. I couldn’t believe she had been ours for a whole week, so I labeled the photo “1 week old” since I figured if I couldn’t believe it – other people wouldn’t be able to believe it either. Before I knew it, another week had passed, and I couldn’t believe it. Another photo was taken and labeled “2 weeks old”. And thus it started. I don’t think it actually clicked in my head what I was doing until about week 12 [yeah, it took me that long] – then I knew I was on this journey & there was no getting off.

I will be forever grateful for my sister, Ellen, who did newborn photos for me in those first 10 days! I was really hoping that I would be able to do them myself, but I was in no shape physically or mentally to do anything other than snap iPhone photos of my little babe. When the 1 month mark rolled around, it was the first time I pulled out my “big” camera to take some photos of Braelynn. I never intended to do a series of “monthly” photos either, but once I saw her in her huge fluffy skirt, I knew it would be so fun to photograph her in that same skirt every month. And thus, the monthly photo series was born.

I took her “52 week old” photo yesterday and took her 12 month photo today and I’m a little sad that the year is over. I’ve found myself looking forward to those dedicated times of photographing my lil babe! Trust me, I have thousands of photos of her over this entire first year of her life – but I love that these are all taken the same way.

I have so many thoughts – on becoming a mother, on watching this little person grow, on watching Derrick be a Daddy, on watching our families love on her, on how I cry happy tears on a regular basis with the little things she does, on how much my heart melts for this little babe, on the ridiculous love I feel for her – but I’ll leave all of that for another day.
Just know that the last 365 days have each been amazing in their own way and I never knew I could love a tiny little person so incredibly much!

Newborn // by Lasting Memories by Ellen