M Milk Bath Maternity

Hey 2021, long time no blog!
That was lame, sorry, I rely on the fact that nobody ever reads these! So this blog was drafted in June, I haven’t blogged since Mayish of last year but I have about 30 blogs drafted so the next few weeks will be me attempting to write blogs. Fun stuff.
But at least there’s tons to say about this fun milk bath photoshoot I did with a then very pregnant Mama M!
Mama M special requested a milk bath for her rainbow baby and I’ll admit I didn’t realize just how challenging it would be.

All the maternity milk baths you see on Pinterest take place in an actual bathtub, but, I have to big as dramatic as possible and had to shoot it in an actual full length blow up pool! Now, it’s been so long ago but I’m pretty sure when we did this shoot it was about two months after that 15 day flatten the curve so all pools were either sold out or they were $80 on amazon, because everyone was stuck home with their kids and was just trying to find a way to keep them busy.
Thankfully one of my long time clients/buddies had a blow up pool available for us to use, but the only hold up was I had to drive 45m out to the country to get it, ducks had been using it so it was extra dirty, andddd there was a small hole in the side. I can’t complain at all though, I was super fortunate she was even allowing me to use it! (and she had cleaned it up quiet a bit before I picked it up so I’m really not complaining, just getting those 1000 words lol)
The pool was so big we also had to set it up outside, instead of in my home studio, and we had to keep filling it with water, because of the small leak, AND it was threatening to rain the whole time we were shooting, BUT it was well worth it though to bring our vision to life.

Mama M was and always is the most complying model and was absolutely amazing when the water started getting cold and her neck started hurting. I can’t thank her enough for going out of her comfort zone to bring both of our visions to life, and I’d say I can’t wait to meet her sweet baby girl but I’m planning her first birthday cake smash next month!

J At home newborn session

Things that happened just a month ago or so really seem like they happened a year ago at this point. Going through so many of my recent sessions I realize that even though everything still seems to be at a standstill, time has gone by insanely fast! Take this little handsome booger… after seeing some of his most recent photos his mama has shared, he doesn’t even look like the same baby anymore! This precious newborn boy now looks like a handsome full grown man and I’m so glad I was able to go over to his parents house for his newborn photos before he made the jump!

Sweet Baby J has some minor (what seems like minor now of course) hiccups when he was first born so we really hesitated on when we were going to do his newborn photos. We originally decided to wait a month to do his newborn photos but after seeing how much he changed in the first week Mama made the call to have his photos done early! I was fortunate enough that this amazing family allowed me into their home during such an insane time and despite what I can only imagine was sleep deprivation, both Mama and Papa both looked like super models and made everything so insanely easy! Baby J was such a great sleeper too, he was so well behaved through all his newborn photos and transitioned through sets with ease. We did a combination of jungle themed newborn photos and incorporated the fact that his father is a professional football player into his photoshoot but my favorite photos are definitely the family photos!

J Family Lifestyle Newborn Session

So, I talk all the time about how do my newborn sessions at my home studio or on location outdoors but did you know I’ll come to your house? Especially if your home is as cute as Mama A’s and Papa B’s! (or if you have animals as cute as theirs). If you read my last blog you'd know this, stay focused. I offer at home Newborn Family/Lifestyle Sessions and you have your choice of adding on a miniature ‘studio’ portion to that shoot and we went all out for sweet Baby M’s session!

If you didn’t know any better you would think this family was assembled by some modeling agencies for some magazine shoot to promote a product, but no. They’re just that perfect. Mama A is so exceptionally bubbly, energetic, kind, fit, and of course a knock out, which is hard to believe considering she had just given birth about 10 days before. Papa B is a funny, well rounded, very charming, handsome and talented musician from Memphis Tennessee and together, with their dogs skittles and the dogs name I can’t remember but it has something to do with Hawaii and starts with K, and their newborn daughter M, they make the most picture perfect family!

Now I’ll say this… generally Baby boys are much more relaxed throughout newborn sessions. Baby girls just have a lot more to say! However, Baby M literally didn’t make a peep our whole session and did every little pose I put her into! She spoiled me rotten. I really had to narrow down how many I was going to share because literally every image was just amazing! She also spent most of her time naked farting and stressing us all out, thinking that she was going to use the potty on Mama’s view or Papa’s guitar. Little lady held out for us though right until Papa B was trying to put her diaper back on her in the other room. Thanks Baby M, you’re a real trooper and I hope all my future little ladies are as wonderful as you were!

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M Family Session

This year has been the year of Baby number two for many families and none took me by surprise as much as the M families!

(A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one)

To see Baby E’s newborn session with his big sister and Mama check out the link below!

http://www.chelseameadowsphotography.com/blog/2019/4/26/e-newborn-session

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T Newborn Session

Baby T just turned 3 months the other day so I guess it’s time to share her Newborn Photos!!! All of the DW children are literally a carbon copy of each other, I feel like every blog I’ve ever written about them I keep telling them to have more children because they’re all so beautiful and well behaved but I think they’re finally stopping at this beautiful little lady! Sweet little Baby T was also the only child of theirs born in the fall so we made sure to incorporate some fall aspect into her session and I am utterly amazed at how hard she slept in the pumpkin!

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Baby L Newborn

This little lady came a good few weeks early but I don’t think any of us were prepared for how advance and amazing she was going to be!!! Baby L was born just days after her Mama, Brother and I did her maternity session, they keep telling me it was the day after but that just doesn’t sound right, my concept of time isn’t that bad (says the girl who takes two months to publish a blog). Mama A got her out in what seemed like minutes, sideways at that, and when she came out she cried once, and went back to sleep on her Moms chest. NICU, who was only there because she wasn’t full term, told us they needed to hear her cry more to make sure she was okay but she was already rooting in her sleep. Not much seemed to change as we did our newborn session as Baby L slept literally the whole time! I don’t remember her waking or crying once, and had a full head of hair, but if you look at her Mama and Brother (or Daddy who wasn’t present) she hit the genetic lottery!

Mama A and Papa J were high school sweet hearts and are the couple that you always hoped you’d end up being. These two have been together almost 10 years now (if not more!!!), are happily married, have a dog (most important thing), their own home, and two beautiful children… kind of makes you hate your life a little bit but they’re also a HUGE inspiration for what is possible! Big Brother L is also the most handsome guy and it’s dangerous because he knows it! He was so well behaved despite having such a big change happening so recently in his life and was such a pro at holding Baby L!

Mama A is also a friend from High School, one of the few I still associate with, and no matter how much time has passed we haven’t spoken or haven’t seen one another we’re always able to pick back up like no time has passed at all! I can’t wait to watch this perfect family grow together and I will forever envy their sweetness and beautiful children from afar!

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S Newborn Session

I think at home newborn sessions are becoming my favorite, one and most importantly... because I don't have to clean my house, you get to capture families in their true element with their newest addition, and, and, and sometimes other peoples homes have much better light than mine and it makes life sooooo much easier! Mama M & Papa D’s home had the biggest window ever and I think every newborn session I have from here on is going to be in their bedroom infant of their bay window…

I was fortunate enough to be one of the few people that got to see Ms. S after her birth as Mama had a pretty rough post labor and needed lots of recovery time! While Papa D was at work and Mama M took a cat nap on the couch Ms. S and I spent a few hours together and took some of what are I can only call, deceivingly sweet photos… I say deceivingly because this little lady would wake up every so often, look directly in my direction, and bust her arm or leg out of her swaddle, like she knew she wasn’t suppose to do that, never once looking away from me! Or when she was doing unswaddled photos I’d get her perfectly placed, pick my camera up, and all of a sudden shed stick that leg straight up in the air and just hold it there. Other than that she was the best and didn’t cry once!

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S Family Session

One of the most highly anticipated babies of this year was born a month ago and I feel it’s about time to share a sneak peek into their newborn session! After months of seeing Mama M & Papa D count down the days, showing off that big beautiful belly, and hearing all the sweet stories she’d tell me about Papa D anticipating his first born and his plans for their future, Baby S made her big debut! I was fortunate enough to be able to be a part of such an important event in their life and will never be able to put into words how much I appreciate being in the delivery room with them and being able to impose on their bonding time for newborn photos!

The birth of Baby S was so emotional and her Mama and Papa immediately became pros and acted as if this was their 5th child, parenthood just came so naturally to the both of them.

Watching Papa D in the delivery room would make any woman hate her man and see Mama M after (during and before) giving birth would make you wonder why you bothered trying to put on makeup today. These two are so dedicated to one another, I can’t wait to watch the 4 of them (including Weenie) grow over the next few years and see Baby S’s personality develop and I’m really bad at wrapping things up so if you’re still reading this… enjoy!

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E Newborn Photos

Baby E is finally here!

M Newborn Session

Over the last few months I've gotten over my weird phobia of photographing people in public (it's mostly I hate people watching me work) which was awesome because otherwise we wouldn't have been able to take these outdoor newborn photos at one of Nashvilles biggest tourist hot spots! We at CMP had the privilege of documenting our friend & fellow photographer Jessica Elvir's gender reveal, pregnancy, birth, and of course newborn photos over the last several months and though Ms. M is almost two months old now it feels good to finally be able to share some of them! Despite the wind Baby M did awesome for her outdoor newborn session, her photos also have the same color scheme and style I'd want with my daughter if I ever had one! Yellow and red are my two favorite colors, I love florals and bright vivid colors, ANDDDD, we were able to reflect her Mamas love for photography in some of her photos with one of my vintage cameras (my spy camera as I call it). Baby M's Papa was also a firefighter and the only piece of his uniform that Mama J had was his firefighter helmet so I was more than happy to include that! 

E Newborn Session

I know some pretty Kool cats but these guys are ranked up near the tiptop!!! Baby E is now about a month and a half old (see how behind I am in blogs) and is sleeping 5 hours at a time for her Mama, and just like Big Brother G, is full of smiles!!! I could shoot this family ten thousand times and never get enough photos, nor do I think I could truly capture Big Brother G's obsession with his baby sister E! Here's to many many more shoots together and lots of adorable photos of Baby E & Big Brother G! Its going to be crazy looking back in a year and seeing these photos

White Headband - IvyandNellBaby

Fox Headband - Pixie Blossoms

White Feather Headband - Pixie Blossoms

Pink Headband - IvyandNellBaby

Gender Reveal - http://www.chelseameadowsphotography.com/blog/2017/10/26/g-family-ge

Maternity Session - http://www.chelseameadowsphotography.com/blog/2018/3/9/c-family-maternity-session

C Family Maternity Session

The best thing about starting your day early is you get to call dibs, which includes waterfalls! We didn't start our day too early, we got to our location at 9, but we still had dibs!!!!After trying to plan a snow maternity session out of state for weeks we had a random heat wave, in-between the days were it was 20 degrees out, and the location we were looking at was a no go. Fearing we were running out of time we found the best alternative! 

B picked out one of our 'Glamour Packages' at CMP which gave us aaaaaaaall day to play! After deciding last second we were going to shoot we picked out a new location literally 10 hours before our shoot and headed out early the next morning! Neither of us had obviously ever been to this location and the last time I visited a location without exploring it first did not go well... so I didn't have high hopes with my very pregnant lady friend and her very small child (Dad came along later at another location!) however this might have been the easiest fall that I have ever accessed! Literally had a paved trail to it and a nice little bench for G to sit on while I photographed his Mama, that is when he wasn't throwing rocks in the water (he's got a good arm on him too, he made lots of rocks skip!)

Mama B knew exactly what she wanted from her session and did everything she could to help make it everything she had envisioned!  She also went way out of her way to do everything I asked and somehow made it ten times better! She knelt in mud and pricklies, changed 80 times, laughed at all my bad jokes, but most importantly, she did not slip and fall... Working with her & Papa K was like working with very old friends, the hour car ride was spent telling stories and discussing the best horror movies, poking fun at each other in ways I wouldn't dare do to friends that I've known for years, there was never a silent or awkward moment between us! We text each other basically every day now, she's even on my meme list! I could sit here and gush over how great they are and how badly I want to steal their son but I'll save that for their newborn blog! 

N Maternity Session

Despite us having snow yesterday everything is in full bloom and beautiful in Nashville! The sad part is, stuff only stays in bloom for about a week, but the allergies stay ALL.SUMMER.LONG!!!!! Due to this I bribed Ms. N with the promise of pretty flowers, which didn't take too much convincing, to do part of her maternity session a little bit early! (I'm still super dooper excited to do her full maternity session in Florida!)

I already shared a few of her photos on some of my other social media account and I spoke about how jealous I am that all these pregnant women have themselves together more than I do, which I am, but who wouldn't be jealous of this gorgeous lady! She is one of the kindest most graceful (not like, won't trip over her own feet graceful, like elegant)  women I have ever met and truly has the pregnancy 'glow'. Like seriously, her hair, skin tone, everything just radiated! I don't know if I can attribute that all to her pregnancy but I can sure as heck blame it to make me feel a little more adequate!!! 

She also picked up the cutest maternity dress last second at Target, which I am considering going to get for everyday use! The material was so soft and it was so flow and elegant, I couldn't have asked for a better outfit or model!!! I am so grateful this beautiful lady came out with me last second on one of the prettiest days we've had in Nashville for some time and so happy that we were in-between our rainy and snowy days! All the trees we stopped by for our shoots have already lost their bloom and we did this shoot less than a week ago!!! 

Her dress - https://www.target.com/p/maternity-knit-kimono-sleeve-dress-isabel-maternity-by-ingrid-isabel-153/-/A-53217490#lnk=sametab

Baby O Newborn Session

First newborn of the new year has me encouraging women to get pregnant. After not having a newborn shoot for about 3 weeks I felt like I might start loosing my touch, however Baby O was a dream from the moment he arrived to the moment he left. The home studio was a bit chilly do to the continuous very cold weather outside so we kept the space heater on him the whole time and he loved it! While Mama, Papa, & I were all burning up O slept like a rock and allowed me to change his fur, hat, and poses multiple times in a short span. This little dude even smiled for me in his very first photo and then again for the third! O didn't fight me once with his fingers or hand placement and even grabbed a hold of his foot all by himself! I could literally shoot newborns everyday if they were all as easy going as O.

His Mama & Papa chose a baseball theme which was great because we literally have a collection of baseball cards and autographed baseballs but I spent 3 days trying to find the glove we had to no avail. (Thankfully the next day one of my awesome friends found one for me and brought it over!) O rocked every color and every set and you couldn't even tell that Mama K had just had a baby, I was so jealous! I had actually shot Mama K when she was a senior in High School and she hasn't changed a bit! She's still just as sweet and beautiful as ever and she made a great choice in companionship with Papa N, who was a very hands on dad. He helped just as much as mom during our shoot and even laughed at all my jokes, which is always a plus for me!

I'm still having a hard time not posting more photos to O's blog and might come back and add a few more, his handsome face is already making its way into my portfolio and updated packet!

Ms. A Three Month Session

So this blog might contain more images that I've ever shared in a blog but God Dangit I could NOT narrow my favorites down for the life of me! Little Ms. A, who was just 2 1/2 months old at the time of our session, was SOOOO good at tummy time and was basically sitting up all on her own! Before each session I generally spend a few good hours planning in my mind the sequence in which I'm going to do things, what I need to get through first, I layer my blankets, the works! I had everything planned to a T for our session and then the moment when I got my hands on little Ms. A that all went out the window! None of my wraps fit her, she didn't fit in any  bowls or anything so I we had to improvise and treat the session like I would any 6 month old! She was such a happy baby though and was so enthralled with everything going on around her. The ceiling fan was interested, the tall grass was interesting, the big snake that went by us when we were leaving our outdoor session was interesting... I might have screamed when this happen, nobody knows except those of us present at the time. 

Mama C & I went to Middle & High School together and though we weren't ever part of the same cliche she was already so incredibly kind and social! She was always so incredibly positive and was enviously stylish (& pretty but that goes without saying)! When we met for our session we spoke as if we were close friends and I was surprised that we seemed to share so many similar interest, the same humor, and a deep love for the Grinch & Joe Dirt. She and her family have relocated out of state so I was so honored that she spent some of her incredibly limited time in town with me and I was even more happy to meet her beautiful little lady! A let me go through about 4 different sets with her without fuss and fell asleep for the last part of our shoot, allowing me to get some shots of those KILLER lashes! She's going to be a knockout just like her Mama & I wish her and her husband the best of luck with this little heart breaker!  

G Family Gender Reveal

I always feel super special when someone does a gender reveal with me because normally I am Just one of three people who knows what they're having and I LOVE THE POWERRRR. But seriously, gender reveals are the best, especially when the mother is super creative and plans out the most awesome session you could ask for! It was so wonderful getting to meet the beautiful Mama B after talking for so long! It was like seeing someone I had known forever and though her husband couldn't make it to the session he was there in spirit! Mr. G was such a good sport and was all about sharing  all of his sweets with me and everyone there! He's going to be an awesome big brother to his little sister! 

Baby DW III Newborn Session

The Saga of the DW family continues with their most recent installment Baby M, who is also my God Son!!! Just going into his birth knowing that made the moment so much more special when I was able to witness his birth and be one of the first few people to hold him! I'm hoping these guys will make another dozen babies because gosh dang they are awfully cute! Big Brother M & Big Sister R wanted so badly to hold M and to help with him however they could it was so cute! Mama & Papa have said that Big Sister R has repeatedly taken M out of his rocker and brought him to one of the, crying, sleeping, whatever! They both want so badly to hold their new baby it makes me hopeful that since I'm waiting so long to have kids if I have them close together they'll be this loving!!!

I so wish I could share some of photos from M's birth. We had waited and waited for what seemed like weeks for M to make his big debut, I had made sure to keep my schedule relatively open so I could leave at a moments notice but of course as soon as I started a newborn session (which typically last 4 hours) I got a call from Mama T that she was in labor... SOMEHOW, I still managed to do the newborn session and drive the hour and a half up to Kentucky to see this little guy come into the world! I even got to cut the cord which was one of the most special moments I've ever gotten to share with a family, or just in general!!! M was also kind enough to be born around 3pm instead of 3am like his big sister! 

Even though he looks like he was awake in a few of the photos I posted he slept like a rock. I don't think I can express enough how hard he slept no matter how much I loved him or changed him or wrapped him he just slept and gave me some of the best faces! I can only imagine what he was dreaming about, it was probably me... or the booby. 

Baby P Cake Smash

This little lady has graduated from the baby plan and oh my goodness she grew about 2 feet from the time we did her family session to the time we did her cake smash!!! She's so long and beautiful just like her sisters, I hate it for Mama J & Papa R! They're going to have it rough with three beautiful little girls... I feel like these little ladies are now my nieces I've gotten so close to all them! They're always so kind, well behaved, and engaging and I look for any excuse to go see them! Anyways, just a few weeks back Baby P had her cake smash and oh my goodness I can not tell you how many images are in their gallery that are just of the cake smash!!! (It's somewhere around 50!) Because there were so many photos I am so in love with just from the CS I'm doing a blog exclusively on this portion of the session and another one for the family! Her Mama & I share a love for all things Shabby & Frilly, which I guess you have to when you have 3 girls, and I loveeee outdoor sessions so this made for a perfect combination! Little Ms. P has so much self control too, we learned from her birthday that she is not a huge fan of icing so I made a nude cake covered in lots of yummy fruit for her! It was still surprising though when she didn't even break into the cake, she spent her session munching on the strawberries and dodging the blueberries. You can tell in some of the photos too where she hit a bitter one an was not pleased but overall she loved it just as much as we did! 

Baby P Newborn Session

I've recently discovered that little boys sleep ten times better than letter girls... It last their whole lives for that matter! Little Ms. P was so good for her newborn session, even though she hadn't been feeling well for the last few days and was spitting up lots! I thought she wouldn't be comfy on her tummy because of how upset it was and shows going to spit up the whole session but I was wrong on both counts! Despite being over the 10 day marker she did some amazing poses, on her tummy and back, and to my pleasure didn't spit up once (she did get the hiccups a ton though)! This lady rocked some of my favorite props, some of which I've never used before, and gave me the chance to showcase the fabric to one of my favorite swaddle wraps!

Just like her sister in law too Mama C had a better figure post baby then I have after months of running and looked like a super model despite what I assume was only 4 hours of sleep (I look and feel dead after sleeping 6 hours, so unfair!) Papa J was such a good helper during the session too and despite having worked a ton the day before Mama C told me he was always overly excited to get home and hold this little lady all night (Dad goals ladies). This awesome family had the best color scheme/theme picked out as well. I LOVEEEE all things frilly and pink (I talk about it all the time) but they also wanted to include some of my cat props into the session! I'm saving those photos for their gallery, even though I'm dying to show them off! After spending most the morning indoors, while it was nice and cool outside, we decided to head outside and do family photos on a day where there was about 70% humidity, or that's what it felt like at least. Based on the weather the last few days you wouldn't know just two weeks ago it was miserably hot outside! Mama & Papa were so patient outside during family photos and somehow little Ms. P stayed asleep for a few photos in the garden (but even she was sweating!) My mom always strives to keep the garden up too, for this very reason. She's always tickled to death to see her flowers in my photos.

Baby N Newborn Session

I always talk about how newborns are one of the most challenging sessions I ever have but the most rewarding... well... this little dude was easy peezy lemon squeezie! At almost a month old Baby N definitely had me a little nervous for his session. After about the 10 day period most babies don't want to cooperate nearly as much as we would like and are less likely to sleep or do certain poses... HOWEVER, Baby N slept the majority of his session and preferred being photographed outdoors, which is my favorite place for babies! He loved basking in the sunlight and made me want to exclusively shoot outdoors from now on. His wonderful mama gave me creative control of his session and thankfully she was just as big a fan of bonnets with ears on them as I am! I was finally able to use some props I have never gotten to use before and I couldn't have picked a more handsome guy to break them in! He looked good in almost every color and I made sure to keep him and his mama the whole 4 hours I generally schedule for my newborn sessions!

Mama A and I got along from the get go because we both have such awful senses of humor and we both have the same taste in style. Even though we had only exchanged a few texts I knew I'd love her company and she did not disappoint! When we were discussing what she was going to wear for her session I 'politely pushed' the white gown I had in my inventory that I had yet to use and she thankfully obliged! She rocked her outfit and it matched perfectly with Baby N's knit outfit from Boutique De Marzian!

I don't think I've ever had family photos of as smoothly as I did with this session. Every newborn session I try and lay out a plan to make the session go as smooth as possible however it all depends on how the babies are when they arrive and generally never goes the way I had intended! For this session we were able to save Mama/son photos till the very end and it's of course when Baby N slept the hardest! Every move came so naturally to Mama A and N just went with whatever she did,I've never had to maneuver a baby as little as I did for this portion of the session, everything just looked amazing. Despite just having a baby too Mama A looked so amazingly beautiful! I actually had her model for me for a few minutes while N slept in his car seat and nearly forgot we were doing a newborn session!!! I could have spent a whole hour just taking photos of her by herself.

I'm about 3/4 done with this gallery and I'm so madly in love with the outdoor photos I def put the studio photos off till the end. I don't think I've ever had such a hard time choosing photos and I feel like I need to redo all my packets now and update it with the photos from this session! I can't wait to show this awesome family their full gallery and I can't wait for more beautiful mama's and babies like this to come my way soon!