Elaina | 5weeks | Atlanta | Toccoa GA Newborn Photography

April 6, 2012
 |  87 Comments

Photographing a 5 weeks old is NOT what newborn photographers recommend. But, sadly we didn’t have a choice when it came to this beautiful little girl. Elaina’s mom , Jennifer, contacted me when she was just a few months pregnant and her excitement about her baby’s newborn session with me had me super excited about photographing it! After Elaina was born she had to have open heart surgery, at just a few days old. I was heart broken for this family. Being a mom myself, I couldn’t imagine going through that. I did as Jennifer asked and just kept praying for their little girl. The first few days after a baby is born is suppose to be exciting and full of beautiful moments as you get to know your baby and as you grow as a family. Although Elaina and her parents had to wait until after her surgery and the days she spent in NICU, they most definitely have been cherishing their little girl and their new roles as mommy & daddy. Of course I knew her health was so much more important than newborn pictures. But, knowing how excited Jennifer had been about this session, I couldn’t help but feel sad thinking all those precious posed images of a sleeping newborn wouldn’t be possible for Elaina. We decided to give it a try and I promised I would do what I could and either way we would get some shots of their gorgeous baby girl. Its not that a five week old can’t be photographed. But the chances of keeping a baby at this age asleep while posing them gets more difficult as the baby reaches their two week mark. Not to mention babies are just easier to pose when they are still so use to be curled up in their mother’s womb. Well, Elaina proved 5 week olds can rock a newborn session! She was a perfect angel! She slept more soundly than some of my two week and under babies. Once she was awake, she stayed awake and we got some great shots. Seeing this sweet baby’s scar {in the very last image} is a reminder to me that God really works miracles and prayer is a powerful thing.

1 ~ Newborn, 2 ~ Babies
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