Baby Elin is here!

Grace contacted me about doing a Fort Collins in-home newborn session that includes her two pups and their sweet new baby Elin, noting in her request “When I was looking for local photographers, your editing style and artistic views really stood out to me.” One thing I’ve noticed that’s consistent among my clients is that the happiest ones have either contacted me via Instagram or follow me and have a clear idea of who I am (I’m a bit quirky) and what my most current work looks like- candid, colorful, unique framing often with plants somewhere in the shot. We planned for about 3 weeks postpartum, and Grace mentioned when I arrived that she’s so glad we didn’t try to do it any sooner as she was still healing from her delivery 3 weeks later and would’ve been incredibly uncomfortable had we tried it the week before. I love how the images turned out! Keep scrolling to see them and read about Grace’s experience and advice as a new mama.

Who are you, what do you do, and where are you from?

I’m Grace Gladstone and I’m a Senior Communication Strategist at Empower Retirement. I’m originally from Rockford, IL, about 1.5 west of Chicago.

What did you choose to wear for our shoot?

I was anxious about what to wear after giving birth just three weeks prior, so I knew I wanted something flowy. I found a dress at Target that seemed to be a good fit and color for me.

What did you enjoy most about our photo session?

I loved that we were able to be in our home. It helped all of us, including the dogs, relax a bit more and it took away the stress of needing to get out the door with a newborn. I also enjoyed the relaxed feeling when the pictures were taken- many were candid photos which we love.

Please define motherhood in your own words.

In many ways, I’m shocked at what is easier than I thought and what is harder than I thought.

Our little Elin has been a great newborn and we don’t take that for granted. Don’t get me wrong - she definitely has her days and we are sleep deprived but she has been a pretty easy baby overall. This is something my husband, Pete, and I comment on a lot. We thought the newborn baby phase would be a lot harder.

But the hard part for me is the postpartum physical and emotional pain I’ve experienced. At almost 6 weeks, I’m still struggling with the physical side effects of birth. This was something I didn’t expect at all. I worked out up until 39 weeks and thought I’d be the mom out there walking a mile a day after the first week of giving birth. Absolutely not the case. I also had to become an exclusive pumper, which was not what I had planned. Not breastfeeding was something I had to grieve but my lactation consultant helped me every step of the way. I’m so grateful for her.

Overall though, being a mommy to Elin has been the biggest blessing in our family. It’s hard but rewarding and I wouldn’t want it any other way.