Are You Watching Your Children Closely?
Before I became a mom for the first time, I realized that raising children would involve many emotions - joy and happiness, sadness, confusion even.
What I didn't realize is how young they would be when I actually had to let go.
In my mind I figured this moment would be like in Gilmore Girls when my 18 year old daughter went off to college but she still came home every weekend for Friday night dinners. It didn't occur to me that I would also have to let go when my husband and I went out for the night for the first time since they arrived, on that first day of daycare or of kindergarten.
We may not necessarily feel it until we reach those milestones, but now that my youngest is in full time school, I find myself mourning his loss of baby teeth, every story he reads by himself and the fact that he can put on his own seatbelt and close the heavy van door. When I look at photos from his baby years I tear up and feel a deep sadness like somehow I missed it all. I miss who he was, and I just want to silently hug the kid he is now, but he won't sit still long enough. And reality is - he just keeps growing.
But I was watching closely every time I shot a frame that included his long, messy morning hair that I refused to cut, his cute little baby teeth, his numerous expressions, paint covered fingers, his relationships with his siblings and us through family professional portrait sessions.
And Marianne has been watching her littles closely too, especially now that little Portia has entered the world. I've never seen parents of 3 children so relaxed and in the moment with their kids.
Her and Carter have been coming to me since their oldest was 1. We've documented their growing boys and their family's love in the studio and outdoors. Aidan's gone from little brother to big brother. This September, as Marianne is bringing little Ryder to kindergarten for the first time, it's going to be one of those "letting go" moments. There's no worry about whether or not she's been watching closely though, because she has, and so have I. xo
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
"We have worked with Karen on several occasions and have yet to be disappointed. Karen has done an amazing job capturing our family as we are-we love how there are no artificial poses, just candid moments of our connections to one another. We have trusted Karen with newborn and one year photography collections of our children and family, as well as a recent maternity session. We are in love with every picture she has taken for us. We look forward to our upcoming newborn session with Karen- we know that we are going to cherish these pictures forever, like we do the others she has taken for us." -Marianne Dumont
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