I don’t know about you but sickness has gotten ahold of our house and hasn’t let go for over a week now. Little Mason, me, Braden, & now Rosie. Thankfully Daddy Mason has had an immune system of steel or we wouldn’t be making it! After making a few trips to the pediatrician's office and (thankfully) negative flu and RSV test, we are just toughing it out by getting cozy in our jammies and keeping the new favorites on Disney+ flowin’ as our distraction from feeling crummy. I’m pretty sure our screen time has been at an all time high for the last few days but you know what...the snuggles have totally been worth it.
Today I told the kids we were going to do something fun. Most of the time when I tell them that, we usually are leaving the house to actually go somewhere so they were confused when I took them into our bathroom. They both looked a little stumped as to why they were in there. I got down on their level and with a little enthusiasm, I said, “Guess what! You guys are going to take a bath in Mommy’s big bath tub!” Their reaction was like Christmas morning! Mason got all of his clothes off in about 0.75 seconds and Rosie was saying “mommy hep” as she was trying to pull her little nightgown over her head but was stuck. It was cute. We grabbed a couple of bath toys and some lavender bubble bath and let the memory making begin!
Yes you read that right, MEMORIES! Believe it or not, this was actually the very first time that they had ever taken a bath in our big bathtub! I am going to look back on these pictures and remember this day as I documented it through my eyes, as a mother and a photographer. The excitement on their faces, the bubble beards, the little curls on the back of Rosie’s hair that only come out when they’re wet, their favorite bath toys, their relationship at this point in their lives at three and two years old, and (most importantly) their little pruned feet. All of these simple things make these pictures so beautiful and memorable. These childhood milestones are so important to capture because these are times we won’t get back! What makes these images even more beautiful is that they are in our home, which to me makes it even more special.
So, all of this to say, we need to stop and take more pictures in our homes! It doesn’t matter if they are pictures on your phone, or if you hire a photographer, we just need to stop and capture the beauty and chaos of our surroundings. Why? Because these days of having kids at home are numbered. Having piles of dishes in the sink, the mountains of laundry waiting to be folded and put away, the toys scattered on the floor, the rare moments when the kids are playing quietly in their room and reading their favorite book, coloring, or snuggling up watching a movie, I find beauty (and a little anxiety) in ALL of these things. Our little babies grow up so fast and we can’t do anything but accept it and embrace it and consider it a blessing from God that we get to watch it happen.
We need to freeze time in our homes and capture those real moments that happen daily that we really don’t think twice about, like bath time. We turned our sick day into bath time play and captured memories that will be cherished forever! After Mason woke up from nap-time today (Rosie was still sleeping), he hugged my neck and said, “Mommy, taking a bath in your big bath tub was so so much fun.” I felt like a million bucks. It was a win-win for the both of us.
Let’s take something as simple as bath time, family snuggles on the couch, making cookies, rocking your baby in the nursery, playing a family favorite game at the kitchen table, the list goes on but you get the gist. We need to capture these real moments that happen at home while they are happening because one day they won’t anymore (insert ugly cry emoji).
So you’re probably thinking that trying to find time to do this is so hard, and it is. I totally agree. It takes a big commitment, and lots of planning to try to get good pictures in your home. What I would recommend is trying to take one picture every day of your kid(s) in action. Start simple and go from there.
If you want to go all out, I would highly recommend an in-home lifestyle family session. Stay tuned for next week’s post where I explain what it is, how to choose a photographer, how to prepare, what to wear, and what to expect if you choose to work with me! If you are already convinced this is something you’re willing to explore, you can leave a comment or reply to this email to discuss further and to receive 10% off when you book your session!
This blog post is written by family photographer, Hannah Bucklin with Sweetest Moments Photography, located in Knoxville, TN.
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Sweetest Moments Photography is based in Knoxville,TN, specializing in natural light lifestyle and family, maternity, newborn, fresh 48, milestone, and custom sessions!
The next paragraph is for google and for google to recognize that I am a real photography business in Knoxville, TN that offers a lifestyle approach to family photography in Knoxville, TN and the surrounding areas. This blog post is written by Hannah Bucklin, owner and family photographer of Sweetest Moments Photography in Knoxville, TN and the surrounding areas. In addition to family photography, Sweetest Moments Photography offers maternity, newborn, fresh 48, milestone, and customized sessions. Contact Knoxville, TN family photographer Hannah Bucklin of Sweetest Moments Photography today to book your next family, maternity, newborn, fresh 48, milestone, or custom session!