I photographed this family’s third newborn a couple of years ago, and their family photos after that.  I caught a glimpse of mom this year at the Escanaba State Fair and thought I noticed a baby bump.  Sure enough, she contacted me a few weeks later inquiring about newborn photos – for their 4th boy.  She was very happy to be welcoming another boy into the world, and after meeting little Leo, I told them so many times during their session that they are very good at raising little boys.  Leo was an absolute dream to work with – I typically start my newborn sessions with babies wrapped to help them get to sleep.  There was no need to do so with Leo – he was so relaxed, I put him right on the beanbag and started posing, and he didn’t wake up through any of it.

Mom had also told me that they were planning on naming him Leo (but shhhh don’t tell anyone yet, no one else knows!) and so she had to have a lion prop.  The one she found was absolutely perfect, and the little tail to wrap around him was my favorite touch. I usually prefer knitted props as they are more delicate for newborn sessions, and crocheted props can overwhelm and take attention away from baby, and often don’t fit well.  But I am *in love* with little Leo the Lion, and couldn’t get enough of this prop.

We finished so early that mom went back home to help dad get the kids home from school and prep everybody to come back for their family portion.  It was great to see all of the boys again, and they were as fun and well-behaved as ever.  I remember back with their last newborn session, I was amazed that I got both older brothers to look at me and smile without hardly any effort.  It was the same this time – pretty much the first frame I took of all 4 boys was perfect, no head-swaps necessary.  They did so good that we did some of the family poses on the bed in my studio, and these ended up being mom and dad’s favorites at their viewing session.  I loved that with these, we were able to get the posed everyone looking image, and then all the little interactive details that pull on your heartstrings.