{newborn} The Wubbenhorst Family

Lena: a strong, elegant, unique name that was (somewhat) known in Katie and Brad’s history. Lena was the name of Katie’s great grandmother, and unbeknownst to them, it was also the name of Brad’s great, great grandmother. “Lena” is perfectly suited for a perfect little girl whose presence was shining the second I walked into the Wubbenhorst’s home. I couldn’t wait to meet Lena, and I was also anxious to see my buddy, James, who had also been promoted to “big brother.” As expected, James was waiting for me, in super hero character and started showing me all his new poses within minutes. Brad, holding Lena (comfortably in a milk coma) beamed with pride and joy. As I took a few practice pictures, Brad and I talked about the awe and exhaustion that comes with having a newborn. With her days and nights flipped, Lena wasn’t giving them much sleep, but both parents were ready to go, and looked absolutely incredible.

Katie is a beautiful mom. She looked refreshed and her eyes opened wide with love as she looked at her precious little girl. In the same minute, she helped James, who was playing with my Scrabble game, find some pieces to spell out his name. She and Brad are true naturals.

While James counted the words he was spelling, I was able to start taking some pictures of Lena. Katie, laid back and willing to do/try anything during the shoot, helped me move some furniture and prep some of the things we used for those early shots. I truly believe less is more, especially with newborn photos. The day was rainy, but we were able to get enough light in the living room. A beautiful, floral blanket, and an adorable, big flowered headband was all that was needed. Lena did the rest. Her miniature features were so peaceful, she barely even moved when I adjusted her. Despite some “minor setbacks” (you can imagine what those entailed with newborns!), Lena was the most cooperating newborn.

Katie brought down their wedding rings and a special necklace that her mother gave to her; the necklace was worn by Katie’s mother when she was pregnant with her and Katie wore it all through her own pregnancy. These sentimental props were the only other things we used in the pictures, and the pictures are truly emblematic of all the love this family has.

My favorite pictures were the ones that James took with Lena. He was so excited to show me his new baby, and when it came time to sit up and hold her he was so concerned about her pooping on him (can’t blame him for that!) He is a gentle older brother who was eager to kiss his sister on the head and hug her. After a few shots, he said, “Ok I don’t want to hold her anymore.” And that was that!

To switch the scenery, we went upstairs to Lena’s daintily decorated nursery. There, I was able to capture pictures of Dad and Mom and their baby girl and some great family photos and candids. The Wubbenhorsts were such an all around fun and amazing family to photograph a few months ago when I did Katie’s maternity photos. It was no surprise that one more member of the Wubbenhorst family made them even more wonderful. Welcome to the world, sweet Lena! You are so loved and cherished already!