It’s hard to believe that I’ve already lived in New York for over 7 years and what’s even crazier is Dave and Steph were my first friends in New York. Which makes this family and this Westchester newborn session even more special to me.

The short version of our story (and then we’ll get to this adorable baby girl) is when Ben moved to NY he was searching for a church and met Dave who was thinking of starting a church (now our church, Awaken Westchester Church). While Ben and I were engaged Awaken was more of a Bible study that met in a bar. So Ben was friends with Dave when he began dating Steph and they got married. I didn’t meet Dave and Steph until I moved to New York – they were married in March and we were married in May of the same year. So when I moved up here I told Ben that I would try Awaken which had switched to meeting in Dave & Steph’s apartment, but was also feeling like I wanted a church that worked for us as a couple, not just him. Dave & Steph invited us over for dinner before I think we even visited any churches. We showed up at their doorstep and I’m sure I  had puffy eyes from crying after I was just yelled at by someone on my first solo train ride (Welcome to NY). But Steph & Dave instantly made me feel welcome, they felt like old friends and just as much as Ben got along with Dave, I got along with Steph. (But let’s be honest, what really sealed the deal was that Steph is originally from Pittsburgh. 😉 Seriously, we probably were at the same place at the same exact time as kids in the 90’s because our families went to so many of the same places we just never met until 2012.)

I feel like Ben and I grew up with them, not as little kids, but in the sense that we got married 2 months apart and so we grew into married couples alongside each other. And also going through the whole church plant process with them, there was so much we went through and learned spiritually, emotionally and practically alongside them and our church family.

However, that’s where it stops….not our friendship by any means haha, but in going through the exact same phase at the same time. Ben and I don’t have children and obviously Steph and Dave do. Our friendship has changed to where Ben and I have got to be along for the journey as they welcomed first their son and now their daughter. With their son I think we saw them the night before the scheduled c-section and this time I got to be there while Steph was trying to figure out if she was having contractions and  Ben was helping Dave finish last minute projects around the house. And while Steph’s contractions were getting on more of a schedule and the guys were still finishing projects around the house. Also while I was helping Steph time her contractions that were coming every five minutes for a minute and the guys cleaned up from the projects. (You better believe I was googling when is a pregnant woman supposed to go to the hospital.) So it feels like another big chapter has been written in our friendship and little Kitt Rose isn’t even 3 weeks old.

All the little parts – the nose, lips, fingers and ears! I love pictures of how small they are because it doesn’t last long!

We kept this girl pretty warm and milk drunk so this was the only time she opened her eyes. And I think she looks pretty content haha

I love doing newborn sessions at home for so many reasons: it’s more relaxing than a studio, it’s a comfortable place for older siblings when so much else is already changing and going on and it’s easier on the mother who let’s be honest is probably still in pain and recovering, but wants to look good for the pictures.

Plus since I’m a natural light photographer, I don’t have a studio so in home newborn sessions are all I do. Dave and Steph’s house is a dream to work in with so many windows to let natural light in, neutral colored walls and this big sleigh bed with white bedding.

I am not above bribery, silliness or making a fool out of myself when it comes to taking pictures of kids, whatever will get the shot. And I tend to bring my husband, Ben, with me to help me out… I call him the kid whisper/wrangler. You won’t remember 20 years from now what you had to do to get the shot, you’ll just be glad you have the picture. In this case it was Peppa Pig, Ben putting dinosaurs on my head and then then throwing all Reece’s little characters on the bed to get him to look at us.

Steph and her girl 🙂

This. Shot. Right. Here! (It makes me want to cry when I see this picture and then think of father-daughter dances at weddings.)

You know I had to play around a little bit and dress her up 🙂

Welcome to the world Kitt Rose! Everyone is already so in love with you!