Kylin’s home newborn photography session in Issaquah

I’ve been so honored to photograph this Issaquah family as they grew to four beautiful children over the course of the last several years. It’s so fun to see the kids grow older and take on new roles as big sisters and big brothers. It was really special to document their family as they welcomed their fourth and final child – a girl! I was able to document mom’s maternity session in the backyard of their new home as they’d outgrown their first family home, and then Kylin’s birth day at Swedish Hospital on First Hill (in photo AND video), just a few hours after she was born. Ten days later we met again at their home for her newborn session.

Truth be told, I usually advise my clients to wait a few weeks after baby is born to hold their newborn session. It allows everyone to get a little more rest, kind of get into a groove, and sometimes we even wait until baby’s first social smile appears around 6 weeks. However, being the fourth baby in this family, mom and dad are old pros at this. Can you believe how amazing mom looked only 10 days after giving birth?! Seriously amazing.

brunette newborn sleeping in crib wrapped in swaddle

big sister touching hand of newborn baby girl while she sleeps in crib

top down photo of big sister patting newborn girl's head in crib

newborn brunette baby girl with arms up around head asleep in crib

elementary school girl holding newborn baby sister in armchair

big sister patting her baby sister laying on changing table

older sister giving newborn baby sister a kiss on forehead

One reason I LOVE photographing newborn sessions in the home is for the simple fact that homes come and go. Just like this family is living in a different home than the one they started their family in, we brought our twins home to a different house than the one we brought our first daughter home to. Having photos made in your home ensures that your children will have a record of the place they grew up, long after that house may no longer be in your life.

mom sitting in rocker feeding newborn baby a bottle

black and white close up of newborn baby toes

husband and wife smiling while holding newborn baby girl in their bedroom

mother smiling while looking at newborn baby girl in her arms

top down photo of four siblings on bed smiling

two older sisters with newborn baby sister

father's hands cradling newborn baby's head while seated on couch

top down photo of newborn baby girl looking up at parents while they look at her

I especially love it when a home has unique touches, like this one. This mama puts so much love and care into decorating the nursery for each of her babies, a skill that I definitely do NOT have, so it’s extra fun when I can photograph an amazing nursery! I love Kylin’s theme of blue and butterflies, and I love that she had several frames already on the walls waiting to be filled with these photographs!

close up of mother giving newborn baby girl a kiss on her forehead in nursery

father looking adoringly at his newborn baby held by mother

wide angle photo of mom sitting in rocker in nursery holding newborn

I like to make a “before (baby) & after” photo from the maternity and newborn sessions. They’re never the same set-up; I just try to create something based on whatever strikes me creatively during the maternity session (as that is the basis for the set-up). This last photo is the “after” photo. You can see the “before” photo in the blog post of this sweet family’s maternity session here!