It is always strange for us to be on the other side of the camera, but we have gotten used to it after being together for over seven years! I knew after we found out we were pregnant that Emily Gerald would be the perfect person to shoot our newborn session. She is a very talented baby + birth photographer based in Virginia and she is just the sweetest! Payton cried and nursed a few times during the session and it helped me have a greater sympathy for all of the families I do sessions for. You can't understand how hard it is when your baby cries during a photoshoot until it is your baby! Thankfully Emily was very patient and encouraging when Payton was being fussy.
One of my favorite parts of the session was watching Emily take pictures of Kevin. Seeing Kevin with Pay Pay melts my heart! We found a baby picture of Kevin and his mom from when he was a baby and he wanted to replicate the pose with Payton. It was so adorable! I am excited to finally share more pictures of her nautical nursery and the beautiful stripes Kevin painted a few months ago. It was fun to get the room ready together before she was born and now have pictures with her in the room!
Also a funny behind the scenes story... During the shoot, Kevin's pants ripped. He was climbing onto the bed to get set up for the picture and his pants very noticeably ripped right below the zipper. Emily and I looked at each other and burst out laughing because it was so funny!! She said, "This has never happened before during a session!" Thankfully, you can't tell in any of the pictures. Gotta love embarrassing moments in the Paulovkin household!
Seeing pictures of Payton reminds me of the beauty of God and the gift that she is to us. Her life is so precious and each day I am thankful for her (even when she is screaming in the middle of the night!) God's grace shines in her face and I am in awe of His creation when I look at her. Each of us is unique in our own ways and I can't wait to see Payton grow and shine in her individual personality.
We love you so much little girl, thank you for sleeping and being calm for these pictures! Enjoy these gorgeous images by Emily Gerald Photography. We are so thankful for them!
You are so beautiful Payton Ruth! We love you. In case you missed it, you can read her birth story here!