Loving someone else's child

Adoption is a topic of many of my conversations as my husband and I have recently adopted a baby boy, David Zachary. Something I hear very often is, "I cannot love somebody else's child." 

David at almost three weeks old, on the day I took him from the hospital to the children's home.

I agree. I have several good friends whose children I have come to love and enjoy over the years. However, they are not my own children and I will most probably never feel about them as I do about my own. 

I photograph a lot of babies and children and I thoroughly love it. I enjoy them so much. They climb up into my lap and I play with them and cuddle and kiss them and I'm in heaven. But they are not my children and what I feel for them is fondness. I totally get not loving somebody else's child as my own.

David two days after he came home. He was almost four weeks old.

The thing is that David is not somebody else's child. He is mine. In June 2013 when my husband and I knew we wanted to adopt we started to think about our unborn son as just that, our son. 

We did not know when we would get a baby boy but we started to prepare. We got some clothes, nappies, wipes, wipes and even more wipes and I made linen for his cot. We spoke about him often and chose names. Whenever I had a quiet moment I would think about him. I wondered all the same things that I did while I was pregnant with my daughters. I wondered what he would look like, what kind of little person he would be, when he would arrive. In my heart I was pregnant, I was just not carrying him in my womb. (Thank goodness, pregnancy is tough!)

At four months old playing on our bed with his big, big sister who adores him.

So we love and adore David just like we do our biological children. I scored in that I did not have to carry him in my womb, endure mind numbing fatigue, nausea like no other, swollen feet, having to wee every ten minutes and then the unmentionable pain of giving birth. David is our son, no one else's and it is easy loving him.

Five months old and learning to sit. He can stay upright for a moment or two before he topples over. Aren't those the most industrial eyebrows you've ever seen?

Burger Family Outdoor Photography Session

Waiting for Beth and having fun with Bea.

I so enjoy this vibrant, close-knit, passionate family. I photographed little Bea when she was a brand new baby. I got the honour to photograph them as a family unit while they are awaiting the arrival of Beth. And I will be blessed to meet Beth when she is just a few days old and capture her newness and beauty.

We headed out to Parliament Gardens for some fun in the park. 

 Feeding her dolly.

 Daddy's girls.

This is my favourite. Look at the adorable little expression on her face while she brushes her daddy's head with the flower.

Working with kiddies is always a great experience. Mom and Dad look great but little Miss Bea has her mouth wide open in preparation for her beloved dummy.

Thank you Bianca and Heinrich. It is always a pleasure working with you and thank you for choosing me to be your family's photographer.

God bless you abundantly!

Welcome Caleb | Newborn Photo Session

Little Caleb is the most huggable baby. He has rolls in all the right places and a little face that just says, "Hug me!"

A very proud big brother.

 A very beautiful mommy who is so serene. The perfect mum for two little boys.

I love this pose with dad. It is one of my favourites.

Thank you for trusting me with your new little boy. I enjoyed my time with your family and am really looking forward to seeing Caleb when he is a year old.

I hope you all have a great week.

Christmas Special Offer

Are you stuck with what to buy that special person who has everything? Get them something that will last a lifetime. A photo session is the perfect gift as it is loads of fun, makes the participants feel really special and they get to treasure their memories and photographs for the rest of their lives.

Family, couples and baby sessions from N$790
Maternity sessions from N$790
Newborn sessions from N$1980

I look forward to hearing from you.

Welcome Kaitlyn Rose | newborn baby photography session

Kaitlyn Rose is absolutely beautiful. She is one of those babies you can gaze at because she is just so lovely.

The little poppet's feet are so tiny and Daddy's hands so big and strong that his wedding ring easily fit over three of her toes!

My all time favourite photograph of Daddy's holding their little ones. It think it makes every woman's heart burst with love and pride when she sees her husband being a real man.

 

Thank you for the honour of photographing your precious family. I'm looking forward to seeing her on her first birthday!

I hope you have a great week!

Welcome Nonu Miguel | Newborn Photography Session

Now this little man made me work very hard for the photographs. He was quite happy to sleep once he got comfy but I was not allowed to touch him thereafter. He cried like I was inflicting severe injury to him but all I would do was move his little hand or reposition his foot. or put a little hat on. Lots of patience, tenderness and care went into this session. 

I think the thing that really touched me was when I handed the package of photographs to his mom and she looked at me and said, "Is this my baby?" She had tears in her eyes and was overjoyed.

I love this photograph. He just looks so little and cuddly and beautiful.

Thank you so much for trusting me with your baby even when he was crying so badly. I am touched.

I wish you a great week!

Husselmann Family Outdoor Photo Session

This lovely family chose Avis Dam for their family photography session. I'm enjoying Avis at the moment. The grass is so long and dry with flashes of green from the rain last month. Late in the afternoons the sun shines low through the trees and bathes everything in warm light.

It was really a lovely session where I got to work with a beautiful teenager, a sincere primary school boy and a bubbly little pre-schooler. It was fun coming up with poses that would keep all three of them entertained. This one is my favourite.

I just love it when I capture a moment of pure happiness. It may not be the post beautifully posed or artistic photograph but it is the one that always gets a reaction because it speaks to us emotionally. It makes me love my job even more.

I never thought when I bought this trunk 15 years ago for R20 that I would become a photographer and get to use it to take such cute photographs.

Serene beauty...

After a little while the little one was getting a bit bored with this whole photo story so I got her to do some running for me. And then Mr Sincere asked to run too and he really came alive. He is not into posing so much so I'm really glad I got this natural, fun photograph of him.

 I get such fun reactions when I ask for this pose. The littlies normally think it is yuk, gross, no mom. The teenagers always smile and the parents often get shy!

 Mom and her little girl.

 And with her big guy.

Chantell I think you are really beautiful and I hope that photograph makes you feel special.

It is really special for me to see parents so openly show their love and adoration for each other. It is such a great example for their children.

Thank you Chantell and Nolan for choosing me to be your photographer. It is a pleasure and an honour.

I hope you all have a great week!