Tinley Park Newborn Session | W Family | GCP by Nicole

There is something so special about photographing a family in their own home during those first few weeks with a new baby. No rushing everyone out the door, no worrying about whether a toddler is going to cooperate in an unfamiliar space, and plenty of time to slow down, take breaks, and let everyone settle in.

And with a newly-one-year-old big brother and a brand-new baby sister, that relaxed approach was absolutely perfect for this family.

You truly never know what you’re going to get when a toddler is involved in a newborn session, but I will always go for it—and Mr. H was ALL about his new role as big brother.

He happily gave his baby sister kiss after kiss with the biggest smile on his face, and the photos of just the two of them together ended up being some of my favorites from the entire session. There is something so sweet about documenting the very beginning of a sibling relationship, especially knowing how quickly that tiny newborn stage will change.

It probably didn’t hurt that my daughter was assisting me that day and Mr. H was completely obsessed with getting her attention. At one point, she started tickling his feet to get a smile out of him, and somehow he managed to turn the whole thing into a foot rub. 😂 We still laugh about it. I may need to take some notes from him.

And then there was sweet Miss E.

Apparently, she had decided Mom and Dad didn’t need much sleep the night before—or most of the morning before I arrived. But like newborn photography magic, once it was time for pictures, she slept like an absolute angel.

She snoozed through family photos, all those kisses from her big brother, and her individual newborn portraits without a care in the world.

Of course, I also made sure to photograph all those tiny details that disappear far too quickly—the little toes, fingers, eyelashes and everything else you swear you’ll remember forever.

That’s one of my favorite things about in-home newborn photography. We aren’t trying to force perfection or rush through a checklist. We have time to let toddlers be toddlers, let babies dictate the pace, and capture your family exactly as you are in this incredibly fleeting season.

And this session gave me so many beautiful moments that choosing favorites for this post was nearly impossible.

Nicole ~ Tinley Park Newborn Session/GCP by Nicole