Newborn Family Phots with Domus Aurea

I have to admit something. When I was a new mom to Eleanor I didn’t exactly understand investing in newborn photos. Being a photographer myself, I thought it was silly to pay someone to take the photos and stubbornly decided to take them myself. BIG MISTAKE. I regret this. Looking back the photos are okay but they are nothing to the special keepsake photos Renee shot of Eloise and Beatrice. Eleanor got a few photos of the three of us (Me, Brice, and Eleanor) while the camera was balancing on books and her changing table. Fast forward to me learning the hard way why you need a professional, Eloise and Beatrice have magazine worthy photos.

Also, not all newborn photographers are created equal. It takes a patient saint of a human to take newborn photos. What you don’t see in 90% of these photos: Eleanor melting down, Beatrice screaming, and Eloise refusing to take a photo. Guess who smiled through it all, Renee. I am always in awe of her kindness and calmness. Through the screams all I could hear was, “Do not worry. Take your time. Your daughters are perfect. Do you need to feed Beatrice? I can wait.” Is that not what every mom needs to hear in the midst of a meltdown? Also, can we talk about her talents as a photographer? Her photos are incredible. They capture the love and rawness of a family with a new baby. I never get tired of seeing her work.

I am so happy I wised up and worked with Renee. To have photos this beautiful of my family, that I can cherish for the rest of our lives is truly priceless. I also need to say that we worked with her sister, Nicole Proft, on the most beautiful keepsake film of our shoot. It brings both a smile and a tear every time I watch it. A smile, because I am so overwhelmed with the family I have been blessed with and a tear, because I know these moments are fleeting so to have something so special captured in such a beautiful way is very touching. When you book Renee tell her you want to add on the film. Trust me. JUST TRUST ME, you will not regret it.

Click here for Renee’s Website

Weezie Towels for Kids

It’s here! It’s here! It’s finally here! I have been waiting to share with y’all the new Weezie Kids Collection for the last few weeks. Y’all know I am a HUGE fan of Weezie Towels for adults (here I am in their robe) and for the pool (here is the post I did on their pool towels) but I can finally spoil my kids and wrap them up in their towels after bath time.

The girls bath time routine is the craziest part of the day, but is also one of my favorites. They both LOVE this time and get excited when I say, “let’s go take a bath.” I know these moments go so quickly so I am trying to soak them in. I have had to let go of the constant drying the floors from all the splashes creating tidal waves over the bathtub. And the continuous, “I can do it myself,” from Eleanor when it comes to washing not only her hair, but also the baby’s. So as chaotic as these moments can be, I really love them.

Getting to wrap my girls up in such special and soft towels after their bath just adds to the moment. Eleanor has loved getting to match her sister and asks for her “robe” (robe) as soon as she gets out of the bath. I am so excited about the Weezie for kids launch and hope that your little ones love their products as much as mine have the last few weeks.

** They offer different bundles so you are sure to find what you are looking for. For Eleanor, I got the robe and washcloth set. For Eloise, I got the washcloth, towel, and bib set.

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Domusaurea Portraits Newborn Photos

True Story: I did my own newborn photos with Eleanor. I thought since was a photographer myself, I didn’t see why I needed to hire someone. While I love the photos and that Brice and I shot them ourselves, I always wished I had better ones of the entire family. So when Eloise was born, I knew I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. That was around the time the very talented, Renee, of Domus Aurea reached out to partner. Once I saw her beautiful and very professional looking photos, I knew this was my photographer.

Renee was amazing to work with. She was so patient (even when I had to feed Eloise half way through the shoot) and made the entire experience so enjoyable. Wrangling a two year old and a newborn was quite the feat but Renee never made me feel bad for all of the “whoops” that happened. Let me just say, Eleanor refused to take photos with anyone but herself for the first half of the photoshoot so I was worried we didn’t get any “usable” shots. I now laugh as I type that. Renee got so SO many usable photos that I cried when she first send them over.

I am beyond grateful for Renee and the magical photos she captured of my family. I know we will all look back on these and smile at all of the little things she was able to capture – like Eleanors squishy feet between the bars of Eloise’s crib. Photos are able to capture beautiful memories but they also have the ability to transport you back to exact moments in time. I will cherish these moments for the rest of my life!

Mary Hafner Family Photos Mary Hafner Family Photos Mary Hafner Family Photos Mary Hafner Family Photos Mary Hafner Family Photos

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