
March 16, 2026
Quick Takeaways:

There’s this quiet truth no one really says out loud when you’re expecting: the first year goes by in a blur.
One day, you’re picking nursery paint colors and folding impossibly tiny onesies. Then suddenly, you’re slicing into a first birthday cake and wondering how the time slipped through your hands. The late-night feedings, the gummy smiles, the first time they found their toes – it all folds into you without warning.
As a mother and photographer, I’ve lived this tender whirlwind myself. And now, through Alabaster Photos, I walk alongside other families as they move from bump to baby and beyond. So many stories stick with me – but recently, one especially sweet session reminded me why I’m so passionate about capturing the full arc of that first year.
A mama I’ve worked with scheduled her baby’s 6-month session, and we decided to do something small but joyful: a watermelon theme. That little one, still sitting wobbly but wide-eyed with delight, had watermelon everywhere – sticky fingers, fat pink cheeks, and a wide, drooly grin. It was adorable, but more than that, it was real. Unpolished. Completely their family.
We don’t just document first smiles or tiny toes. We’re honoring growth – yours and baby’s. That’s the spirit behind my Heirloom Year photography plan.

When you’re entering motherhood, it often feels like everything comes at you at once – baby gear research, birth classes, doctor’s visits, unsolicited advice. Something as special as photography can slip easily into the “later” category, but later often never comes.
That’s what makes a baby plan so powerful. It lets you decide – far in advance – that you’re going to remember this year. That you’re going to celebrate the growth, not just endure it. It gives you the gift of reflection and sweetness without scrambling last-minute when your phone camera just isn’t enough.
As your photographer, I guide you through it all:
My Heirloom Year collection is built for this season. All you have to do is show up and soak in the magic.

Every family’s journey is different, but across hundreds of sessions, I’ve found a few milestones that hold especially deep emotional weight. These aren’t just markers of time – they’re invitations to pause, breathe, and remember who your baby was in that moment.
Before your baby even arrives, maternity portraits hold space for the anticipation, the love, and those surreal days of waiting. This is where your story begins – and you’ll never have another version of yourself quite like this.

That flaky skin, the wrinkled toes, the milk-drunk dozes on your chest – it changes almost overnight. Newborn sessions (typically within the baby’s first month) are slow, safe, and baby-led, created to honor the delicate beauty of brand-new life.

This is often a baby’s first big milestone of movement and expression – sitting up, giggling, grasping. It’s also a time when parents start to feel more grounded. You’ll likely see that growing bond in every frame.
And if you want to have fun? Think watermelon slices and joyfully messy fingers.

By now, your baby isn’t really a baby anymore. First birthday sessions are emotional – not just because they’re walking or clapping or smashing cake, but because they mark the end of your first chapter… and the beginning of the next.

Motherhood is as much about memory as it is about presence. By saying yes to a baby plan, you’re permitting yourself to pause at every stage. To say, “this matters.” To gather tangible proof of all the growth you can’t always articulate while you’re in it.
What’s more, it saves you from decision fog. You’ll never have to remember when or how to book, or question if you waited too long. It’s a gentle roadmap through a season that otherwise moves far too fast.
This isn’t about perfection or staging something glamorous. It’s about letting your family be seen – beautifully, softly, truthfully – as you are. Whether you show up in leggings, still learning the rhythm of life with a newborn, or bring a busy toddler alongside, the space I hold for you is the same: slow, supportive, and filled with heart.

If you’re expecting – or newly welcoming your little one earthside – now is the time to think about how you’ll remember this chapter. My Heirloom Year collection was created with the intention for moms like you who are craving calm, meaning, and simplicity. We’ll document your baby’s growth without pressure, from belly to birthday. And I’ll be with you for all of it – not just as your photographer, but as someone who truly honors this journey.Because years from now, when you leaf through those images together, I want you to feel what you felt in the moment. The softness. The wonder. The deep, enduring love.
Let’s make it easy to say yes to remembering.
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Photography sessions are also available in New Richmond, Hudson, Stillwater, and throughout Western Wisconsin.
Newborn, Maternity, & Family Photography
Alabaster Photos has a portrait studio in Emerald, WI.
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