Oh Yes, I remember...

Isn't it funny how our memory works? I've often said that God had a grand plan when He thought through the procreation process, and a pivotal part of that plan was the erasing of our memory of the first few months of new parenthood! I saw a special on the Learning Channel once that explained that after childbirth a chemical is released in a mother's body that actually acts as a memory blurring agent, because let's face it, if we vividly remembered the pain of childbirth, it wouldn't make a second chance at procreation so appealing! I believe that whatever that chemical is, it must extend into the first few months of a new parent's life...oh and somehow it gets in the dad's system too! Hmmm, maybe it is the lack of sleep that aids that chemical reaction! (Can you hear my Chemical Engineering background coming out! Ha!!!) Anywho, I remember distinctly thinking when I was a new mom that if I made it through, I was going to make it my personal mission to help other new parents through this challenging time. I do believe that is another reason I love newborn photography so much. Meet Alex! What a precious angel he is, don't you think?!!! Looking at these blog portraits you would think he was the Johnson & Johnson commercial baby...you know, the one that sleeps all night and giggles and coos the other 12 hours of the day and never causes anyone a minute of anguish! But like most one month olds, Alex is still figuring out sleep...his little tummy (as my two year old always said) "got grass", and getting him to sleep was a challenge. Actually a two hour challenge. And as we bounced and shhhhed and walked around in circles in the dark and in the light and in the middle, it reminded me of a blurred memory of mine, yes, new parenthood was hard! There is a book I usually recommend to new moms called MotherShock- it likens new motherhood to culture shock in a very comical, but real way. So true! But then, magically after two hours the miracle happened...Alex fell asleep and the Johnson & Johnson commercial started rolling! As I look at this first portrait of Alex with his parents, the memories started flooding back...yes, parenthood is hard, yes, parenthood is NOT what I thought it was going to be, but YES, parenthood is so worth it! I rarely have to instruct new parents what expression to make when they look at their new sleeping newborn...it comes totally naturally...it just comes through as totally, unabashed love. And these new parents were no different... I love the way the parent's heads with Alex's head sort of create an upside down heart shape... such a natural outpouring of love happens during new parenthood! So, to all you new moms and dads, hang in there! Yes, it IS hard, harder than I ever expected, harder than I ever dreamed, harder than I ever could have imagined, but truly it is the best, the greatest, the undeniably hands down most super experience I'm still having every single day ...and no chemical in the world will ever make me forget that! Thank you Alex for your sweet, sweet self...and shhhh, sleep well tonight!