Why I Chose To Photograph My Own Son’s Session | Jack Alexander

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography, located in Northwest Harris County, is a full time newborn portrait artist serving Houston and surrounding areas. See more fun details about the latest squish, Jack Alexander, and why Sarah chose to do his posed newborn photos.

Introducing Jack Alexander  | The Chief to the Tiny Tribe of Wild Women

Good afternoon, friends! I am really excited about this particular blog post because it's all about introducing the latest member of the Borchgrevink family, Jack! This post also shares why I chose to photograph his posed newborn portraits myself.

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may remember we announced this pregnancy in July when I was around 20 weeks pregnant. We purposely waited to find out the gender before telling everyone since we already have three little girls. They’re named Lucy, Emma and Amelia, however, we lovingly refer to them as the Tiny Tribe of Wild Women.

It turns out baby number 4 is a BOY! This was a really fun surprise and while all babies are wonderful and ultimately, the goal is a healthy bundle of joy, we truly are excited about adding a chief to the little tribe because parenting a boy is a new experience.

His due date was originally 12/15, which was super fun since my birthday is 12/14 and Amelia’s is 12/9, but he decided he wanted to cook longer and hung out for over a week before making his grand entrance!

Jack Alexander Borchgrevink was born at Cy Fair Hospital on December 23rd, 2017. His official birth time was 1:57 PM. Weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces he is the perfect little man; he was also 20 inches long and his head was 14 and ½ inch, his chest 13 and ¼ inch. All in all, things went very smoothly! While you're here: check out what I recommend for packing a hospital back + must haves for delivering at Cy-Fair Medical Center. It's my fourth baby here, after all, ha! 

When it came to deciding on professional newborn portraits, I did book a fantastic in home lifestyle newborn photographer. After all, I am very excited about adding a new baby to our family and the lifestyle session will have a lot of family photos. I want to be in the images and I am looking forward to having truly lovely sibling shots, too. 

Nevertheless, for the posed portion it felt really personal. Jack is my last baby and this is my gift to him; to photograph him in his most precious state. There is a plethora of amazing newborn studios in Houston Texas, so this decision is not based on lack of talent by any means. The options are endless and I'm thrilled to be friends with many newborn artists who truly shine. While I was pregnant with Baby Boy Jack, I planned his session from the moment I saw the positive (+) sign, ha! I did not know his gender then, but I knew I could not wait to meet baby.

Being a mommy myself truly helps me identify with the exciting emotions surrounding the joy of bringing home a new baby. Whether it's your first or last baby, you spend months dreaming of their face, talking about names, decorating the nursery, preparing your home for this precious little life, and your heart is exploding because you already love him or her so much. It's unconditional love. Hearing the heartbeat for the first time is the most beautiful sound to a mothers ears; seeing their profile on the ultrasound makes you so happy, and sharing that experience with your spouse or partner leads you to feel closer to them. 

This in mind, I had a whole session set up for Jack before he even arrived. I made lists and wrote out a session plan. I broke his session up into about 4 days so I was able to concentrate on different aspects without feeling rushed. 

Day 1: Cozy and unique wrapping such as tootsie, potato, and womb. Check out my three favorite ways to wrap newborn babies, too!

Day 2: Macro Images (up close details like lips, toes, his chin, baby magic, ahhh!)

Day 3: Floor props like bucket, bowl, crate, and a wooden trench.

Day 4: Flokati rugs and naked bean bag posing 

Working with Jack was my love letter to him: one day, when he is married or graduates college, I will have timeless and gorgeous newborn portraits of him, the most precious and tender time in which he entered the world. I spent about 6 hours on these images, but they'll last for a lifetime and I will always have these images in an album to look back on and cherish. Newborn photography is *absolutely* an investment, however, you're commissioning an artist to preserve this incredibly special time for you - it is fleeting and one you can never capture again so by booking someone who specializes in posed newborn portraits you're selecting someone who will treat your baby's session with the utmost care, respect and love. 

Without further delay, present Jack Alexander Borchgrevink + my favorite images of him. If you check back in a few weeks I'll be blogging some wall art options and how we will be displaying these images in our home.

Wishing you a wonderful Thursday. All my joy to you friends!

Warmly,

Sarah

Thanks for visiting my blog to see more of Jack Alexander + tips and tricks to photographing your own newborn baby!

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Specializing in timeless posed baby portraiture, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer serving the surrounding areas including Houston metro & 610 area, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Woodlands, Sugar Land, West University, Memorial & Galleria, Bellaire and The Woodlands, TX. See why Sarah offers the Best Newborn Photography. In addition to breathtaking newborn images, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting couples.

Here's Where Sarah's Newborn Studio is Located:

 

Where to Find the Perfect Dress | Slay During Winter Family Photos

Houston Portrait Photographer, Sarah Borchgrevink, shares how to slay during your winter family photography session + where to find the best gowns! 

Have no fear: styling is now here!

Good morning, gang! Thanks for visiting my blog to see where to find an awesome gown for a photo shoot! If this is your first time here, welcome! Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sarah Borchgrevink (Bork-grey-veenk) and I'm married to the coolest dude on the planet, Kevin! Together we have three little girls (Lucy, Emma and Amelia) who we like to call the Tiny Tribe of Wild Women (yup, click that link to see our pregnancy announcement & gender reveal, ha). 

However, just over a week ago we welcomed our son, Jack Alexander, into this world! This in mind, because I am a mommy and LOVE having photos done with my sweet little family, I do know what it's like to book the session and then say, "Okay. Yikes. What should I wear?"

I can attest that often, Moms put themselves last. It's part of the care giving nature. I find myself picking out my kiddos clothing first and then the hubby. Afterwards, I sit in my closet and think, "Does anything even look good on me?"

Stop. Right there. I, Sarah, totally give you permission to slay during those family photos! You are a awesome mommy + domestic goddess, HA! You deserve the coolest gowns that are soft, feminine, timeless and stunning. You are taking these photos not only for yourself, but for your little ones. This is also a fantastic way to connect with your spouse and significant other. Document the joy of your lives together. Give something tangible to represent all that is beautiful about your family. They're a wonderful way to preserve the love of your family and showcase darling milestones, such as an annual family photography session. Also, it's great for your little ones to see you feeling sassy, confident, and loving yourself. 

Now: let's talk about winter. If you live in the south, like me, you know that the winter is the best time to take family photos because it's the only time of our calendar year it's not hot as heck, ha! Even the fall can still be in the 90's and as women of the south, we are just used to being warm. What to wear then?

TA-DA: Presenting the best dress!

• This Olive Green Draped Gown with 3/4 Sleeves is the perfect dress for either a maternity session or family photos due to the adjustable waist. This dress, however, comes in a huge variety of colors such as black, burgundy, light blue, light pink, mauve, navy blue, olive, peach, periwinkle, pink, purple, and royal blue. So while I *did* select this as a winter choice, thanks to the sleeves, this could easily be used for any season.
• This dress is the bomb dot com, too, because it's meant to transition into motherhood. You see, as mentioned above, I have four kids and quite frankly, it's nice there is gown that makes motherhood a little easier. You can wear this during pregnancy thanks to the polyester blend but also can use it afterwards as it is breathable. 

Here's what Mom had to say about this gown:

I loved the dress because it's a soft wrap dress that was very comfortable to wear. Being a new mom and need to be able to move without feeling constrained is a big selling point to me. I did not feel confined during the shoot and could enjoy my time with Sarah and my family. I chose the olive green color because I love earth tones like brown, cream, and greens. This made coordinating with my husband a breeze! I cannot recommend this dress enough!

 5 Reasons to love this gown

1. Perfect for date night, baby shower, maternity photos or family session.
2. Flattering style with a solid pattern that is versatile 
3. Great dress for transitioning into motherhood as there is an adjustable waist (score!)
4. Sash tie adds super cute detail but also allows you to cinch to fit as needed
5. The draped v-neck is perfect for nursing moms too - we all need our life to be a little easier!

Pink Blush Boutique is a great vendor! 

The artistic part of me, however, loves this vendor for several reasons. I adore sending clients here, so check out their site, Pink Blush Boutique. 

The selection is fantastic! For example, you'll find clothing for every occasion from spring, fall, summer, winter, and even holidays like Valentine's Day or your special celebration, like a baby shower. Better yet: they also offer a selection of accessories sure to complete your outfit such a shoes, jewelry, hats, bags, scarves, etc. They all coordinate together perfectly and it just makes things easier. 

Moreover, they several sizes from size 2 to 3x. This is great they cater to many sizes and shapes! As we all know, everyone is different. They also have free shipping on all U.S. orders + a coupon for 10 percent off your first purchase! Wow! 

Allow me to introduce this stunning client

The D family is a baby plan membership client of mine. We also did a gorgeous maternity session, too, so check out more of their beautiful natural light, sunset pregnancy portraits. Mom is especially a sweet client because she inquired before she was even pregnant! One day, I was working at my desk, and she asks all about my packages, explaining they are going to try for a baby soon.

A few months later, she contacted me to let me know baby is cooking! We scheduled a maternity session (linked above) and then also a baby plan membership, which means they reserved the first year of life + family photos for their sweet baby! It includes a full newborn collection, 6 month sitter + family session, and also a 12 month cake smash + family photos. 

Because of this, it's truly been a joy to meet their family and work together. Here are a few super cute shots of their darling baby girl. Here she is at just a few days old.

Now she's 6 months old + sitting up all on her own, wow!

See more of why this dress is a great choice

Thank you for stopping by the blog to see a great dress for outdoor winter photos! I hope you enjoyed reading about the perfect dress plus how to find it!

If you enjoyed reading about how to slay during your own family photos, you may like reading about these topics, too:

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Specializing in posed baby portraits, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer serving the surrounding areas including Houston metro area, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Heights, Sugar Land, West University, Bellaire, and The Woodlands, TX. In addition to breathtaking newborn images, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting couples.