There is such a story to tell during a newborn session. Whether at home or in the hospital, documenting the start of a new life is not a task I take lightly.

I'm completely honored by each newborn session I take, and I'm so grateful for families like the Agee's who trust me and welcome me into this chapter of their lives. 

Baby William was about three weeks old for his session, with alert blue eyes and the sweetest head of blond hair. He was the best little boy our entire session — and the way he looks at his mama will make your heart melt!

I have so many favorites from this session, but wanted to share the best of the best here, plus the Agee's new family heirloom — their Glass Memory Box, a handmade engraved box that holds their most special newborn memories.

​I can't wait for William to be able to look through these with his parents one day and hear all about his first days in the world!

The Agee's gorgeous Glass Memory Box, a handmade heirloom featuring a delicately engraved top with baby's name and birth date. Inside are 10 Master Fine Art Prints. 

Cotton-candy skies, rippling blue water, and the most fun family of four — if I were ever to dream about photographing a session, I know this is what it would look like. 

Admittedly, it's been a while since I've photographed a family with older children. But it was such a refreshing change of pace. Families go through so many stages, and lately it feels like the newborn and baby stages are the only ones that get professionally photographed. 

I'm so happy that Brooke and Adam chose to treasure and document this stage in their lives — I mean, when else will a teenage boy spend a Saturday evening giving hugs and kisses to his momma?! (Just kidding — Kaiden was very sweet about it, and it melted my boy-mom heart.)

My favorite part about my time with the Saul family, though, was actually a few weeks after their session, when I delivered their gorgeous print art — a Glass Memory Box with prints and a Linen Folio displaying three of their favorite photos. They were just finishing up a birthday celebration, and had several guests over. Watching them open each piece and share their photos with their family was an absolute joy and 100 percent the reason why I do what I do. 

Brooke and Adam, thank you so much for trusting me to capture your beautiful family. It was an honor. Most important, though, thank you for being yourselves around me (and for sticking your feet into the water illegally with me). You guys are the best!

When I first approached Lee Robison, owner of the Golden Shoestring in Roanoke, about collaborating, I had lots of ideas running through my head.

But I was most excited about the possibility of a styled shoot. I was eager to feature some pieces from the store's curated selection of high-end consignment clothing, and show off how beautiful they can look in a relaxed photo session. 

I had so much fun shopping the store and picking out the embroidered top (TINY by Anthropologie), embroidered dress (Umgee), and sandals (Talbots). My model JoAnn looked amazing in everything! 

When I met with JoAnn before the session, I told her that in addition to featuring some great clothes, I also wanted the images to really reflect the relationship she has with her daughter. I wanted her to be able to look at the photos years from now and hear her daughter's sweet giggle and feel the warmth of her hugs and kisses.

I'm proud to say we accomplished just that! I absolutely loved getting to watch them laugh and play. JoAnn and Lee — thank you both so much for spending time with me and helping me create some magic!

There are so many things that make me smile about this at-home newborn session. 

First, the family dynamic. I love when older siblings are very involved. It really does provide a complete family picture. When I look through these photos, I see moments that will be so treasured decades and generations from now — by both brothers. 

Second, baby's facial expressions. They're incredible! He has such a deep stare, and his eyes already tell a story. He was such an active part of his session, and I absolutely love it (that may sound weird, but once you look at the highlights, you'll see what I mean!).

Third, I see a lot of personal and artistic growth. Of course, I grow with every session, but for this one, I had recently invested in a wider lens, in the hopes that it would help me better tell my clients' stories. And it has. As I made photos during this session, I finally felt like my images could breathe.

Every mom knows the sound: the gurgling build-up of a diaper blowout. It happens when you least expect it, but usually at the worst times. I recommend dressing and changing your baby just before you're ready to feed him (which should be the very last thing you do, in the hopes eating will put him to sleep). 

(And make sure they're wearing a bib or spit-up cloth.) It's best if baby is asleep for at least some of the session, and feeding him right before usually does the trick. You and your baby are still learning the ropes when it comes to feeding, so give yourself plenty of time. ​

Tucked behind a Jiffy Lube on Franklin Road in Roanoke you'll find one of the Valley's fashion meccas: The Golden Shoestring. 

The high-end consignment store owned by Lee Robison takes designer brands many only dream of owning — Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, and Chanel to name a few — and makes them accessible to every fashion-loving woman.
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If you grew up in Roanoke, you may have visited the store with your mom or grandma — it has, after all, been around since the 1970s — but if you stop in today, you will not find the same shop. 

When Lee, a former Macy's Buyer, took over in 2013, the store was old, tired and in desperate need of modernization. ​After much hard work, they are now computerized, actively involved in social media (find them on Facebook and Instagram), and have made eye-catching improvements inside and outside the store. Lee and her team of female employees have also hosted several events, including a fundraiser for rescue greyhounds, Elevate Your Image demonstrations, Royal Wedding festivities and an annual holiday open house. 

Laura: What kind of experience can customers expect at Golden Shoestring?
Lee: We get to know our customers and consigners on a personal level. For some people, we provide retail therapy in a unique boutique environment, and we want the experience to be memorable, fun and something they always look forward to. Our staff loves fashion, recycling, and helping others save money on designer brands. Each of us are from families that shared clothes with siblings and friends, so we love going green.

Laura: What does a typical day in the store look like?  
Lee: There is no real typical day, because we never know what items will come through the door. It can be a little hectic when three or four consignors show up with merchandise for us to evaluate. Some days we get brand-new items with $1,000 tickets on them. We love the stories behind the merchandise, which we pass onto our customers. We are busy bees helping our customers and consignors, posting Instagram and Facebook stories, freshening new arrivals, and moving items to our Last Chance area before donating locally.

The questions you’re asking as a new mom – I know them all. I tense up just thinking of them.

When will I be able to get real sleep?

How do I get back into my regular routine?

When will I have time for my husband again?

What do I have to do to lose the baby weight?

Everything seems so new that there are times when you just feel desperate and scared. Everything seems new and confusing. Anxiously, you reach out to friends, family, even Facebook for answers.

I’m in a lot of groups for moms on Facebook, and I see posts with those questions constantly. And I remember those days.

The days of burp cloths and nipple guards and mesh underwear. Nights when your tears rival your child’s as you beg them to fall back asleep so you can sleep too. A blur of feeding and burping and changing and rocking.

There’s so much good. You can see it. Snuggling, introducing your little one to the world, learning every bit about them that you can.

But then there’s the piles of laundry. The dirty dishes. Finding the time for food, both preparing it and eating it. The anxiety of getting it all done and not understanding how to fit the puzzle pieces together to make it happen.

There’s this pressure to have it all figured out, and still be the ever-doting, living-in-the-moment mom.

Oh, mama. You’re craving normal, as everything changes around you.

If only I could get my home back in order. If only my husband and I were close again. And if only I understood what was going on in my body.

My heart goes out to you. And I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is, that normal you’re looking for? It’s out the window. For good.

But hang in there with me, and don’t be afraid! There’s so much good news.

First, you are not alone. I know this time is leaving you reeling, and feeling like, who else in the world can know this madness? I promise you’re not the only one.

Every single mother who has ever mothered has gone through this time of life. If there’s no one else around who is telling you that, let me be the one. We’re starting from the same messy place in those first few weeks, no matter if it’s our first or fifth child. We’re all making it work the best we can.

Second, you deserve so much grace.

Your body just did something incredible, and went through a huge amount of change in a short amount of time. (Including the nine months prior.) You are adjusting to a completely new way of life, one where a little person (or people) depend on you for everything.

Not to mention, you are surviving on a couple hours of sleep at a time. That’s enough on its own to make anyone crazy.

Take yourself out of your shoes for a moment and take a look at the mom in the room with fresh eyes. Would you tell her to get her act together? To do better? To fold some dang laundry, for crying out loud?

I don’t think so. You’d tell her to take her time, take care of herself, breathe deep, and know it is all going to be okay. Talk to yourself the way you’d talk to another mom in your shoes.

Third, I can tell you this with absolute certainty – this season will pass.

I can’t tell you when or how. But one day your child will sleep through the night (and so will you). One day you’ll figure out when to wash dishes and still fit your feeding schedule. At some point, you will go on a date with your husband again.

And finally, yes, the normal you’re used to is gone, and it isn’t coming back.

And surprisingly, THAT’S OKAY. Because you and your family are building a new normal. It’s one that takes trial and error and lots of grace.

But it also comes with a precious little one that looks at you like you hang the moon in the sky. It comes with cheering that baby to victory as they smile for the first time, take their first bite of food, and go from rocking back and forth to actually crawling.

You won’t forget this time. But it will astonish you, how much you are capable of, and the new normal you create. Take your time. You don’t have to rush.

I love that phrase — "The Luckett Family" — because it means their little boy is finally here and my best friend is now a mom! 

I drove down to Megan and Brian's home in North Carolina when Carson was just 8 days old. He was the best baby and slept the whole time I was photographing (actually, the whole time I was there). 

Carson's session is filled with so many special details, like a quilt made by his great-grandma and a cradle made by his great-grandfather (that Megan slept in when she was a baby!). I always love incorporating storytelling details like this in any session. They'll make his newborn photos extra-special one day. 

​Megan and Brian — thank you guys for having the sweetest baby boy and for letting me get in some extra cuddles with him before I left. Can't wait to see him soon!

Missed Megan and Brian's gorgeous fall maternity session? Find all the highlights here!

I always worry a little that outdoor winter sessions will look kind of bland or that my clients will look cold in their photos. 

This was not one of those winter sessions. 

We lucked out on a gorgeous winter evening, with warmer temperatures and the most magical sunset glow. Our little spot just off the Roanoke Greenway was the perfect backdrop for laughing, spinning around, jumping and playing. 

I have so many favorites from this family maternity session — like momma's stunning maternity portraits — but I think I'm most drawn to the images of their sweet little boy, who's soon to be a great big brother. These images radiate everything that is good and simple about childhood, like the joy of a favorite stuffed animal, stomping in the mud, and playing with your mom and dad.

I'm so excited to share these highlights — but I'm even more excited about documenting their new baby soon!

I met Meredith at my favorite local toy shop back in October, where her son was test-driving an awesome train set that would soon become his Christmas present. We chatted about her upcoming due date and the excitement of having her first little girl. 

Fast forward three months and one coffee date, and I'm walking into Elowen's gorgeous pink nursery for her at-home newborn session.

​I loved watching each person love on their new girl — and one of my favorite moments was when she got a train lesson from her big brother!

It was such an honor to get to know the Moore family and to transform such a long-awaited chapter in their lives into beautiful memories and heirloom art. Thank you, Meredith and Landon!