Interview with a Mt. Lebanon Mom | Pittsburgh Newborn Lifestyle Photographer

When was your baby born?

Our baby was born on April 11, 2017.

What was your baby's height and weight at birth?

He was 7 lbs 8 oz and 20 inches long. 

Was your baby early, late or on time?

He arrived 1 hour and 8 minutes before his due date.  He clearly has his dad's punctuality.

What area of Pittsburgh do you call home?

Mt. Lebanon

What was your first thought when you found out you were pregnant?

Sheer joy! I was so excited to start our family.

How did you tell the father you were expecting?

I woke him up that morning and showed him the positive pregnancy test!

How did you style the nursery?

We decided not to find out the sex of our baby during the pregnancy, so we decorated with neutral gray and white with small pops of color.  We have a safari theme, so there are paper mache animal busts, animal prints, and lots of safari animals on the bookshelves.

How did you chose your baby's name?

My husband tends to like very traditional names and vetoed most of the names on my list! Anthony was one one of the few names we both loved.

What are you looking forward to doing with your baby?

Everything! I feel so blessed to have him and to help him to learn and grow.  I'm excited for daily play times, as well as the major milestones and firsts.

Write 3 adjectives that describe your newborn baby.

Beautiful, silly, and hungry.

Share a piece of advice to an expecting mom.

Pamper yourself while you can during your pregnancy.  The initial weeks after birth are about basic survival for you and your child, and you will likely struggle to even get a break to brush your teeth.  It is all worth it for your little one, but you can't appreciate how life changing and overwhelming it will be until you've lived through those weeks.  Finally, remember it gets easier!

What has been the biggest struggle since coming home from the hospital?

Hearing your baby's cries and trying to decode what they want.  It takes some time to get to know your baby and to find your confidence as a mother.

What was your favorite part of your newborn photo session ?

I was so surprised that it ended up being so relaxing and fun.  Anthony was being a little fussy at times and we had to do multiple feedings during the session, but I never was made to feel rushed or flustered.  In fact, some of those feedings and breaks became part of the shoot!

Why is newborn photography important to you?

I believe the saying is "the days are long, but the years are short."  I know Anthony will be running around the neighborhood before I know it, and I will want to look back at this time when he was so small and precious and we were just starting our family.  Also, I want him to see how much we have loved him since day one!

If any of your personal items were used during the portrait session, where were they from? Target, Pottery Barn, Etsy, etc.

Some of the items from our nursery that appeared include the crib, sheets, and mobile from Pottery Barn, paper mache animal busts from Anthropologie, and animal prints, which are sold framed at Restoration Hardware, but which we bought directly from the artist and then framed with IKEA frames (saving a lot of money!)

Where did you deliver?

St. Clair Hospital

Who is your OB/GYN?

Zubritzky & Christy - Dr. Duncan delivered!

Laura Mares is an experienced photographer specializing in capturing timeless family keepsakes. Laura works on location and in her fully equipped home studio, located in Mt. Lebanon, eight miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. Laura’s style is creative, natural, and timeless. Would you like beautiful portraits of your newborn baby, to update your child and family portraits or to document a milestone in your life such as a wedding, graduation, birthday or reunion? If you are interested in high quality, timeless photographs, book your session today, call (412) 654-3367 or email [email protected]. To view a wide range of gorgeous portraits and to get great tips, advice and beautiful inspiration follow us on Instagram and Facebook.