Brody was one of the squishiest little guys I have had in my studio. His little rolls and wrinkles had me audibly swooning throughout his entire session. His parents were the absolute sweetest and with dad being from London, and them both living there for a number of years, they say things like “nappie” (diaper), “dummy” (pacifier), “brilliant” and “cheers,” which automatically makes them so much cooler. I may or may not have been practicing my best British accent for the rest of the afternoon after their session… And I may have even tried incorporating “brilliant” into my vocabulary… :)

One of my favorite parts of the whole newborn session is being able to get to know all of these love-struck new parents and hear all about their journey to parenthood and how amazing (or crazy) it has been. I wanted to share a little about Brody but I figured only his mama could tell it best. So here’s a little about this perfect little boy, in his mama’s own words:

“Brody was due January 1st, but it never really dawned on us that he would actually arrive on his due date (I think less than 10% of babies actually arrive on their due date) – so when my water broke early in the morning on New Years Eve we were super excited!

The labor was long and very drawn out and when the nurses asked what our “birth plan” was, we just said as long as he gets here safely (and I don’t push for 4 hours before a c section) we are good. Well, as they say you have to be ready for the unexpected, I ended up pushing for over 3 hours and needing a C section. Pete was brilliant throughout the entire process. He was a champ! In the OR he was so calm, cool and collected and was beaming with pride over the birth of our son.

“I thought he was the most perfect, magical and beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on. It was miraculous to know that he was half me and half my husband.”

“Baby prep was super fun! We actually found out we were pregnant just a few weeks after we moved into our house, so it was a whirlwind of trying to get the entire house together, along with all the baby/nursery items. It was a really fun time, minus putting together that crib. Agh that crib was a nightmare!

“[Choosing Brody’s] first name was incredibly hard. Not only do you have to take into account personal taste, but there were loads of cultural road bumps – you know, the “oh, we can’t name him (name)… I knew an awful (name) in school or on a TV show back in England”. We had a running list of names, but eventually landed on Brody – it was very easy once we put that name on the list; it had a nice simplicity and was also fairly unique.

The middle name was much more significant – Martin was my grandfather and we were extremely close. The day before we took our pregnancy test was actually the last time we spent with my Grandpa Martin before he passed away. Very nonchalantly and confidently, my Grandpa asked me “so, when are you due with this baby?” – we didn’t even know we were pregnant. I think on some level he just knew. It was very special and I am so glad we could honor him by giving Brody his name as a middle name. He would have been so proud to have met his Great Grandson.”

“We are really lucky because Brody is a good sleeper, great eater, and a super happy baby. There are times we are tired, but it is so much more rewarding than we ever anticipated. The love that a child brings to your life is so overwhelming. There are still those “whoa I’m a parent!” moments – I really enjoy those and hope they continue for a while :)”

And their advice to new parents:

“Be a team! Even though you and your partner may have amazing communication skills, a new baby really throws a monkey wrench into the mix. It is important to communicate, ask for help, and to stay as calm and composed as possible because your baby will take cues from you!”

And finally, because ya know, London…

Erica Kirby Photography is a Northwest Arkansas based newborn photographer specializing in babies throughout their first year, maternity, hospital sessions, and photographing twins and triplets in Bentonville AR.

To book your own session with Erica Kirby Photography please use the contact tab at the top of the page.

Northwest AR | Bentonville Newborn Photographer | Erica Kirby Photography

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