HARPER
Beautiful Baby Harper was just an angel for her session! My favourite photos are of her on the pink background and I’m pretty partial to the photo of her in the bucket as well. I also just adore the photos of Harper with her big brother and sister. You can really see that Harpers brother and sister are just smitten with the new addition to the family.
How did you find out you were pregnant? Do you have a story to tell?
I remember heading to bed early as my husband Alex popped out and feeling a bit ‘different’. As I laid there I was thinking about being in the supermarket that afternoon and having a lady call me a name and I nearly burst into tears (which just isn’t me), at that moment I knew I was pregnant and I jumped out of bed and did a test… And yes I was!
How did you announce your pregnancy?
We told our families the news just before Christmas and I told a couple of my close girlfriends and then we waited until we’d passed the 12 week mark to put an announcement on Facebook.
Did you have any weird cravings or experiences during your pregnancy?
No weird cravings for me, I had a really rough pregnancy – morning sickness for over 20 weeks, pelvic instability, conjunctivitis and chest infection which only cleared with two rounds of antibiotics the week before Harper was born.
How did you find out the baby’s gender, before the birth or was it a surprise?
We did the harmony test so we found out we were having a baby girl at 10 weeks. We wee always going to find out the gender just like we did with our first but this time it was a little surreal knowing so early. I was at work in a meeting and popped out and ran into a spare meeting room to take the call and then I called my husband to tell him the wonderful news! Needless to say I went back to the meeting a little preoccupied!
How did you pick out your baby’s name? Is there a special meaning behind the name?
My husband and I were throwing out names but in the early days there wasn’t one that we both loved. I fell in love with Harper but my husband didn’t warm to it straight away. We hadn’t talked about it for a while when I got a text message from him telling me he really liked it so that became our number one pick. Harper takes her middle name from my late mum Carol who sadly is no longer with us. To me, it’s a way to connect the two of them and it was always something I wanted to do if I was lucky enough to have a baby girl.
What hospital/birthing centre did you use? What was was your experience like?
Burnside War Memorial Hospital and just like my first all. Of the midwives and my Obstetrician were just wonderful. Harper was a planned caesarean.
What is the one thing you will never forget about the birth of your baby?
It’s just such a surreal experience and one that my husband and I will never forget, it was amazing to share it with him and have him by my side.
Do you have any favourite baby shops or baby products?
You can’t go past Baby Bunting it has everything you need but for Harper’s nursery I bought beautiful products from Pottery Barn Kids and Adairs.
Do you have any hints or tips for new mums and dads?
Trust yourselves and your gut instinct and you’ll get to learn your baby over time, be kind to each other and work as a team with your husband, that will help you get through the tough moments. It’s so cliche to say but enjoy the moments when you’re having a 3am cuddle as the time really does go so quickly.
Do you have any keepsakes or heirlooms for your bub?
We’ve kept a newspaper from the day Harper was born and for her Christening gown I am going to be using my step daughter’s flower girl dress from our wedding five years ago (which was made from the same material as my wedding dress). Hopefully this is then a dress that can be used in our family.
What was the most memorable part of your newborn session?
The whole shoot was just amazing but when we had all three kids together I remember looking at my husband and just sharing a ‘moment’ with him as it was beautiful to see them all together
What are some of your favourite photos from the session?
I especially love the ones where Harper is in a dusky type pink and there is one with my son Jackson holding Harper with a cheeky grin that just melts my heart.
Why did you decide to have newborn photos taken?
For us it was really important to capture such a special time so it was something I started looking into quite early in my pregnancy.
Why did you choose Megan Macdonald Photography to capture your memories?
To begin with Megan was a Google search and I looked at a lot of photographers and if possible I wanted someone who wasn’t going to be a long drive away. It was Megan’s photos on her website that cemented her as our newborn photographer, they are just absolutely beautiful. Whilst she uses an array of beautiful props they complement the baby, some photographers I researched the baby was almost lost in all of the props and I didn’t want that for ours. Megan was efficient and friendly in all our email exchanges, gave us tips before our shoot so I was filled with confidence before we actually met her.
Did you enjoy your experience and would you recommend Megan Macdonald Photography in the future?
Absolutely! In fact I’d like Megan to capture our next round of photos for Harper. Megan has a beautiful studio, she was welcoming and friendly during the shoot but most importantly her work is outstanding and we are grateful that she captured such beautiful memories for our family.
