Because You Belong To Me | Minneapolis Lifestyle Photographer
Cari has a pile of kids. A whole bunch of them. They happen to be my nieces and nephews. I adore them. But when I arrived everything was very quiet. The older kids had been sent outside to play during the session and the star of the show, Braxton, was asleep. Yeah, I guess I could have taken pictures of him sleeping, but I had a fresh cup of Starbucks iced espresso and Cari had hers so we just sat and talked, for like, an hour. (Yeah, it’s so hard to be a photographer especially when the subjects are family. )
I love in-home sessions. I think the physical spaces carry an intricate nuanced collection of memories within them because it’s within those spaces where life is lived. Time, space and things hold treasures that one day will recall what it felt like to live in those moments.
Growing up we have a blanket that my mom had knit that draped over our brown leather couch. It was orange, cream, and brown chevron. Whenever I see that blanket or that couch in pictures I get all kinds of feels, I remember playing fort with that blanket and watching the light pour through the holes onto my skin and poking my fingers through them. I remember the feeling of a hot day and my skin peeling off the leather couch. These small details help connect who we are to the person we were years before.
Braxton finally woke up. He is all about his mommy. He adores her. I know babies love their moms. It’s such a beautiful bond. What makes this even more beautiful is that Braxton is adopted. Look how he loves her and how he soaks up her love for him. During the session, she was all his. No distractions. Just the two of them. Isn’t is fascinating that we don’t have conscience memories of our first year of life yet it matters so very much in shaping who we become? Literally blows my mind. As the years go by and Braxy gets older he can look at these moments frozen in time and see how deeply and how beautifully he was loved, from the beginning, even before he can remember. He belonged.
Tia loves you, too, Braxy.
P.S. If you are contemplating adoption, follow Cari @cariduganphotography for a wealth of information and insight of what she has learned along her journey of adoption.
Michelle Lyn Photography Minneapolis St. Paul Lifestyle Photographer