Life
Even though it was only a few weeks ago, my memories of the first moments after my son was born are already starting to fade. After a traumatic pregnancy, hospitalization, and having to be induced early, his birth day didn't turn out the way I had planned. Still, those first moments were absolute perfection. I am so glad my partner and I captured my son's first hour on film, because there are photos you should definitely take during the golden hour.
We took some of the standard shots, of course. You know, our son being weighed and measured and the nurses wrapping him up like an adorable burrito. My favorites, however, are the ones that my partner snapped without me knowing. These organic, unfiltered moments of raw emotion captured how it really felt to meet my baby for the first time, learn that he was OK, feel him latch, and smell his perfect head. We counted his tiny fingers and toes, examined his soft hair, and snuggled him close.
When I look at the images of my son's first magical hour in our lives, I honestly don't care that I don't have on any makeup, hadn't showered in about a week, and am naked and exposed. In those moments, he was all that mattered and filled our entire world. For us, the "golden hour" was simply magical, and was just what we needed to welcome our son to the world.
Meeting Your Baby For The First Time
As soon as they placed him on my chest, and told me he was OK, he reached up and touched my face. I whispered, "Hi baby, I'm your mom. You're OK. You're OK."
Your First Moments Apart
They did take my son away from me for a couple of moments, to make sure he was breathing well and to weigh and measure him. My husband stood next to the warming table and snapped some shots and gave me a play-by-play of what was happening.
Love At First Sight
When my son was back in my arms, he was so alert. We stared into each others eyes as I held him close.
Snuggles
My newborn son was so soft and warm as he snuggled against my chest. These were my first moments of calm and peace, after a day of labor and the urgency of his birth.
Raw Emotion
I was so overwhelmed with emotions – pain, relief, fear, pride, adrenaline, fatigue, but mostly so much love for this tiny human.
Bright Eyes Full Of Wonder
There's really nothing like watching your baby see the world for the first time. Their eyes are just so wide, as if they are amazed, scared, and delighted all at once.
Your Partner Meeting Baby
Seeing my husband hold our son for the first time was simply amazing. In that moment, I fell even more in love with him.
Tiny Fingers And Toes
We counted and re-counted my son's 10 tiny fingers and 10 tiny toes. Then, he reached out for my finger and held it in his small, beautiful hand.
Feeding Baby
That moment when he latched for the first time was overwhelming and wonderful. I felt waves of emotion, hormones, and even felt my uterus contract. While I was breastfeeding him for the first time, my OB-GYN delivered the placenta that had nourished him for nine months. I was so overcome with love.
A Selfie
Selfies and I have a weird history. I never used to take them, because I always hated the way I looked. Now that I am learning to love my imperfect self, I take them every day. So, of course, I had to take a selfie with my new baby.
Sleepy Baby
After exploring the room and our faces with his bright eyes, and eating his first meal, our son was tuckered out. After all, he'd had a pretty big day, too. He fell asleep against me, and I felt like I never wanted to put him down again.
A Family Photo
We took a moment to snap a pic of the three of us. We were so happy to welcome the newest member of our family.
A Close-Up Of Perfection
I love this close-up of my son. You can almost count every hair on his perfect head. Even just seeing this picture of his tiny newborn face, his delicately curved ear, and clenched fist up against my chest, makes me feel warm and gooey. It helps me remember the way his baby-soft skin felt and how his perfect, fuzzy head smelled as I held him close to me for a magical, "golden hour."
