WILDLING SESSIONS Archives - Page 3 of 11 - With Love and Wild Photography

I think there must have been something in the air during these sessions as all the littles were bouncing off the walls (in a good way)! It made for some silly smiles, messy hair and such a fun vibe for these images. Sometimes mothers can’t see how they’ll get one good picture when their littles won’t listen, or seem to be acting a bit more rambunctious, but my motto for these (and for photographing children in general) is to embrace the chaos. Smile through it and you’ll love the end result.

Am I right? See for yourself.

With love, Chels.

MARIE-CLAIRE

“Motherhood to me was my saving grace. When I was pregnant with Violette my husband was diagnosed with chronic kidney issues that couldn’t be cured. He had to go on dialysis for a year and just last Fall underwent live kidney transplant. It was a hard long road for the entire family but I always had my beautiful Violette to motivate me and make me smile. I have learned that motherhood is the greatest thing that could ever happen to me. I love her dearly and I can no longer imagine not having her by my side to see life through her eyes.”

BRIE

“Although words can never do it justice, motherhood to me is purely inexplicable love, joy and gratitude. Having had a miscarriage in 2013, I didn’t know motherhood would be something i’d have the opportunity to experience and enjoy. It was a hypothetical future that, for a couple years afterwards, I didn’t want to get my hopes up for again – because I had crashed so hard the first time. When we got up the nerves to try again, I was a nervous wreck throughout my pregnancy; every ache, pain, kick or hiccup had me on alert. When my rainbow baby was actually born in 2016, I was in complete shock and awe. I was in awe of my body and what it was capable of doing, I was in awe of this little, perfect human that my husband and I created, I was in awe of the emotions that I was experiencing and that I had wanted to feel so badly, for so long; I soaked in every ounce of the experience. Now expecting baby number two, I am trying to relax a bit more, trust my body more and believe it knows what it’s doing. As for my experience in motherhood so far, I’ve discovered that it’s full of learning opportunities; just when I think I know something, he tests me. It’s practicing patience with myself, my son and with everyone around us. It’s developing trust in my instincts and learning to filter the many well-intentioned (…yet often unsolicited) opinions of those around me. Motherhood is a gift that i will never take for granted. It truly is the best that life has to offer, and i am forever grateful to be experiencing it.”

AMANDA

“My daughter was born a year ago on August 14th, six days before my birthday. This past year has been the most incredible journey. I have discovered so much about myself, my husband and life, and really I thought I had that all figured out. It wasn’t an easy year. I battled all the worries and concerns a new mom would have. I was always wondering and questioning if I was doing a good job, if I was developing her the right way, scared I wasn’t doing something right. It was a constant battle. My husband has two daughters from a previous marriage, so I was afraid I was going to let him down. I also haven’t had much sleep in the past year, but have discovered I can still function. It is incredible how much will and strength we mothers actually have. But with that said, my biggest scare was with how much love I have for my little one. The fear of losing her, or her hurting herself, her growing too quickly and moving away. These are emotions I wasn’t expecting to have and they are not something I can control. I always knew I was going to love her, I just never knew how much.”

SAM

STEPH

ANGIE

SARA and MICHELE //
Chloe, Mae, Clara & Fern

Sara: “Being Mommy to four small but mighty, each so individual in their own ways but similar in their fierceness, beautiful girls fills my heart & soul to the very top. Motherhood, for me, is empowering & draining, comforting & terrifying, wild & uncontrollable but somehow keeps me grounded. It is my identity & I embrace it. They are my greatest adventure.”

Michele: “When I gave birth to my children and held them in my arms for the first time, my heart was overcome with such an incredible deep feeling of love and joy. No one can prepare you for that moment and the permanent imprint it leaves on your heart. My children may not realize that each and every time I see their face or hear their voice that I’m back to that special place when they stole my heart along with the million memories we’ve made along the way. What being a Nana means to me – How much time do you have? I absolutely adore them and all they bring into our lives. It’s an incredible experience to watch your daughter evolve from a little girl to a Mother. To watch Sara embrace each pregnancy and bring each beautiful little girl into the world, on her own terms. It’s an experience that is difficult to put into words because it encompasses so many powerful emotions. As Sara navigates her way to where I am today, I know she will understand how much it means to be her Mom and Nana to her girls.”

JESSICA // Merrick & Reeve

Wildling Sessions - With Love and Wild Photography

“Motherhood – beautiful, messy, exciting, hard, exhausting, challenging, selfless, rewarding, joyous, magical – so many words come to mind when I think of this title; a title I truly feel so blessed to have. To say motherhood is difficult is an understatement. Raising tiny humans is terrifying! It means making hard decisions. It means telling them things they need to hear but may not want to hear. It means making sacrifices. It means many sleepless nights. It means allowing them to get hurt and make mistakes so they can learn from them. But the most terrifying, yet amazing, part of motherhood is how much I love them. My boys mean the world to me. They make me laugh and smile and I have found a whole new appreciation for life through their eyes. They make me so proud, of the people they are becoming and of the person they have helped me become. This job may be hard, but it really is the best job in the world.”

COURTNEY // Sloan

“Nothing makes me happier than being a mama to this little girl, its a choice I gladly make everyday, to put her wants and needs ahead of my own, to teach her the way of life and to do the right things. Motherhood is the most important and fulfilling job I’ve ever had and I cannot wait to live out this dream of mine with her + my main squeeze”

SAMIRA // Ben

“Motherhood is truly a remarkable gift, in which I hold so dear to my heart. I love now being able to experience the world through my sons eyes and to demonstrate to him complete and utter love that has no end. My husband and I can’t wait to expand our love and our hearts next month when we meet the newest addition to our family.

RUBY

“It is a calm, happy excitement. It skews the steady marching of time- sometimes it moves slowly and other times it is passing at an unimaginable rate. It is a closeness, an intimacy like one I have never felt. It makes me realize I never fully grasped or appreciated what my mother did to bring me into this world.”

KAYLA // Reece

“There’s something so special about having tiny humans that are half you and half the person you love. || I can honestly say that of all the things I’ve accomplished in my life, nothing makes me more proud than being a mama. From the second Reese entered this world, I felt a shift in who I was and what I was meant to be. She brought a different kind of purpose and perspective to my life and filled a part of my heart that I didn’t even know needed filling. And in just two short years, motherhood has taught me so many important lessons. I think I’ve seen my highest highs, and my lowest lows. I’ve cried. I’ve lost my patience. And I’ve had more moments than I’d like to admit where I didn’t feel good enough – as a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a teacher and most of all, a mother. But thanks to this little girl, I’ve also experienced a love so deep that my heart feels like it might burst right out of my chest at any second. Before I was a mom I never knew the kind of pride and sheer joy that was possible from watching your child take their first steps. Or from having little arms wrapped around your neck and a sleeping head on your shoulder. Or from hearing a little voice call “mommy” from another room. As we get closer and closer to the arrival of baby number two, I’m anxious and excited to go through these motions all over again. It’s hard to imagine loving another little one as much as we do Reese, our hearts already feel so full. I often worry about how we’ll find the balance and whether I’ll be enough for two sweet girls, and it’s easy to get swept away with these kinds of worries. But at the end of every day when I get to tuck in my first babe and feel the kicks and wiggles of my second, I’m reminded that my love and nurturing is all they need. And it brings me peace to know that they will never go a single day without knowing how loved they are. Being a mom is simultaneously the hardest and most rewarding job there is – and I wouldn’t trade it for the whole world.”