I am so excited to give you an inside glimpse of a Reflections of Life maternity session. I am taking you behind the scenes into my studio! The studio is where maternity, newborn and baby sessions take place.

A lullaby. It quiets a cranky newborn, and calms a restless toddler. A lullaby is soothing and familiar. The familiar routines of life, whether in the morning, after work or before bed become the lullabies of life. 

Welcome mamas!  In honour of Mother's Day, on Friday, April 22, 2016 from 10-1 pm, The Happy Baby and Reflections of Life Photography will be offering mama & baby photography sessions, right there in the store.  No need to make an appointment, just pop in and we'll document the relationship you have with each other in a beautiful, meaningful way.

During pregnancy, your body is home to your precious baby. Your body protects, nourishes and embraces unconditionally as you breathe life into a new being. Under your heart is where your little one grows, sleeps, and plays for 9 months. The sound and feeling of your heart beating soothes her. It brings her peace and happiness.

Do you know that feeling when you look at an image and you think of every possible thing you wish was different or you wonder why it seems like you're angry or what your face is really saying? You know the ones you want to hide before you ever frame them? Maybe that day you were tired or your kids were all over the place or you just met the photographer. I want to change that for you.

Sometimes in the midst of all the joy and anticipation that comes with having a baby, there is also a heaviness, a sadness, or a worry that comes with it too. You hear stories of those women who are hit in the gut with a depression that hits the heart, but you think it will never happen to you. And that the bliss of a new life would just overtake any of the darkness that would try to settle in. 

A smile. A smile says so much without saying a word. The universal sign for so many thing, all of which are good. Happiness, love, acceptance, understanding. It is hard not to greet a smile with a smile. The power of a smile is unlimited. A smile is contagious. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Jaime when she came to my Grimsby studio for her maternity session. 

Do you remember the days (and nights) of childhood sleepovers? The ones where you would stay up talking and giggling the night away? As we grow older, finish schooling, and start our families, those days become more and more distant. We still have our closest girlfriends, and make new ones along the journey but our conversations become more about the "right now" or a place to vent about our current frustrations.

We never stop growing. Whether it be in age, family size, our relationships, our careers, or as our own person, we continue to grow. I have had the pleasure of watching the Brar family grow for 5 years now. I first photographed their oldest daughter, Lily, as a baby. I watched Lily grow from a baby to an active toddler.

In the grande scheme of things, each of life's moments equates to just a dimple in time. Some shallow, barely to be seen, and others run deep. The moments that touch our hearts run the deepest. Dimples in time that define a life. Shawna came to see me at my Grimsby studio for her maternity session. We started with some pampering as Shawna had her makeup done by our makeup artist, Christine.

Have you ever held an old photograph in your hand and it transported you into a moment? Maybe you picked it up in a thrift shop and you don't even know the people, but you're drawn into this look in their eyes? Maybe you found it in your grandparent's attic and you are pulled into a memory or a still moment of imagining what their life was like? That's legacy.

Meet Austin. Austin helps women breathe through labour every day. She supports them while they exhale. And at the end, she puts new life into their arms. Austin is one of the wonderful midwives at Niagara Midwifery. She has devoted her life to empowering women through labour and delivery, and is a true gift to her patients.