Mother's Day 2018 Session's

This isn’t your typical “my little girl turned 10 months today!” post. Of course I am beyond thrilled that she (and Me) have made it to this point in her little yet lengthy stretch of her first year. But let me tell you, this has been the most challenging 10 (+ 9 months) of my entire life.

I look back ten years ago, I was 25, I was in college pretty much full time and worked 3 different jobs. Two were restaurant/food work and the other computer data entry. I remember how crazy that was, I even knew that I better take my 20 minute hopeful nap in between school and work other wise I would be screwed the next day on my energy level. I thought that was rough. In a lot of ways it was. I gave up a lot to go to school to try and make sure I would be able to have a career and not just a job. Now I don’t want to get off topic, all that sacrifice and hard work paid off but my point isn’t that I know how to work hard, because I do, it’s what happened about 10 years later and how what I thought working hard is and how it has no correlation to being a parent and what hard work  really is!

I am totally guilty of being oblivious to parenting before I became one. I think most people are honestly. We say we get it, but we don’t. It doesn’t really sink in (at least for me) about 3 months after giving birth. By then, new baby isn’t so new any more, and for a lot of people it means starting to think about getting back to work and how you are going to do this with a little person to consider over everything!!! I know I wanted to be able to still have my career. I have worked over 10 years towards this goal of owning my own business, being my own boss and doing really well with that. But I really LOVE being with my kid all the time (well most of the time lol) and I couldn’t image anyone else taking care of her as well as I could. Maybe not even that, maybe it’s more like I don’t want to miss out on anything. I mean nothing! I want to see her laugh, learn about new things, or at least be there to see her doing that with other people. It’s bizarre I never thought I would have these sorts of thoughts! I would prefer her to be taken care of by people I know.  That isn’t really reality, the reality is it’s going to happen and it’s all part of life. They need to be able to be social with other people besides their family and sooner or later it has to be that way.

So, now it’s time to get back to work right!? Bill’s are starting to stack up and you’re itching to do something productive. In my case, I had weddings coming up around the corner and I still have this little girl who depends on me nourishing her. I was hit hard with something I never ever had dealt with in all my life, ANXIETY!!! Yay to postpartum! Not only was I so nervous about being away for 8 hours, I worried about the person who was watching her for 8 hours and what I knew they were going to have to deal with. Was they’re enough milk for her? I want my phone near by incase they had a question or if god forbid something awful happened. I had and still have anxiety about how I am going to find the time to do all my post editing stuff. I don’t have a partner that can give me all the time that I need, so I find a lot of my quite editing sessions happen at night after everyone else is a sleep. Ahh good ole late night sessions….they’re the BEEESSTT (a little sarcasm there) This is only scratching the surface of the things that have changed me being newbie parent.

Another insane, and oh so frustrating postpartum thing, that I really struggled with was that secret but not so secret baby brain. I know you moms know what I am talking about, but dudes HELLO this is a real thing and it is so freaking annoying! I can only relate baby brain to something I know may offend some people, but its true. I felt like I was partying but with out the drugs and the high. I could not remember anything for the life of me. This I never really thought was something I couldn’t handle. But I couldn’t! I struggled calling who I needed to call and then when I did I couldn’t remember why I called them or what session they had set up with me. I felt awful! I felt DUMB!! I had post it notes all over the place lol!! I currently have a studio management software to help keeps things straight with my business but it didn’t help much if I forgot to book sessions in it and send out invoices. I was a mess.

Long story short, becoming a parent has taught me so much more about life and about myself and what I really am made of. I think a lot of parent’s can relate to that. If you are lucky enough to become one then I hope this is a little precursor to what lies ahead.

Women have to endure it all. Unless you have an insanely magical unicorn partner. We are it ladies…. We are so much more than just a mother. I realized after Stella was born how mentally strong yet vulnerable of a person I am. I know I can work long hours and many days in a row sick as a dog and puking in bushes do get’r done. I can withstand crying for hours (most of the time lol, I’ve locked my self in the bathroom a few times for 5-10 minutes for a break. no shame)

Those times 10 years ago when I woke up with a headache and called in sick to work….um I was a little wussy. It’s true, what a little wussy.

I pay my own bills, I make my own food, I clean up after myself and my baby, I provide all we need.

I am STRONG! And know matter how hard some days are when I am at breaking point, somehow I still seem to make it through the day. To me that is a super hero. I take my hat off to you mom’s out there that have more than one kiddo or who may be single parents. Like damn you are a super hero!!

I want to recognize you mom’s out there and give you a huge HIGH FIVE and tell you how amazing and incredible you are. Because you are! No one can take away your amazingness! And don’t even for a second doubt you are anything less than amazing.

With that being said, I wanted to Honor ALL MOTHERS this Coming Mothers day. I am putting together a campaign to celebrate you and your loved ones.

You should be celebrated, we should be celebrated.

I talk all the time about how Mom’s need to exist in photos. Because we are the ones usually taking them of our kiddos. We are also in sweat pants with cozy tee’s and messed up hair. We deserve a day to be catered to. Come and be treated to a photoshoot with your loved ones.

It’s like a spa day (without the spa) and capture this time in your life, when you are a hero.

reach out for details at www.dianenicolephotography.com/?page_id=1168

(Don’t worry I will work late nights for your beautiful images any day ;) )

 [pp_gallery id="1422" style-id="__full-size-images__"]