The First Year of Your Baby’s Life – From Belly to Birthday
The first year of your baby’s life always seems to fly by in an instant. Especially if it’s your first child, you’re constantly learning and adapting within that first year and you may not even realize the precious moments you’ll want to look back on. To create a comprehensive archive, I always recommend parents document each of your child’s most important milestones.
I created the Belly to Birthday package after a few second-time moms came to me and expressed that they felt like they didn’t get everything they needed the first time around. Dates get lost within that first year of chaos of becoming a parent and adjusting to changes and I wanted the Belly to Birthday package to hit all the important milestones, without you worrying about missing out on anything. So you’ll get the best of both worlds with the accountability of me checking in and getting to enjoy all the cute moments that happen in the first year of your baby’s life.
When you book your Belly to Birthday package, you are guaranteed four spots on my calendar for each of your sessions (maternity, newborn, 6-9 months, and cake smash). You are welcome to schedule your sessions whenever you’re ready, but if the thought does slip your mind once or twice – I will reach out to you 1-2 months before each milestone mark to schedule your next session date.
My favorite part of Hugo’s Belly to Birthday journey was getting to go back to the same flower field as their maternity session for his cake smash! I always try to make all four of your Belly to Birthday sessions cohesive – whether it’s in terms of color palettes or vibes, but it’s not every day I get to revisit the same location and replace the belly with the 1-year-old baby! For both the maternity and cake smash sessions, we were able to get beautiful spring photos with the cutest buttercup flowers. Hugo’s Belly to Birthday is not only a great example of perfect spring sessions, but also of a perfect outdoor and indoor Belly to Birthday mix.
All newborn sessions take place at home – but since Hugo’s 6-9 months session took place in the winter, we decided to stay home and have a cozy indoor session as well. If you are interested in doing your sessions outdoors but are unsure of where exactly you would like to go – I have a personalized list of 100+ locations throughout the Philadelphia area! So I would be more than happy to recommend a few places to you to find the perfect spot for any of your Belly to Birthday sessions!
There is an overwhelming amount of consumer options out there and I understand how hard it can be to sort through all of them and navigate where the best quality is for your family archive. Over the years and after a lot of research, I’ve done all the vetting for you. Everything that I offer you is the most archival and the best of the best.
I will happily guide you through your options after each milestone session and help differentiate what I think you’ll want and need from each session. Digital files are great and always available for purchase, but I like to encourage all of my families to think about getting at least 1 or 2 physical items that you can see, touch, and enjoy. (For ideas on how to #printyourphotos, check out this blog!).
I always want to genuinely help you figure out what you and your family want and need from your sessions. In your Belly to Birthday package, you also receive a $100 discount on any bundles that you purchase and your smash cake is included! There are no high-pressure sales tactics or a la carte minimums – just the desire to help you build your family’s archive. I’m here to help document your baby’s first year and beyond and help you navigate the whole way through, so reach out today to schedule a session!
Here’s what this featured family had to say about their Belly to Birthday Process:
Alexa is absolutely WONDERFUL! Professional and personable. She made the process of being in front of the camera effortless – even when VERY pregnant or with an active toddler. She captured some of the most beautiful moments for our family in our home and had amazing ideas for outdoor shoots. The belly to birthday package is a wonderful way to capture a growing family. Alexa would send friendly reminders to schedule upcoming shoots, worked with us for timing, and was always available for questions. Cannot recommend Alexa highly enough! – Katelyn
Other Belly to Birthday Raves:
Alexa is the best! We have worked with Alexa several times since before the birth of our first baby. We purchased the belly to birthday package and every shoot has been so much fun. Alexa is laid back, fun, great with kids, dogs, and makes the best noises to keep their attention 🙂 She takes amazing photos that we will have for a lifetime. I would give Alexa 10 stars if I could- highly recommend booking Alexa for your next family shoot! We could not be happier with how all of our photos from our 4 sessions (5TH pending) have turned out. Thank you Alexa! – Jenna
I wanted to find a photographer to capture my pregnancy and my search for Philly photographers led me to Alexa. She has an amazing Belly to Birthday package that we booked with her. I honestly at first didn’t think I needed all those moments captured but Alexa took the time to talk with me about my options and how beneficial it would be to have photos and memories as my son grew to age 1. Each session was wonderful, Alexa was so patient with Lily, our dog, in the maternity session and then with my son after that. She’s truly a professional, knows what times would work best around feedings and nap times and how to get my son to smile and Lily to look at the camera. After our last session we had to move out of state, but Alexa was so accommodating to send me the final album by mail along with a large print I ordered AND a treat for our girl Lily. We’ve enjoyed our experience with Alexa and strongly recommend her to capture moments with your loved ones! I have all these amazing and beautiful pictures of my growing family thanks to her! – Tabata
Alexa is absolutely amazing! She captured our journey from “bump to birthday” with our son and we are SO happy she did. We joked with Alexa that we’d come out of a session feeling like it was chaos (with a baby and dog not cooperating) and then be blown away at the pictures as she was able to capture the absolute perfect moments that we will cherish forever. She’s amazing at her job but also just so fun and great to work with, it’s like seeing an old friend each time we are with her! Alexa is great with us, our son, and our furry son. Her beautiful work lines the walls of our home and we enjoy them each and every day. We can’t wait to have her continue to capture our family in the future! – Katie
If you’re interested in starting your Belly to Birthday journey – Here are a few helpful links from my Philadelphia lifestyle photography blog:
Why to Document all the Important Milestones in your Baby’s First Year
How to Plan for your Maternity Photos
