Hey, I'm Jay. I'm a dad of 3 gorgeous girls and a blue Staffy named Bonnie. I love photographing beautiful families just like yours. Are you ready to book in a family portrait session? Fill out your details and I'll give you a call.
I met Audrey’s parents at a baby expo earlier this year and was instantly drawn to them. Laid back, easy going and just lovely to chat to – exactly the kind of family I absolutely love working with. Not only did they book in a newborn shoot, they drove all the way up from Canberra for it – pretty sure that’s a new record for me! Since then, they’ve moved to the Sutherland Shire to raise their little girl, and I’m so happy to have captured the start of this next chapter.
Choosing a name wasn’t easy. They were tossing up between two classics – Margot and Audrey – but when their baby girl arrived?
“She looked like, just baby.”
Audrey didn’t get her name until day five, when they were leaving the hospital to go home. They dressed her, took one more look, and said yep – she’s an Audrey.
“We thought it was just a gorgeous, classic name which all seem to be coming back!”
Her arrival didn’t go quite to plan either. A Monday induction was booked, but on the Wednesday night before, at 9pm, contractions kicked in.
“Adrian and I thought nothing of it – first-time mums don’t go early, they all say. We hadn’t got the car seat installed yet, nor had we had our final ramen date.”
After a long, sleepless night, they headed to the hospital at 6am and Audrey made her grand entrance at 7:20pm on Thursday. (And yes – they got that ramen date in when she was 10 weeks old.)
Telling family was a little unconventional too.
“My parents received a video call – not how we wanted to do it, but Mum was coming to visit that weekend and was very keen on organising a wine tour, so we had to tell them before that!”
Adrian’s parents got the news in person, in a relaxed, dropped-into-conversation kind of way. Both sides were absolutely over the moon – Audrey is the first grandchild for everyone.
As far as cravings go, there was one clear winner.
“I didn’t have many cravings during pregnancy besides crunchy M&Ms. But I sadly suffered from food aversions… my beloved olives – I would usually put them on anything and everything, eat them out of the jar – I was incredibly repulsed by.”
Now that she’s here, parenthood has been full of moments both sweet and surprising.
“The precious smile she shows us – whether it be the first thing in the morning once she’s woken up, or when she’s calmed down from a screaming tantrum – is just priceless.”
They’re loving watching her grow and learn, too.
“Watching her learn new things about her body – raising her eyebrows, poking her tongue out, finding her hands – is also so incredible.”
The biggest surprise?
“How well we are coping despite how little we know about raising a child.”
Of course, some days are harder than others.
“There are definitely days we’ve just wanted to put some soundproof headphones on and call it a day. Nothing is more overstimulating than an overtired crying baby and a dog begging for your attention.”
But they’re finding their rhythm and settling into family life beautifully.
And one unexpected challenge?
“How hard it is to put a singlet on a baby!”
Audrey, you’re already so loved – and this is only the beginning.
