Nancy Hellsten's Photography Blog

Happy Valentines Day

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:25:51 GMT

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous.
It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body.
~Elizabeth Stone

Whether you're recently engaged or have been married for decades, I hope that everyone takes the time this weekend to reflect on how important your loved ones are and to let them know what they mean to you. In my opinion, our relationships are really what make life so rewarding and wonderful.
I am especially blessed to share my life with a wonderful husband and a perfect little baby. My days are filled with so many wonderful moments now, but some of my favorite come just as Hayden is waking up - when he looks at me with complete adoration and joy like I am the most important person in the world. His love is so pure and magical. I wish that all love could be so simple.

Here are a few more recent photos that I love. These next two are such "Hayden" looks.

Sometimes he'll just sit and stare at his hands as if they are the most amazing new discovery, but he's also in love with his feet.

Let It Snow

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:10:25 GMT

I hope that everyone is enjoying the snow. Marcus was a little disappointed that we didn't actually get snowed in as predicted, but I rather enjoy getting the benefits of the snow without all the hassle. Hayden still can't sit up on his own, but I found a way to get a photo of him in the snow. He wasn't all that impressed, especially when his hand got wet and cold, and he was ready for a nap once we got back inside.

I love this little red sweater and hat (great for hiding his bald head) that I got from Gymboree's after Thanksgiving sale. I originally got it for his visit with Santa which never happened so we decided to do some family photos instead. I'm not a big fan of everyone matching (all white shirts with jeans for instance), but I do like when there's a color scheme so we went with red and brown. In hindsight, I'm thinking that the blue jeans weren't the best choice. Always remember to wear a complete outfit for photo sessions because your pants (and even socks and shoes) may show.

Happy New Year , Baby Hallie

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:03:13 GMT

It's so exciting to work with couples as they begin their marriage and then watch them as they start their families. After photographing weddings for both Sarah and her sister, I feel especially close to this family. It wasn't that long ago that Sarah and I were sharing pregnancy stories at Hayden's baby shower, and now we're both mommies! I'm a little jealous though. Thanks to a special diet while she was pregnant, Sarah ended up SMALLER after giving birth than before she got pregnant. I'm still trying to get rid of half the weight that I gained during my pregnancy, and the holidays haven't helped any. It's a good thing that babies are so cute and are worth all the trouble.

Sarah and Daniel's baby is definitely a cutie. They welcomed Miss Hallie Isbell Burtch into their lives on December 15, and she is such a doll. Congratulations to them and to all the other families who are celebrating this new year with new babies. In exchange for all the happiness that they bring, may we all resolve to shower them with our love, time, and patience so that they will be happy and healthy in 2010.

Merry Christmas

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:18:10 GMT

I hope that everyone is having a happy holiday!

I'm sending out my warmest wishes to everyone but especially to those who are missing loved ones today. Whether they have passed away, are fighting in the military, or are just living across the country, you are connected to those that you love and carry a part of them with you wherever you go. May we all find some peace and comfort this holiday season.

He was more of a birthday present than a Christmas present, but this is my favorite gift that I received this year.

If that was the "before" photo then the next photograph must be the "after". This is how I feel after cooking, eating, and opening presents.

Tis The Season

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:05:21 GMT

Tis the season to stick a funny red hat on your baby! It helps to keep his bald head warm, and it's just so darn cute.

Guess who is already four months old this week! Technically, he is at the "supported sitter" stage, but he has been able to support his weight on his legs for months. Does that make him a "supported stander"?

Next week he gets to meet his Swedish grandparents and uncle for the first time, but this week he had fun with one of his cousins.

A Little Brotherly Love

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:00:21 GMT

My neighbor gave birth to her second son just days after I gave birth to my first. Hayden and I enjoy going over to visit with them during the week, and I was excited for Hayden to have little playmates so nearby.

Unfortunately, we just found out that they will be moving their family to New York soon, but they found time for a few photographs even in the midst of the holidays and the move. I love working with friends, but it's even better when they live just steps away and offer to hold your baby while you photograph their children.

Here are a few of my favorite photos of the boys. If you've ever tried to convince an active 2-year-old to slow down long enough for a photograph then you know how rewarding it is to capture shots like these.

Happy Baby

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:02:12 GMT

I wanted to get a photograph of Hayden smiling because it's something that he does all the time now. Of course he stops and gets very serious if I point a camera in his direction, but I managed to catch a few happy expressions by shooting without looking. He's becoming much more aware of his environment and really enjoys being propped up so that he can look around. I was trying to get his attention, but he just wanted to stare at his feet. He hasn't really figured out that they belong to him yet, but once in a while he'll notice them and seems very surprised and interested.

Christmas Decorations Are Up

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:15:36 GMT

After spending several Christmases away, this year I finally get to decorate and spend the holidays at home. Over Thanksgiving weekend, we put the tree up. I couldn't hang all of the stockings yet because most of my stocking holders won't sit on the beveled edge of our mantle. It's really sad since I've been using the same santa holder since I was little, but I'm going to have to shop for some new ones. I also haven't made a stocking for Hayden yet so we just hung up the one that I made for Marcus.

Hayden likes to stare at the lights, and last night he cooperated for a few photographs in front of the fireplace. He's getting the little, red wagon for Christmas.

Also, he rolled over for the first time today! He went from his stomach to his back twice in a row for me and then once again for Marcus in the evening. Now he's going to be able to avoid tummy time by just rolling over when he gets tired of it.

Baby Has A New Trick

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:05:20 GMT

He finally figured out how to use his arms to push himself up off the floor, and here he is showing off on his play mat. He can't hold himself up for long though, and it takes a lot of effort - so much effort that he fell asleep on me shortly after tummy time.

Baby Doll

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:44:01 GMT

I hope that everyone had a happy Thanksgiving holiday! I did a little shopping online, and we put up the Christmas tree. Hayden likes to stare at the lights. Today we went into the yard for a few photographs because I liked the shadows being created on the grass. This old carriage is really meant for baby dolls, but I call him my baby doll all the time.

Random knowledge: As a child, my mom's favorite doll was named Nancy. My favorite doll was named Big Baby. I also named my cat "Kitty" although I was so little that it came out as "Tikki".

Little Bunny

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:26:45 GMT

Hayden is growing!

He's always liked to be held while he sleeps during the day (which makes it really difficult to get anything done), and then a couple of weeks ago he started getting fussy for no reason. Well it turns out that he has reflux which is causing heartburn. That's why he spits up so much and doesn't like to be put down on his back. Now we're giving him medicine twice a day and hoping that it improves once he's old enough to sit up on his own.

In the meantime, I get to enjoy lots of time holding my baby which is especially fun right after he eats because he's in a good mood. He's getting very talkative and will usually smile and squeal and coo. Of course when I got out the camera, he decided that he would rather nap than smile.

He eventually did realize that I had put him down, and he woke up. He wasn't really in the mood for photographs though. I gave him his pacifier, and he tried to curl up and go back to sleep.

Baby Hayden

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:06:20 GMT

Hayden is doing great and starting to show more emotion. He'll even try to coo once in a while when he's in a good mood (up until now the only baby sound he could make was a cry). We're still not getting near enough sleep since he needs to eat every couple hours, but he's a really good baby.

Wide Awake

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:50:37 GMT

As you can imagine, I take a lot of photographs and sometimes end up with some comical outtakes. Of course most people wouldn't appreciate having their funny photos shared, but poor little Hayden doesn't have a lot of say in the matter. His expressions right now are pretty limited: sleeping, crying, serious, and... wide awake.

Sleepy Newborn

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:40:27 GMT

I have a few sleep-deprived moments between naps, laundry, and feedings so I thought that I'd post some more photos from last week.

This really isn't his best side. The side of his head is a little flat, and the crown is pointy from being squished during labor.

Newborn Photography Tip

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:08:05 GMT

I've always recommended that newborn sessions be scheduled in the first 7-10 days after birth. Primarily because that is when they are at their smallest (babies can lose about 10% of their body weight right after birth), and they're the most flexible and likely to curl up into cute little balls. After working with Hayden, I've decided that the best reason to do the session early is that the newer babies tend to go to sleep after feeding and stay asleep much better. Once they get used to being out of the womb, they don't expect to be moved around while sleeping. He's just 12 days old, and already Hayden is difficult to pose and photograph while asleep.

Because I was recovering from the c-section, I had to postpone the family photos that I wanted to do until yesterday. Marcus and I tried off and on for most of the day to get him to cooperate, but he just wasn't having it. He would fall asleep right after eating and then wake up and throw an inconsolable fit when we tried moving him around. Everything is on HIS schedule right now, and he just wanted to be left alone to sleep. Considering how long it takes to get everyone ready (it is much easier to be just the subject or just the photographer than both) and how unhappy it made Hayden (not to mention that Marcus is returning to work Monday), I'm afraid that I may not convince Marcus to try it again.

Here are a couple of sleeping photos that I took a few days ago though.