Friday, January 27th, 2012
The official announcement
Wow, sometimes it is still hard to believe I am a mom! It has been almost 8 weeks since Josephine arrived. It is so hard but all worth it when she smiles, laughs, and even farts her little head off! We are truly smitten with her. In the last few weeks, we have been able to get out of the house a bunch and meet-up with other moms in the neighborhood and even venture into Manhattan for a playmate / photo shoot with an October 2009 bride of mine and her new daughter Meghan! (Pictures from that shoot to come!) I love wearing her in a wrap and she usually falls asleep pretty quick. (She is in it right now, looking so peaceful!)
I’m also excited to have been accepted into WeDo, a new networking group of wedding vendors in New York. The first meeting of the new year is next week and I’m in the process of finding a sitter. Almost wish I could just take her with me, but that might be a little unprofessional. :)
Here are just a few images from the first 8 weeks.
Sunday, January 1st, 2012
Last January 1 I had no idea I’d become a mother in 2011. That was the biggest change for me this past year and I’m still adjusting to the idea that I have a daughter! I’m sure 2012 will have plenty of changes and surprises in store for us, personally and professionally, but I know it will all be sweeter because Josephine is in our lives. Somehow I will figure out how to run a business from home, take care of her and still make dinner. (I love to cook!) And hopefully still get to do some of the other things I like to do as well.
Professionally, I’m shifting my focus to weddings in the New York area. While I have loved returning to my hometown so frequently, having a kid will make that much harder. Not to say I won’t do weddings in New Orleans, but I imagine it will be less frequent. I’ve also been flirting with the idea of adding children’s photography to my business as well. (I always said I wouldn’t do that until I had one of my own!) We shall see what 2012 has in store!
For now, I am looking forward to photographing my first post-pregnancy wedding in February in New Orleans during Mardi Gras!
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
Josephine May Chatelain
12/5/2011 at 10:47 am
7 pounds 8 ounces 19.5 inches
Our Christmas present came a little early this year! It has been a wonderful holiday season getting acquainted with our little girl and spending time with family and friends. Josephine is named for her great, great great, and great great great grandmothers! And also to honor her late paternal grandfather, whose middle name is Joseph.
Saturday, August 27th, 2011
Don’t be like there guys during Hurricane Lili in 2002.
Growing up in Louisiana hurricanes were just something that happened. They were a bit exciting and everyone loved missing a few days of school. Then, there would be the damage tour around town in my Uncle Charlie’s big truck. We knew the areas likely to flood and it was always interesting to see how bad it was that time. I never remember being scared about a hurricane, we were prepared and didn’t live in a flood prone area. And those who chose to build in areas near the water built high up and knew the risks. It was just part of life living in South Louisiana.
I don’t remember many of the storms specifically until I was in college. Hurricane Georges messed-up my first few weeks at college in 1998. I recently found some photos I took of my family camping out in the house during the power outage, my grandmother Granny and Uncle Chris too, and the disaster tour that followed. It wasn’t too bad in our neck of the woods that time, save for a neighbor getting a tree hit and the usual flooding on the Lakefront.
After graduating, while working at the Times-Picayune as a freelance photographer, we had two hurricanes back to back, Hurricanes Isidore and Lili in 2002. (more…)
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
There’s no hiding this belly any more, we are expecting! Baby is going to be an early Christmas present, due to arrive around December 7th. We are waiting to see gender until birth. (I really do love green anyways…) Getting pregnant wasn’t initially part of my plan for 2011, and to be totally honest the first few months, ok, 4.5, kinda sucked. I had a few weddings too near my due date I had to regretfully unbook and I just felt plain awful about that and the morning, no, ALL day sickness. But having your life turned upside down is just part of preparing for a little one’s arrival. Now I’m 6 months (24 weeks) into this whole adventure and things are going well and growing well too! I’m sure December will be here before we know it.
Between now and then, I have 7 weddings! Needless to say, this fall season is going to be lots of fun and will certainly bring some additional challenges. But I am preparing a great team of assistants and second shooters to help with things. Today I bought my official “pregnant photog” wedding outfit, including a support belt and compression stocking! (Luckily, no one will see those parts of the outfit, but they might be the most important! ) I’m use to being incognito and I pride myself on guests commenting to me how they “didn’t notice me” and such. Hopefully my belly won’t give me away too much. :) (Especially if it is moving to the music, as a friend told me her baby did!)
That said, I am no longer accepting weddings for 2011. But please keep the 2012 inquiries coming. I hear babies need lots of stuff. :)
Top photo by Ryan Chatelain (aka, the baby daddy), bottom, self-portraits.
Posted in Personal | No Comments »