Newborn | Peta Nikel Photography

TIME OF SILENCE

In the activity of the birthing room you are surrounded by sounds and movement. Even the most calm of births seem to become a hive of activity at times. It’s different for everyone of course, but at the moment of birth whether you experience the feel of a warm newborn being placed against your bare skin or your child is whisked off to be assessed…at some point there will come a time of silence. It’s this moment, sometimes minutes after the birth and sometimes days. When it’s quiet, just you and the tiny person you created. You stare into their eyes and they hold you gaze with such candour that… Keep Reading

BUNDLE OF HOPE

You’re already imagining big things for her. You wished for her, impatiently awaiting the arrival so you could catch your first glimpse of her face and begin memorising all the features that, in no time at all, you would come to know like the back of your hand. Such a tiny bundle but already she signifies your hopes and dreams for the future and in small moments you will find yourself caught in the daydreams of her first Christmas, a wobbly first ride on a bicycle, her high school graduation. But for now she exists in the downy softness of her hair, the curl of her fingers around yours and… Keep Reading

A MOMENT FULL OF PROMISE

It happens so quickly. You sit there, holding your breath, switching you gaze from looking so closely to looking away; and then, in a flash your whole life changes. A second small line appears, faintly – the promise of ten little toes and ten little fingers, two perfect eyes and one little nose. Who could have imagined such a faint line could so quickly throw you into a pool of such immense excitement, anxiety and questions? Before a moment has passed so many thoughts are running through your mind – will they be a girl or a boy? Will they have curly hair? Whose eyes will they have? What kind… Keep Reading

A GIFT

A child is a beautiful gift. A child touches your life in ways you never imagined possible. The moment you meet your child you love them more than life itself – a love completely unfathomable prior to the moment you meet. You realise just how lucky you have become – two wondrous eyes and a perfect heart beat now matching your own. So many wonderful things shifting inside of yourself to prepare you for the journey of a life time about to start. In that moment you become so more than you knew you could be. In that moment a dozen thoughts come into your mind, already imagining the joys… Keep Reading

WE ARE SO LUCKY

We are so lucky as parents. The moment we discover the extension of ourselves soon to be welcomed into this world, we become so much more than who we already are. We discover a love inside of us that we couldn’t imagine possible before. We grow strength we were unaware we possessed and a warrior of protection for our child. We become a best-friend, a nurturer, a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen, we become needed words of wisdom and we become a sense of safety. Our children render so much growth and gifts to ourselves before we have even laid eyes on their precious face. How… Keep Reading

KEEPERS OF MEMORIES

When we think of the connection we share with our children it is so deep and all encompassing that it transcends time and there is not a word adequate enough to describe it. It is a bond that begins often before you have ever even laid eyes upon your child and it remains forever after. What begins as your child holding your hand becomes them holding your heart. When you become a parent everyone tells you about the sleepless nights, the toddler tantrums and how you will bend and fold to make a life for your child. But no one can ever explain properly the way your child alters the… Keep Reading

PERFECT SENSE

“When he finally was placed into my arms, I looked into his precious eyes and felt an overwhelming, unconditional love. I never felt so complete and empowered in my life.” – Gisele Bündchen You will never forget the moment you first lay eyes on your child. With all the chaos around you, the cheers of excitement, the exhaustion washing over your tired body – you can not bring yourself to take your eyes off this precious gift. A reflection of your love, of yourself. The wondrous gaze of your newborn as they take in the world for the first time, the little button nose, the perfection that you and the… Keep Reading

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

Life is beautiful. The trees are tall and give us shade on scorching summer days. The water is gentle and comes up to greet us as we walk along the shore. The grass is soft, the moments are precious, the flowers are vibrant; and yet, nothing compares to the unconditional love you have for your own child. Of course you want to capture each moment! Of course you would want to have something to remember their first smile by, their first steps, Christmas, Birthday; need I go on? We only get the one ‘first’, so we need to remember to capture the moments along the way, because life is beautiful,… Keep Reading

SMALL MOMENTS

You forget the little things. You forget how chubby their cheeks were and just how tiny their toes used to be. You forget about their little button nose and how peaceful they would look when napping. You forget about all those times when their chuckles would leave yourself in a fit of laughter, about the times when they were first discovering how to play – getting glimpses at their own blossoming personality. But every now and then we remember; when we see a sleeping baby in a pram, hear the vibrancy of a toddlers laughter in the shops, or when we look through old photo albums of precious memories past…. Keep Reading

A BROTHER’S LOVE

“Sisters and brothers are the truest, purest forms of love, family and friendship, knowing when to hold you and when to challenge you, but always being a part of you. ” – Carol Ann Albright Eastman A sibling’s love is unlike anything else. From the moment you become a sibling you become a protector, a confidant, an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, a rival, a teacher, a student, a reflection of the other, an equal. I was beyond grateful to have been able to capture these moments between Evan and his big brother when the bonds they will share over their lifetime first began. Are you thinking about booking… Keep Reading