Seattle Newborn Session: Love Makes a Family

This is one of the most meaningful newborn sessions I have ever had the privilege to photograph. I have known Katie since she 2004 when we both started college at a small liberal arts school in Switzerland. It turns out we were actually next door neighbors in our first dorm, but we weren’t close at school. We had friends in common and our school was microscopic, so we knew each other, but it wasn’t until years after that we really connected. Katie started blogging in the early days of fashion and interior blogs and then started Matchbook Magazine with another college friend and through blogging, a love of design and antiques, and both being more than slightly neurotic we became long distance friends. We called and emailed as we both moved around cities, states and even countries in Katie’s case. I think that we really connected over IVF and infertility when she was in the thick of it- she did two fresh IVF cycles and seven transfers- which is one of the most brutal and devastating experiences I can imagine. When they found out they were moving to Seattle I was thrilled and they immediately began the adoption process. Incredibly- less than a week after their profile went live they received a call about a baby. Then the mother changed her mind. Then a day later they got ANOTHER call and were home with Gabriel in a matter of days. I am still stunned by how quickly it happened and how incredible it all is. Gabriel is so freaking cute and Simon and Katie are incredible loving parents.

“I will always treasure these photos of our early days with baby Gabriel. Chelsea perfectly captured our awe and amazement of our sweet little guy. I can’t wait to show them to him when he grows up and tell him how grateful we were to adopt him and call him our own. He is our dream come true and the photos make my heart burst with love and pride.”