Lily Kate | Fresh 48 at Baptist Hospital Pensacola, Florida

I think Lily Kate’s Fresh 48 at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola has got to be my most favorite Fresh 48 to date. Gorgeous mama (Rachel), handsome daddy (Tim), gorgeous new baby girl (Lily), adorable and fun big sister (Rosie…also gorgeous), and ALL of that incredible window light that makes Baptist my favorite hospital for Fresh 48s.

And to top it all off, Tim is a Pensacola wedding photographer and Rachel a Pensacola wedding florist. So not only do they all know how to find the light and work the camera, they have such great taste and style. They are the sweetest family, most relaxed family ever and there wasn’t a single second of ‘what should we do'. They simply WERE. And the results are glorious.

Let me be real here. Toddlers aren’t typically all that interested in baby brothers and sisters. Rosie, as sweet as she is, was no exception. We have to remember that this is a huge transition for them and not force them to hold or interact with baby until they are ready…or at least happily distracted with something else they want. We managed these next few shots by propping up Tim’s cell phone on the window sill with a bottle of coconut water so Rosie could watch Netflix. Once she was settled and enthralled by the show, she let me place Lily in her lap. We didn’t have long, but we got a ton of sweet shots where Rosie appears to be sweetly checking out her sister…

And some others where it’s pretty clear she is watching TV. All this to say, never get discouraged by or upset over a toddler refusing to interact. With enough time and some top-notch negotiating skills, I’ll get you some good stuff.

And THEN Rosie just completely stole the show when she climbed INTO the bassinet.

Next she decided to play doctor for a while and make sure everyone’s hearts were working properly.

Finally she decided as time for a little light reading before trying on her sister’s mittens. All of this happened in the course of about 15 minutes. She was in and out of the bassinet more times than I could count. I love that Rachel and Tim were cool with her exploring the room and climbing on and touching all of the things. Letting kids be themselves always results in the most precious memories.

If you loved this session, then you will really enjoy the documentary style newborn session we did just a week later. It is such a beautiful glimpse into life at home with a new baby. Check it out here.

Do you have any stories about how your older children reacted to having a baby brother or sister? Did they do anything in particular that just completely stole your heart or cracked you up?