My tribe

I have three very different children! Ages 8, 6 & 3. Isabelle, Edward and Maddie. You'd think parenting would become easier as time and experience were on your side, but how wrong we were. 

Isabelle

Isabelle is my eldest, my muse, the one who fooled me in to thinking parenting was a piece of cake. From the moment she arrived she was just wonderful. Fed easily, slept (until 4 months anyway…), smiled and laughed all day. She was an absolute dream to parent and still is! When I got pregnant with her I was still an ECC Veterinary nurse up in London. I knew I could never go back to night shifts and the commute with a baby, so I quit nursing. I was already shooting families in the local park at weekends and second shooting for a wedding photographer, but I knew I wanted and needed this to work for me. So when she was just 4 months old I was taking her on shoots with me. I shot everywhere! Flats, local parks, gardens, businesses, you name it. £20 copyright free images with a free print was popular! I set her up on her play mat and shot next to her. Having had my other two I could not imagine doing that now! I wouldn’t have my business without her.

Edward

Edward. The child that broke me. From the moment he was conceived I knew he was a boy!! I bled heavily at ten weeks. It was a Thursday and I was travelling to Cornwall the following day to shoot a wedding that weekend. We went to a&e and they told us to wait to confirm miscarriage with a scan on the Monday. So I shot the wedding, putting it to the back of my mind and cracking on so I could do my best for my couple. At the scan I was crying before I even went in, and there he was, jumping about all over the screen. Absolutely fine. This was just the start of his mischievousness that continued throughout his pregnancy and delivery through till now. He’s very sensitive and has some incredibly big feelings. He’s caring, sweet and just the loveliest little person. He has the most wicked laugh and his smile is infectious! Then at the same time he is the child that broke me. Mentally he broke me down to the bear bones and built me back up again a much better, less selfish, non judgemental human. He taught me how bloody hard parenting actually is. With colic, undiagnosed tongue tie, milk allergy’s, a fiery temper and sensory overload. He took me four years to learn and I feel like I am still learning Edward. But my goodness he’s really something special and I’m so excited to see where life takes him!

Maddie

Then Maddie, my gorgeous curly haired, brown eyed little fire cracker! She could take out a bull with just her glare I swear. She absolutely rules our home. She has her dad wrapped around her little finger and he is at her beck and call with snacks, drinks and trips to the fire engine. She loves to be mum, and has at least twenty baby’s, a cafe in the living room and a nursery that we all work at for her. Making cups of tea, feeding baby’s, nappy changes and serving cupcakes. She’s an absolute force and I don’t think I would have been able to adapt to her quite so fluidly if it hadn’t been for having Eddie first! She’s going to run the country.