Why I’m So Happy We Did a 6-Month Photoshoot

As a new mom, the 6-month mark felt like this magical, fog-lifting milestone. You’re still in the thick of postpartum, still very much figuring things out, but suddenly you’re halfway to one — and that alone feels huge. I’ve always loved documenting life in photos, and something in me knew this stage deserved to be celebrated just as much as the newborn days and the big first birthday.

Looking back now, over two years later, I’m so grateful we made the time for it.

Capturing a Stage I Never Want to Forget

When I look at those photos, the first emotion that hits is pure joy. Not the polite, smiling-for-the-camera kind — the real deep joy that makes your eyes sting a little because you remember exactly what that season felt like.

There was one part of the session that meant more to me than anything else: the nursing photos. At the end of the shoot, we paused to take both bottle-feeding and breastfeeding pictures. My breastfeeding journey was emotional — complicated, beautiful, hard, healing — and even though I had plenty of nursing selfies, having it captured professionally felt like a celebration of everything I pushed through.

That was the moment I knew: This. This is exactly why we did this.

Why We Chose the 6-Month Mark

This wasn’t a random milestone. We had already done newborn photos and knew we’d do one-year photos. But so much happens in that in-between stage — babies go from sleepy little smushies to full-blown tiny humans with real smiles (not the “fart” ones), personality, curiosity, and those big bright eyes that follow you everywhere.

The photos aren’t just cute — they show who he was becoming.

A Photoshoot That Felt Like Us

We did the session lifestyle-style, right in our home. Simple, imperfect, everyday moments — but frozen in time forever.

We:

• Used green and white balloons (because I love green and our son has these gorgeous green eyes).

• Included our dog, who was VERY excited to participate… and at one point ended up in the crib (sheet changed immediately, promise).

• Read him books.

• Took family photos in his nursery and our room.

• Captured his shelves, his blankets, his crib — the space that held so much of our first year together.

He was full of smiles and eye contact the whole time, thriving under the spotlight like the natural-born ham he is. And we were emotional in all the best ways — the kind of emotional where you exhale and think, I’m going to treasure this forever.

What These Photos Mean to Me Now

The photos mean even more now than they did then.

They’re more than milestones — they’re memories I hope I never forget.

They’re even more special because our photographer is one of my best friends. She photographed our wedding, maternity session, newborn photos, and now this precious milestone. It’s such a full-circle, heartwarming thing to have the same person documenting the biggest chapters of our family story.

And honestly? The 6-month stage is so overlooked. It’s always newborn or one year. But the halfway point is just as magical — maybe even more so — because you can feel their personality blooming.

Why I Recommend Everyone Do This (Even With an iPhone)

You don’t need a fancy setup or a professional photographer to make this happen. Even if all you have is an iPhone and a tripod — take the pictures.

Document the in-between.

Capture the little details you swear you’ll remember but won’t.

Because time flies in a way you don’t understand until you blink and your once-tiny baby is a full-fledged toddler sprinting through the house.

These photos are my forever keepsake from a season that was equal parts messy, magical, exhausting, and beautiful — and I’m so, so happy we took them.