How is your newborn baby doing?

He is doing great. He started daycare two or three weeks ago, and he’s been figuring out how to nap without me, which is great. He’s a little happy bundle of joy.

How did you come up with baby Casimir’s name?

It was my husband’s grandpa’s name, and he decided way before we met that that would be his name. Then we met and started talking about naming children. He brought that name up, and I said, “Well that’s just weird enough.” So we named him Casimir; it was the only name we ever had. We never even had a girl’s name.

Anything about parenting a newborn baby that surprises you?

There have been a lot of things that have surprised me. I always knew you wouldn’t get a whole lot of sleep, but it’s been surprising how much or how little you get depending on where he is. I’ve been around babies a lot but watching him day-to-day, it’s just so much different. I find myself feeling like I should be doing more at this point. But he’s on track and he’s getting there. All he really needs for me to do is love him and hold him and be here.

Favorite thing about being a new mom?

I just love looking at him and seeing his face when he sees me and he recognizes me. It’s just happiness. He’s just pure trust and love, and it’s better than anything I could possibly describe.

What’s the hardest part about being a mom to a newborn?

Always wanting space but feeling guilty about wanting that space. He wants to be with you all the time, and sometimes you don’t want to go to the bathroom by yourself, or can’t shower without worrying about if he’s screaming. I have to move really fast to deal with that.

Has baby met the relatives yet or gone on any trips?

He has. He went to the Fourth of July celebration. My family always goes to Destin, Florida, where my parents live, and we spend a week at the beach, so he got to meet all seven of his older cousins and a couple of aunts and uncles, and some of my cousins.

What’s the most useful newborn baby product you have?

Our dual stroller car seat is the best invention I think has ever been made. It’s a car seat that you pull a lever on, and it has wheels. You don’t have to lug the heavy car seat around. You take them out of the car, pop open the wheels, and you can just keep going.

What baby product did you buy but you don’t really use?

We got pretty much everything secondhand and took a lot of advice from family and friends. There were a few things that I didn’t have that I ended up buying later, like a bouncer chair that I could bring around with him, but so far everything we have, we use.

What pregnancy and parenting books did you read?

I bought a book on baby sleep called Precious Little Sleep because we are having a lot of trouble getting the little man to sleep on his own. So far, it’s been very helpful.

Help Casimir win a wall portrait from his newborn portrait session.

Please help Casimir win a wall portrait by scrolling to the comments section below and leaving a kind and encouraging comment. Thank you!

You can see more beautiful newborn portraits in Indianapolis by clicking here.