Sitter session photos with twins Lochlan and Tahlia

“They are my miracle babies,” Lauren told me on our phone call ahead of our photoshoot of her eight-month-old twins with her partner, Ash.

When Lauren’s pregnancy was confirmed, she wondered whether she might have twins. Now, she says, she can’t think of having it any other way.

The family were just as excited about the news. Eight mums, dads, aunts and uncles joined Lauren and Ash for their gender reveal scan, eager to hear more details about the first grandchildren on Lauren’s side of the family.

“My mum and sister were really hoping for a girl, and Ash wanted a boy,” Lauren said, “When we found out we were having one of each, every woman in the room was crying tears of happiness.”

As the babies were born during lockdown, Ash was only able to enter the delivery room once the mum-to-be was in advanced labour.

Ash parked up in the hospital car park, in the new (bigger) car they had bought in anticipation of the twins’ arrival. He put the car seats in the front, flattened the back seats and prepared to snooze while he awaited news.

Almost straight away, Lauren called him. Ash shot up, ready to rush out, only to find that the child locks were engaged on the back doors and boot. The car seats in the front blocked access to the mechanism that overrides the switches, so Ash had to haul himself through to the front seats then over the car seats and finally out the driver’s door.

He rushed in, making it just in time to watch (and film) the twins’ arrival. Seeing their birth has been one of the highlights so far for him.

Since that day, the couple have become masters at multitasking, re-learning how to do everything they used to, but this time with one or two babies in their arm at the same time. Now both babies have learned to move around with Lochlan bear-rolling and Tahlia crawling at increasing speed, which means they no longer remain in the place where mum and dad left them!

Lauren had initially booked in with me for a newborn photoshoot, but the first lockdown meant we needed to reschedule to a sitter session in November. Of course, England then started a second lockdown, which meant that we needed to postpone again, but just for a month this time.

It was, however, third time lucky, with the family arriving at my Bicester photography studio exactly eight months after their little ones entered their lives.

Lauren’s instructions to me were clear: when the babies are both screaming, she wants a picture of them on the wall to remind her how cute they are, to help her smile through the tougher days!

Happily, we created a montage-worth of pictures that fit the bill, including this sweet one:

Despite sharing the same parents and same date of birth, Lochlan and Tahlia have completely different personalities.

Lochlan is chilled out but quite serious like his dad. The only person who can consistently get big smiles from him is sister Tahlia. He loves watching her, and will giggle away at pretty much anything she does.

Tahlia has inherited her dad’s resistance to tickling: she doesn’t get ticklish at all, whereas Lochlan starts giggling at the first hint of a tickle coming his way.

Lauren loves watching them play and cuddle, and can’t wait to watch their bond develop as they grow up together.

But first, it’s time to head home and finish the packing: this family are moving into their new home at the weekend. Their move is going to bring two big advantages – they’ll be MUCH closer to dad’s work, and they’ll have plenty of space to display their new photos of their gorgeous miracle babies 🙂

P.s. here’s a little sneak peek Lauren sent me, showing some of these images printed and framed before they were wrapped up for Christmas presents. Don’t they look amazing?!:

After our photoshoot, Lauren said:

I’d been looking forward to a newborn photoshoot with my twins once they had finally entered this world, but lockdown soon changed all our plans. Sarah stayed in contact with me throughout; rearranging appointments through 2 lockdowns and ideas for shoots as the babies grew, advice on outfits for myself and my partner. Although we didn’t get the newborn shoot we’d hoped for, we did get amazing sitter photos!!! Sarah was amazing at the shoot, even allowing us to pop off and let one of the little ones have a nap in the car and come back when they got a little grumpy. She ensured we got everything we wanted out of the shoot and suggested many fun ideas! As such, we’ve ordered every single photo she selected for us – just hoping I have enough wall space! Will be booking back again with Sarah in the future as the twins grow. Thanks so much Sarah, we had a great time and the results were so pleasing!!

Lauren, sitter session client from Brackley Hatch, Northamptonshire

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If you’re interested in a sitter session for your baby, please get in contact.

Sarah Plater LMPA is an award-winning qualified, certified professional newborn, child and family portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire. She is the Master Photographers Association Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).