Newborn photos with 19-day-old Elatheia

There’s a lot of pressure to come up with the perfect name for your first baby, isn’t there? With trends coming and going so quickly, new parents Nicola and Mark opted for something more timeless: Elatheia.

Elatheia’s name is taken from the mythological character Aletheia. Nicola and Mark have opted to spell it slightly differently so it works perfectly when shortened to ‘Ella’, too.

Aletheia was the Greek Goddess of truth, and honesty is certainly a value that Mark and Nicola hold in high regard.

Aletheia was actually one of the first names they considered, but then the list quickly grew during Nicola’s pregnancy until both of the parents-to-be experienced choice paralysis at the number of options they were considering.

Mark then proposed that if they were to have a girl, Nicola would choose the name, and vice versa for a boy.

“Hmmm,” Nicola said, considering the proposal, “what name would you go for if it’s a boy?”

“Bacchus,” Mark said.

“Then no,” Nicola responded, and it was back to studying the longlist. Looking at it with fresh eyes after a break, they quickly whittled away some options that they couldn’t believe they initially considered. Suddenly, they were back down to the first one they started with: Aletheia, but with a slight twist to make it unique.

Bacchus was the Roman god of agriculture, showing just how fascinated and inspired Mark is by history. It’s one of the things Nicola told me she loves about him during our pre-shoot consultation ahead of the couple’s maternity photoshoot with me, along with Mark’s curiosity and love of learning.

He’s also been delighted with the new world of gadgets that’s opened up to him as a father, including the sleek car seat that rotates around for easy loading. For Nicola, the lifesaver has been the portable hands-free breast pump that has made their lives so much easier by enabling easier multitasking (always essential when you have a newborn baby!).

Nicola and Mark’s newborn photoshoot with me was a kind and generous gift from Nicola’s family and friends, and although they were both nervous about being photographed, I’m delighted to report they quickly relaxed into the experience (scroll down for Nicola’s review).

So far, Mark’s favourite moment as a new dad has been taking Ella home, when they just stayed indoors for a week, settling into a new routine as a family.

Nicola’s favourite moments have been spent staring into Ella’s deep blue eyes (the couple’s favourite of her features). Ella spends just as long staring back, getting to know every millimetre of her mum and dad’s loving face.

Nicola also loves watching their baby snoozing on Mark’s chest, particularly when Ella’s warmth and rhymes breathing noises send him off to sleep, too.

Some days, Ella has kept them so busy (and tired) that they’ve forgotten to eat at all. But already, Mark is talking about their next baby, and joking about having twins, too.

And it’s clear if they put in even a tenth as much effort as they did in choosing the perfect name, then they are going to be superb parents indeed, however many little ones as they decide to have 🙂

After our shoot, Nicola said:

“Our experience with Sarah was brilliant. I’m not that comfortable with this type of thing but Sarah was not only professional, she was great at putting us all at ease. We had a pregnancy and subsequent newborn shoot that produced great photos that we were blown away by, and we had a great time whilst doing so. Sarah knows her craft very well and talked us through each shot and pose, whilst effortlessly encouraging us to take the best photos and tell her of our journey together. At the newborn shoot, Sarah had remembered us so well and helped us to build memories in our new experience as parents. These personal touches enabled us to feel confident and proud, plus she was better at encouraging our little one stay calm and relaxed through the shoot than us! Definitely recommended.”

Nicola, newborn photography client from Ambrosden, Oxfordshire

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If you’re interested in newborn portraits or family photography in and around Bicester, Oxfordshire, please get in contact.

Sarah Plater LMPA is an award-winning qualified, certified professional newborn 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).