Newborn photoshoot with 10-day-old Selena Rose

I last met this stunning family at their maternity photoshoot with me back in January (see the images here).

Evgeniya was pretty confident that her third daughter would arrive early, but in the end Selena waited until past 40 weeks before deciding she was in a rush, after all!

Evgeniya and Craig arrived at hospital at 4:30am, intending to have a water birth.

However, before the birthing pool could be filled, Selena was already here, arriving by 5:07am!

Selena’s beautiful name means ‘Goddess of the Moon’.

Her parents wanted to give her a name that would be easy to spell and pronounce in both English and Russian but which was still special – I think they’ve achieved all three aims perfectly!

Selena’s grandma – known to the family as Babushka, which is the Russian for Grandmother – has come over to stay for two weeks to help the family welcome the new arrival and smooth the transition into a family of five and has been indispensable in these early days.

Indeed, Selena won’t be the only big change for the family this year.

They moved into a new Oxford home just a few weeks before Selena was due, and quickly did a few bits of DIY before her birth (including repainting lots of walls which had been left in a questionable shade of yellow!).

The family have big plans for how they want to extend and reshape the property. The building has previously had lots of smaller additions tacked on in a piecemeal way, which means it doesn’t quite tie together.

Their vision for the property includes a more useful layout downstairs, a much roomier upstairs and more symmetry throughout.

At the same time, Craig is looking for the perfect venue to start a permanent dance school.

As previous British, European and World Champions in ballroom dancing, Craig and Evgeniya are the perfect people to learn from.

After Selena’s newborn photoshoot with me, Craig was heading off to view a potential location, so watch this space for the next world champions!

In the meantime, there’s plenty to enjoy closer to home: Craig and Evgeniya love the sweetness of the newborn phase, but also the amount of interaction they now have with Olivia, and how Annabelle is the perfect age to simply hang out with.

Craig loves to run, so Annabelle has taken to cycling along with him, sometimes followed by a cheeky sausage and omelette breakfast roll at Greggs.

Having a new arrival has felt so much easier for them both this time round, as they feel much more relaxed and confident as parents.

Their calmness seems to have rubbed off on Selena, who snoozed through almost all of her time with me, happily enjoying the buzz, chat and cuddles of being surrounded by so many people who love her so much already, after just meeting her 10 days ago. 🙂

“We can’t thank Sarah enough for the fabulous experiences and amazing pictures we have to cherish from our Maternity and Newborn photoshoots. It’s not easy to get out of the house with 2 kids and being pregnant (and even harder with a newborn) let alone get everybody to act natural and smile for the camera. That’s when Sarah comes in and nails it! Honestly we were so relieved how at ease she made us all feel at the shoot- and kids loved – they just had fun and wanted to go back after we left! Highly highly recommend Sarah – if you want amazing professional pictures and enjoy the process look no further!”

Evgeniya, maternity and newborn photography client from Oxford, Oxfordshire

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

Sarah Plater AMPA is an award-winning qualified, certified professional newborn and family portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

She is the Master Photographers Association Young Families Portrait Photographer of the Year 2022 and Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).