Newborn photoshoot with 10-day-old Eva

Things are going fairly smoothly for Ella, Andrew and baby Eva.

Eva latched on and fed well as soon as she was born and – aside from a restless couple of hours between 11pm and 2am – sleeps pretty well, too.

Ella’s mum, Sarah, is staying with the couple for ten days to help out with the new arrival, and between the three of them they have split each day into shifts, so that Eva always has someone on duty, and everyone also gets a rest.

Although labour was long, Ella told me that she couldn’t have asked for better midwives.

The staff talked them through their options calmly and impartially whenever there was a decision to be made and were friendly, supportive and encouraging throughout.

Indeed, they created such a positive experience that Ella will be popping back in with gifts for the team as a little thank you for their efforts.

Andrew has already got a whole stack of brownie points for surprising Ella with a Christmas gift comprising of a Maternity Photoshoot and Newborn Photoshoot with me (check out their maternity photos here).

He continued his track record of great gift-buying by sourcing a stunning bottle of champagne for Ella to enjoy once Eva arrived – her first drink in nine months was everything she had been looking forward to and more.

Ella has also really enjoying seeing how kind, caring and gentle Andrew is towards their new baby, and she told me these first ten days have been spent in a state of bliss, with family life being everything she had hoped for.

At home, Ella does most of the cooking but Andrew is the Head of All Things Bread, with a niche expertise in the best sandwiches.

Their current favourite is a BLT with mayo and tomato chilli sauce.

In fact, Ella told me that if Andrew wasn’t so good at lighting design, she’d encourage him to open a sandwich shop instead.

Ella’s mum Sarah will be known to Eva as Smithy – she can’t stand the sound of ‘Nanna’ or ‘Grandma’ and it’s very typical of Sarah to like to do things a bit differently.

Sarah is semi-retired, after a career working in marketing and advertising in the City.

She’s since moved to the West coast of France, where she works part-time in the local boulangerie.

The area attracts a lot of tourists, many of whom are keen to practice their French, so Sarah plays along, pretending she’s French as she takes their orders.

Sarah told me that it’s written into the constitution that boulangerie workers get a free slice of bread at the end of each shift, and now her freezer is full of the stuff.

Andrew hasn’t yet tried the bread from this boulangerie, but he mentioned his criteria – very soft, with a crunchy, chewy crust – and it seems like it might meet his requirements for the perfect sandwich.

During our conversation, Andrew and Sarah both mentioned how competitive they were at board games – and that neither of them has ever lost a game of Monopoly.

Ella told me that her mum is such an aggressive player that the last game ended with the board being thrown in the air, many years ago, and they haven’t played again since. 

Sarah passed her copy of the game on, but kept hold of the little dog meeple, which she says is her lucky charm.

All of us were curious to see what would happen if Andrew and Sarah played each other, but Sarah insisted that will have to be for another time – she wants this trip to be all about gorgeous little Eva.

Soon Andrew may have another competitor to worry about – baby Eva will no doubt benefit from learning his tactics and strategies as soon as she’s old enough to play.

In the meantime, though, it’s clear that Ella and Andrew are enjoying each and every moment of every day, delighted to have transformed from a happy couple to a fulfilled family of three. 🙂

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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).