I want to tell you about Lemon.

Lemon was our dog. A golden girl who showed up for me in a way I didn't fully appreciate until she was gone. She was there through IVF. Through the appointments and the phone calls and the transfers and the negative tests. She didn't know what any of it meant -- she just showed up, every single day, curled up next to me when I was broken, pressed her nose against my leg when I needed it most.

When my first baby finally arrived, Lemon was part of that story. She was in the maternity photos. She was in the newborn photos. She was there.

She passed away between my two kids.

I have photos of her with my firstborn that I will never stop being grateful for. I have photos of her with me, pregnant, that feel like they belong to a whole chapter of my life that deserved to be documented -- not just the baby part, but all of it. The waiting, the love, the dog who held us together while we got there.

That's why I will always, always make room for your dog.

They Were There First

Here's the thing about Seattle families: the dog is usually already a family member by the time the baby comes. I have been inside hundreds of Seattle homes in the first weeks of a baby's life, and almost every single one has a dog somewhere in the frame -- on the bed, at someone's feet, pressing their nose up against the bassinet with a look of profound confusion and dedication.

Your dog was your practice run. Your first taste of loving something so much it physically hurt. The creature you panic-Googled about at 2am. The one who got you and your partner talking about routines and rules and how you'd handle the hard stuff.

They were there before the baby. They deserve to be in the photos with the baby.

I've found that the photos where the dog meets the newborn for the first time are some of the most documentary, unrepeatable moments I get to photograph. The sniff. The cautious curiosity. The moment they decide they are, in fact, this baby's guardian now and settle in accordingly. You cannot stage that. It's pure gold and it lasts about thirty seconds and I am ready for it every time.

When It's More Than Just a Photo

I've had clients book with me specifically because their dog was sick.

One family -- she was pregnant, and their dog had just been diagnosed with cancer. She needed to document all three of them together while she still could. She wasn't sure their dog would make it to the newborn session.

He did. And a year later, I was still photographing the three of them together.

I don't take lightly what it means to be trusted with a season like that. The hard ones. The hopeful ones. The ones where everything is uncertain and precious at the same time, where you're celebrating something new while also holding grief for something you might be losing.

Another family reached out because she had read my blog. She felt like I'd understand both parts of their story -- the new baby and the beloved dog with a serious diagnosis. She needed a photographer who got it. Who wouldn't treat the dog as a prop or an afterthought.

That's the kind of photographer I am trying to be. One who sees the whole story, not just the part that fits neatly in a frame.

If you have a dog with a health diagnosis and you're expecting -- please reach out. We will make sure they are in these photos. That matters. I promise you it matters.

The Logistics, Because I Know You're Wondering

I want to address the practical stuff, because I know Seattle dog people are responsible dog people who worry about this.

Energetic dogs: Totally manageable. I've worked with big dogs, reactive dogs, dogs who are convinced that a camera strap is the greatest threat that has ever existed. If your dog is particularly enthusiastic, it can help to have an extra person around for part of the session who can step in and help -- a partner, a friend, whoever. But I've also made it work plenty of times with just me and a very excited lab and a family who thought it was going to be a disaster. It usually isn't. I'm a dog person. Dogs can tell.

Cats: Yes, I've included cats. It's admittedly more of a "hope they wander through and something magical happens" situation than a "let's schedule the cat for 10:15" situation. But in-home sessions are the perfect environment for cats, because your cat is already home and already in their element. I've gotten some genuinely beautiful cat-and-newborn moments.

Dogs who don't travel: This is another reason I love in-home sessions. Your dog doesn't have to go anywhere. They're already where they're most comfortable, which means they're actually more relaxed and more themselves than they would be at a studio or a park. No car anxiety, no unfamiliar smells, no reason to be weird. Just your dog, in your home, doing what they do -- and I'm there to catch it.

For the session: I'll work with your dog's energy and attention span. We usually do the dog-inclusive photos first or woven throughout, not saved for last when everyone's patience (human and canine) is running thin. Treats are encouraged. Chaos is welcome.

This Is Your Family. All of It.

When you look back at your maternity and newborn photos twenty years from now, you're going to want to see everything that was part of this season. Not just the baby. Not just the beautiful moments. All of it.

The dog who slept at the foot of the bed every night of your pregnancy. The dog who investigated the bassinet with great suspicion. The dog who is going to be, whether they know it yet or not, this baby's first best friend.

If your dog was part of your journey to get here -- through the waiting, through the hard seasons, through the fertility treatments or the losses or just the long stretch of hoping -- they belong in these photos. Not as an afterthought. As an original member of this family.

I got to have that with Lemon. I want it for you too.

Ready to book a maternity or newborn session that includes your whole family -- furry members included? Check my availability here.

Want the practical tips for how to prep your dog for a session? Read this post. And if you're a dog parent wondering whether your pup experience actually counts as baby prep -- yes, it does, and I wrote about it here.