Showcasing your love and excitement in the first few days and weeks of becoming a first time parent is priceless. And today, you can see The Garcia’s love for their new little Avery Rose in their Nashville area newborn session by Mandy Liz Photography! Avery’s fresh and feminine nursery shows hints of her mama Karina’s anticipation through the decor like the beautiful woven wall hanging and the wooden bead garland. Keep reading our interview with Karina and learn all about Avery’s birth story!
Tell us about your new baby!
Karina: Avery Rose Garcia was born January 28, 2019 at 9:44 pm. She’s our rainbow baby; truly our biggest blessing. Her middle name, Rose, was chosen with some meaning. My husband & I are high school sweethearts (2008 is when we started dating) and ever since we’ve been together in every bouquet he’s ever given me there’s been a rose. We wanted our love story to trail along with our daughter’s name.
How was your pregnancy?
Karina: We were definitely planning. After we miscarried, we were completely torn apart but knew that we definitely were ready to start a family. We obviously took some time to grieve & get our minds right. I had missed a period but out of fear, I didn’t want to take a pregnancy test. I was SO scared although I wanted the test to be positive so badly. One random day I finally found the guts to buy a pregnancy test, drove home, took the test, & BAM! I was pregnant again. Although hubby & I were so excited, the fear of another miscarriage really brought down our excitement. For the first month I allowed this to be a feeling but by the second month we promised to enjoy it & trust in God that everything would go smoothly. Thank God for our daughter Avery who is a healthy baby & the happiest babe ever. Her smile is a daily reminder of what a miracle she is to us.
Tell us about Avery’s birth story!
Karina: We were in labor for 49 hours. YES, 49!!! I wanted to labor as much as I could at home. I labored at home overnight, by 6 am the contractions were so strong. I hopped in the shower & headed off to the hospital. Mom & Hubby were my support system. Mom had flown in from California to be present for the birth & to stay for two weeks afterwards to spend time with us & her first grandchild (I’m an only child so you can only imagine how special this moment was to her). I went into labor with an open mind. I wanted to try to labor for as long as I could without an epidural but I definitely wasn’t against it either. After 30 hours of labor, I decided to get the epidural. I was exhausted & I wasn’t dilating any further than 7 cm. Epidural experience was okay, it’s what I had in mind, except the fact that an hour later I would start feeling contractions on the left side of my abdomen. LUCKILY, I only experienced that pain for a couple hours & it was time to push. I highly recommend using a mirror from the hospital, if offered, to watch the delivery. It was such an incredible experience.
How have you been doing since she came into your life?
Karina: Bringing her home was the best feeling in the world. We slowly introduced her to our fur babies. She has been the best addition to our family. The first few days, I’d say, have been the hardest. Sleep deprivation is SO real & for the first four days of being home, I was SO sentimental. I would cry for absolutely no reason. I’d look at her & think of her growing up & cry. I’d go into the kitchen & see a piece of avocado & cry. Lol. No joke. I’d cry for nothing. I was so scared those meant early symptoms of post partum depression but thank God after the fourth day all the crying stopped. I have been extremely lucky that my husband has been SO supportive of me & this new life journey. No one can prepare you for motherhood, no matter how much advice you receive but I’d say it’s the most beautiful feeling. I love being a mama & I’m so blessed to have my daughter with us now.
Did you have a vision for the newborn session?
Karina: I definitely had envisioned some intimate moments with our little love. I wanted pictures of us just looking at her & appreciate the little life we created. I was definitely looking forward to the daddy & daughter images (which I absolutely loved). And in general I definitely wanted the nursery details to show. I worked very hard on creating this space for her so I’m happy one day we will be able to look back on it & show her.
What was it like working with Mandy Liz Photography?
Karina: We’ve worked with Mandy Liz Photography before. She captured our three year wedding anniversary pictures. She’s a doll. We love working with her, she’s such a lovely soul. We love how she always directs us with different ways to pose. She’s always fun & makes us do stuff to cause one another to natural laugh, for example. We feel so comfortable around her & everything always seems to come out so naturally when posing for her.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your newborn session?
Karina: I would just highly recommend to any soon to be mamas to really invest in newborn pictures. Although saving money is high priority at the time, saving up for a newborn photography session is a must. You’ll always have these pictures to look back on & cherish. Babies grow up so fast & I love looking back at how little Avery looked when we first brought her back home. We thank Mandy for making that 45 minute drive early that Saturday to capture us with our babe! She did amazing & those pictures are everything and more.
Mandy! Karina! Wow – thank you so much for sharing this sweet sweet Nashville area newborn session with us! Karina – we so appreciate your openness about your birth journey and how special Avery is to you. The photos are just stunning! You can find more on Mandy Liz Photography online and also be sure to check out her Instagram page!
