Introducing Baby Iris

After my photo shoot in Kensington Market, I hopped on the bus heading west to London to meet the newest addition to our family, baby Iris. The bus trip was pretty uneventful, so I'll just get to the good stuff - baby baby baby...

Heather and Eric were enjoying a well deserved nap when I arrived at their house, so Sarah met us at the back door with little Iris fast asleep in her arms. Oh blogworld, she is PERFECT! I've never met a more content and happy baby! Mom and I think it has a lot to do with the home birth; her first impression of the world wasn't a sterile hospital with Doctors and Nurses running around and being dragged from the womb to a nursery before getting a chance to really bond with Mom and Dad.

We spent the evening coo'ing over Iris and ordered in the most delicious take out from a local Greek restaurant. Heather and Eric were pretty pooped from a restless sleep the night before so we all retired to our separate sleeping quarters just after 10:00 p.m. (gone are the nights spent whooping it up till the wee hours of the morning and that's just fine by me!)

The next morning I had a lovely cuddle with Ouija on the living room couch then went upstairs to hang out with the fam. Heather and I managed to squeeze in a little photo shoot before the mid-wife arrived to weigh the baby. Iris was SO accommodating...

... the little bean..

Could she be hungry... again!?

Believe it or not, Heather is already only 5 pounds away from how much she weighed before getting pregnant! Although the pregnancy was a tough one, she told me to pray that I'm sick throughout mine because she hardly gained any weight at all!

Motherly glow much?!

After his shower, Eric joined in on the fun so I could snap a few of the family together. Heather let me play with her 50mm lens (which was a total learning experience!) It felt weird to not be able to zoom in and out, but nonetheless, I'm happy with how the pics turned out :)


SO tiny - Can you believe our hands were that small at one point!?

Later on that day, My Mom, Brother and his wife, Leanne, drove in from Toronto to meet Iris in person and congratulate the proud parents. Iris got all dolled up for the occasion and even slipped in to the handmade booties that Amanda and Ian gave her - they matched the green flowers in her dress perfectly :)

This is my Mom holding Iris. I'd love to know what she was dreaming of...

In her crib...

And finally, a portrait of the family all together. Heather originally bought that "Father" mug for Uncle Ian, and before she found out she was pregnant, she stumbled on some egg holders from the same line that read, "Grandma" and "Grandpa." When they went over to her parent's house to tell them the big news, they gave them the egg holders as a hint of what was yet to come. Once they finally clued in, Eric asked if he could have the original mug back - Uncle Ian happily obliged!

I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about how my cousin would take to motherhood; Heather has always been quite the firecracker, and I wondered how she'd adjust to having a little one around. Well folks, after this weekend, my nerves are 100% gone! I found it amazing to see just how comfortable and happy both Heather and Eric are in their new roles. I can't wait to see the two of them grow together as Iris grows - I can't wait to see her first steps, to hear what her voice will sound like - ALL of it! And of course, I can't wait to make a little Second Cousin for her to play with some day :)

xo K