On a Sunday morning, right as the light was streaming through the windows, Keziah Kelsey of BabyRose Photography captured the liveliness that was in Natasha and Andrew's home, largely driven by their one-year-old daughter, Rumi. “Rumi is strong-willed and mischievous. She is also extremely affectionate and cheerful,” says Natasha. “She loves to smile at strangers and say ‘hi!' and her smile can light up a room.”
Playtime to bathtime, the beautiful realness is captured in the chaos, the mess and the unconditional love in this family session.
The Family Story
“Rumi was born in the very same kitchen you see photographed here. I really wanted a natural birth in the comfort and privacy of my own home. Andrew took a little convincing but was very supportive after I explained how safe and convenient it is,” explains Natasha. “We were attended by two midwives and a doula and after 17 hours of labor, Rumi was born in the birthing pool we set up in he kitchen. She has a bunch of dark hair and was long and lean just like her dad. She heard his voice and immediately started to look for him. Mona — the dog — heard Rumi cry and went crazy trying to figure out what she was. I was overjoyed that I had actually accomplished a smooth and beautiful natural labor you and delivery. It was one of my proudest moments.”
“Having kids has really helped streamline our principles. Now, things that we value and things we want to accomplish are so much clearer. It's like we have a better understanding of what we want for the future, what we want to spend time doing and what is not worth our time and energy.”
The Challenges
“Andrew just finished his PhD and that was definitely taxing at times. He would work constantly and odd hours. I would wake up at 2 or 3 because Rumi was hungry and he would be gone-in his office, working on his dissertation, I called it his “mistress.” Another challenge has been being far from my family. So Rumi has already flown 10 times just to see my mom and grandma and other aunts and uncles.”
Parenting Style
“I think we both try to keep things simple. We value experiences over material things. We give Rumi lots of freedom — we want her to be independent, know what she wants, to take risks and be courageous. That means taking a step back to let her try things on her own. We both value compassion and service and we want to pass those values on to her. We try not to worry about too many things. Be loving, keep her safe, let her be her.”
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