To the mom who’s getting ready to send her baby into their senior year…
I see you. I get it as a former senior mom and also as a chapel hill senior portrait photographer.

You’re walking a tightrope right now—caught between celebration and sadness, excitement and anxiety.
You’re watching them take these final steps of childhood, knowing full well how fast the next ten months will go.
You’re holding it all together, making lists, setting reminders, scheduling photos, googling FAFSA deadlines, and trying not to cry in the Target school supply aisle.

This season is big.

Senior year is full of “lasts”—the last first day of school, the last time they wear that jersey, the last homecoming, the last lunchbox note (if they’ll still let you). It’s also full of firsts—first college tours, first applications, first real glimpse into life without you right down the hall.

It’s okay to feel all of it.
The proud tears.
The frustration over deadlines.
The joy when they come home and tell you where they want to apply.
The ache when you realize this time next year, everything will look a little different.

I get it, because I’ve walked this road too—and I’ve held the same mix of emotions that you’re probably juggling right now.

Let me also remind you: You’re doing a great job.
Even if you forgot the SAT registration date.
Even if you’re behind on booking senior pictures (which, hey—I’m here for you when you’re ready!).
Even if you haven’t even started talking about financial aid.

There is still time.
And you don’t have to do it all perfectly.

Senior year is not just a milestone for them—it’s a milestone for YOU too.
You’ve spent 17+ years pouring into this person, and now you get a front row seat to watch them begin the launch. That’s holy work. And exhausting work. And beautiful, bittersweet work.

So take a deep breath, mama.
Cry the tears.
Celebrate the wins.
Eat the cake at the grad parties.
And when it all feels like too much?
Remember—you’re not alone.

And hey, when you’re ready to check senior pictures off that ever-growing list, reach out. I’d be honored to walk that part of the journey with you—because I know how important these moments are. Not just for them… but for you, too.