San Francisco Family Photo client Jessica - Mother of the Month - June
Every month I take a look at our past maternity photography or family photography clients and highlight a mother who I find inspiring and find out a little more about her story. This month is Jessica Benetti. I started with maternity photography when she was pregnant with her daughter Aria back in 2005.
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself, Tracy, and how you met. What are your hobbies, what you do in your free time, etc.
Tracy and I met when he had a house party with his brother in a new home they had just purchased in Walnut Creek, which is one block from where we live now 28 years later. We started dating one year after we met. When he told me he was going to Mexico for a surf trip, I was headed to San Diego that same day. He asked if I wanted to ride with him to San Diego. It ended up I didn't stay in San Diego and went to Mexico with him, I was 23, he was 26, that was 1988.My main hobby now to combat the anxiety that comes along with being a mom and life is racing: running races, duathlons, (bike and running), triathlons, (swim, bike, run), and Spartan races, (running combined with military type obstacles). Last year my big race was Escape from Alcatraz triathlon where I discovered I could actually poo 5 times in one morning before 8:00am, it was frightening but felt like an accomplishment making the swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco. This year it has been the Spartan races, sprint, super, and beast, in California. I spend a lot of time training when I'm not taking care of the home and Aria.
2. Tell me about why you have me take photos, and why you trusted me to take these special photos.
Aria was a miracle baby. From age 33 to 39, I had eight pregnancies which all ended in miscarriages ranging from 5 weeks to 12 weeks. The 13 fertility specialists I saw could not find an explanation. Aria was my nineth pregnancy. Wonderful Jen was there at the end of my pregnancy to take photos and again 2 weeks after Aria was born, I will cherish those photos forever! The photos capture the joy of having a beautiful baby which makes me forget about the pain it took to get there. It was so wonderful having Jen come out to our house and recapture our family as it is now. Jen has the best motivating energy to get everyone in the mood so she can use her very special talent in capturing the magical moments between you, your husband, and or your child/children that Sears just doesn't seem to get. I also love the artistic composition and lighting used in Jennifer Loomis Photography. Jen you are the absolute best!
3. Please feel free to include anything else you like that is interesting about you or your parenting philosophy.
After my extremely frustrating experience with Western Medicine and fertility, I was starting to think about my daughter and how I could best protect her. My cousin sent me an email about how she chose not to vaccinate her son and outlined the reasons why. At first, I was hesitant not to vaccinate since the doctors insist it is something that is definitely beneficial for babies. So we began with the vaccination schedule and I began researching the positive and negative effects of vaccines. The more I read, the less sure I became that I was protecting Aria. The more I read, the more I found that societal hygine and a whole foods diet is the best way to ward off desease in babies and young children. I also began to worry the risks of vaccines were worse than the diseases I was trying to protect Aria from, if I had to do it again I would not vaccinate my baby.
