She answered with the perfect clapback
Baby photoshoots involving the smashing of various foods are all the rage. We’ve seen cake, donuts, and even tacos. Now, we have a shoot starring a super cute baby and a pile of cheeseburgers, courtesy of his hilarious mom and a creative photographer. Of course, sanctimommies had thoughts on a baby being anywhere near fast-food cheeseburgers, so in retaliation, his twin sister was photographed among piles of something a bit healthier.
Basically, you’re about to see a bunch of precious photos of babies smushing food. You’re welcome.
Lauren Ashcraft is mom to adorable twins, Liam and Lola, who were born four weeks premature this past November. They were both tiny at first, but now that they’re nine months old, they’ve grown — with Liam in particular having put on some glorious baby rolls.
“Laura [the photographer] and I had always joked about doing a cheeseburger smash session with Liam because of how adorably chunky he is! He was also a lot bigger than his twin sister Lola from the get go,” Ashcraft tells Scary Mommy.
And a cheeseburger smash they did. Behold.
Image via Laura Stennett Photography
Image via Laura Stennett Photography
“He had never even seen a cheeseburger before that day so he was a little overwhelmed with what to do with them,” Ashcraft shares. “Eventually he figured out to put it to his mouth. He found a pickle and got the most adorable look on his face!”
Look at his wee bowtie and his little rolls. We can’t. We’re dead from cuteness.
Image via Laura Stennett Photography
How anyone could look at these photos and write something hateful is beyond us, but the internet being what it is, the hate came.
Photographer Laura Stennett tells Scary Mommy that after sharing the photos on her Facebook page, she discovered that not everyone saw the humor in their fun idea. “I woke up to see some hateful, rude, judgmental comments from moms who were clearly passing it around in private parenting groups and saying extremely negative things about the shoot and our decision to surround Liam in McDonald’s cheeseburgers. As though we would actually feed an eight-month-old 20 cheeseburgers.”
And this kind of shit right here is why we can’t have nice things.
“The attacks came in waves,” she explains, “and I have been deleting them as they come. I won’t allow my friend and her beautiful baby to be insulted and hurt because some sanctimommies feel the need to judge her parenting choices based on a FUNNY SHOOT that was actually MY idea.”
Image via Laura Stennett Photography
“It was basically a prop for a photo shoot kind of like a cake would be to a cake smash photo shoot,” Ashcraft says of the cheeseburgers, as though logic and common sense have a place among people horrible enough to spread vitriol in the comments of an infant’s photoshoot.
So instead of taking down Liam’s photos or letting the shamers have the last word, the mom and photographer decided to do a little clapback with Lola’s photo shoot.
Ashcraft told Stennent, “Let’s shoot Lola with organic fruits and veggies and sock it to the haters!”
And it was perfection.
Image via Laura Stennett Photography
Just look at her appreciating those healthy fruits and veggies.
Image via Laura Stennett Photography
Check out that totally on-theme hat.
Image via Laura Stennett Photography
Everyone loves a good produce sticker profile shot, am I right?
Image via Laura Stennett Photography
As for dealing with the negativity, Ashcraft is taking it in stride. “We had a blast and the pictures speak for themselves! My babes are adorable and Laura is crazy talented!”
“We figured it was the perfect way to shut down the haters and show that we don’t take ourselves (or their rude comments) too seriously,” says Stennett.
We second all of that.
H/T: Essential Baby