Baby’s Grouchy Facial Expressions During Photoshoot Take Over the Internet, and Her Parents Love It

Baby’s Grouchy Facial Expressions During Photoshoot Take Over the Internet, and Her Parents Love It
(Photo courtesy of Justine Tuhy Photography LLC)
2/18/2020
Updated:
11/28/2020

A newborn baby’s first photoshoot can be a moment for mothers to savor. But when it was baby Luna Musa’s turn to pose for the camera just a couple of weeks after birth, the beautiful baby didn’t seem to share this sentiment.

Baby Luna, who hails from Westerville, Ohio, didn’t scream or cry during the photo session with photographer Justine Tuhy. She made some of the sourest facial expressions, some might say, that the internet had ever seen.

“She was just wide awake, very content, just staring me down,” Tuhy told TODAY Parents.
Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.justinetuhyphotography.com/">Justine Tuhy Photography LLC</a>
Photo courtesy of Justine Tuhy Photography LLC
The baby’s dad, Christian Musa, told Good Morning America that the expression is so characteristic he’s invented a name for it. “She’s been mean-mugging since day one,” he said. Luna’s seemingly angry face has since become a meme of sorts after Tuhy posted the pictures on Facebook.

Luna was born on Nov. 15, 2019, and her father believes that the circumstances surrounding her birth may have something to do with the “displeased” expression. “I remember when I first laid eyes on her after her birth, that was the face she was making,” dad Christian told TODAY. “She was born via C-section at 41 weeks, so we assume she is annoyed she was evicted.”

Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.justinetuhyphotography.com/">Justine Tuhy Photography LLC</a>
Photo courtesy of Justine Tuhy Photography LLC

As for photographer Tuhy, when she saw Luna’s dark, foreboding eyes looking at her, she was impressed. “It’s just luck if I can catch them smiling ... Sometimes I can get them to smirk a little bit,” she said. “I always wonder when they’re that awake, ‘What are they thinking exactly? Do you love this or majorly dislike it?’” With Luna, the answer seemed to be pretty clear.

Baby Luna’s parents, who are used to being on the receiving end of her “mean-mugging,” were delighted to be able to share it with the world. “I used to do a mean-mug [face] in my office as a joke with my colleagues,” Christian said. Now whenever he wants to indicate his displeasure with something going at work, he can simply send a photo with his daughter’s trademark scowl.

Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.justinetuhyphotography.com/">Justine Tuhy Photography LLC</a>
Photo courtesy of Justine Tuhy Photography LLC

Tuhy herself was impressed with the viral response to her photo session with Luna. “All I was doing was my job. Miss Luna did all the incredible work with her silly facial expressions,” she told GMA. Soon after the photos spread all over the internet, Christian Musa was surprised to see where his daughter’s mean mug was turning up.

“We’ve seen her face on ‘Game of Thrones’ characters, Baby Yoda, everywhere,” Musa said. Meanwhile, parents around the country took to Facebook to add their own pictures of kids who seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed and their grumpy expressions.

Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.justinetuhyphotography.com/">Justine Tuhy Photography LLC</a>
Photo courtesy of Justine Tuhy Photography LLC

Tuhy watched the whole thing happen in amazement. “I’m super blessed to have captured this special moment for the family that they can cherish forever,” she told GMA.

Many commenters on Facebook sympathized with Christian and Lori Musa about the future of their grumpy girl, explaining that their kids’ expressions hadn’t changed much since their early days as grouchy newborns. However, the Musas are laughing about the whole thing and hope that Luna can channel her mean face into her professional life. “I love the mean mug that has gone viral,” Musa told GMA. “To me, she looks like she is planning to take over the world.”

Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.justinetuhyphotography.com/">Justine Tuhy Photography LLC</a>
Photo courtesy of Justine Tuhy Photography LLC
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