Newborn Session

For almost a year I've wished to shoot a newborn session. My chance finally came this weekend. All the anticipation and excitement turned to sheer terror when it was time to rise to the challenge. I had never met the parents to be... The new mommas sister called me to do the session as a gift to her sister. I was beyond thrilled and could not wait !! I had been on standby since last Sunday. All week I felt like an OBGYN only not as smart or rich. I waited for the call like a real professional. Most of the time I can't find my phone or I have the ringer turned to silent. Lambert had made plans a month ago to head out of town for the 4th. We weren't going far and would be back in town Thursday evening. I was a wreck, but knew I couldn't change our plans. I kept my phone super glued to my palm and literally jumped every time it rang or buzzed. I just knew that baby was going to come without me! He was so sweet to wait and the real deal call came Friday morning at 5:41AM after I had a good nights rest. Owen had been sick over the 4th and I wasn't sure what we were going to do with him. I rolled over and whispered to Lambert that I had to go and to take the kids to work with him if he couldn't find a sitter, at 5:41AM. I'm pretty sure he was still asleep because he agreed or I thought he agreed because he didn't say anything back... I raced out the door trying not make a sound for fear he would wake up and realize just what the situation was. Him, alone with two kids, one vomiting and the other totally not a morning person, needing to get to work, with no plan for anyone to help with childcare. I was out the door and our subdivision like a villain fleeing the scene. I raced to the hospital and put my phone on silent, to be respectful of the family and to make sure Lambert couldn't reach me :) I just knew he was going to show up to the Labor and Delivery floor with two littles carrying their backpacks and one barf bag. He's so not above it... So, it was time to meet "The Family". It is a very awkward feeling to walk into a hospital room, introduce yourself, knowing that you are going to be spending the next however many hours it takes, in a completely intimate setting, and asking dad to be to give me a smile, at 6:24AM. He probably wanted to punch me in the face and he was big so it would hurt, a lot. The first few minutes I kinda felt my way around, made a little small talk, and grabbed a Starbucks from the cafeteria. I got the obvious shots of the labor and delivery signs, room number, room shot etc and started feeling more comfortable. I always feel more comfortable with camera in hand. It's like it's my security blanket. After mom was checked out by the nurses, she was brought into the room where she would spend the rest of her stay, with me, the photographer. She was so easy and relaxed. After just an hour or so I felt like totally knew this family for like my whole life. This was going to be baby number 4 after having a procedure done to avoid pregnancy just 22 months prior after baby number 3 was born. She and I agreed God has a sense of humor and a big plan for this little one. I fell head over heals for this sweet couple and their amazingly mature 15 year old son. We laughed and talked and in no time it became very comfortable. I knew I would cry at some point. I'm a crier. After 4 hours of great conversation, the nurse informed us that mom should be ready to push in about 30 minutes.Holy Cow!! One never knows how a mom will respond to the no other pain than the giving birth pain. She refused any pain meds and an epidural so I wasn't sure what this sweet, always smiling woman might turn into when "THE" pains came. She went from talkative and bubbly to in the zone rather quickly. She rolled to her side, grabbed on to the side rails, and steadily rocked herself through each contraction. As soon as the contraction ended she was back to chatting and selecting the next great song on her i-pad. And her husband... oh my goodness. Amazing. He was supportive and offered comic relief. He rubbed her and held her hand, and then I started crying... It was like a Nicholas Sparks novel. I was blubbering before it was all said and done and she hadn't even started pushing yet. I blame Pandora. It was the stinkin playlist. I thought back to Hoots delivery and just how wonderful and magical it was. Pandora wasn't around then so I didn't have a playlist. I thought about trying to have another child, just so I could have a playlist but quickly snapped back to reality when she started pushing. I never pushed even once (c-section) but just watching her do it made me change my mind all together. She never made a sound, even when it was time to push. She stayed so focused and breathed through the pain like a heavy weight champion. I clicked away trying to stay out of the way and hoped to capture every moment of this beautiful birth. I've done a lot of sessions and worked with wonderful families and kiddos, but I feel like I really got to know this family. Being a part of such a miraculous event like child birth is truly magical. To see Gods work between husband and wife is just such a wonderful blessing. I can not express what a joy it was to spend 7 or so hours with this family. I am so thankful that I got to experience this opportunity and hope to do it again some time. I think I took 400 pictures but here are just a few teasers!




This Dad was no rookie. He knew it was going to be a Starbucks kinda morning.









Tears are flowing at this point...



Go Time... I took this same pic every hour





look at that little hand



and just like that and she was back to her smiling self AMAZING!


The feet always get me!


Oh the FEET!!


moms feet were pretty cute too!
I wanted to nab a pair of these ultra snuggie looking socks for myself!


Number three checking out baby brother number 4

Wrapped around dads finger