April + Michael - Jackson, TN

I was so excited when April asked me if I was available for a photo shoot with her and Michael. I took their engagement and wedding photos, and had so much fun working with them. We decided to meet in downtown Jackson for this shoot, only steps away from where we took some of their engagement photos. I'd never done a shoot like this before and I was SO NERVOUS that I would say or do something to spill the beans. This wasn't just your average family/anniversary/couple shoot. This was April's way of telling Michael that he was going to be a dad. :) 

April suggested to Michael that they take photos of a board listing reasons why they loved each other, and take photos presenting the boards to each other. Michael's list of why he loves April made me smile so big, and the whole time I was just thinking dude, this is about to get crazy, you have no idea. 

Worth it.

I cried. I have no problem admitting that.

Michael was COMPLETELY surprised, and SO happy. You never really know how people will react to these things, and it was wonderful to watch Michael react in such a beautiful way. He kept saying "this is the best day!"

:)

Reid Parker - Jackson, TN Birth Story

I was so excited to get this completely unexpected birth story. I got a message from another Jackson area photographer who had a birth story client in labor while she was shooting a wedding! I've always been so nervous that this would happen to me. It was bound to happen to someone eventually. She asked if I could take over the shoot and I agreed. It was so great working with Jessica and her sweet family. She had her husband, her mom, and her cousin with her to help with through the birth. Her cousin is a doula too, which is awesome.

Little Reid was born in the afternoon on Saturday, June 17th. And I love the look parents have when they see their baby for the first time. 

Eden Layne + Addison Brooke - Henderson, TN Birth Story

Let's start at the very beginning of this story. This one is long. Sorry, not sorry.

One January day three years ago I was in the Casey's home after just photographing the birth of their son. They had chosen not to find out the gender of the baby and so a name was not already predetermined. They had a girl name they LOVED (Eden), but couldn't think of a name they loved just as much for a boy. I remember Kenan asking if Eden could be turned into a boy's name, because they liked the name so much. After a short deliberation they decided to "save that name just in case we do this again".

Yeah, I knew right then we were going to do this agin. I imagine after JUST giving birth to your fourth child you know for sure if you're done. I knew all I would have to do to be taking pictures at another Casey birth was wait patiently. I was not disappointed. :) 

After Kenan announced to the church that they were expecting a fifth baby I was immediately asked to be there to document the birth. Unfortunately, I was out of town a couple of months later when they announced that the fifth child was not just a fifth, but a FIFTH AND SIXTH. Twin girls.

The window of time to expect twins is a lot wider than the window of time for a single birth. When 36 weeks hit I basically had a whole month that I needed to be ready for the possibility of babies at any moment. IT WAS SO STRESSFUL. Over the course of a month one has things one must do. Every time I left to go do something I thought about how far away from the Casey home I would be by going grocery shopping, or eating at a friend's house.

Well, I was right to be stressed out because when it was time IT WAS TIME. 

On March 8th I got a text from Kenan at 2:21 AM saying that things were happening, but I didn't need to come yet. I figured I had hours. At least AN hour. Nope. The next text came in thirty minutes later and said I needed to come now. I left my house at 2:59. 

Eden was born at 3:08 AM. 

I have ELEVEN PHOTOS on my camera that were taken before the baby started crowning. Eleven. I was in the house in time to put my lens on my camera, ask about the situation, raise my eyebrows at the situation, and snap photos of a baby being born on a bed. 

Oh, by the way "the situation" is that there was NO MIDWIFE. 

Labor had happened so quickly that Sheryl had not arrived. She was on speaker phone, speeding down the road with her flashers on, getting to us as fast as possible. The only people present were Ashley, Kenan, me, and Marah (thank God for Marah, who is a nurse). When I walked in Ashley was trying so hard not to push. That lasted as long as it could, then her body decided we were done not pushing. She sat up and had a baby. Unassisted by anyone. 

Just take a second to think about that and how badly you don't want that to be you. Then go hug your mom. Tell her thank you.

Some photos of the two minutes of labor I was able to document then... A BABY! This is Eden.

This is relief. 

This is adorable.

Oh, this? This is Aunt Marah following the instructions of the speaker phone midwife and trying to find a fetal heart beat for Addison using a paper towel roll, as one does when lacking a stethoscope. 

This is Amy. Marah, in the panic before Eden's birth, had called Amy Smith to come over. Amy is another home birth mama and there was a major experience deficit in the room. We needed back up.

The thing about twins is that after you have a baby you're still not done. You have to have the other one too. So that's where this story gets really interesting.

Luckily, a midwife IS INVOLVED in the rest of this story. I know, I was really happy about that too. My art degree doesn't help much in the way of birthing babies. Cheers for Midwife Sheryl!

I had to super crop this picture and fiddle with it in order to make it appropriate, but I felt that Marah would want it included. This is Marah getting to be the very first person other than Ashley to hold baby Eden. And baby Eden is looking at her. Had to include it. 

This is when I bounced back and forth between taking pictures of the precious new baby girl and Ashley, who was still very much in labor. 

Eden sucking her thumb. 

This is the longest chunk of the story, with the most drama, and the fewest pictures. After the midwife arrived she spent time trying to determine the position of baby 2. In order to do this the midwife had to press on Ashley's belly during contractions, and even reach in and try and feel what was going on. I've never had a baby, but I imagine that part of your body doesn't feel super awesome IMMEDIATELY following the birth of a child. That's really not when you want someone messing around down there. Unfortunately, that's what had to be done in the moment.

It was eventually determined that Addison (baby 2) was presenting breech (feet down). There was a split second when Sheryl thought she felt a hand, which would have been bad news. This is the part that I found truly amazing. Almost any doctor at a hospital would have immediately taken Ashley in for a c-section with a breech birth. They would have just told her no. Sheryl calmly said that Addison was feet down and she was going to walk Ashley through how to deliver a breech baby. That's all there was to it. 

Except that Addison was being pretty stubborn. Addison was not moving down and Ashley felt like her contractions weren't going anywhere (and they were horrible to endure because of everyone poking at her). She labored with Addison for almost three hours. She kept having to move from squatting, to laying down, to sitting on a birth stool, back to the bed to lie down. 

For a little while it was funny the things Ashley would say. I inappropriately chuckled more than once. Once after a contraction she yelled at Sheryl, "When can you just go in and GET HER?" and Amy and I laughed to each other. Then it stopped being funny. I've seen women in labor, including Ashley in labor twice before this moment. To me labor pain has always looked really, really tough - but it's the kind of tough pain that can be managed by the super strong, super amazing women that I've worked with. With all that, I've never watched someone endure pain like this. After this going on for a good long while Ashley cried into Kenan's side, "I think this is killing me."

And then I cried. 

I can't show many photos from this three hours. Basically none of them are appropriate. I hate that because some of them are really powerful labor photos. If you feel like you're missing out just imagine Ashley in horrible never-ending pain that no one can stop, and Kenan looking super hopelessly concerned. That's pretty much the sum of it.

When morning rolled around and there was still no Addison, Ashley's mom came over to take the older kids. They would be waking up soon and certainly weren't going to get any attention from Ashley and Kenan. This is Ashley's mom meeting Eden for the first time.

FINALLY Addison decided to make her debut. Again, I can't show you pictures of this, but it was AWESOME. The water hadn't broken yet so Ashley basically gave birth to an orb, and when that orb popped there were feet! I've never seen a baby be born upside down, so that was new. In the course of a couple of hours Ashley gave birth unassisted at home, and then to a breech baby. All the things you're not "supposed" to do she just went ahead and did them. With aplomb, might I add.

This is Addison and a very exhausted Ashley.

Kenan finally getting to hold Eden.

I love the one on the right because it's very reminiscent of a photo I took at Rylan's birth.

Ashley made these adorable anklets to identify the twins. Turns out it wasn't super necessary. They don't look alike at all. But the anklets are still super adorable. Worth it.

Rylan was the first to meet the twins. It was apparently too early in the morning for a reaction. 

Kenan, telling Facebook about the news.

Marigold Autumn - Henderson, TN Birth Story

Another birth story! You guys know how I love birth stories. This process is so amazing to watch and every time I see a birth I get more obsessed with how cool it is. The last time Rebecca was pregnant she was interested in birth story photos, but was living in Texas. We tried, but there didn't seem any way we could make that work. Luckily, this awesome family moved right down the street just a few months ago, and right in time for baby number three!

Last Tuesday I got a text from Rebecca that she thought the baby was coming! I went over to the house around 10:30. The other kids had been cleared out and it was just Richard, Rebecca, and the midwife.

The very first thing I noticed was the calendar. I loved that this day had been marked Baby Maybe!

Just laboring and boiling some water for the birth tub.

I've worked with Sheryl at a couple of other home births that I'd photographed. I really love her midwife style. She stays almost entirely out of the way and just let's the mom do everything herself. She administered antibiotics, checked the fetal heart rate, took Rebecca's blood pressure, but other than that she hung back and let Rebecca do what she wanted. 

Around 1:00 am the contractions started getting serious and we knew a baby was coming!

THIS IS WHY I LOVE BIRTH STORIES! I love this moment when a mom gets to hold her baby, after all of the pain. The relief and the joy on her face make me so happy. Around 1:30 baby Simpson was born, and she was tiny and precious.

So happy to be holding her baby girl!

Dad holding his daughter for the first time.

I left the house around 2:30 and came back in the morning to be there for the big kids to meet brand new baby Marigold. She was very interested in the clicking sound my camera makes.

And here come the excited siblings!

The new Simpson Family!

Valor Koert Freeman - Jackson, TN Birth Story

Almost two years ago I walked into a house to document a birth story and heard crying. I rushed back to the bedroom, hoping that I was hearing something other than what I thought. Nope. The baby had been born in the 30 minutes it took to get from church to the Freeman's house. Emily looked at me and shrugged as if to say, "Sorry, I tried!". It all just happened so fast. Even though I missed the actual birth, I stayed and documented the first amazing moments of the little life of Jemima Jean. 

I was so excited when Emily told me she was pregnant again and wanted me to be there to document the birth story. I was so nervous that I would miss it again this time! I had my car all packed and everything ready to go for when I got the call. Last Sunday I got a text that the baby was coming and I dashed out of my house and headed to the Freeman home. 

I didn't catch any red lights, see any police, or get stuck behind any slow drivers as I prayed behind the wheel that I would get there in time to capture the birth. 

I arrived in time, which I was so thankful for. There was a kiddie pool on the porch and Emily was right in the middle of a contraction. Daniel was on speaker phone with the midwife who was trying like crazy to make it before the baby was born. 

Emily was remarkably calm even in the absence of any medical professionals. We honestly weren't sure if the midwife would make it in time to help her deliver, or if her parents would be present. Daniel held the phone out so Emily could hear the midwife talking as she drove to meet us.

Emily and Daniel's two oldest girls were playing in the front yard and anxiously awaiting the birth of their newest sibling. I asked both of them if they thought it would be a boy or a girl. They both said girl without any hesitation. Jemima Jean slept inside, not knowing she'd wake up and not be "the baby" anymore.  

Emily was pretty nervous that their midwife wouldn't arrive in time so they called over their friend who is a retired OB/GYN. 

Emily's parents have tried to be present at all of their grandchildren's births but the labors have all happened so quickly they have never made it in time. Until now! Emily's mom was so happy as she walked up the porch steps that she hadn't missed this one!

The family chose not to find out the sex of the baby, so they had a boy and a girl name picked out. Emily told me later that they had just decided on the boy name the previous day. She hadn't felt fully ready to have the baby until the names were chosen, but she felt at peace now that they knew what they would call their child. These were the name choices they selected, chalked on to the porch steps, only feet away from where she gave birth. 

The older girls had their own "baby bags" like the kind expectant mothers keep ready. Their baby bags were full of books and quiet activities that they could participate in while mom and dad were occupied. 

Emily started having contractions around 6:30, texted me to come at 6:50. I arrived at the house at 7:20 and the baby was born by 8:00. It all went super, super fast. 

One of the things I LOVE about birth story photography is the raw reality of it. I've watched several women give birth (all of whom had done it before and knew what was in store for them) and each time there's a moment of complete transparency before the baby comes. These women are strong, and brave, and confident, and completely amazing to me. In the midst of all that strength and awesome power, each of them has had a moment when the pain reached it's peak and they cried out for God to stop it/save them from it/pull them through it. 

Emily whispered, "Help me."

Daniel turned to the midwife, seeming slightly alarmed, and reported that Emily was asking for help. 

Emily quickly responded, "I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to God. Help me."

And I believe that when you ask you receive.

Emily gave birth exactly how she wanted: surrounded by loved ones. And by midwives, who did in fact make it in time. Emily did this like a champ, with essentially no assistance.

This is Emily and Daniel finding out that their three daughters have a baby BROTHER!

This is Providence being told that the baby is a boy! She reached out and touched his head, reporting back that his skin was super soft.

Everyone transitioned inside to get cleaned up. Valor's big sisters are fascinated by him... and keep calling him "her". 

Ruthie was told she could pick out an outfit for the new baby to wear, bringing it back to show mom what she decided.

Valor meeting his grandparents.

After a check up it was determined that he was measuring at almost exactly the same height and weight as previous Freeman babies.

Congratulations to the Freeman family on their happy and healthy baby boy Valor! It's always such an honor to be included in this huge life moment. It was amazing to be present for this.