Last night was a very special night. Two sweet little girls finally got to meet their baby brother. Mommy and daddy got to hold their first son. A loving family experienced the miracle of a baby being born. It was beautiful :)

Welcome to this big world! Born just a few days before Valentine’s Day :) What a perfect, perfect little gift. When I got home from this birth, I peeked in at my sleeping son (who just turned three), and stood in awe for a bit. After witnessing the miracle of childbirth only hours before, I remembered just how small he was three years ago. How do our babies grow up so fast? How is it that when I look at him, I still see the tiny little boy that I cradled in my arms at the hospital? Parenthood is such an amazing journey…and I feel so, so lucky to be able to capture these fleeting moments for families. And oh my, would you look at this sweet boy? He is just gorgeous!  That shouldn’t really come as a surprise though – look at how beautiful mommy is!

Congratulations to the family for an awesome, natural water birth at home! Women are just amazing, amazing!

I can’t think of a more amazing way to start a new year than with new life! There’s something just indescribable about the energy you feel when a baby is born – it’s magical, beautiful, breathtaking. This sweet angel definitely captivated the hearts of her mommy, daddy…and grandparents (and me)! She’s such a calm and content little girl — perhaps it’s because she’s still taking in all of this big world since her birth was super fast (her mommy’s labor was so intense and quick, she went from 5cm to baby being born in under an 1 hour 19 minutes!) No doubt, baby is a sweetheart and mommy is just amazing! I can’t even imagine how intense her labor must have felt. I mean, to go from 5cm to pushing in an hour?! It must have felt like 1 hour looong contraction that never let up! Amazing. Simply amazing how phenomenal the female body is…and the sheer magic of bringing new life into the world. Welcome sweet baby girl! It was so nice to meet you and I can’t wait to see you again for our newborn session! And congratulations to the beautiful family!

Every time I photograph a birth (especially a birth as intense & beautiful as their baby’s birth) I have a renewed sense of amazement of how phenomenal and miraculous childbirth really is. People often ask me why I photograph births…and how I can stand to be in the room when something (in some people’s eyes) not so pretty is going on. My response always includes an explanation of how I feel that childbirth is one of the most natural, beautiful things one can ever experience. I personally think it’s a beautiful thing, and that a mother’s beauty is unmatched when she is bringing a new life into the world – with strength, passion, love….The moments in time you are able to freeze frame and isolate are those you never want to forget – and I want my families to have these to look back on forever. You can explain what it’s like to become a parent for the first time, or explain what it was like the first time you laid eyes on your child…but sometimes, words aren’t enough. When my son was born, I found it to be very difficult to explain all that I felt when I first saw him – and I think it’s the same for many other parents.
Here’s a perfect example (press play below to view Breyker’s Birth Day)…