Hospital Birth with Wes, Amanda, Max, and Jovie
The morning of April 28th was overcast and cool. The sky was heavy with storm clouds and the air smelled of blooming flowers and rain. It was the perfect day to spend in the hospital waiting for the arrival of a sweet little baby girl.
I was so excited to witness the birth of my niece that I could not even sleep the night prior. I drove to the hospital early in the morning and met my brother-in-law, Wes, in the parking garage with some coffee. I'm an absolute disaster when it comes to finding my way around large hospitals, so it was nice to see his face waiting for me when I arrived. We sat in the hospital room all morning talking, catching up, and laughing. It was so nice getting time with Wes and Amanda alone in such an intimate setting. I photograph people in love on a daily basis, but getting to see a whole different side of love and and this incredible life journey was something that I'll never forget.
Around 2:50 p.m. Amanda started to push. Wes stepped in and grabbed onto Amanda and helped her through the birthing process with words of encouragement. He grabbed her hand so tightly and kept saying "you've got this, you're so close. you're doing great. keep it up. she's so close, you can do this". I loved seeing the smiles trickle across Wes' face as he watched the birth of his little girl. Seeing Amanda in labor just made her even more of a rock star to me. She's already the world's best and most beautiful mommy, but getting to see this side of strength and love made her even more beautiful to me. At 3:10 p.m. Wes and Amanda welcomed into the world their precious little girl, Jovie Grace. She was 19 inches long and weighted 7 lbs. 14 oz.
Jovie was born and was placed immediately on Amanda's chest. Amanda's eyes were so full of love and it made my heart swell just watching them together. Jovie was then carried off to the side to be checked out by the nurse. While she was crying, Wes reached his finger out, and Jovie latched on so tightly. She stopped crying immediately and just started cooing. So sweet that she already knew her daddy was there to protect her. The entire experience from start to finish just reinforced how special and beautiful life can be.
I was so engrossed with every little second of this experience. I am so thankful that Wes and Amanda allowed me the opportunity to photograph something so personal and beautiful.
If you're looking to have your birth photographed, please click on the contact button above. I love the entire experience and I would absolutely love to continue photographing these special life moments.
