Throughout the past 9 months I have been doing pregnancy progression shoots with this family. So it was fitting that I was able to be there when this little boy was born in the wee hours of Friday morning. 
It was a very early morning for M. and by 5:00 pm (when I arrived) she still had a ways to go.  Soon after my arrival her water was broken and pitocin was started, so her contractions got pretty intense.  By 11:50 she was ready to push and baby R. arrived at 12:35 on Friday morning.  M. was a champ and had good control throughout the process and I am continually impressed by the human body and the pain that it endures to give life.  C. was a good support through the long night and throughout the contractions, pushing, and after; this little family was strong together. 
Stay tuned tomorrow to see R meeting his big sister.

I was privileged to be asked to do another birth photography session.  It was something that I knew I wanted to do but as a wife and mother of two young children it was something that I knew would cause me some stress in the planning of what to do with my children.  So I planned for the "just in case" scenarios, prayed for the baby to be born on a weekend, and hoped that everyone would be healthy.  
Thankfully L. went into labor on a Friday night (hours after her husband got home from a business trip) and I was able to once again make the drive to the hospital to be there for the labor and delivery.
I was amazed at how easy L. made this labor look.  She used a TENS machine and hypnobirth and for L. at least, these things worked really well.  It was amazing to watch and the skin to skin at the end was beautiful.  She had incredible support from her husband and the two midwives and I am so blessed that I was there to capture this amazing event.  Thank you L. and J. for this privilege and I look forward to the newborn session with baby S..