Every story has a back story. 

And ours is beautiful.

Fro and I have been friends for a long time. By the grace of God we have been on the ups and downs of each other's lives for quite some years now. When Fro and Justin were welcoming their first baby into the world, she allowed me to be her doula. I was honored and terrified as it was my first time. 

I will never forget that day. Fro desired so badly to have a natural labor. And she did. She labored for 24 long hours, unmedicated. I have never seen such resolve and strength to this day. Because of my job at the time and a major obligation at work I had to leave when at the 23.5 hour mark. Sweet baby E was born about 30 minutes later. To say I was crushed would be an understatement. It felt like turning around at the finish line. 

Fast forward four years. I am now working as a birth and family photographer. Fro told me 9 months ago that they were expecting a new baby. She at this point had two girls and was very much hoping for a little boy. I knew that we were relocating to Huntsville Alabama/New Market Alabama area, but I was determined to be there for her this time-all the way be there-and was praying that sweet baby would arrive before we left town. 

I got a text message from her husband Justin around 5 am on Sunday morning, our last Sunday in Columbia. He told me that Fro was in labor. So funny how these things work out. I was amused at God's humor that as we were leaving, this sweet baby was making their entrance into the world. 

Fro opted for a home birth this time. When I arrived at her house I was so excited for the natural and peaceful birth she had planned for her baby. The birthing room and pool were all set up. Lighting was dim. I could tell that she and Justin had put so much time and effort into setting up an amazing scene for their newest arrival. Big E and little E were wide awake and could definitely feel the excitement in the air. They were so excited to find out if they'd be welcoming a baby brother or a baby sister. Fro's mom was there to entertain the kiddos while she did the hard work ahead of labor. 

Jami Morris, her midwife, was there, along with her daughter who is an OB nurse. I had never worked with a midwife before during birth photography and I can't begin to describe to you how amazing she was. She was so present for Fro and in tune to baby the whole time. I am not kidding when I say the thought crossed my mind that I wanted to have another baby so I could experience a birth with her. My only regret is that she isn't in Huntsville Alabama. 

As the morning progressed, Fro labored like a rock star. She was never out of control and maintained perfect peace and calm throughout the entire 13 hours of labor. She was up and walking around, cracking jokes as per usual and smiling through 90% of the process. How a woman smiles and laughs during labor is beyond me and there just aren't enough words to describe how incredible she was. 

With Justin by her side she took every contraction with grace. She prayed throughout her labor and I'm convinced it helped her to stay strong as long as she did. Toward the end you could tell she was getting tired and the pain was getting so hard to handle. A little after noon Jami broke her water and baby was born just minutes later.

Watching little E come into this world was nothing short of a miracle. When baby was finally out the tears just flowed! We were all so enamored and in love. It felt like a solid 20 minutes before she announced the gender of baby E. All of us, midwife, Justin, everyone was impatiently waiting for those words, "It's a BOY!" Cue more tears! She had prayed to have her son, and God answered that prayer with beautiful baby Ezar. 

These images are of one of the strongest, most beautiful women i know. I stand in awe of our God that makes this beautiful miracles out of his grace. Birth is something that leaves us all speechless. I think of the scripture in Psalm that says, "Be still and know that I am God." Never is there a more profound and perfect time to live out this scripture than when a new life enters the world and I'm grateful for a job that allows me to do that. 

If you are in the Huntsville, New Market, Nashville or surrounding area and are looking to have one of life's most amazing moments captured, let's chat over coffee.