For some these images may seem like a simple new baby announcement but they are SO much more than that. These pictures represents a journey. A hard, beautiful journey filled with love and hope and one that I’ve gotten to be a part of as a friend and photographer since the very beginning. Amanda was the first person I ever took pictures of “professionally” and has since trusted me with her biggest milestones.  I say professionally in quotes because I had never, I repeat, NEVER taken pictures of people before Amanda asked me to shoot her engagement pictures.  I sometimes can’t believe she trusted me with this and then later when she called me to do her newborn session, my FIRST newborn session!  She saw something in me and pushed me to start something before I even knew to try.  From maternity to newborn, to a cake smash to the moment when she called me and told me she was pregnant again after years of waiting.  Years of what I can only assume was hope and prayers and deep heartaches and now she is expecting her second baby, a GIRL!

We originally had her session scheduled later in the day and her brother and sister in law’s session happened to be earlier that morning.  I was sitting in the airport getting ready to leave Mississippi when Amanda called to ask for a favor.  She told me her big gigantic news and that she was hoping to surprise her brother and sister in law with the news at their session.  We decided to move her session up before her brother’s so we could claim we wanted a whole group picture for the grandparents.  It wouldn’t be suspicious because we had already flirted with the idea of doing this before.  So, that morning we woke up extra early to meet and the result was extra special!   She had a little sign made up saying that Cole would be a big brother and we had to pretend it said something else so he wouldn’t run around shouting the news to the hills just yet.  🙂  I think we came up with “Cole is the BEST!” as a way to get him excited for the sign and to keep the secret a secret.

When the time came for the surprise I have to say I was super nervous!  Mostly because I was feeling emotional for them and I knew I wanted to get these images just right for Amanda and Jamie! The moment was emotional for everyone and I’m so honored that Amanda once again trusted me to capture it.  Being a photographer may have started as a hobby, then turned into something small but now it means getting to capture moments like these and being a part of each family’s individual journey.  I am so grateful for Amanda for really kicking this whole beautiful journey off by sharing her own beautiful journey with me.  I’m so THRILLED for them and their upcoming baby and I’m soo THRILLED to be sharing these images today!