Leaf, Life and Lens: A Growing Family- Part One

I feel so blessed.

Whenever I am asked to help document another family's life, I am overcome with joy and responsibility. I want to make sure that I put all that I have into capturing those moments that we treasure. Yes, portraits generally involve sitting pretty for a picture, but I pride myself in getting those little moments (that might not be mantle perfect) that showcase personalities.

I met the Sullivan Family through a playgroup almost 3 years ago (Has it been 3 years already?). Karen and I hit it off right away. She had that down to Earth personality that I tend to gravitate towards. We chatted about food, our upbringing and most of all our children. We bounced parenting tips off each other. As new moms, we were constantly wondering if we were doing the "right" things for our family. I've learned over the years, that the support I get from other moms can create an extremely tight bond.

We ironically got pregnant again around the same time. When she asked if I would take her maternity photos, of course I jumped at the chance. Our babies were due in March.

And then, in October, I lost our child at 18 weeks. It was an incredibly difficult time. Karen, was there. She checked in on me, brought food and listened when I needed to talk. When it came time for her maternity shoot, she was worried it might be too hard. I needed to do this, not just for her, but for me. It was a big part of the healing process. Her images from that day, still bring tears to my eyes. All that emotion I had, could be channeled into capturing the tender moments between a mother and her unborn child.

Then Karen's son was born. A little prince to add to their amazing family. I got to be there during the first week to catch all the cuteness.

Love filled the home. As soon as I walked in the door, I was surrounded by happy faces. I am notoriously a crier. As soon as I laid eyes on him, I too fell in love. A little baby brings hope, reminds you of the fragility of life and can restore faith. If I could feel all of this, imagine how his mother, father and sister were feeling!