When I got there both Jen and Rick were in great spirits. Jen had labored long and hard, but she was doing great! I spent some time there with them in their delivery room hanging out and waiting for this little guy to make his debut. Then, after a couple more hours of waiting the nurses and doctor decided that it would be in the best interest of mamma and baby to go ahead and perform a c-section.

Having had a c-section myself, I know all too well the process, emotions, and fears with going through this procedure. I knew it was so important to Jen and Rick to have pictures of their little guy making his grand entrance, but since they usually only let one person into the OR with the mamma, I thought I would have to sit this one out until they were in recovery.

I was wrong!!

I asked a couple of nurses and did what I could to see if there was ANY way I could slip into the OR to photograph the event for Jen and Rick. I, of course, was ready to go along with whatever the doctor said because the most important thing is keeping baby and mom safe. But since it never hurts to ask, I did what I could to see if I could photograph the c-section.

And they said YES!

To my complete shock and honor, I was allowed to scrub up and head into the OR to be apart of this precious baby’s birth via c-section! It was the first c-section I’ve ever photographed and it was the most incredible thing I’ve ever done! Hudson Lucius Lossing was born on June 15th, 2010 at 7:48 pm weighing 9.0 lbs 21 & 1/4 inches. He was such a healthy and happy little guy! Jen did fantastic and Rick was just beaming. It was such an honor to be allowed back to be apart of this miraculous day for them! It never fails to amaze me that couples ask me, allow me, and trust me enough to be involved in something so huge and personal for them.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of this incredible story. It was such a fabulous night! There’s nothing better than watching an amazing couple become an amazing family. This is the stuff that life’s all about!

Congrats Jen and Rick on your beautiful new son! I am forever grateful and blessed that you have asked me to be apart of such an important day in your lives. I will never forget this experience and I thank you for your trust in me to capture it. I wish you both the best and can’t wait to come do your Newborn Session!

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Rachel’s labor went very quickly and smoothly. She was about 10 days early and didn’t labor for too terribly long. She called me at about 11:00 am to let me know that she was heading to the hospital to see if she was ready to be admitted. I could tell that she had to be getting close because it was incredibly hard for her to speak to me during her contractions, which were actually pretty close together! At 11:30 am I got a text message from Rob to let me know that she was in fact admitted and that she’d be getting her epidural very soon! So, I jumped in my car and headed down to Mercy Gilbert Hospital in anticipation of meeting their newest addition!

At 3:08 pm that afternoon, Jackson David Ronning was born! And what a little stud! He arrived weighing 8 lbs 7 ozs and was a little chunk right from the get go! Healthy, happy and beautiful, it was amazing to watch Rachel become a mamma again. She has been such an incredible friend to me for many years and her and her family just mean the world to me and Jason. I was so happy that I was able to make it to her birth (I was scheduled to go out of town the next day AND had a wedding to photograph that weekend! YIKES!) so we were all so ecstatic at how it worked out.

Rachel and Rob, I wouldn’t have missed this if I could help it and I am SO beyond honored that you would ask me to be apart of such a special day and memory. I look forward to all of our kiddos growing up together, as you guys will be friends for a lifetime. Congratulations on such an amazing little boy! I know Isabella is going to be the best big sister/”second mommy” ever! I can’t wait to post your newborn session!

And now… to introduce… Jackson David Ronning!

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Suzanne and Eric couldn’t stop staring at her, telling her how much they love her, and how they are going to take the best possible care of her that they can. And they mean it too. It was a room full of pure love, one where nothing was taken forgranted. Moments thought about for a long time. And they were very much in the moment. It was amazing and beautiful and riveting.

Suzanne and Eric, Annabelle is perfect. She is such a beauty and I can’t imagine two people better suited for that little girl. I can’t wait to watch your family grow and see who Annabelle becomes. I can’t wait until she can play with Cruz. Thank you for allowing me in to such a huge and special event for you guys. I hope you cherish these pictures for the rest of your lives, allowing them to tell a story that may have been a blur to you at the time. I love you guys, and little sweet Annabelle.

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And I got to photograph Jackson, who is just as sweet as they come! His nursery is the perfectly balanced between being for a baby and a grown up- meaning, it’s very sleek with clean lines and simple patterns. It’s very welcoming for a little baby but you will not find one farm animal there at all! Jackson is happy, healthy and beautiful. Jackson’s big brother Landen was there too. You should have seen how excited he was to hold him! He’s going to be such a great big brother to Jackson.

Congratulations Christy, Ryan and Landen! You guys are doing amazing and Jackson is just beautiful!

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I walked into their delivery room with more than enough time to capture the birth of their second child. Alexis and Chris decided to wait to find out the sex of the baby until delivery day. It’s always an amazing moment in the delivery room when the sex of the new baby is announced, especially when the new parents don’t know what they are having! It was such a great moment when Chris exclaimed, “It’s a BOY!”. Little precious Malakai James Lundberg has arrived on January 13th, 2010 at 9:10 am weighing 8 lbs 13 oz and 21 in long!

Calling him Kai for short, this little man was just such a stud from the beginning. Both Alexis and Chris definitely agreed that Kai looked exactly like his now big brother, Jackson. What a cool day. Little Kai was born into a family who were so incredibly excited to meet him and to welcome him into their home. This small family of four is such a special, beautiful family and I am so excited for them.

Alexis and Chris, thank you so much for asking me to be a part of Kai’s birth day. I feel so blessed to have you guys as dear friends in my life and hope for many more photo shoots and fun hang out times. Congratulations on your little man- he’s such a doll!

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Christy was such a champ in her delivery. Her labor went pretty quickly and once she had her epidural, she was all smiles and feeling much, much better. She was joking with all her nurses, her doctor, and her family as we all eagerly awaited the birth of their little man. And we didn’t have to wait too long either! Jackson Johnson was born on January 13th, 2010 at 6:43 am. He was such a handsome little stud too! There was a very special excitement in the air through the entire process and it was very special to see the amount of family that was there and the family that was waiting outside- everyone anticipating little Jackson!

I am so excited for Christy and Ryan and their newest addition to their little family. Their healthy baby boy has been welcomed into a great, amazing family who will cherish him for life. Stay tuned for their newborn pictures which will be coming soon!

Congratulations Christy and Ryan! Jackson is beautiful and so lucky to have you two as parents. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me in to be a part of such an amazing gift.

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Christy and Ryan are both teachers at a local elementary school closer to where they live. Christy is a history buff and knew all that there is to know about Downtown Gilbert. She had said that it’s very important to her to know about history, especially history that is happening around her. So she educated us all along the way about the history of the water tower, Joe’s BBQ Grill and many other spots. It was really cool!

Since Christy is due to have that precious baby boy any day now, we thought it best if we got these pictures up prior to his arrival, as sometimes it doesn’t always happen like that! I (Jessica) am scheduled to photograph their birth once he decides to make his entrance and I am so thrilled and can’t wait to get that phone call! So you will be seeing this amazing family again so make sure to keep checking back for that.

In the meantime, let us introduce you to The Johnsons…

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Beautiful Linnea Joelle Alley was born on December 23, 2009 at 3:50 am weighing 6 pounds even and 19 inches long. And she is such a gorgeous girl! Andrea was such a trooper through her entire labor- Linnea had made up her mind about arriving early and she came very, very quickly. It made the labor process very intense and painful for Andrea, but she definitely did an amazing job through the entire process- even when no one would believe her that she was actually in fact, in labor! You can read Andrea’s entire labor story here, and let me tell you, it’s a great read! She’s hilarious and leaves no detail out!

Andrea and Cody have been dear friends of ours for a very long time now. We love them to no end and are so excited for this new journey ahead of them. A couple days after they returned home from the hospital, they invited us over so Jason and Cruz could meet the newest member of The Alley home, and both Andrea and Cody agree that Linnea had already changed their lives completely- in every single amazing way. It has been so inspiring to see the transformation in their lives, and we are truly blessed to have their family in our lives.

I think I will forever be in awe and wonder that these couples allow me to be apart of something that is so important, so personal, and so incredible in their lives. It’s something I cherish each and every time I am asked to photograph a delivery. Wow. Andrea and Cody were so gracious to allow me in and to take the first pictures ever taken of their little girl. Of her first breath, her first cry, her first moments. It moves me to tears each and every time and I feel so blessed to have been a part of this huge day for them. But mostly, I am so fortunate to have them as our dearest friends.

And now, introducing their gorgeous little girl…. Linnea Joelle Alley!…

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Little Hadley is such a good baby- so confident and secure in her new mom and dad- comfortable in her beautifully, well-thought out nursery. Every detail was perfect. It was obvious that these parents were so excited for her arrival! Well, she is here, she is healthy, and she is lovely. Such a beautiful family. Welcome little Hadley. You couldn’t be more loved!

* A special thanks to Twirling Tots for the gorgeous tutu, to Baby Mae Couture for the darling onesie, and to Adam’s Blankie for the special ‘lovie’ for little Hadley. It’s these finishing touches that makes these shoots even more special.

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Jeff and Joy were just so sweet to one another in the delivery room. It was a really special time for them and the anticipation for this very loved little girl was building and building until her arrival. I was able to witness something that was so, so special and you could even tell just by the way that Jeff and Joy were looking at one another through the whole process. True love. I have been deeply touched by their obvious love for one another and for their little Hadley.

And what a beauty!! She arrived perfectly into this world on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009. Everything went flawlessly. The staff at Banner Gateway was phenomenal. And Joy was in such great spirits! She was such a trooper and never even complained! She was her sweet loving self to every staff person that came in and out of her hospital room, polite to everyone even though she had to be so uncomfortable.

These are only a few of the pictures that will be given to these proud parents. And I am doing their newborn shoot this week, so be on the lookout for that! Hadley has been brought into this world to a family who was so excited to meet her and who love her, and each other, so very much. When you can ’see’ a love that big, it’s truly miraculous to be apart of. I am deeply grateful to have been apart of this.

Welcome to the world Hadley! You have some of the best parents ever!

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