Birth, in pictures.

Well, guess what? After 2 days, I'm finally done proofing the pictures from the birth. I took over 300 pictures and ended up with 205. During the proofing process, different thoughts would pop into my head like "I can't believe Jen and Dan allowed me to get that picture" or "oh my goodness, how amazing is that?!" or "how lucky I am to have had the chance to capture all these!".

I knew while in the birthing room, how blessed I was with the opportunity, but not until I saw the pictures and saw them again, did I really realize it. They allowed me in the room during the epidural. They allowed me in during all her exams. They allowed me in the room during every. single. process. in a 7 hour time-period. All I keep thinking now is how lucky and blessed I am.

I just can't get over some of the shots and how truly astonishing they are. How they capture so much . . . energy . . . emotion . . . life . . . in such a small little frame. I am very very thankful to have been there and even more to have captured it.

So to Jen and Dan I thank you guys immensely. I thank you for the opportunity to expand my portfolio, to start a new adventure with my business, to get to know you guys better, and most of all, I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to have found the peace that I now have. I can't even explain in words or even emotions, how grateful I am for the experience. I pray I get to do many more and that those many more be couples as welcoming and open to sharing such a private part of themselves with me as you guys have done. And thank you, Leann, for helping me to get these opportunities. A good network and very good giving friends really do make a difference. :c)

And now, to the pictures!! Here's just a couple out of the 200+. So very many of them are ones I just cannot show here, but these are a few that I can. I'll post a few others over at my VWC blog as well.

Here's to the beautiful event called "birth".



{adding in later . . .
I have to note this. I asked Neil last night if he wanted to see the pictures. I said "they're pretty graphic" so he said "let me see just one and I'll let you know if I want to see more". Keep in mind that he never saw his own children born vaginally. So I started him through the slide show from the beginning. I got to the actual birth and he said to stop. So I did. He said, "I can't believe this is getting to me, but it is. This stuff has never gotten to me. I feel queasy and light-headed . . . " and then he sat down on the floor. Keep in mind that my husband has dissected every kind of animal you can think of in his lifetime and was going to be a dentist. His major was biology. He is a science fanatic! But, this got to him. I don't know if it's because of what it was, because of the blood and goo (I don't think so, but maybe?) or if it was because of the emotions going on inside himself. He was very taken by it. We didn't talk much about it, but I am hoping it somehow was closure for him also.}