I had been anticipating this day for a very long time. Jessica & Andrew booked their maternity, birth & newborn photos with me months in advance, and I knew Jessica was on bed-rest after some heavy contractions early on in her pregnancy. Honestly, the last 2 weeks of her pregnancy, I was a total mess because I thought everyday was THE day since doctors had finally allowed her to carry on her normal life at home & work. Well, her due date came & past, which was a huge surprise to all of us since doctors had worked so hard to keep Hannah inside. It ended up turning into a scheduled induction, which actually worked out really great for everyone involved.
Jessica is a labor & delivery nurse herself, so her birth was very special. All of her co-workers were there to support her as she introduced her first child into the world. It was pretty entertaining watching Jessica play nurse while she was actually the patient, fixing her own IVs, suctioning the baby’s nose after delivery, etc. All of the staff kept reminding her to just relax and let them do the work. 
It was such an honor to participate in this amazing day of welcoming Hannah. It is a miracle, to say the least, watching a new person arrive into the world. And immediately as Hannah was delivered, I could see just how perfect she is & how loved she will be. On a personal note, I can’t help but think of my own baby, whose birth mother in Ethiopia will have to go through this very same experience, knowing she won’t be able to raise her baby (whether it be due to poverty, illness, death, etc.). That saddens me, but watching these births is a blessing for me since I won’t be in Ethiopia to see him/her be born. I can honestly say I savored every moment watching Hannah be born. <3
Thank you so much, Jessica & Andrew, for letting me capture this special day. Hannah is beautiful!
