Truly one of the coolest experiences of my entire life.
At the end of my wedding night, my friend Lauren (the beautiful mama in these photos) told me that she was pregnant! I was so excited for her and Mike, and even more excited when I got to capture her maternity photos and Mike's proposal. During their maternity/proposal shoot (which Mike clevely named the "eternity shoot"), Lauren asked if I would be interested in capturing the birth of their baby girl. Of course I said yes, because this was something I had always wanted to do.
On May 31, 2023, Lauren texted me at 8:53 AM to tell me that her water had broke about thirty minutes prior. I threw on some clothes, grabbed all of my gear and jumped into my car to make my way towards Emory (I live out in the boonies so I wanted to make sure I was there). The funniest part was that I was right in front of them as we pulled into the parking deck. In my excitement, I basically beat them to the hospital! LOL.
The next 17 hours was incredible. I had only been in the delivery room one other time in my life, and it had been nearly 20 years earlier and having my own children someday wasn't even a thought. Lauren labored like a champ, and Mike was beside her every step of the way. Lauren's mom Marie also came to support her, and her sister Facetimed in to cheer her on.
Karsen made her way earthside in the early morning hours of June 1, 2023.
TW: images of childbirth.
The above photo (on the left) is one of my favorites I've ever taken. Lauren looking at her baby...Marie looking at her baby.
