as i read ryan’s words, the dream i had just been having crept slowly into my consciousness. i’d been at a restaurant with nikol, eagerly trying to come up with food items the place could make that would help induce labor. i wish i could recall some of the dreamy meals because i’m sure they were ridiculously weird. and i wish i wasn’t only an apparent dream psychic about the birth of children.
in the past, i’ve mostly been hired to do videography. weddings, non-profit events, commercials, things of that nature. never childbirth. in fact, the idea of capturing a birth had never once crossed my mind. that is, until nikol informed me of the horrifyingly high price that birth photographers were charging. rather than see my friends pay an amount of money that could probably buy them a pair of shiny new Vespas (note: i want a portofino green vespa), i offered up my humble services. i was both eager to take on something new and excited to experience life in its purest form.
rather than walking you step by step through the start to finish process, i will summarize with words that describe ways i felt throughout the day. do with these what you will.
anxious. amused. tired. curious. excited. patient. impatient. intrusive. awed. hungry. not hungry. amazed. humbled. relieved. elated.
i am honored to have experienced that special day. and while i didn’t actually end up getting to witness the moment lil coco bean took her first breath of sterile hospital air, i did get to see two amazing new parents during the bookends of her arrival. to say they did a stellar job would be an understatement. ryan was endlessly calm, supportive and sweetly loving. nikol was impossibly strong and brave (and hilariously polite). she was essentially the joan of arc of childbirth.
thank you to claire’s 5 grandparents for being some of the sweetest, kindest people i could ever hope to spend hours in a waiting room with. claire is beyond blessed to have you in her fresh little life.
i’m looking forward to watching claire grow and taking many more photos for ryan and nikol to share.
enjoy.
ps
if you’d like to hire me to take photos of your child’s birth, i will accept payment in the form of an LXV 150 IE portofino green Vespa.