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In the words of their mother…

The birth of my children was not what I had planned. From the second I had thought about being a mother I had planned to have a very natural birth. I am not the type of person who liked even taking Tylenol. I guess that is where all my learning began. I found out I was pregnant two weeks after my husband returned from a year deployment. We were very excited and I was very nervous. I was a first year in veterinary school in Raleigh and my husband, a Marine, was stationed at Camp Lejeune – 2.5 hours away. I was going to have to go through this pregnancy mostly on my own- I was mentally prepared for that. I was not, however, mentally prepared the news at my first ultrasound- two heartbeats!
Twins.

How were we going to pull it off? How was I going to be able to take care of myself alone pregnant with twins? What was I going to do when they got here? My husband was elated- there have been several sets of twins in his family. He was even joking about triplets in the waiting room before the ultrasounds. No birthing center would take me because of the risk and I was left with the realty that I would have to have medicated birth. I felt it in my bones when I had talked to my doctors. I was told that if both were head down I could try for a vaginal birth. I continued going to school and my pregnancy was very uneventful. I didn’t get a lot of support from people. Most people seemed to think I should take a year off. I was told in so many different ways that I wanted to do the impossible, but I tried to remain optimistic.
At my 18 week ultrasound, I found out I would be having a little boy and a sweet girl. One of each- perfect is what everyone would say when I told them. My favorite thing was when people would ask me if I was having a boy or a girl and I would get to say “both.”
It was amazing being pregnant. I could feel my daughter move as my son was pushed down into my pelvis I barely felt him. I could only feel his hiccups. I loved the feeling of carrying my children and they made me feel like I was the luckiest woman in the world. What a blessing! The babies both remained head down- that is until my daughter flipped at 32 weeks.
As we were nearing viability (33w6d) I went into what I thought was false labor. No pain just what I thought were Braxton Hicks contraction. I had developed a UTI that weekend and was planning on seeing the doctor on Monday. It was Sunday. We were having my brother in laws birthday party and I had 30 Braxton Hicks in an hour. I decided to call and they told me to come in and get checked. We got in the car (without hospital bags, phone chargers, or a camera) and went to be checked. We just did not feel it was time. When we got to the doctors they told me to get undressed and strapped 3 monitors on my belly- one for each baby and me. My daughter was being the difficult baby she was kept moving away from the monitor. I didn’t feel anymore tightening and I was afraid they would think I was lying. About an hour later my doctor told me that I was having contractions every two minutes. She checked my cervix I was not dilated but my cervix were soft. It was hospital policy that they were not allowed to stop labor after 34 weeks. So that mean they had 6 hours to try to stop mine! I would be 34 weeks the next day. So the race was on. I was hooked up to fluids and had to take a bunch of medication including first steroids shot out of two shot series to help with the babies’ lungs (takes 12 hours to help their lungs). All to no avail.
I was checked at midnight. I had dilated to 3, without a single bit of pain. We did an ultrasound to check the babies. My daughter was still breech and estimated to be more than a pound bigger. They told me that they would be willing to do a breech extraction if the size gap wasn’t that big. Having a bigger second baby puts you at risk of dystocia.
The doctors told me to go to sleep and we would check progress in a few hours. My husband slept well – haha. I was up to the bathroom what felt like every 5 minutes because of the fluids. I was hungry and thirsty but because of the situation they would not let me eat or drink. I woke up and called my sister. I wanted to see if she would bring my notes so I could study for my test that week (she was 7 weeks behind me in her pregnancy).
I was checked- at 5. The morning doctor said it is time to make a choice because the babies would be there today. That was actually the first moment that I actually realized this was it. My sister arrived and my husband told her to call everyone and let them know we would be having babies today. So much for my studying. They had a team of neonatologist come and talk to me about the possible complications of having two premature babies especially since my steroid shot did not have long enough to work. I was scared out of my mind. I just wanted them out and safe. I was scared of my daughter getting stuck.
This is the part of my story where I realize how useful education is.
Since having my children I have learned that a vaginal birth with a breech baby b is possible. At the time I just did not know and made a decision out of fear (and misrepresented facts). So I went with a c. section. Within 30 minutes of finding out that it was going to be their birthday they were here. I heard a few gurgles then I heard my son come into the world. Screaming!
They told me they probably would not cry. I broke down. My sweet boy was here. They ran him by but I didn’t have my glasses on so I didn’t actually see him. I could hear him screaming in the next room over. He had great lungs. Then I heard my daughter. If I thought my son was screaming loud- I was wrong! My daughter came into the world hollering! She was a spitfire from the beginning. I could tell when they ran her by me.

On October 10, 2011 I became the mommy to 4lb 4oz Richard Elijah at 10:17am and 4lb 7oz Alexa Neveah at 10:18 am. Only 3-ounce difference! I could have had a vaginal birth. They allowed my husband to bring me the babies but then they were rushed to the NICU before I could even kiss them. I went to recovery then to my room. They wheeled me through the NICU on the way so I could see my babies. They were so small. I was scared to even touch them. My whole family was waiting in my room for me. It was nice. I hadn’t even called and they were there because of my sister. I didn’t have any pictures to share as we did not bring a camera. The lactation consultant came in and taught me how to use the breast pump. I didn’t get to really see the babies until 12 hours after I had them. I didn’t pick them up just watched and they watched me. They slept a lot better with me there. It was a relief they recognized me after the lack of bonding directly after delivery. The next morning the NICU called my room and let me know it was okay to try to breastfeed. Both babies got it on the first try (it was also the first time I held them)! The babies continued to do well. They got their IVs taken out on day 2 and needed no additional treatment just needed to grow. They had never even needed oxygen!
After 5 days my time at the hospital had expired. I had to leave them. It was the worst day of my life. I broke down that morning setting out the preemie clothes my sister had picked out for the babies. Leaving was even harder. All logic pointed to them being home soon but I was worried they would feel scared and abandoned. I cried all the way home. I continued pumping when I couldn’t make it to the hospital, as it was 30 minutes away. I would bring my milk everyday. We got to the point that they told me to stop bringing milk because I was taking up the whole freezer. The babies were doing so well they were termed the “rockstar babies”.
On their 9th day of life they came home! We shortly mastered breastfeeding and life with twins. Two weeks after I had my children I returned to school. My husband had leave saved up from his deployment and he was able to stay home with the babies for 8 weeks. It has really has been a dream. My life is forever changed. They are now 16 months old and I am getting ready to start my final year of vet school. My husband is no longer in the Marines and has been living with us for a month now. I can’t believe we did it but most importantly I can’t believe I did it. I love the look on the faces of those who doubted me when they see I have persevered. Being a mom has taught me many things but most importantly
I have the strength to do anything that I set my mind to. I am, as everyone at school puts it, a superwoman!

Back in 2006, Destiny and I were both freshman at Salisbury University. We lived on the same hall in the dorms for a few semesters and kept touch on facebook here and there over the last few years. Life brought us both to photography 🙂 This is Destiny’s baby cousin, Brookynn.

Thank you, Destiny, for letting me come and share some baby snuggles 🙂

One of my favorite pastimes is reading birth stories – there is something magical about the days and nights when babies are born. When Megan sent me her thoughts on all 3 of her babies’ births – ranging from traumatic to healing – I really wanted to share them. You can see more images from sessions with Megan here.

If I’ve photographed your maternity, birth or newborn photos and you’d like me wto share your birth story – please e-mail me at heartlovephotography@live.com.

In her own words, Megan’s birth stories…

I have wanted to write my experiences about child birth for some time now. My oldest is 4, then I have a 2 year old, and my precious 5 month old. All boys. All perfect. My first pregnancy was amazing. I was on cloud 9 the moment we found out about Jackson. My husband and I had been trying to conceive for almost a year at that point, and truly…I was worried, but thankfully we had no issues. Except one. My due date. 3 weeks after my husband was to leave on his first deployment. I was OK with it. I was scared, but knew I would survive, and he would come home to a 6.5 month old. Well, my little Jackson decided to be a stubborn tush {yes, I call him that} and be breech. We found out at my 32 week appointment. I was sure his head was in my ribs, but the midwife was SURE it was his bottom. Well, I was right. She assured me he would turn, and sent me on my way. Well my next appointment was with another provider in the practice. What an amazing doctor. Just overall nice, and honest {I thought}. He wasn’t confident in turning breech babies, and I wasn’t confident at all. I didn’t know why he was breech, and frankly, I was OK with him being breech. A scheduled c-section meant I could plan. I could make sure I had help, and maybe, just maybe my husband could stay those 2 weeks till I delivered. The time came, and my husband left. I was 37 weeks pregnant with a scheduled date 2 weeks away. Such is life in the military…My mom arrived the day before I had Jackson, and I nervously prepared for his birth.

I was angry deep down inside. I wanted my husband there. It wasn’t fair.

Jackson arrived at 8:03 in the am. Breech as breech could be. His little head was stuck…maybe I should say big head. The doctor allowed his birth to be filmed for my husband, and my mom was with me, and held him first. Well after the “I am a momma” high wore off, the pain came. Holy hairdo’s I was in pain. I didn’t want to move, I couldn’t pick Jackson up without help, I couldn’t get out of bed…I couldn’t nurse. It was sort of traumatic. I am pretty sure I did have a meltdown, and called the CO’s wife, and demanded my husband call me. {Thank you Angela, you were and always will be an amazing friend}

Well one thing led to another…Jackson wasn’t nursing well, so I bottle fed….He was jaundice, so he needed light therapy….I went into A-Fib…off to a cardiac floor I went.

I wasn’t with my baby. PPD here I come.

I write this with tears in my eyes because it was suppose to be an amazing time. And honestly, for me, it wasn’t.

I am not afraid to say I was depressed. It was hard. It took one day a few WEEKS later for something to click. He was crying, and when I picked him up, he stopped, and looked at me and a calmness came over me and him. I was his momma. No one else. I was all he had.

That was it, I think at that moment I felt the euphoric feeling most women feel at birth. I was just then giving birth to my son. The weeks and months passed, and I fell more and more in love with my Jackson. We co-slept. My most favorite thing in the world. Finally we welcomed our Marine home, and it was the most amazing moment. At that moment, I watched him become a father.

Fast forward, and we were thrilled to find out we were expecting #2, another boy. With no deployment in sight, I was excited. Without a lot of knowledge, I decided to take the easy road. Another c-section. With a midwife who assured me my uterus would explode, I was scheduled. I was ok with it. At 28 weeks my Logan had decided he wanted out. We were returning from a trip to Minnesota, and when we landed contractions were 2 minutes apart. Scared, I called my OB…they said “go to the hospital” I must have been in a daze, because I heard “come to the hospital” so we drove…an hour….to my OB. When we arrived, they looked at me in shock. She meant the hospital in Raleigh, because if they couldn’t stop labor, that was probably where we would end up. As I laid there in that hospital, and the contractions kept coming, no matter how much I drank or relaxed…I was so nervous. What would I do with a premie? Hours passed, and finally they decided to give me steroids “just in case” for his lungs, and then a few shots to stop labor. I begged for those shots, because I have a minor heart issue. SVT, no biggie, I just get irregular rhythms at times, but the medicine to stop labour was a drug that could send me into SVT or A-Fib again. I knew it was the last resort, and thankfully it worked. It worked at 28 weeks, and again at 32 weeks. I guess he was anxious. My little Logan arrived at 39 weeks via c-section. He was perfect. His daddy cried, as did I. I think at that moment, I was at peace with Jackson’s birth 2 years prior.

Again, fast forward 2 years…My sweet little Everett. #3 was on the way. A surprise, sort of. We were excited! I was determined to find a doc to vba2c me. Out here in Cali, I thought they would be all over. Not so much. I researched, and called a few OB’s. My first OB didn’t do them, wouldn’t do them, and decided I was high risk. She sent me to every single doctor known to man. Why? I don’t know. A bout of pre-term labour, and a minor heart thing must have scared her ha ha ha. I am thankful I found another OB. When I called, I asked if he would VBAC. The nurse said he does {on occasion} so I thought I would give it a try. I made the appointment, and we chatted. He put my mind at ease and made me feel OK with a c-section. I wasn’t broken. I just had broken information. I was at peace with a 3rd c-section. My pregnancy went OK. I was sick a lot, and fell in a hole and broke my foot, but that aside…the pregnancy flew by and finally it was time to meet #3. I was thankful my BFF Jill flew in for the birth. She photographed my maternity, birth & newborn pictures in a matter of a week. She also helped me in my choice to nurse #3. I had never succeeded in nursing, but I was determined. I am thankful for her, and her encouraging words. 5 months later he is exclusively breastfed, and a chunky monkey. Anyway…back to his birth.

39 weeks…#3…3 boys all born 2 years apart…all in September!

Everett compared to his big brother as a newborn…

I do feel cheated at times…it lasts for a second. I do wish I would have experienced a natural child birth, but as I sit here with my 3 perfect boys, I realize, that I am not broken, just mis-informed, and in the end they are here and healthy, and I would do it all over again.

Thanks Megan! You can check out her photography here.

This is the first in a series of product spotlights. I’m starting with JewelKade first because they have a bunch of exciting stuff going on this month including new products, $100 off new stylist kits and more!

(The necklace above will be available starting this March!)

The great thing about Jewel Kade is it’s flexibility – I can sell at parties and online (or right off my own neck if you’re really eager!) and each piece can be just as formal or as casual as you’d like. Here’s a little more straight from corporate…

WHAT’S JEWEL KADE?

Jewel Kade is artful, handcrafted charms. It’s inspired jewelry. It’s a fresh take on timeless fashion. It’s worn by those who celebrate life, and those who treasure unforgettable accessories.

JK Signature Charms – JK Signature Charms are all handcrafted and feature intriguing designs that reflect life, love, nature, and beauty.
JK Magnolia Metals – With JK Magnolia Metals, you can make a statement all your own. Each charm is stamped individually by our Production Artists with your choice of initials or wording.
JK Necklaces – JK necklaces fit your every mood – ranging from brilliant, special occasion pieces to casual, effortless chains. Each necklace has an unexpected JK touch that makes it unique. And while some are purely for layering, most necklaces feature a lobster clip so you can interchange your JK charms.
JK Accessories – Bracelets, earrings, drops, Keepsake Charms, Swarovski Birthstone Crystals, and more…you can accent your JK look in a multitude of ways with JK’s distinctive accessories.

HANDCRAFTED QUALITY

For Designer Janet Kinkade, there has always been an appeal to Old World craftsmanship – a time when items were made by hand, by artisans who took pride in creating something beautiful that would last. She has applied that appreciation for timeless quality to her jewelry designs.

Each and every JK Signature Charm is handcrafted in the JK studios in Alpine, Utah.
The charms are each framed by hand in authentic pewter (lead-free, of course).
The beveled glass is hand-cut.
The artistic designs are printed one-by-one on artist’s canvas – not paper – which sets Jewel Kade apart from other brands.
The designs are embellished by hand with dazzling touches like Swarovski crystals and German Glass Glitter.
The attachment rings, jump rings and drops are then added by hand.
Finally, each charm is individually inspected and polished before it’s deemed JK-worthy and sent to you.
With the handcrafted process behind JK charms, the subtle variations mean no two charms are exactly alike, which means you are wearing a truly unique, inspired piece of artistry.

WHAT’S IT MADE OF?

FINE MATERIALS

German Glass Glitter

JK’s German Glass Glitter comes from a small family-run company in the heart of Germany that boasts a long genealogy line of Bavarian glass workers. Unlike industrial glass and glitter, each batch of German Glass Glitter is crafted by hand through a seven-step process that starts with coating a thin substrate of glass with a coat of pure silver. After firing the glass at high temperatures, color coatings are added, followed by additional firings and coats of sliver. This process is what gives the glitter both the exceptional sparkle and shine, as well as its tendency to tarnish to a rich vintage look over time.

Swarovski Crystals

Several Jewel Kade charms feature Swarovski (swor-off-skee) crystals, which are known around the world for their exquisite quality. In 1892 glassmaker Daniel Swarovski revolutionized the crystal cutting and polishing process, and for over 120 years Swarovski has continued to lead the world in the quality, colors and shapes of crystal.

WHAT’S NEW?

One of my favorite things about Jewel Kade is that they have new and seasonal charms that come out all the time. I have a Clover tattoo and a dog named Clover – so I had to have the real four-leaf-clover charm 🙂

I started offering Jewel Kade photo charms late last year and I’ve fallen in love with all of their charms!

This flyer explains the start-up kit – right now it’s only $149! That’s $650 worth of jewelry! If you want more information, please contact me. I’d love to show you how easy it is to get started and how much fun it really is.

I share many photos on here – more than a thousand to date, but more often than not the images of my friends and family stay private. I’m not sure why that is but after collecting images of this growing family over the last 5 years, I think it’s time to share a few.

Today is Adalynn’s 2nd birthday – so I set out to share her amazing birth story but I couldn’t leave out any details so we’ll rewind to when I first met the Blocker’s…

I was a newlywed and had left home for the first time to live with my husband at Camp Lejeune, NC when I met Ashley. She and Nate had a 2 year old and were pregnant with their second – a baby boy. As an aspiring photographer, I asked Ashley if she wanted photos of Brody’s birth. Nate had just deployed and I was able to take the first images that he would see of his first born son. On a sunny June day, I shared in the joy of welcoming Brody to the world. This was the first time I was ever in the delivery room…

Ashley has always been an inspiration to me – she showed me my first cloth diaper, sewed my first baby carrier, taught me about breastfeeding…

Over the next few months we became friends – spending afternoons at the beach, day trips to Wilmington and preparing for my for the birth of my first baby. A couple days before Thanksgiving in 2009, Nate made it home safely from Afghanistan to meet his 6 month old son and be reunited with his daughter.

Our babies grew and played …

Brody turned 1 and there was an unexpected surprise….

baltimore baby photographer

As is often the case in the Marine Corps, Nate deployed again just before this 3rd little Blocker was born.

Only 2 weeks after he left, Ashley’s water broke – it was an honor to be her birth partner and one of several amazing women who supported her as she gave birth to Adalynn peacefully at home.

That’s Nana, skyping from across the country <3

It’s hard to believe that was 2 years ago today! At the time I was 9 weeks pregnant with my second baby and only a month away from my own husband deploying. That night was the first time I spent the night away from my daughter – it was an emotional time to say the least. I haven’t even shared this with Ashley before – but after everyone was settled in that night I wrote Adalynn a letter so she’d know how special her birthday was and so that I would never forget a single detail.

Dear Adelynn,

Happy Birthday! I am one of the lucky ladies who were blessed with being present at your birth. Right now you are snuggled in bed with your mama – and before I head to sleep myself, I wanted to tell you about today – the day you were born.

This past Thursday, your mom and I went to her last prenatal appointment with Sherry, the midwife. She thought you had a ways to go before you were ready to be born – you had other plans!

Friday, your mom’s water began to leak… little by little you were working your way down and out. We had dinner that night at Olive Garden and Braelynn told me you would be born tomorrow and that you are a girl – and she was right!

At about 2:00am this morning I got a call – contractions are 2-3 minutes apart! I grabbed the camera and headed over. Beth, Jennifer, Katherine, Midwife Sherry and her assistant Donna all arrived over the next hour. By 4:00am we all rested and your mom tried to get some sleep – saving energy for later today.

Around 8:00am we all started to wake. Katherine made breakfast and we spent most of the morning sharing our own birth stories and experiences with each other. Sherry, your mom and I took a walk around the neighborhood in the cold weather and drizzling rain. Beth brought your brother and sister to her house for lunch and your mom tried to rest a bit before the contractions became stronger.

She labored on the birthing ball and listened to a hypno babies CD. At almost 1:00pm she was ready to get into the bathtub.

Throughout the entire day, your mom was peaceful and looked serene as she relaxed her mind and surrendered her body to the process that brought you into the world. She was strong and in control as she guided you out of her womb and into her arms. You are a lucky little girl whose first touch was that of her mother.

After about 20 minutes you both transitioned out of the tub and into the bed where you nursed and snuggled. We spent the rest of the evening making sure you and your mom were comfortable. You had your first diaper put on – soft and cottony with pink flowers. All evening we compared you to your siblings, wondered if your hair will be blonde or red and smiled over your heart shaped lips.

From before you were born, so much love and comfort surrounded you– but most of all you were surrounded by peace.

Although you are only 6 hours old, you have made a big sacrifice. As the child of a United States Marine – you didn’t have your dad here at your birth. He is across the world protecting the freedom of others. With all of the courage and strength he pours into his duty as a Marine, he also loves and will protect you. You don’t have to worry, you already know him. You remember his voice from inside your mom’s belly and you’ll hear it again through satellite phones and skype dates. It isn’t easy being so far away, but you are a great comfort and joy to your mom, Braelynn and Brody – they all miss him very much, too.

We will all look back on this day with such joy – it was a beautiful event when you entered our lives! Carry all of the love you received today in your heart forever.

Wishing you a lifetime of joy,

Jill

The next 6 months are a whirlwind – the day immediately following my own husbands return from Afghanistan, Nate came home to meet his 2nd baby girl and be reunited with Braelynn and Brody.

See more of this special day here.

That winter Braelynn turned 4, Brody turned 2 and before we knew it Adalynn was on her way to being a big sister, herself.

A year later, we moved away from Camp Lejeune. It’s hard not to have my childrens “first” friends around but we’ll be back for another visit soon.

To complete their story, Ashley and Nate welcomed their 4th miracle, Daxton. Baby Dax came about 5 weeks early, but I got to meet him when he was still “-1” day old .

Miss you guys & Happy Birthday Adalynn!

It was a great joy to photograph Miss Kinley this morning & her older “brother” was just as sweet <3 newborn with dog

baltimore newborn photography

You might recognize this handsome fellow from his newborn portraits a few months ago – he’s already 4 months old!

Just looking at his chunky cheeks and sweet smile, you wouldn’t know it – but he’s fighting an ugly disease called Neuroblastoma. It’s not going to be an easy road, but Will is up for the challenge and he’s being cared for by an amazing set of parents and family plus the best doctors in the world at Johns Hopkins.

For a little over a month now, they’ve been doing tests and he’s had his first surgery – this week will bring his first chemo treatments. I know I can’t do Will’s story justice, so please take the time to visit his parents’ website to read more about his journey and for updates along the way.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/willcanfield1

Zach and Amanda ask that you share Will’s story and keep your prayers coming!

will Praying for Will