Happy Birthday Juliet | Pensacola Birth Photography

Those of you that know Melissa & Ace have rejoiced mightily with them over the birth of the baby they waiting five long years to meet. There have been so many happy tears. Many of them my own, as I have watched my friend experience the joys of pregnancy and motherhood. (Check out the baby shower and maternity session if you missed them.) Go ahead and get those tissues ready again, because it's time for the debut of baby Juliet's debut. Here's the story:

On a slightly stormy Memorial Day morning, I texted Melissa to let her know I was going to Fort Walton to hang out with family and to say that she should tell me early if she thought she was in labor. She did, but we were sure we had plenty of time. With frequent updates throughout the day, I knew exactly when I needed to head back to Pensacola to make it to the hospital in plenty of time.

It was an incredibly amazing birth to witness. Foregoing an epidural, Melissa was an absolute warrior thru the pain. And Ace a steady rock. The majority of the I-am-woman-hear-me-roar images are private in nature, so sadly you won't get to see the full breadth of the work. But let's just suffice it to say that her screams brought ALL the nurses to the yard. There were at least 10 people crowded around the bed screaming "PUUUUUUUSH!" over and over again. It was an epic birthday party.

It is totally by chance that I complete this session on July 14th. Bastille Day. (That's like Fourth of July in France.) Melissa and I have grand plans to reschedule the trip to Paris that my own pregnancy forced us to cancel three years ago. I'm taking this as a sign that we'll make it there one day, once we have our independence back from our babies.

Happy birthday to your sweet girl, and thank you for asking me to capture your story...All of your stories.