Happy Birthday Isabella | Pensacola Birth Photographer
I am so excited to get to share the Isabella's birth at Pensacola's Baptist Hospital. I had 2 mamas due near the new year, and I just KNEW one of them would deliver on New Year's Day. The night before was a full moon and, as I have said many times before, full moons and bad weather always brings the babies.
I got up early (per usual) and checked my phone...no texts. So maybe I was wrong. Normally I wouldn't be in any hurry to get out of my PJs on a school/work holiday, but something prompted me to go ahead and wash and blow dry my hair...before coffee. Well sure enough, at about 8:45 my phone dinged with a text from Alexis's sister Averee. Averee is a doula and soon-to-be certified midwife in Montana and I was thrilled when Alexis told me she would be here until the baby arrive and would provide me with progress updates during labor. Her text told me that Alexis had been in labor since about 2 am, but she thought it would be a while yet. (Side note...unless you have a trained professional with you to monitor your progress during labor, DO NOT wait 7 hours to tell me that you're in labor. Even if it's the middle of the night and you think you have a while and should give me the courtesy of a good night's rest. You shouldn't.)
I set my gear by the door and laid out my scrubs, ready to jump up and go. Well 'go time' came just a few hours later after a sudden and rapid progression and an 11:24AM text that read "We're FLYING out the door!". A mere twenty minutes later as I approached the hospital, came another text saying that Lex had made quick progress. The rest of labor was just as rapid, but I still arrived in plenty of time to capture Luis and Averee helping Alexis thru her labor. It was so sweet to watch husband and sister work together to encourage and do what they could to ease mamas pain.
Just as the nurses were getting worried that the midwife, Jenny Allen, might not make it in time, she flew thru the door...not even having stopped to stow her sweatshirt and car keys. After a few minutes in the tub, and a few minutes pushing, baby slid right out into daddy's waiting hands. Before I could even register that the baby was out, Luis was proclaiming "It's a GIRL!".
Introducing (again)...Isabella Grace.
Click play for the full story (Fair warning, there are freshly birthed baby and breastfeeding images in this slideshow.)
As hard as it is to wait until delivery to find out your baby's gender, the excitement and expressions always make for the most wonderful photographic moments. Especially when excited grandparents pour into the room, tears brimming the rims of their eyes and hands clapping together over the the big reveal. (How about those sweet elated grandma faces and grandpas snapping pictures with their cell phones? I DIED!) Moments like that make it 100% worth the wait.
Did you wait to find out your baby's gender? Do you wish you had or will you next time? Let us know in the comments. You comments also count toward the 50 needed to earn Alexis & Luis a free 8x10 mounted print from their birth session. I'm sure they will appreciate your words.
Natalie
Natalie is a lifestyle family photographer serving Pensacola, FL and surrounding areas. With a passion for capturing candid family moments, she specializes in birth and newborn lifestyle photography. Natalie lives in Pensacola with her husband and two (very difficult to photograph) children. Besides photography, she has a passion for modern sewing projects and graphic design.
Photo Credit: Natalie Franke Photography