Amanda: Vincent Aaron

Birth.

This would have to be my favorite avenue of photography. Emotions are raw and the excitement is real.

I was particularly excited about this little babe about to enter into the loving hands of mom, dad, and big sister Mia.

Anna and I have been friends since, goodness, forever. Our friendship was immediate the day our little selves met. Anna is one of those girls whose smile lights up an entire room. She is stunning, inspiring, and contagious - a friend that somehow finds the best quotes for every situation. One that you can lose years of contact with but can immediately pick up right where you left off. She is a forever girl friend. A friendship I am blessed to have.

Needless to say, when I get a text reading " I'm pregnant" ... the tears of joy filled my eyes! ( I seem to cry at this statement anytime I read it these days).... and to even more of my excitement we discussed birth photography and it was a go....

fast forward 9 months....

Now starts a somewhat comical story of how I got there just in time to photograph the birth of a baby we didn't know the gender of yet.

I'll never forget, it was Friday the 13th, and game day weekend at WVU, so of course babies come in the midst of crazy..... Tim and Anna did a great job at keeping me updated all day.

1:48 pm

" I'm contracting now" 4-5 cm 70% effaced " - Anna

5:03 pm

" So far so good .... I still have no pain .. I feel like it's going to be long" - Anna

7:55 pm

"Just finished epidural" - Tim

10:06 pm

"She is falling asleep nothing really new" - Tim

Saturday, Oct 14th, 12:09 am

" She is a 6 at 90%, and feeling a little pain with epidural

okay ill get ready

Anna said she feels bad if it takes a while

tell her not to worry..... so it is entirely fine...

haha ok, sounds good !! We are in 627 ." - Tim

I start the drive ( 30 minutes) to Ruby Memorial Hospital. I am nearly there... and I get this....

"pushing" - Tim

My eyes probably got as big as baseballs ( What the heck? already?) ... of course its game weekend and I need to get to the parking garage. I can't even tell you how I got to the parking garage.... ring ring ring. - Its Dom... " just hurry"...

I'm telling you people- I took off... a police officer security guard man... had to chase me down... and I'm screaming as I'm running away from him " I can not stop she is pushing..... " he yells something about a time and I lost him from there....now mind you.... I am not a runner and I can't tell you how longs its been since I ran, and better yet I'm in a sweater, jeans, and flats ... I would like to of been the security guard watching all of this take place on the little video thingys. haha... just seeing me run would have been enough to need to use the restroom after watching.

At this point I'm now running through the hospital ... I can't tell you how I got to the maternity floor... nor how I got to the elevators that took me there.... I just remember Anna's dad ,Jack, appearing and pointing me in the direction I needed to go... I ran through that room door like a horse running a race. " I believe one of the nurses described is an "elephant coming through the door.."

I made it. that's all that matters.

There they all were. In their places. gathered . super excited. surrounded in love and care.

......waiting.....pushing.... waiting....

yes, Anna Maria is still gorgeous in labor....

Just when you think you know love, something little comes along to remind you just how big it really is.

HE.....is here

"it's a boy!! "

" What children need to most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly,

cookies." - R. Giuliano