Weston's Birth Story--In photos

Most people were somewhat shocked when I shared with them that we were having Weston's birth documented by a professional photographer. What do people expect? I'm a photographer. ;)  But even all photographers don't necessarily embrace having a spying lens present during one of the most intimate moments of their lives.

I admit, I wasn't fully on board with the idea at first. And Neil wasn't either...at all. ha But my good friend Leigh Miller (I'm not going to link to her site here because I don't want people to find my baby blog when they are searching for her) convinced me. She herself had the birth of her precious twin boys photographed last April. She showed me the images and I teared up, felt my heart inflate with excitement and that indescribably emotion I would later learn is due to maternal love, and I knew that I wanted to have my own son's journey into this world "on film."

But we knew we had to persuade Neil, who was a bit skeptical. Neil and I had dinner with Leigh and her husband late fall of last year, and during the course of the evening, Leigh's husband spoke up about his own gratefulness for having the images of their sons' birth. I'm not sure what actually turned Neil, or if he wasn't going to put up a fight once he realized how important it was to me, but regardless, I got my way. ;)

Yes, I was a tad nervous about letting Leigh in that day. I had no idea how the events would unfold, nor how I would act under such stress and potential pain. I also had to swallow the idea that my good friend was going to bear witness to not only the most private of moments, but also the most private of my parts. Ahem. Gulp.

But oddly enough, in the short while that I've been friends with Leigh, I've become so truly comfortable with her. She has been a source of laughter, a great listener (and reader since most of our conversations occur via text), a wellspring of honest & much-needed advice and overall, has become one of my favorite people to be around. She is a beautiful person, inside and out, and an admirably talented photographer. Plus, she makes the meanest grilled cheese there is.

There is no one else I would rather have had there to glimpse me at my most vulnerable and to be the one to forever document Weston's painful and momentous entry into this world.

She was patient that day, as the beginning was somewhat boring photographically speaking. She brought us magazines to distract, motivated me with a large cookie from Panera that I couldn't eat until after Weston was born, and stepped in for Neil when he needed a break. She replaced the camera she was holding with my own hand, and talked me through contractions.

Knowing that these images were taken by not just a photographer whom I look up to, but by a great friend, makes them even more special. If you are pregnant yourself, or planning on having a baby eventually, I do encourage you to find a birth photographer so you can look back and see the experience through someone else's eyes. Because in all honesty, I was better able to come to terms with the beauty of what I went through because of these photos, as my own eyes were squinting too much and a bit too full of tears for me to take it all in.

So thank you, Leigh. For everything.

I also want to thank Neil for being my best everything that day--my cheerleader, my coach, my best friend, my other half. He felt the pain I was going through (to an extent, hahaha) and remained positive and strong for me. I think this slideshow depicts him very well as my loving, devoted husband who so easily stepped into the role of a loving, devoted father.

If you missed the last post, I'd recommend reading it first so you have the backstory to the pics. :)

And with that...please enjoy this slideshow (I recommend having your speakers on as the song selection is killer...hats off to Leigh for that!)
(don't worry, the pics aren't too graphic...I let my father-in-law see this.... ha)
Click on pic to see it: