I realize that this post might be a bit of time-travel for some blog readers, as I’ve already posted my little nephew’s birth story photos and now I’m going back and posting photos of my sister all pregnant again.
What I didn’t mention in the birth story photos is that Sam, my brother-in-law, was deployed with the Air Force for the majority of Jalesa’s pregnancy with Jasper. So what we ended up doing was doing one solo maternity session with Jalesa in November JUST IN CASE Sam wasn’t able to make it home before Jasper was born. Thankfully, Sam arrived back home just in time and we ended up taking maternity photos again (but this time with the whole family present) not knowing that lil Jasper would be born just three days later.
The first half of this post are from the first session. Because Sam wasn’t able to be there, we wanted to represent him in some way — what better way than paper airplanes for Jasper’s Air Force daddy?
Although Jalesa and Sam are stationed in California, they’re Texans at heart. I’m so glad that Jalesa chose to come stay with my parents in Texas while Sam was deployed AND give birth to sweet Jasper in Fort Worth.
The necklace Jalesa’s wearing is one that Sam sent home to her from Afghanistan.
This next segment are the ones we took with momma AND daddy just three days before Jasper arrived.
 Presh.
Just presh.
So happy for you and Sam, oh sister of mine! xoxo
If any blog readers missed Jasper’s birth story post, you can view it here.
On Monday morning at 5:51 a.m. I woke up to the eighth phone call (a combined effort between my sister and my mother) with the most wonderful news — my sister had gone into labor and she and her husband, Sam, were en route to the hospital. I was one of the first to be notified because I had volunteered to document this blessed occasion! Fifteen minutes after getting off the phone with my mother (and after contemplating what one wears to photograph their first labor and delivery) I was in my car headed to Fort Worth, camera in hand, nervous-excited jitters in full swing. On the way there, I came to the conclusion that the next time someone was tailgating me that I would just give them the benefit of the doubt that their sister was probably in labor.
By the time I had arrived at the hospital I thought I was the one in labor because it felt like my tear ducts were having contractions — I kept getting hit with waves of emotion at what was about to take place.
And so it began . . .
(The Full House PREGNANCY EPISODE was on in the waiting room!! “HOW TOPICAL,” my brother shouted!)
The second I saw Jasper I just LOST it. I didn’t know I would, but I did. Tears. (quietly). Everywhere. Obviously I kept taking photos through the waterworks but I cried to such a ridiculous extent that the nurses and doctors made fun of me.
The only way I can describe it is that it was such an overwhelming sense of joy, newness, and excitement in thinking about the journey my sister had just been though in the past nine months and the journey that had just begun for her and Sam for the rest of their lives. And then praise to my Creator for bringing all of this together.
I think it was at about this point that the tears slowed to a normal level. This was also the moment I deemed him my “little potato nephew” because I thought he looked like a potato all wrapped up like that. It was the first thing that came to my mind.
Favorite moment — the new family gathered closely together just quietly soaking it all in before heading out to tell the rest of the family in the waiting room.
To clarify the above photo, the second baby is Colby. Jalesa’s best friend starting from childhood was pregnant with a baby girl at the same time as Jalesa and she gave birth to Colby just a few weeks before Jalesa. This is their first photo together and we plan on setting them up in the future.
My second favorite moment of the day was when my dad got to see Jasper for the first time after he closed down his store. He took him in his arms and couldn’t look away from the babe for a solid half hour.
Precious.
 Welcome to the world, Jasper Dean. You are loved more than you more than you could possibly know.
Prepare yourselves, because I might accidentally use a lot of exclamation marks in this blogpost.
Joey and Sabra are good friends of James and mine, and have been for quite a while. They actually just had their BABY GIRL this December and she is sooooooooo precious!! I may or may not have had trouble letting James hold her when we went to visit ONLY because I wanted to hold her the ENTIRE time we were there. We’re SO excited for our dear friends. (If you keep going to the end of the post I might treat you with some pictures of us holding sweet little Stella.)
It was my pleasure to take some maternity pictures for Sabra and Joey in November, and here are a few of my favorites from the set.
Joey is the worship leader for the 9:31 service at First Baptist Burleson (James actually plays bass with him in the worship band) and music has always been a huge part of who he is. Therefore, his biggest request for the shoot was that it include a piano.
After working that 8 ft x 8 ft space by the piano for all it was worth, we headed outdoors for a few more shots.
Isn’t she so CUTE?!?!
B-e-a-U-ti-ful people.
(Our friend Jennifer made that super-cute yarn “S’ for Stella)
And now for some (low-quality) photos taken on my iphone during our first visit to see Stella!
I’m already itching to hold her again this Sunday! Congratulations, Joey and Sabra. Welcome to the world, Stella!
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