Little Ariana had such a tough journey to get here…poor Denise labored for hours and hours and wasn’t progressing and finally had to be given a C-section.  Well, we know with C-sections I am not allowed in the OR to cover the actual birthing process. O-well.  Maybe the Valley will come around to a more progressive way of thinking regarding C-sections, but, I digress.  So when Ariana finally made her debut, everyone was pretty tuckered out.  When I arrived at the hospital poor Denise was so sick from the anesthesia, and the medicine she took for the nausea made her soooooo sleepy, the baby was still in the nursery and everyone else has stepped out for  quick bite to eat…so Denise and I took a quick nap together  🙂  When Ariana came into the room, it really was the first time Denise had gotten to see her and I could tell she just wanted to hold that baby and love on her.  When she finally held Ariana it was like watching her release a big sigh of relief and everything was finally made right.  It was like the two were in their own little love bubble there for a bit.  It was such a testament to me of the intense love a mother has for her child.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…births are incredibly intimate and personal and I always feel privileged to be a part of them.

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Ahhhh!  Ginna and her girls are always the funnest to hang with.  Mia…aye yai yai!!  All she wanted to do was fall on the bed.  That girl can keep me laughing in stitches for days on end.  So freakin’ funny, that kid.  She almost stole the show from baby Natalia…who is 4 months old!  Um, where did those four months go please?  Sheesh, time is flying way too fast.

Anyway, these two were hilarious to watch together…Mia trying to hold sister, saying sweet things and then squishing, dropping, rolling, laying on top of her.  And Natalia just chillin’ took it all in stride.   Such a little cutie patootie with those chubby little rolls and chunk a monk cheeks!!!  Let me tell you, that last picture pretty much summed up the entire shoot…love the outtakes.

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Every newborn is so different.  We have some come in that love being held all day long, most are sleepy then wake up for a bit and then go back to sleep, and then there are some who are just sleepy all the day long and let us move them seamlessly from pose to pose without waking at all.  Edith was one of those who just slept like a dream.  I was so excited to photograph her because I fell in LOVE with her beautiful long eyelashes.  They remind me so much of my daughter Summer.  I remember looking at Summer’s lashes the night she was born, when it was just me and her, and marveling at how long and gorgeous they were.  I didn’t sleep a wink that night…every time a nurse came in I would brag and tell them to look at her beautiful lashes.  That’s how I felt when I looked at Edith…such an adorable little piece of heaven.

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