DUNCAN, OK BIRTH | BABY MCPHERSON

This was not my typical Birth Photography client.

This time it was my sister giving birth to my tiny niece. 

This was never in my mind as a kid growing up. I knew a day would come when she and I would have our own families. We sort of always knew that she would have girls, and I would have boys. So I wasn't overwhelmed by her having another baby, per se, but being able to document the birth, the birth of my niece - that fact still makes me feel like it wasn't even real. I never dreamed I would have such an opportunity.

So let's start at the beginning, shall we?

She had a regular appointment with Dr. Stacie Elfrink on Wednesday. Her fluid had been a little low in the weeks before, but not in an alarming sense. At this last appointment though, Dr. Elfrink said she needed to go home, get her bag, and make her way back to the Birth Center at Duncan Regional Hospital so they could start a gentle induction.

Her oldest daughter was at my house for a cousin playdate, so that worked out well. She called to tell me that we would be celebrating a birthday soon! I checked my camera to make sure I was all charged. A little while later, I took my niece up to see her Mom. She insisted on buying her the giant butterfly balloon from the hospital gift shop. I made sure to get a snap of it the next day.

Later that evening after my boys went to bed, I went up to see her again, and she was contracting regularly and losing her breath with each wave. Her body was doing what it knew to do! After a check, she was only 3 centimeters dilated. I went home to bed and turned my phone all the way up in case she progressed quickly through the night.

Around 6:20am I got a text from my brother-in-law that she was at a 7. That was my cue! I put my hair up, grabbed my camera, and was out the door. Even with a small pit stop at McDonald's to pick her up a sausage biscuit for post delivery, I was at the hospital by 6:45am. The moon was still high in the sky.

I really thought it would be another couple of hours before I was needed, but just after I got there they checked to see how she had progressed. She was complete and ready to push! I took my normal position and anxiously waited. Although my wait wouldn't be long.

Her first push was at 6:58am and Baby E was born at 7:01am. 

I didn't notice her tear in the following picture until I was editing. As if I wasn't already emotional enough trying to work through this birth session. 

It was the happy kind of tear.

While we waited for Big Sister to arrive for her first look, they weighed Baby E and let her warm up under the heat lamp while RN Lauran did the first baby check up.

Finally, Big Sister made it. To be honest she was a bit overwhelmed and a little unsure at first. Who wouldn't be though? This was a big change for a four year old. (Oh, but you should see them now! You can't take a picture of one without the other.)

The rest of the waiting family followed quickly after Big Sister to get their first cuddles.

The baby book didn't make it to the hospital, so there was nothing cute for visitors to sign. Gran and Big Sis to the rescue! Not sure how, but Gran always manages to come through in a pinch on stuff like that. She found paper and colored pens, and that's all they needed.

Big Sister drew a picture of a heart for her Mom. Inside of the heart, she said she drew "baby's heartbeat." I'm not even making that precious story up.

I'll never forget my awe in the moment of her birth. She came fast, she came little, and she came to steal our hearts away.

What a Divinely created, one-of-kind, masterpiece you are my Littlest Dear.