It’s a pretty amazing thing to see friends, friends you have known for TEN years hit milestones in their lives. I met Justin and Katie while a freshman in college, even before their love story was even a thing.

Then I watched them start to explore the waters of dating followed by engagement and then of course marriage! Now they are PARENTS to beautiful Emma Jean. For nine months I watched Katie’s little bump grow, I watched her and Justin talk about their future, their plans as parents, I watched their faces light up when dreaming of the day Emma Jean would be in their arms.

And then I got to be witness to it all.

Emma Jean is now earth side and she is so loved. I cannot tell you how incredibly nervous I was to meet her. Not because of how little she was but because it was so surreal to me that I was finally going to meet this little product of love that two people made and those two people I have known for such a long time. It’s truly a full circle of life kind of moment.

On the day that Katie and I picked out for our lifestyle newborn shoot Mother Nature decided to snow and snow and snow until about five inches were laid on the ground. What would normally have been a 20 minute car ride turned into a two hour event. But I was determined. I was not going to miss out on this milestone. I just couldn’t!

When I arrived Emma Jean was so peaceful, sleeping, completely unaware of what was happening right outside her own bedroom window. For the first 20 minutes of being at their house I just held Emma Jean, rocking her, soaking in the memory of her little face. She was here! And I was holding her!

Once I started photographing the family it was so calm and serene. She was barely fussy and if she did fuss a little rocking back and forth put her right back to sleep. Just watching Justin and Katie interact with her, hold her, and love her was something my camera could have photographed all day long.

These photos are something I just absolutely couldn’t wait to share and I hope you all find them as precious as I do!