One of the things I am MOST excited about capturing for this couple is when they birth their baby and find out the gender!
Yep!! They opted to just wait it out and be surprised at whether its a boy or girl 
Sometimes, that very thing is what helps mama get through all the labor!
How did you prepare for your baby’s arrival? Did you have a gender reveal party separate from your baby showers?
Jessica and Ryan are expecting to meet baby in about 8 weeks!
a beautiful birth story starts with beautiful maternity images. I so wish i had some images made when I was pregnant with each of my four children. I found a few (not so great) snapshots , and I’m at least happy to have those.
I love photographing maternity sessions for my birth clients because it’s a great time for us to connect and get to know each other before the big birth day happens. Much like an engagement session is to a wedding, I find these appointments so beneficial.
Birth is such a personal experience, and it is my heart to make every woman feel as comfortable with me being in the room. It’s also important for fathers to be cool with me being in the birth space as this is all new for him as well!
these next few images were taken by one of my awesome back up birth photographers, Laura Lyn.
I’m so thankful for this amazing industry of people who back each other up and deliver stellar work!
Then I was able to go the next day for a sweet fresh baby session.
these tiny toes against the postpartum belly that just days before housed her
I think she is going to be a daddy’s girl!
I am so excited to watch her grow and see your little family flourish!!
xoxo
I can’t believe I get to photograph women in their most beautiful state, with-child. I am slightly obsessed with pregnant women- like, when I see one I want to say, “can I please photograph you?!” but.. that would be creepy. (or WOULD it ??!! )
so, I have to rely on all of you to spread the word about my love for maternity, BIRTH, and motherhood photography. (no, really, go tell all your friends!)
Kaylyn borrowed clothes from my JPP studio closet. I just love all these looks!
soft and sweet to bold and moody. which do you prefer?? I love both!! XO
If you are a new follower and don’t know who the Palmer’s are, let me take a minute to introduce them.
I first came to know Scott and Katie when they came to meet me about photographing their wedding. Little did we know what God had planned for this friendship… but He is all knowing and had a plan for sure!
I knew pretty much within minutes of them arriving at my home office that this meeting was going to be different. We hit it off immediately. It wasn’t until years later that Scott and my husband Brian became best buds that refer to each other as “Punkin’ and “Buttercup”. (I know Good lawd what have we created!)
Brian was used to me making friends and bringing clients home from even my early days as a portrait photographer in Virginia. But THIS… this was God driven. We now call our combined families “Palmerkowskis”!
I photographed Scott and Katie’s engagement session, then wedding. Then a few month later Katie found out she was expecting. Yay!! Maternity and birth photos followed. Bryson was born two days after their first anniversary.
Then, one crazy, horrible day in January, almost five months after Bryson was born, Scott called to tell me Bryson was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma cancer. Around that same time Katie realized she was expecting another baby. Braydon was born in Cleveland a few weeks early that August while Bryson was undergoing treatments there. That year Bryson fought like a soldier and beat cancer! Although the fight wasn’t quite over… about a year, year and a half later they found out the chemo had ruined his lungs and he was once again, fighting for his life.
My husband and I were able to grow even closer to this family as I continued to photograph them as often as I could, and we were even blessed to be able to help them out by keeping Braydon with us sometimes as they traveled back and forth to St Louis (Katie had to stay there 6 months with Bryson!) Braydon was like one of our own.
At the age of 4, right at Scott and Katie’s four year anniversary, and right before Bryson’s golden birthday, he received a pair of new lungs… a DOUBLE lung transplant saved his life JUST in time.
God is so good.
( I promise to show more images, but this story is worth the read!)
Fast forward a couple years and they were ready to grow their family even more, now that Bryson is thriving and things have ‘normalized” as much as they can (Bryson is still under close watch and continued prayers are appreciated for no rejection of the new lungs).
Katie became pregnant again and was due last June with a sweet baby girl!!! The nursery was painted pink and grey, girlie things started to fill their home, and I had gotten to photograph their maternity session.
A week later, at 35 weeks, Katie went in to the doctor and all was fine. The next day, she hadn’t felt the baby move. Another trip in to the doctor confirmed there was no heartbeat.
Sweet angel girl Lola was born asleep on May 8, 2015. Two days before Mother’s Day.
Six months later Katie and Scott anxiously started to try again to give a sibling to Bryson and Braydon. Once again, the devil stole their joy with a miscarriage.
Prayers galore for this sweet family. As I type, I fight back tears because I love them so much!
Alas, Katie shared with me that she is expecting again!!! Keeping it a secret from most until she felt secure, we were able to photograph this joyous time and finally announce, rainbow baby Palmer due this December!!
Won’t you join me in congratulating them??! Can you relate? Miscarriage isn’t widely talked about, but we know it happens way more than is made known. I love each an devery mama out there!
Katie loves reading the comments and seeing the love pour in for their family! And if you are the praying type, we would love your prayers for them and baby as well!
