Just like the weddings I get to photograph, each birth is uniquely different and amazingly wonderful at the same time!  And the birth of sweet Asa was no different… except for one thing.  This was my first birth to photograph where the gender of the baby was a surprise!!  Y’all, I don’t know how parents do it.  Waiting for 40 weeks to find out the gender of that precious baby in your womb would feel like torture to me!  But at the same time, it was kind of exciting to wait and hear “It’s a boy!” from Turner when he came out from the operating room.

Turner and Courtney found out fairly early that their sweet “Baby A” had a cleft/palate but they didn’t know much else past that.  So they’ve been preparing for this particular uniqueness for a while.  They were even able to meet with their plastic surgeon several weeks ago and felt so reassured after sitting down with him!  What they didn’t know until the day Courtney hit 40 weeks was that their baby was also breech.  So, while she did actually go into labor on her due date and was having contractions when I got to the hospital (not that she ever indicated there was any pain associated with any contraction!  Seriously, she is Super Woman!), she was being prepped for a c-section.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to go into the operating room this time, but I sent my camera with Turner with some very quick instructions so they could still have those “brand new baby” photos from a DSLR.  And I must say, Turner and the nurse that helped get some photos did a really great job!

These two were in such great spirits!  And so ready to meet their little one!

And there she goes!

These next several photos were taken in the OR while I waited with their families in the waiting room. I loved getting to spend time with them and speculate on everything going on and whether it was a boy or girl… but goodness, now I understand what it’s like to be on the waiting end of these deliveries!!  We didn’t know until go-time that I wouldn’t be allowed into the OR, otherwise I would have brought both of my cameras so I could get photos in the waiting room :-)

And there he is!  Asa Owen!

SUCH a sweet boy!  The cleft/palate is only on his right side (instead of being on both sides), which is a good scenario.

And what seemed like hours later (even though it was only just over an hour), Turner came out with the news!

And shared all the photos on his phone.

I was beside myself when I got to go back and meet Asa!  He was so content laying on his mama’s chest and taking her in.

But no matter how excited I was, it was NO comparison for the new grandparents, uncle and great-grandma :-)

Congratulations again, you guys!  I was so excited to hear today that Asa is doing well with is special bottles and eating like a champ!  God is so good and Asa is just wonderful.  Much love to your sweet new family of 3!

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