The first birth I ever photographed was the night before I photographed a wedding.  I just knew that was the weekend I was going to start drinking coffee because the caffeine was going to be a must!  Well, that didn’t happen, it still hasn’t!

But what has happened is that I’ve learned more and more that my strength to do anything, much less at 36 weeks pregnant, is all because of prayers from friends and completely from God.  I knew for sure that after shooting a 9+ hour wedding day on Saturday that my body was going to be so sore and I would barely be able to walk.  And that was NOT the case at all.  The day seemed to fly by and I couldn’t believe it when I was pulling up to the reception.  Yes, I was tired, but my body was not exhausted like it usually is by that time on any given day of the week.

And all the while, I was keeping in touch with one of my former brides whose water had broken and was waiting to deliver her first baby in Atlanta!  At first we didn’t think I would be able to make it down for the birth because of the wedding, but like I told her, God knew before she had even told me she was pregnant that I would be just as pregnant, that I would have a wedding the same day she went into labor, and that there were all kinds of little details to be worked out in order for me to be there.

So, I trusted.  I trusted that God knew far better that He was doing than I did.  I trusted that whether I was able to photograph the birth or the day after that this baby boy would arrive safely and his parents would be gracious with me and how everything worked out.  I trusted that when he wasn’t born on Saturday, 5.5 hours of sleep Saturday night would be enough to carry me through another long day of shooting on Sunday.

I knew that the word TRUST was my focus for the year, but I didn’t realize I would have to lean into it so much so early in 2017!  But when you realize everything is out of your control, trusting what God is doing takes an incredible weight off of your shoulders and allows Him to fill you with His strength.

So thankful for my brides… and for my brides turned mamas :-)  Today may be a “bring me all the caffeine I can have while pregnant” kind of day, but even the exhaustion is completely worth all I was able to experience and capture this weekend!