I love middle names. I always include my kids’ middle names whenever possible. I think the middle name is like the frosting on the cake, the guacamole with your chips, the raisins with my almonds… haha, what I’m trying to say is, it just completes the name. I know there are many who don’t have a middle name and maybe that’s because your first and last name are sufficient, like a brownie, it doesn’t need frosting because it’s awesome all on it’s own. I don’t know why I’m using food analogies but, I’m sure you get what I’m trying to say. 😉

Annalise Mina is the little blessing of my sweet friend Erin and her super supportive husband John and I was blessed with the privilege to document her tiny little features and them as a family within her first couple weeks after birth.

I asked Erin how she felt and what her first thoughts were after seeing her baby girl for the first time.

“Relief and overwhelming joy. My whole life I was told carrying my own child would be difficult if not impossible. After losing our first baby to miscarriage I was convinced it was true. Yet God is good and we became pregnant again with an easy pregnancy. Still, my heart had a hard time trusting she would ever be in my arms. So holding her was a true moment of praise and overwhelming joy.”

Erin shared some words of wisdom for the expecting and new mama that I think is amazing advice.

“Run to Jesus and don’t trust your hormones! Those first 6 weeks are hard. Trust your instincts, stand firm in the truth that God created you especially for your baby and let yourself take time to heal physically and learn to be a mom. Also, take all the help you can get. Help is a blessing not a sign of failure.”

This right here is why I do what I do. I know God has me pouring His love onto His children through my art. I am so honored that He uses me for such a job as reminding other mamas of His love for them.

“I’m so in love with our images. I love the mix between posed and lifestyle you captured. I love that you made art out of our little one. Also the pictures you made of us being parents and loving our daughter helped me through the dark days of postpartum depression. Having them to remind me of our love and role as parents was priceless.”

Erin is a photographer who specializes in documentary photography. She loves documenting families and birth stories and she does a wonderful job at it. She happens to be my photographer who documented our Charlotte Skye’s birth story a couple years ago and we have been friends every since. 🙂

I asked Erin what inspired her to start her journey as a photography business owner.

“I fell in love with photography when my niece was born. I had the precious privilege of being asked to document it. I knew the moment I saw my nephew’s face as he held his baby sister for the first time that I wanted to provide others with images that reflected the art of their life. I adore finding the magic in the mundane of everyday life in my family documentary sessions and the grace in every new life placed in a mom’s arms.”

You can find Erin’s beautiful work at Captured Grace by Erin

Thank you Sricharoon family for letting me take part in telling the story of your family and precious little Annalise! I truly enjoyed the time we had together and I can’t wait until we can hang out again!

Blessings,