I am so happy to be able to introduce you to this special
sweetheart, Donovan.
Donovan is such a cutie pie! He has the most beautiful
cheeks, lips, and hair, and I love his gorgeous dark skin and the soft fuzz
along his shoulders and back. So handsome! He was very sleepy throughout the
session, and even gave me an adorable baby yawn to prove it.
He is such a precious little one and I loved every minute I
spent with him and his parents and siblings.
Donovan and his family hold a very special place in my
heart. I am honored to be a volunteer photographer for Now I Lay Me Down to
Sleep, a baby photography program
for newborns who are diagnosed with a fatal illness, who are stillborn, or who pass
shortly after birth. For more information about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep’s inspiring
program, see their website here.
I first met Donovan’s mom, Sarah, and her family, when Donovan’s
brother Theo was born just over a year ago, sleeping. I was privileged to take
photos of Theo and his wonderful family at the hospital after his birth, and it
was such a tender time. It is a precious and unforgettable experience to be allowed
to share, in small part, in that deeply personal time of grief and love.
Because of my previous experience with this family, I was
particularly humbled, excited, and grateful when Sarah contacted me to book a newborn photography session for her
wonderful rainbow baby. (“Rainbow baby” is a special title that those of us in
the baby loss community confer on a baby who is born after the loss of an older
sibling.)
Having a baby after a loss comes with so many emotions—amazing,
yes, but often bittersweet and sometimes difficult. Although my own five losses
were earlier, both the experience of losing a baby and of welcoming a new baby
after the loss of a child come with feelings I am familiar with. Along with
Donovan’s family, I felt a resurgence of many of those emotions as soon as I
found out about his arrival.
It was a wonderful experience to welcome Donovan’s parents,
brother, and sisters to my photography
studio in Eugene, Oregon, and to celebrate the miracle of Donovan’s birth
together, as well as to honor the memory of Theo, who will always be a part of
this amazing group of people. There was a wonderful feeling of joy, love, and
healing during this session, and I hope I was able to convey a sense of that
throughout these photographs.
I was touched that this beautiful family asked me to be the
one to record Donovan’s first weeks of life. While no one will ever be able to
replace sweet Theo in the hearts and minds of his family, Donovan is certainly
bringing a ray of sunshine into the lives of his loved ones. Truly, “after
every storm comes a rainbow.” And what a beautiful rainbow!
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