Some birth stories hit different for me because they’re personal. Like this one. ❤️
Because this was the birth of the sweetest little girl to one of my oldest friends. Like middle-school awkward-phase kind of friends. Jaymee has always been one of the kindest, most generous humans on this planet, and somehow I’ve been lucky enough to photograph two of her baby bumps now! One way back when I was just figuring out my camera (kudos to her for trusting me 😂) and again this time with her third baby. (Big improvement if I do say so myself!)
And then I got to be in the room when she brought her surprise baby girl into the world at Longs Peak Hospital with Dr. Pomfret (who was also my OB when I was pregnant with Ellie eight years ago!)
Okay. Let’s dive into Lydia’s story. 💛
A Pregnancy Filled With Hope (and So Much Cereal)
Jaymee told me from the start that “this sweet angel was planned and wished for,” but she was still shocked to see that positive test “I didn’t think it would happen.”
I remember the day she told me she was pregnant and immediately thinking it would be a girl. She has two boys and was always the boy mom while I was the girl mom (until my twin boys changed that!) I always wanted her to have a daughter!
Pregnancy wasn’t exactly glamorous (is it ever?). She said, “I was so sick… and I loved sweets and cereal! So much cereal!” But she rocked that belly!! Gorgeous as ever!
Induction Day at Longs Peak Hospital
At 37 weeks, Jaymee was induced due to preeclampsia. “I started to feel sick and lethargic at 35 weeks,” she told me, and an induction was the safest plan.
The beginning was honestly pretty chill. We were hanging out, chatting, laughing. Snacking. She said, “Labor was great. We had so many visitors.” And it really did feel that way… full of support and anticipation.
Then labor got spicy and she said, “I enjoyed the experience until mistakes were made and I didn’t enjoy the pain anymore haha.” (So her!) This is where being a doula and photographer was helpful – Jaymee needed MY hands to massage her back through contractions until the epidural came. (Obviously I was happy to oblige!)
And finally:
“I got the epidural and life was grand.”
But short lived, because a baby came real quick after that!
A Surprise GIRL + A Scary Moment
And then came the best twist of all…
“Our little GIRL was born! Her gender was the best surprise.”
They waited all the way until birth to find out and ohhhh my gosh I still get teary thinking about that moment. Her face when she realized she had a daughter is something I’ll never forget. ❤️
When baby arrived, everything flipped in one breath.
“When she came to us blue and not crying we were caught off guard and very worried.”
She had rocketed out in literally ONE push!
“While she was itty bitty, she was pushed into this world in one real push and it was a lot for her system.”
The room shifted instantly and the team at Longs Peak Hospital was all hands on deck. “The nice team came to the rescue and did the most to get our girl back on track.”
NICU nurses… they’re freaking superheroes. Truly. Love them.
Meeting Lydia
“My sweet girl was so itty bitty,” she told me. “I’ve never held a baby as small as she was.” Weighing in at 5lbs 9oz, she was a peanut!
“It was pretty scary to see them whisk her off but she needed all the care of the NICU.”
Tiny but mighty, and a fighter from the start!
The First 48 Hours
She didn’t waste any time showing off her strength, either.
“Lydia made rapid progress and joined us in the early morning of her birthday after learning how to fully extend her lungs.”
And then they finally got the moment they’d been waiting for:
“We soaked up the newborn magic.”
Why They Chose Birth Photos
This part made me emotional:
“We wanted to remember all the little details of the day. The day our little girl joined our world was a little chaotic but filled with so much love and Kylie captured that for us.”
And then this… which I will hold in my heart forever:
“She’s my favorite human to have along the journey… I will never give birth without her by my side again.”
😭😭😭 Anytime, mama!
A Full-Circle Birth I’ll Never Forget
From middle-school besties → to photographing her pregnancies → to standing beside her as she brought her surprise baby girl into the world…
This one is stitched into my heart forever.
If you’re dreaming of your own surprise gender birth photos, I’d love to be there!
Calm presence, steady hands, camera ready, and documenting the joy, the fear, the magic, the chaos, and everything in between.
Your birth story deserves to be remembered! Every single piece of it. 💛
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