As a South Florida birth photographer, being invited back to Baptist Health Boca Regional to document Parker’s birth felt especially meaningful to me… as now in 2026, it has been nearly ten years now since I first met Jamie and Daniel while photographing his sister’s birth in the very same hospital.
…I still remember almost ten years ago, back to February 2016… I had just had my second baby myself 6 months earlier… my photographer friend Emily (who back then was a birth photographer) reached out and asked if I could back her up with one of her birth photography clients, Jamie, at Baptist Health Boca Regional Hospital because Emily needed to unexpectedly attend an out of town conference and wouldn’t be able to attend the birth.
I happened to be available at the time and agreed, albeit a little nervous about photographing a birth of a second time mom I had not yet had met.
I spend a good amount of time getting to know my birth photography clients during the three trimesters of their pregnancies, so naturally, I worried if Jamie and I would have a good connection during her labor & birth.
But that day that I met Jamie and Daniel couldn’t have possibly been a better first time meeting.
I instantly connected with both of them and was able to capture the smallest details and the biggest moments of their baby girl Emery’s arrival in such a special and meaningful way for them.
It was truly magical capturing them meet their second daughter, and incredible photographing their firstborn Madeline coming into the hospital as a toddler and meeting her baby sister Emery.
I felt so fortunate to be attending my first birth at Baptist health Boca regional that day, the first time I was back since I had my daughter there.
And now… almost ten years later, little Emery is about to turn 10!
Happy 10th Birthday, sweet girl Emery!
Ten years since my first birth at my favorite hospital. With the same family.
I couldn’t possibly express how grateful I am for the trust my families have in me. Thank you, thank you!
Happy 3rd Birthday baby boy Parker!
Fast forward 7 years, I was absolutely thrilled when Jamie reached out that she was expecting again. I was grateful we got to work together in such an unexpected way back in 2016 but I didn’t think we’d see each other again for birth since she was my colleagues client after all, but over those 7 years my colleague shifted gears with her photography away from births whereas I went deeper into birth photography as I found footing in my own path with my work.
It was a pleasure to work with Jamie in such a new way for baby boy Parker. We got to spend time connecting during her pregnancy, which I really enjoy doing with my birth photography clients, and since I had only met her the day of her daughter Emery’s birth back in 2016, I never had the opportunity to have that connection with her before. It was wonderful receiving pregnancy updates on how she was feeling and how baby was growing in her belly.
Finally came the day that baby was coming. It was a Saturday in February, and I love love that both of Jamie’s babies births that I photographed for her were in February. Two little Aquarius babies!
She was due February 12th, but by February 4th, the day had finally arrived.
Jamie and I kept in touch by text messages all morning regarding how early labor was going. Once I was there with Jamie and her husband, I was able to capture a few quiet moments between them and baby boy Parker’s arrival came at 12:56pm, all 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 20 and a half inches of him!
I was so excited for Jamie and Daniel that they would have the exciting journey now of being a boy dad and boy mom.
I’ve often wondered what life would be like having a son, since I have two daughters who’s ages closely mirror Jamie’s daughters ages (don’t you just love how serendipitous motherhood can be in bringing us together?) And now she would get to walk that journey with her little boy!
So grateful to Jamie and Daniel for trusting me with both of their birth stories, especially almost 10 years ago when I was a total stranger stepping in for your Birth Photographer when you were pregnant with Emery. I can only imagine, it must have been nerve-racking not knowing how everything would turn out back then.
I’m so thankful to have gotten to know you and your family over the years and so grateful at how much closer Parker’s birth brought us, making every single moment & detail I captured at his birth so incredibly special & meaningful in my journey as Boca’s birth photographer.
