With this being Veteran’s Day weekend, I have been doing a lot of thinking. First of all, I’m so very thankful for everyone, past and present, who has spent time serving our country through military service. I’m specifically thankful for my wonderful husband who has spent almost four years serving our country. We’ve been through two deployments, and I can’t say they were easy. But I was glad for the opportunity to hold down the home front while my husband served overseas. In 2011 my husband spent 6 months in Afghanistan. I stayed home and had a baby. He wasn’t there to hold my hand while I gave birth. He was out on a patrol and didn’t even have skype capabilities. He wasn’t there to meet his first born son and see the incredible miracle that a newborn baby is. It was hard, but I know I’m not the only one to have gone through this. Some have done it more than once.
It was only by God’s grace and the help of so many family and friends that I made it through. And one thing that made this oh, so much more bearable was a gift given to me by a local photographer. Megan from “A Beautiful Moment” Photography by Megan gifted me with something priceless. A couple months before my due date, a friend sent me a short email about a photographer who did something called “Operation Tiny Toes”: free newborn sessions for military wives giving birth while their husbands were deployed. When I visited Megan’s website and saw the beautiful images she creates, I couldn’t believe she would offer this for free! Long story short, Megan did take my son’s newborn photos and gave my husband and me a priceless gift of memories. My husband couldn’t be there to see his newborn son, but Megan skillfully captured the moment, and with every image my husband got to see a little more of this amazing little person he couldn’t wait to meet!
Fast forward a year. Through the inspiration of countless individuals and my husband’s encouragement and funding, I am now running my own photography business in the Camp Lejeune area specializing in newborns and children! What a journey it has been! I am enjoying every minute, especially with newborns. And I am finally in the position to give back just as Megan did for me last year. I offer a free newborn session to military wives who will be giving birth while their husbands are away. By doing this, I hope to help keep those wives going, knowing that just a bit of that precious newness will be captured in those images that they can send to their husbands and treasure for years to come.
So spread the word! If you or someone you know is giving birth while her husband is deployed, please contact me and I will be happy to book a free newborn session. I am currently booking through February 2013. Keep an eye out for a new page on my website with details on this new offer!
