you remember baby harper from a few weeks back right?  well…i promised the rest of the images and a tear-jerker of a story.  now is that time.

harper’s mama and i were in the same circle of friends in high school.  man i wish i had gotten to know her better then.  she is awesome and i am just now seeing that even more clearly after getting the privilege of photographing her sweet baby.  she was a cool kid…i was not.  in fact, i vaguely remember being too shy to think she would even want to be friends with dorkily me.  she is probably laughing  whilst reading this.  but it is true.  either way, i have really really really enjoyed getting to know her better.  dropping products and prints off and her house could easily turn into an hour long convo…and i love it!

back to the story…harper was just nine days old when i met her.  gorgeous.  perfect skin, beautiful eyes, tiny puckered lips…just an all around doll.  and while i don’t yet know harper’s daddy very well, he seemed like he was taking on to this father role pretty darn well.  proof?  he was pooped on at the same time as his tv was in jeporady of being attacked with said poop and he stayed calm.  that is legit.  proud of you jay!

mommy left the room for a minute and harper shared this sweet gem of a grin with me.  love being able to show clients surprises during their image reveals!

those perfect lips i was telling you about.  per.fect.

this is the most special part.  when merissa (harper’s mommy) was opening her baby gifts, she was surprised to see a gift from great-gramma to baby harper.  this particular great-gramma (sounds amazing) had passed before merissa could even meet her, when merissa’s father was only 19 years old.  she was a talented woman and left some “unfinished business” behind her at her death.  years later, as that strapping young, once-nineteen year old man was married, his lovely bride found some of this “unfinished business” and decided to save it someday in case she ever had a sweet bundle of pink girl to bestow it upon.  time passed, it may have been forgotten for a time but as merissa opened her baby gift from her gramma, tears began to well.  this pink blanket had not yet reached completion in gramma’s hands.  she started it but was unable to finish it before she passed.  merissa’s mother had it finished and gave it to baby harper as a gift from her great gramma.

never have i heard of such a special gift passed down in the family in such a way.  i cried as i retold the story to my loved ones.  and now i want to learn to crochet.  and purposefully leave a blanket unfinished.  a pray that some lovely will marry one of my sons and do the same for my future great-grand babies.  high hopes…i know.  but the love and thoughtfulness and timelessness of this gift nearly took my breath away.  amazing.

harper is so loved.  as i mentioned in the previous blog post, merissa’s mom made that lovely canvas hanging in harper’s room.  a pinterest and baby nursery decor dream!  speaking of gramma…

she is absolutely in love with harper.  i adore seeing her face with every visit.  she loves that baby so!

thank you merissa, for all the promises of a session with your baby.  thank you for sharing your secret with me early on, for keeping me up to date and for letting me be there in your new mommy moments.  thank you for letting me hold your baby when the rest of the world can only look 😉 and thank you for trusting me with her as we had our time together.  you are an amazing mother and i have enjoyed talking about all of life with you.  i love that we laugh and tear up during our short conversations and i can only look forward to getting to know you more!  and thank you for not freaking out about the poop and pee on your white rug.  you are a rockstar!  and thanks for being such a wonderful model harper.  i loved all the smiles you shared with me.  promise me more cuddles in the very near future?  good.  xoxo