Shannon Holden Photography

I think I have a new favorite quotation, maybe even a new life motto. I came across this on a photography site I visit often.

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” – Dorothea Lange

Meet Miss A. Oh, she was a joy to photograph! She was so sweet, smiley, and calm. Her parents themselves are involved in the art world professionally, so it was a great honor to be chosen as their photographer. During the session, her mom said to me, “What it must be like to see the world through your eyes.” What a compliment that was! On my drive home, I remembered that quotation I had just read, and reflected on how incredibly blessed I am to be a photographer. I never thought I could have, never knew it possible to have, a career that I would still do even if I wasn’t being paid.

And babies like Miss A are huge part of that blessing. For an hour or two, I get to enjoy some fresh air and new scenery with a new family, focusing (no pun intended) on all things beautiful and innocent in that singular moment, brought to life by a darling baby discovering it for the first time. My camera and my clients allow me a view on life that I would have never had otherwise. I don’t know how long God will entrust me with this gift, but I will cherish each and every moment for as long as I can. I hope to have a camera in my hand, professionally or not, for the rest of my life.

So thank you, to this family and all my clients, for being part of this gift, this blessing, to me.

I had an awesome weekend at the Deeper Still Conference in Atlanta, with Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Priscilla Shirer. I’ve never been to a conference of this sort, and I was excited when my friend Kate invited me to join her. I’ve done a few Beth Moore Bible studies, each of which has led me through some of the most important lessons in my life. So to see her in person was an opportunity I did not want to miss.

We had pretty good seats Friday night (it was general admission). Kate wanted to get in line Saturday morning by 6:30 a.m. Yes, I teased her about her abundant enthusiasm. But I was thankful for it soon enough, as we ended up on the third row! In a crowd of 19,000 women in Phillips Arena, those kind of seats cannot be beat! All the speakers were amazing, as was the worship team, including both performances by Mandisa. I was utterly exhausted on Sunday, after only a few hours sleep, and hour after hour sitting in a hard folding chair, but it was all worth it.

God answered some big questions for me, some with which I’d really been struggling, and even answered a few I had not thought to ask yet. He specifically addressed some issues with my business, which has lifted a weight from my heart. This quite possibly was a life changing weekend for me. I know many women there can say the same thing.

Thank you, Lord, for being so present in my life, so concerned with my small details, and so loving as to offer me clarity through them. I am so blessed.

Here’s a quick shot from my iPhone. It’s tiny camera certainly does not do justice to the lovely Beth Moore, but it will have to do.

About two years ago, I received an inquiry from a new client, expecting her first child and looking for a photographer for her maternity portraits. Unfortunately, I was due to give birth to my daughter very soon and I could not accept the opportunity. Lucky for me, she kept in touch, and I got got the chance to first meet this family when their baby boy was six months old. He is just a few weeks older than my daughter. You might recognize him from the opening slideshow on my website. He is a darling child, with soft blue eyes and caramel brown hair. I was honored to be his photographer for the next three sessions in his first year. You can see his First Birthday session here.

And now he has a beautiful baby brother, just born! Isn’t he a little lovebug? He wasn’t really interested in snoozing for us, but we finally talked him into it. He has the most beautiful little fingers and tiny toes. Though he resisted the nap for a while, he was calm and quiet for us, content to cuddle with his mommy.

This past year has been one of many highs and lows for this family. As they anticipated the birth of their second son, they found themselves on an incredibly difficult journey. As their older son grew, as his first birthday came and went, they started to see certain aspects of his development that concerned them. I can’t begin to even summarize their story adequately. I have only been an occasional guest in their home, privileged to get to know them a little bit over these couple of years. What I do know is that they went through the anguish of multiple doctors’ visits and tests, and the reeling conclusion of a diagnosis of autism. With their son not quite two years old yet, they are now embarking on a new journey, one they never anticipated, of treatment and therapy for their little boy.

There is a moving essay, written by Emily Perl Kingsley, called “Welcome to Holland.” I hope you will click on the link to read it. I read it years ago, and it came to mind when I learned of B’s diagnosis, and the bittersweet journey that now lays ahead of these dear clients and friends. They are a loving, wonderful family. I hope you will join me in praying for them, as they celebrate the joy of their new baby, and as they learn which path to take next to help their son. I think you will agree with me that both of their sons are beautiful little guys. I believe these boys are incredibly blessed to have these parents as their own. I am honored to know them.

Five. Five Years. Five?? Yes, Shannon. Five. Wow.

I am in disbelief. How can he be Five already? (Well, in two weeks he will be five.)

His due date was July 25. For nine months, people kidded me that I’d have a July 4th baby. I said, “No way.” I didn’t want my son to share a birthday with a major national holiday, so I wouldn’t even consider the possibility. Through June, I had episodes of false labor. I spent a very short time on limited bedrest. The contractions came and went without impact. So when I woke on the morning of July 4, I ignored the contractions and went about preparing for our family cookout to happen that day at my husband’s grandfather’s house. Chris watched me nervously and suggested a couple of times that I call our midwife. “I’m fine. They aren’t real contractions. I’ll take a bath and drink a gallon of water,” I said to him. “They will go away. They always do.”

In the warm bath, trying to relax and keep up my denial, I looked over at the pink Cyclamen plant sitting beside the tub, the late morning light streaming in to illuminate its blooms. My mother had given me that plant as a housewarming gift. It had only been 8 weeks since she died. My heart was still grieving in so many ways, but most of all in the realization that she would not be here for his birth. I thought of the way she would lovingly pat my expanding belly and say, “Just look at that beautiful baby!” The pink flowers seemed to glow at me, and I felt a sense of her love and her presence wash over me. How could I do this without her? But her presence with me was calming, gentle, and reassuring. That was when I first started to realize that his birth might be today.

As I got dressed, Chris asked how far apart the contractions were now, seeing on my face, I suppose, that they had not vanished with the bath as I’d predicted. “Four minutes and getting stronger.” An hour later, we arrived at the hospital, met by my dad, my in laws, and our midwife, Ginny. No denying it anymore. I was in labor full swing. I was having our baby. The next few hours moved quickly and smoothly, and shortly after 7:00 p.m. on the 4th of July, this incredible little boy entered the world.

And that was just the beginning! He’s a firecracker in every sense of the word. He is a celebration personified: loud, exciting, firey, enthusiastic, explosive, entertaining, joyous, and vibrant. He has two speeds: fast and faster. He has a heart that overflows with love, and he can charm the paint off the walls. Above all, he has his mommy wrapped around his little finger, and he knows it. I know it, too. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy Birthday, my favorite Firecracker. Mommy loves you more every single day.