Being a portrait photographer most often means I get to be around people in their happiest times. I met Emily and Scooter before they were married and photographed their engagement session. (see those here and here…and here) I drove back to Neosho from Saint Louis when they had their first son, Braylon to take his newborn portraits too! (see those here) I was excited for them when they told me about baby number two and asked me if I was willing to come down and take his first pictures as well. Halfway through that pregnancy though it was made known that baby Beckham wouldn’t make it too long. To commemorate his time alive inside Emily’s womb we did a maternity shoot instead. (see here) Obviously it didn’t take long into first meeting Emily and Scooter five years ago to love them. And I was so sad for them. I felt the best way I could help was to help them commemorate his little life though he never took a breath.

A few days before Beckham was stillborn, Emily and Scooter went with their oldest son, Braylon to Build-A-Bear and made a special bear for Beckham. The plan was to bury this fuzzy white bear with baby Beckham. However the night after Emily delivered Beckham she was in the hospital trying and trying to sleep–but she just couldn’t. She wanted to hold her baby but he was gone. That night she found his bear and held it next to her chest, she was able to sleep and made it through. After that, they knew they couldn’t bury Beckham’s bear.

Last year, Emily let me know she was expecting again! I had so much joy for them! Another son! And little Bostyn was born January 20th-a perfectly healthy, strong, beautiful little boy! It was an honor to work with this family I love again. We knew we needed to not only celebrate this rainbow baby Bostyn, but to have the pictures capture some of angel baby Beckham as well. We used Beckham’s baby bible (a gift from a friend) and of course, his bear. The text sweet Emily sent me when she saw the pictures meant the world to me: “I am in tears! They are so beautiful. I don’t even have words to express how perfect they are. Thank you so much for doing such a perfect job of representing Beckham in this session too.” It’s been such a blessing for me to be able to work with this family through the last five years of their lives and hopefully much longer. I love you guys!