On January 17th, 2017 at 6:04pm our second son was born via planned c-section.

Landon Jude…bigger than his older brother was, and just as precious.

Words can’t adequately describe what I was feeling during this time. I was still in the depths of shock and grief from losing someone dear to me just 10 days before, but I had such joy and excitement about meeting our baby boy. It was a process learning such polar opposite emotions can reside in the same moment.

I’m including a very small handful of my favorite photos from that day. I have to take a minute to mention how our incredible friend came in to the operating room with us for a second time. She absolutely blew us away with these beautiful images. I cry every time I take a stroll down memory lane with them. The way she made me feel is one of the reasons my passion is birth photography. There are no moments more precious to capture than when you give birth to your baby.
I digress, but we appreciate you so much Tricia Bridges!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!

They mean it when they tell you that your heart only grows when you have another baby. I know its a common struggle in the minds and hearts of moms with only one baby. “HOW?! How will I ever love another baby as much as I do my first!?”
The wise ones that have walked before you aren’t lying to you. I had the same thoughts and was told the same thing by many many mamas. I didn’t believe it till I felt it though, and it really is the best in the whole world.

We busted out of the hospital 3 days later. We still reminisce about how that day could’ve turned into the worst of our lives and how truly grateful we are that it didn’t…but that doesn’t mean the next few days were easy either. Sitting in our living room with Landon in my arms, I suddenly realized he became too still. I looked closely and noticed he had stopped breathing and began to turn blue. I uttered the words “call 911” to Brad as I simultaneously started light chest compressions and firm pats on the back. Anything I could to stimulate him. Parents, or everyone, really…learn CPR. Seriously. What felt like an hour later, even though I know it was probably only a matter of a minute, he started breathing again and normal color quickly returned to his face. We were taken in by ambulance anyway for a few days of grueling tests, monitoring, and waiting. We were exhausted and we left with no real answers which was bittersweet. They classified it as ALTE (Acute Life Threatening Event). Could’ve been like a SIDS situation, except by the grace of God I was holding him.

I know I could be writing a very different story tonight, and I don’t take it for granted that we get to celebrate his birthdays with him.

Shortly after we made it home for real, we had the opportunity to cash in on our side of a previous business trade with a studio newborn photographer in Burleson, Tx. I wanted every picture I could have of him, especially after the hardest few weeks of my life. She and her business partner-or maybe apprentice (I’m not totally sure what their titles were, but I recommend her all the time now) worked their magic on our two week old baby boy and captured some more sweet details I’m still so grateful to have. Lemme just tell ya, posed studio newborn photography is in a category all its own. Those women are magic. Images are by Melissa Moseley and Kimberly Fain.

The littlest Hughes. He is smart, silly, busy, happy, and has always been the best sleeper which makes him exponentially adorable.

It has been an incredible thing to see the love between siblings. Being an only child, that’s a bond I’ve never experienced…so to watch it grow between my boys has been one of my favorite things about becoming a mother of two. It has also been so interesting to see how two children from the same parents can be so different.

Like how some kids love the camera and some have to be threatened within an inch of their life to sit still for one second. That’s also why some of the photos you’ll see made my husband’s jaw drop. The first time around, we got the camera hog. Put Easton down in front and he’ll put on a show. The second? HA. He’s my runner. Camera? BYE!
But just wait…last week he willingly gave me the honor of taking some adorable photos of him. During nap time! He could’ve had anything in the world after that. It really was the best, so obviously, I’m sharing them everywhere today!

At 4 months old we dedicated him at our church in front of friends and family with this passage…

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
James 1:17

We want him to always remember how much of a gift he is to us. God is faithful. His timing is perfect even though sometimes it feels all wrong to us. In the midst of tragedy, God gave us something so wonderful in Landon.

When I was praying about a verse for him I kept thinking of the one that said “good and perfect gift…” but was unsure what the passage was. When I looked it up, it happened to be the same as his birthday, 1/17. It’s found in James, which is Easton’s middle name. James and Jude were Jesus’ brothers. The sweet details God gave me in this process were so comforting. When Brad and I discussed it, we both agreed it was perfect.

If you don’t know what our baby dedication means, we basically just acknowledge the fact that we know these children don’t belong to us, but that they have been entrusted to us by God. We promise to shepherd their hearts toward the Lord and bring them up teaching them His word. I pray we are doing this well because sometimes the biggest contribution you can have to His kingdom is not by something that you do, but by someone you raise.

Here’s a few photos from his first birthday party I never actually shared. Thank you to James Trawick for snapping these for us!! I’ll talk more about my borderline unhealthy obsession with Australia and its spot at the top of my travel bucket list. Its his nursery/room theme too, its fine.

 

 

…and finally, here are those precious photos that I’ve been dying to get to!!

 

 

Landon Jude, we love you so. Happy second birthday. It’s time to celebrate you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dangit. I tried to stop myself…and you can totally stop here…but if you’re a grandparent or just someone who is extra nosy, keep on scrolling to see some of my favorites from the past 2 years. I thought this would be something fun to look back on one day…or tomorrow.

Turns out I take too many pictures, who knew!?