Momoirs - Expectations

A photographer we have known for years contacts us shortly after the premature birth of our twins. She too is a mom of twins born very early so she can relate to the heartache our family is going through during our boys' hospitalization. She also knows that aside from the ugliness of this time and place, there are sweet, loving moments to be captured. She offers to come to the hospital to take photos of the boys and the results are amazing - a keepsake we will treasure forever.

Months later, as the boys are nearing a year old, we connect with her again for a family session. We chat excitedly about unique locations - a lighthouse on a cliff overlooking the ocean, a deserted tunnel with a giant bunch of balloons, or even a claw foot tub in the woods. But in the end we decide on our own home, the five of us in our own surroundings. Nothing staged, nothing posed, just us on a Sunday morning. We dress slightly better than usual, in carefully coordinated yet not-too-matching outfits, but otherwise we are ourselves.

She captures us all over the house - in the kitchen, drinking coffee; lying on the bed, with babes in diapers snuggling their sister; sitting on the couch, with a princess dancing on the coffee table; and in the back yard, underneath our apple trees. The whole session feels carefree and natural, never awkward or intrusive.

When we receive the photos from her they are just as I imagined - candid, full of fun, laughter and silliness. As I look at them again and again, I am struck by the beauty of the photos, but more importantly by the realization that we are no longer defined by the difficulties of our past. Instead of broken hearts, I see only love - the ease with which my husband's hand rests in mine, how our daughter is turned slightly, always watching her brothers, or the way that two little souls, old beyond their years, radiate courage through their shimmering blue eyes.

Not only do the photos exceed my expectations, but so does the bond shared by this family. If it's said that a picture speaks a thousand words, these surely speak a million to our resilience, strength, and love for each other. The bumpy road we traveled no longer matters; all that matters is that we're here now. 


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You can see part of the photoshoot here.
You can see this published on the Momoir Project here.