Today I visited some friends who have found themselves watching their lil girl fight for survival within a NICU; something Brian and I are a little too familiar with. Looking back on our daughter’s life, I wish I had forced myself to have someone come and photograph our world within those walls. Even though it is not desired to experience the first few months of your child’s life inside a Hopsital, that is where we had our first precious moments with Emery. Of course being a photographer you capture some moments through your camera, but really that only shows half of the story; It is a rarity for the photographer to be photographed. Cristin also happens to be a photographer, and outside of knowing the pain and heartache of watching your lil girl struggle for survival, there is a different struggle and heartache that happens when there is naturally a desire to document the world… but sometimes documenting the rawness of such an experience as this is too close to home… and you don’t always pick up the camera because you just need to be mom and hold your lil girl. You think you don’t want to have to remember the tubes, the alarms and monitors, the struggle and pain… but this becomes your normal and these lil rooms become home. The nurses become family and your doctors feel like aunts and uncles. Love is expressed and experienced. Both miracles and suffering happen. And none of it should be forgotten.

Ms. Laurel Mae – we pray for you to come home. To become stronger with every breath. To develop with every heart beat. But most of all, we thank God you are here. And oh my goodness, my dear, you are loved. Thank you for letting me photograph a little bit of your story.

Love to all of you.

To follow Laurel’s story, come on over and visit here.

To see some of Cristin’s work, come over here to see her portfolio.