Evelyn McPherson - Newborn Session

“Because I feel that, in the Heavens above
The angels, whispering to one another,
Can find, among their burning terms of love
None so devotional as that of ‘Mother’" 
– Edgar Allen Poe

I find great fulfillment in photographing new babies. The porcelain skin. The stretching yawns. The tiny clasping fingers. All point to a powerful creator and His miraculous gift of life. But do you know what rivals the beauty of a new baby? A new mother. 

A mother's birth is marked with the radiance of sacrificial love. She wipes, she pats, she sways, embracing the awe-inducing splendor of new life. Motherhood is an intricate dance, steps practiced and perfected in the dark at 3am. 

I don't think we truly understand our own mothers' love for us until we become mothers ourselves. I distinctly remember calling my mom after the birth of my daughter and asking in disbelief and newfound gratefulness, "You did that for me?" And then again after my child has an epic tantrum on the floor, I call my mom and ask in disbelief and newfound gratefulness, "You did that for me?" I'm sure I will call again and ask the same question of my mother the day I pass a set of car keys into my daughter's hands. 

A mother's love: pure, unyielding, defensive, unconditional. Nothing compares. 

It has been a bittersweet year for the McPherson family - sadly, Alex lost her mother, Melissa, just a few months before she would have become a grandmother. And then In great joy, Alex and Matt welcomed their precious daughter, Evelyn Melissa last month. I know that nothing can fully stitch together the gap left in Melissa's absence. But I do know that this miraculous grandbaby will grow and thrive in her legacy. 

I was able to view the video of Alex and Matt sharing the news of their pregnancy with their moms just a few short months ago. What a treasure in the years to come - to see the joy of Melissa's expressions and celebratory expectation in her voice.  

Alex, I know that in your newfound journey of motherhood, you are making your mama proud. My deepest condolences for your loss. May God bless your beautiful family of three and bring you seasons of great joy in 2017.  

Special thanks to Kymm McLean from Who's The Fairest for providing makeup for Mama.