Heather Lauffer for Tamara Lackey Photography: I was contacted by the Davis family fairly soon after Kim learned she would be expecting a sweet little boy. Kim and I exchanged messages of excitement, in preparation for Owen’s very first photo shoot. “Do you have props, cute hats, what if I buy something for him to wear….can you PLEASE do that adorable chin in the hands pose?!” Of course my answer to each question was a “yes, I have it or yes, I can do that pose”…and his due date was marked on our calendar. Owen was to be induced by c-section on May 11, so I waited patiently for news of his birth. The night of his birth, I received a message from Kim that Owen had arrived, weighing over 9 lbs, but that he was unexpectantly born with a serious medical condition that would require surgery and an indefinite hospital stay. Owen was born with his bladder on the outside of his body, which required him to be transferred to another hospital and a surgery date set. At this point, without knowing when Owen would be well enough to come home, photos were out of the question….or so we thought! A few days later, Owen was given permission to be brought home for 3 days, as he waited for his surgery…so at 5 days old, I was fortunate enough to be one of the very few who were allowed to see him, and hold him. Carefully, Kim and her husband Heath, handed Owen to me, as I gently began to pose him, capturing the newborn details of this strikingly beautiful baby boy. He was perfection…and as you can see below, with a little modification, I was able to achieve the chin in the hands pose that his Mommy had been dreaming of!
A few days after Owen’s surgery, I traveled to UNC’s PICU to visit with the Davis family and capture a few more of this brave little man. He had successfully completed his surgery and was in wonderful hands as his little body healed, yet unable to be held because his pelvis had to be broken during surgery.
As a mother, you sacrifice so much for your children and it was overwhelming to me to witness Kim, who had been a Mom for 9 months as she carried Owen in her womb and 1 week since his birth…she was amazing. She was strong. She was so much braver than I could have been…
Thank you to the Davis family for sharing your little one with me, for trusting me with his fragile little body as I photographed him, for letting me shower him with kisses…and for showing me how to be brave… Lots of love…Heather (your Baby Whisperer)
