On November 14, 2019, my sister, Courtney, had her first child and I got to take photos and videos of the moments before, during, and after his arrival. Below are a collection of moments from the day Nash came into our lives brightened our world forever!
Courtney and her husband, Dustin, live in Bismarck, ND which is about a 6-hour drive from our home in Minneapolis. As we got closer to her due date, I was worried about making it to the hospital in time. I cleared my calendar, canceled a conference I was going to attend and turned my phone ringer on at night juuuust in case someone tried to call and let me know she was going into labor!
Thankfully, my parents and I made it to the hospital with plenty of time! We arrived at 7:00 am and Nash was born at around 6:15 that night!
I was able to spend all day in the delivery room with Courtney, Dustin, and their Doula, Ali, to document this incredibly special day. From the scarier moments to joyful ones, I feel so grateful that I was able to be there with my sister as she made the transition into motherhood!
Both Dustin and Ali were AMAZING with Courtney all day long! They were attentive, calm, and positive and they seemed to know exactly what Courtney needed before she even said a word! I teared up a lot throughout the day just watching my big sister being taken care of like that. She deserves the world and, even though she was in a lot of pain, she was treated like a queen!
Courtney and I have always been close and to say that I look up to her a lot would be an understatement. She’s thoughtful, brave, kind, loyal, and she always knows exactly how to show you that she cares.
I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of her than when she had Nash. She was calm and strong and I am so grateful she trusted me enough to able to be there to witness and photograph the single most impactful moment of her life to date. She’s only a few months in, but she’s already an absolutely incredible mom.
Courtney and Dustin chose not to find out what gender the baby was going to be, so it was extra exciting to wait for the moment when the doctor said “it’s a boy”! Seeing his sweet little face for the first time and learning his name was a moment I’ll cherish forever. I loved him from the first moment I met him and I imagine being an auntie to your big sister’s baby is just about the closest feeling to being a mom that you can get.
I’ve known Courtney longer than I’ve known almost anyone else on Earth. It was incredibly emotional to watch my big sister go through something so miraculous and scary and beautiful! I was overjoyed and relieved that he was finally here and that both Courtney and Nash were healthy and safe!
After letting Courtney and Dustin get some rest, we all came back the next day to see Nash, Courtney & Dustin again (and obviously grab some more pictures)!
Love you forever, Nash! I’m so lucky to be your auntie!
with love, Emily
