The day your child comes into the world is one you will never forget. Whether you have a natural home birth or a C-section at a hospital the moment that new life makes his or her first appearance is absolute magic.

One year ago today I had the immense pleasure of getting to witness and capture this magic first hand.

When my friends Pixie and Ramsey told me they wanted me to capture the birth of their first child I was incredibly honored. With it being their first child, and the first birth I had attended, neither of us knew exactly what to expect. What we learned is that especially with the first birth and with it being a natural home birth, there is a lot of waiting involved.

The first I heard it was almost time for Drake’s arrival was the morning of January 23rd when Ramsey texted me that things were starting and it might be baby day though it wasn’t until the morning of the 24th that I got the text that it was time for me to come over. When I got to the house I was surprised to see things were a lot quieter and calmer than I expected. It was then that the midwives informed us as that Drake was still a long ways from making his debuted. The midwives and I left and I spent the day sending positive energy to Pixie, Ramsey, and unborn baby Drake.

A little after midnight, on January 25th, I got the call that it was time… or so we thought. The midwives and I arrived just before 1:30am and there was no doubt, things were starting to happen so I started capturing every moment and detail.

I wasn’t sure when I first arrived if Pixie was even fully aware that I was there, although it didn’t matter. I worked to make myself as much like a fly on the wall as possible. I was in awe of this amazing woman warrior as I captured her focus and concentration.

Though things were in motion, Drake was still not completely ready to show himself and mama still had a lot of work to do.

If I had to choose one word to describe what I was witnessing, it would be strength. I was absolutely amazed with the amount of strength I saw not only in Pixie as she was now 2 days into labor but also in Ramsey as he provided unwavering support for his wife. I was also so impressed by the support and encouragement provided by the midwives. The amount of strength and support that filled the house and surrounded Pixie and Drake was almost overwhelming.

Around 8pm Pixie was finally ready to start pushing and at 9:42pm Drake had arrived. Suddenly there was a whole other person in the room and all of the hard work Pixie had gone threw for the past 60+ hours paid off as she held her absolutely beautiful baby boy. Capturing Pixie, Ramsey, and Drake’s first moments together as a family was one of my proudest moments of my career.

2013 ended up being without a doubt the biggest of my career thus far. I got numerous honors, recognition, exposure, and was even nominated for an award! However this day, January 25th, 2013, remains to be my favorite moment of 2013. There are no words for the amount of strength, beauty, and love I witness and captured on this day. I can not thank Pixie and Ramsey enough for giving me the great honor of being a part of it.

Happy Birthday Drake.

*Please note that because of the nature of the subject a large majority of the photos from this day are kept private*