Welcome to the World, Angela Josephine

With the craziness of the busy season, I've been so bad with keeping up with blogging. However, I felt it was necessary to share this baby's story on the eve of Thanksgiving when everyone finally relaxes and takes a moment to reflect on how thankful they are. When I began the My Little Miracle initiative, I had no idea about the families that I would be touched by and the amazing stories that I would hear. When Sara reached out to me, I literally sat in tears reading about her journey...

As a young woman in her 20's, Sara had no idea that the pains in her feet would impact her so greatly down the road. After seeing an astute orthopedic surgeon, it was recommended that she see an OBGYN for hormone testing. Sara learned that she had amenorrhea, a severe deficit in her natural estrogen levels, which had been impacting her bones. Sara was eventually diagnosed with osteopenia and told that her bone density was that of a much older woman. Sara began seeing a reproductive endocrinologist to assist in regulating her hormones. When she was ready to begin trying, Sara was blessed with her first daughter in April 2017, with the help of her reproductive endocrinologist. 

About a year after Regina was born, Sara began her journey for baby number 2. Little did she know the challenging road that was ahead of her....

With the help of monitoring and medication, she quickly became pregnant in August 2018. Devastatingly, the pregnancy was not thriving and likely etopic, forcing Sara's pregnancy to be terminated. A few months later, Sara underwent a more aggressive cycle in October 2018 and to her surprise, she became pregnant again. Sadly, that pregnancy ended just a few weeks later. Sara began to feel as though her body was failing her. She had to undergo further testing, morning monitoring, several procedures, and even a surgery. While people are often aware of the physical demands that infertility puts on your body, the emotional ones can often be much worse. Sara changed her diet, began seeing a therapist, tried different supplements, and even acupuncture. 

The surgery revealed that Sara had endometriosis, scar tissue, and adhesions, all of which were removed during the procedure. The surgery also revealed that I had an infection of the uterine lining called endometritis. Sara was treated for all of this and followed up with several tests and procedures to ensure that it had cleared. Her reproductive endocrinologist prepped her for her first IVF egg retrieval. 

In January 2019, Sara had a dream that her grandmother, Angela, told her that she was going to have a baby. At 4:30am the dream woke her out of her sleep and she took a home pregnancy test. To her surprise, Sara had conceived naturally!

Sadly, when most couples feel elation at this moment, for moms that have struggled with infertility, that faint second line also brings on an enormous amount of fear. Sara held her breath waiting for each milestone in her pregnancy. Luckily, she had a beautiful and healthy little girl that stuck and on October 11, 2019, Angela Josephine was born!  

Angela was the epitome of a rainbow after the storm. She was beautiful, vibrant, and brought so much joy to everyone around her, including me. Angela was a dream baby to photograph. Her beautiful, delicate features shined through every single set.  This last photo of her session was my absolute favorite. It's as if she knew her grandmother and siblings were was down on her from her in heaven. 

When talking with Sara, it was so evident how strong and determined she was. It's amazing how positive she was able to stay throughout her journey and how open she was about sharing it all. Thank you so much to Sara and Joe, for allowing me to be a tiny part of your beautiful journey. I'm so blessed to have photographed your little miracle, Angela Josephine! <3

Kristin Baker is a boutique photographer serving Monmouth County and the greater Jersey Shore; including Wall Township, Spring Lake, Middletown, and Rumson. Kristin specializes in fine-art newborn, maternity, and family portraiture. Kristin's style is a mix of organic and contemporary, she focuses on muted neutral tones to create timeless photos that you'll cherish for years to come. To check out Kristin's newborn portfolio and collections, click here. Kristin is now booking newborns into February 2020, for more information or to book a session, contact Kristin today!