Photos by Heidi Lynne Photography
The day I found out I was pregnant my husband learned he would deploy to Afghanistan for a year. How’s that for timing? I should also mention it was the day before Thanksgiving. My husband left for training the beginning of April, deployed mid-May and our daughter was born in July. She was nearly six months old when he came home for R&R and met her for the first time. That was a year ago today.
If there was a silver lining in his deployment it was that I didn’t have anyone with me in the hospital taking those awful delivery room photos. Call me vain but I’m not one to trot out a bunch of photos of myself looking like a train wreck, so I was perfectly happy not to have any.
Ah, but the day my husband came home to meet our daughter was different. I wanted photos to cherish, photos to one day give our daughter. As an added bonus I looked good, or at least not like a train wreck.
I also know my limits as a photographer and had more sense than to try to take the photos myself. Holding a baby and a heavy camera is unwieldy. Throw in hugs and tears and, well, forget about it. So, I hired a photographer. It was one of my best ideas, ever.
Heidi Lynne Lewis of Heidi Lynne Photography is a gifted photographer based in my hometown of State College, Pennsylvania. She captured the day beautifully, exactly as I remember it. I’ve posted some of her photos here. You can see more of Heidi’s work on her website www.heidilynnephotography.com.
Photos by Heidi Lynne Photography
So glad you shared these and it brought tears to my eyes. Glad you are finally enjoying together family time. Hope all is well!
Love this blog. I swear, every time I see the pics, I start to cry! So sweet!
Cynthia, these photos are so precious! I hope you’re doing okay!
these photos are so beautiful…what a lovely family!!!
I just adore these pictures. I’m so happy you’re all home together (and living near us!)
These are wonderful!
[…] her husband left for a one-year deployment to Afghanistan. Yuck. And she is pregnant. Déjà vu. My husband also deployed to Afghanistan for a year when I was […]
These required two Kleenex! So wonderful.
Beautiful, beautiful pictures.
I remember the first time I met y’all, in the subway in DC last year when Paul was back for his R&R. Then I had the pleasure of working for him downrange for a month. I was amazed at this story and how y’all persevered.
Honestly, the images bring water to the eyes. I’m glad you all are together full time now.
[…] husband was deployed when our daughter was born and didn’t come home until she was nearly 10 months old. I hated that […]