The Page Family ~ Amazing Peace

I don't remember the day but I do remember the phone call.  One of my bestest friends called me on my way to work one morning to let me know that she had just found out she was expecting baby number 2.  I was super excited for her and could hardly wait to meet this precious baby.

A few months pass by and we're all together at a youth retreat in Panama City Beach, FL.  Not to be rude in any way but I told her she was too big to be just a few months pregnant with just one baby.  I swore to her that there were two babies in her belly and she just laughed it off and assured me there was just one.  Fast forward a couple more months and she calls me to confirm my suspicions.  She's having TWINS!!!  I did what any best friend would do.  I said, "I told you so!!"  :o)  

As a friend, I'm super excited for her.  As a photographer, I am super duper excited for her!!!  My husband is a twin and all of my life I have always wanted to have twins.  I just love twins!!  :o)  I made her promise me that I would get to do their newborn session!  She thought I was crazy to mention it because, frankly, who else would she let do it?!  ;o)  I started counting down the months until they were due and getting myself all psyched up to FINALLY do a twin newborn session.  I could hardly wait!  

She had an ultrasound done to find out the sex of both babies and learned that her firstborn son, Jackson, would have two new baby brothers to play with.  Three boys, oh my!  Let the fun begin, right?!

She also learned that one of the boys, Baby B, had a blocked urethra valve and his bladder wasn't functioning as it should.  She called to let me know and asked that I be praying for that situation.  Absolutely!  Doctors would continue to monitor this throughout the remainder of the pregnancy to see if it improved.  If the blockage did not clear, Baby B would be facing a surgery very soon after his birth to correct the problem.  As months passed and checkups were held, there wasn't any improvement in this blockage.  Nothing could be done until after the babies' birth.  So, Jason and Amanda, patiently waited and enjoyed the remainder of this pregnancy.  

On February 21, 2012,  at 5:16pm, Amanda sends me a text message that says "We are having babies tonight :)!"  I could hardly contain my excitement and I kept my phone close-by for any updates on their arrival.  Since I've experienced the labor and delivery process once before, I know how overwhelming it can be to have a million phone calls and text messages blowing your phone up while you're trying to have a baby; so, I intentionally, did not respond with any follow up text messages that night to check on her or the babies.  When I woke up the next morning and still had no updates, I sent her a text to see how the boys were doing.  Baby A, Hayden, and Baby B, Harrison, had arrived late that night.  Amanda replied and said, "We're all good! :)  Please pray for Harrison though.  We serve a huge God and his lungs are very small and not mature."  At the very beginning, before she knew the road she was about to travel, she proclaimed the BIGNESS of our God.  Before she knew what would be required of her, she declared that God was larger than whatever she would face.  I am a witness to the fact that this faith never wavered.  She never questioned the proclamation she made.  Never doubted for a second that her God was huge.  It was this faith that carried her through the most challenging journey any parent could walk.  

Baby Harrison had severely underdeveloped lungs.  He was immediately hooked up to a ventilator and several other machines to monitor his vital signs.  He would make amazing progress and then there would be a set back.  His lungs were getting stronger but his bladder and kidneys were failing to work properly.  He endured a surgery to prepare his little body for dialysis.  No one knew if the dialysis would be a long term situation of if it would only be necessary for a little while.  We all prayed and hoped for every part of this to be short term.  We prayed for every facet of his little body to function independently without the need for any machines at all.  

In a very short 15 days, those prayers were answered when Baby Harrison was given angel wings and called heavenward.  It's not at all how we had hoped it would be.  Not at all what this mommy and daddy dreamed for their family.  They were looking forward to turning their family of three into a family of five.  But because they have a faith and hope in Jesus Christ, they can embrace God's plan and trust that He is bigger than what they have had to face and that His ways are so much greater than they can understand.  In walking through this with Jason and Amanda, the one thing that has been ever so constant in their lives has been the supernatural peace of God.  They will both admit to you that this was the most difficult thing they have ever had to experience but they will also admit that God's peace has been so real and tangible in their lives and it is simply that peace which has sustained them each day.  I have been so blessed to witness their faith, experience their joy as they celebrate Hayden and praise God for the short time they were able to have Harrison here.  I truly believe their story has made an impact on more lives than they can even comprehend.  

I typically would shoot a newborn session within the newborn's first ten days of life but considering the situation and circumstances we faced with Harrison, scheduling this photo session was challenging.  It was such a bittersweet conversation to have with Amanda.  We wanted to capture Hayden as this tiny new baby but our hearts ached because we should have been photographing two sweet brothers, side by side.  Nothing felt right about it.  We both agreed we wanted Harrison to be a part of the photo session too....in some way.  Thankfully, the hospital had a photographer take some pictures of Harrison after they had unhooked him from all of the machines.  Amanda, graciously, entrusted this cd of images to me.  I did some small editing to a few of the images and had them printed for our session.  Below are images from my photo session with the Page family.  Knowing this family, knowing what they have been through, knowing how they have handled the difficult journey they were called to face, puts this session at the top of my list of favorites.  Such a sweet spirit of peace, hope and joy surround them.  

Jason and Amanda, I hope you know how much I love and adore you both.  I am so blessed to know you.  So encouraged by your faith.  So amazed at how you've grown.  So expectant at how God uses your story, your testimony, your son to impact other lives.  You are beautiful inside and out.  Your family is so precious to me.  Thank you so much for allowing me to be such a small part of it.  {hugs}

I love this picture below.  In the image on the right, Amanda asked Jackson for a kiss and he went straight for baby Hayden!  :o)

 Look how high Jackson can fly!

This was the only time Hayden gave the slightest hint of a smile.  I love that it was with a picture of his sweet twin brother.  In the picture, Harrison is on the left, Hayden is on the right.

This is one of my favorites!

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him." 

~ 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NIV

Blessings, 

Christy