Elizabeth and John met shortly after they graduated.  They met while working; John is an officer with the sheriff’s department (so don’t mess with him!) and Elizabeth is a nurse practitioner.  They’ve been married for several years now and recently welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world!  When we met Emma Nicholson for the first time, she was all of 10 days old and as cute as they come!  Thanks Liz for allowing us to capture these images and congratulations to both of you on an absolutely beautiful baby girl!  (As an aside, Elizabeth’s family owns the world famous Benton’s Country Hams off of Highway 411; be sure and stop by sometime!)

Doesn’t Elizabeth look great?  Hard to imagine that she had a baby 10 days ago!

I love how peaceful Emma is in these pictures.

OK, so our original intention was to take a few images with Emma in a basket and then move on.  Well, apparently, lying in a basket is her off switch!  She slept soundly for about 30 minutes so we just fired away!

Molly Claire Finch was born a few short days ago on August 4, 2011, weighing 7.1 lbs at 19.5 inches long (here’s my recap). She has already stolen the hearts of the whole family. Our boys think she is the most wonderful gift. Sometimes in the middle of playing, they’ll suddenly stop, yell, “Baby Molly!!!” They’ll throw down their toys, run into her room, climb up on the bed, give her a few kisses & hugs, & sprint back to resume playing. On numerous occasions, they’ve decorated her bouncy seat with their artwork. I’m so proud of the way they have welcomed her!

And Joy. Wow, she has done an incredible job adjusting to 3 kids ages 3 & under. She has been very patient & kind, lovingly showing care to each of the children. I applaud her. And we’re both thankful to our families for stepping in & caring for us all.

Here are some pics from Molly’s first session with Daddy; isn’t she beautiful!

Look at those lips!
“Hey Daddy! You taking my picture?”
I can’t even believe how beautiful she is. Show her love… leave her some welcoming comments below!

Yesterday was a long & glorious day. We were scheduled to arrive at the hospital at 7:30 am to be induced to labor. After a quiet morning & afternoon, the pace began to change around 4pm. Before we knew it, Molly was ready to come; around 6:15pm we had our little girl. We’re blessed to announce her arrival. Everyone… meet Molly Claire Finch, born August 4, 2011, weighing 7.1 lbs. & 19.5 inches long.

Here are a some special moments I captured within the last 24-hours.
Look at that face; love those little “pouty” lips.
Joy’s parents were able to visit & were eager to see their little granddaughter. We’re very thankful to them for keeping Brennan & Knox this past week in order to give Joy & I some rest before Molly’s coming.
They brought Brennan & Knox to see their little sister. It was great to see Brennan respond so well to Miss Molly. He loves her & has been eager to give her hugs & kisses.
Knox was excited to see Molly too but is a bit too energetic to sit around for long. Also, I’m thankful my sister, Amy, & her family were here too!
Us!
My dad & mom, holding the first granddaughter on my side of the family. With our two boys & my sister’s two boys, Molly is certain to be well taken of.
Look at all this hair & those puffy little lips. She’s beautiful!

She looks like a doll!
Outside for tea time.
One of my favorites… such a beautiful profile.
She had a blast outside in the flower garden.

Recently, we were thrilled to find out that the Marissa and Stroube were expecting their first, a little girl.  Little Elissa made her arrival a little early (three and a half weeks to be exact), but she was as healthy as can be.  I can only speculate that she was just so excited to  get started with life!  She is absolutely beautiful with a full head of hair!  Some would even say she already has more hair than her father, although I would certainly not be one of those people!

As always, time has marched on.  We no longer live a mile apart, and the trips to the apartment for TV watching have diminished.  However, I am thankful to say that we are still such close friends with the Stroubes.  Congratulations you two!  You are already such great parents, and we thank you for allowing us to capture these early memories.

Sampson has taken his new place in the household in stride.  He still demands some petting every now and then though!

Look at that full head of hair!

My favorite image by far!

A flood of memories resurfaced when I was able to visit the Danner family in their home last Tuesday. About a year ago, the Danners left Athens to take up residence in South Pittsburgh. And just a few short weeks ago, on March 12, Travis & Rachel welcomed Levi into the world. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with good friends & rejoicing with them.

Can you believe this bassinet that Travis made? My goodness! I’m thoroughly impressed to say the least.
I always have much to talk about with the Danners. We’ve both had the opportunity to visit Israel on a few occasions & share a love for the Bible. You can see photos & keepsakes throughout Levi’s nursery. I love it!
What a good looking family!
Levi, you are blessed to have such great parents. Travis & Rachel, congrats; you have a beautiful little boy. Thank you for the opportunity to share this time with you!

She was likely thinking, “What in the world are you people doing laying me down in the middle of this cow field?”
Chrissi is such a pleasure to be around; she communicates such joy to her children.
A fun family pic in the field (L to R): Kendyl, Chrissi, Taryn & Jason.
I thought these images of Kendyl were beautiful… she’ll look back with fond memories of being raised on the farm. Love it!
Thanks friends for allowing me into your life… it’s wonderful to watch your family grow!

A little over a week ago I met for the first time Michael & Merve Silvey, along with their little boy, Isaac Murat Silvey. When I first received Merve’s email, I could sense the amount of gratitude she possessed as she recounted their journey & difficulty having children. Gracefully, God saw fit to bless the Silvey’s with a wonderful, healthy little boy. Isaac was born on October 25th right at 34 weeks, weighing 5 pounds 4 ounces and 17 inches long. Here’s a few of my favorites from my visit to their home.

I love this little face he kept making.
The Silvey’s are such a nice & hospitable family. I really enjoyed their conversation & friendship… it was especially fun to talk to Merve, who is originally from Istanbul, Turkey. Because my undergraduate & graduate studies are in Biblical Studies, I was eager to hear more about her family & culture… I couldn’t help but ask her about the Grand Bazaar & I absolutely loved a map they had of ancient Constantinople. At one point she told me, “Ben, I think you need to go to Turkey.” I think I shall.
I love capturing shots of the nursery… it’s neat to see how parents have prepared a special place for their new baby.
Love this picture of Merve & Isaac’s noses touching.
And this might be my favorite image; I become quite emotional as I think about the bond I have with my little boys.
Merve is also an artist… we incorporated some of her work into several pics.
“And who do you think you are?” is what I imagined the cat saying to me in this picture.
Michael & Merve, I am so thankful to have shared this time with you. I look forward to watching Isaac grow… you are a blessed family!

I feel such privilege to be able to spend this year with the Keys, watching them raising these boys. To check out the sessions up until this point, check out their Maternity session here & the newborn session here. They are still in a real “cuddly” stage so I’m tempted to just pass off the camera & play with them the whole time.

Sullivan was in his usual element… as laid back as ever with a joyful grin.
Lucas, as inquisitive as ever, seems to process things a bit more seriously. Isn’t it amazing how unique each of us were created to be!
Does it get any better than this right here? Seriously… I don’t think so.
There’s that grin… his momma can especially bring it out in Lucas.
We brought out some Christmas lights which proved to fascinate the boys.
Brian & Micki… you guys have a beautiful family. I’m so eager for you to see the many other pics we captured; thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me capture these wonderful times!

It was just a few weeks ago that Jason & Chrissi welcomed their newest addition, Taryn. I was privileged to visit the family to capture this transitional season of life. Taryn’s big sister, Kendyl, was doing a wonderful job helping mom & dad out with little sister. Visiting families during this time of their lives is one of life’s great pleasures!

Kendyl was eager to read one of her favorite books. Chrissi, a school teacher, almost made me forget what I was doing… she is such an incredible story teller. I was totally into the story!
Taryn was so pleasant… simply content to rest wherever.
Love those little wrinkles!
You simply can’t beat seeing a mother with her child.
What a great big sister!
I found out Jason & I have several mutual friends; it was great getting to know him better. He has a beautiful family!
See what I mean! The views are incredible.