Rilynn Kay | Birth
*** DISCLAIMER: These photos are work and family friendly, so enjoy! ***
I first met Erika and Trent when I had the honor of photographing their engagement photos. I was newly pregnant when we met, due September 1st. Their wedding was planned for August 1st, so we were all confident I had plenty of time. Although I was very pregnant for their wedding, I still made it and it was a lovely day with these two, although I’m almost positive any day with Trent and Erika are good days! So when Erika revealed to me that she was expecting, I was naturally so so excited! She is the sweetest person ever and would make an amazing mom, and Trent would make the perfect dad. I was even more honored with Erika asked me to accompany her and Trent into their hospital room to capture the birth of their new baby girl. To say I was excited was an understatement, although admittedly I was also nervous as this would be the very first birth I would have the opportunity to capture.
Erika was due May 19th, and as that day quickly came and passed, I think she was worried that Rilynn would never arrive! Friday I received a text from Erika informing me that she was scheduled to be induced that next Monday. It happened to work out great because I had a wedding that weekend so Monday was ideal! And well, Rilynn had other plans, as most babies do!
I was about done with my wedding on Saturday, saying goodbyes to the bride and groom, when Erika texted me with, “No panic yet.. Just a heads up that we are headed to Riverside. I’m pretty sure my water broke, but no contractions, so maybe I just really peed myself.” What timing was that?! Now, I was still a good three hours from Kankakee where Erika was heading, but it sounded like we had time. I stopped at home, grabbed a quick shower, coffee, and some other essentials, and headed back out the door. My nerves were going crazy! I was so excited, nervous, anxious, scared, etc.!
When I arrived at the hospital around 9:00pm, I checked in with Trent and Erika, who you could tell were feeling the same emotions I was, only more! Erika was so ready to meet her little girl! We sat for a while and talked about anything and everything, and it was so good to catch up with them! Erika’s mom and siblings stopped by after a while, and Erika became frustrated as there was little or sometimes no progression as she got checked by the nurses. It was a waiting game. Throughout the night she walked the halls and colored in the books I brought for her (it was my past time while waiting for Bexley to arrive!) and still no baby, and no sleep. The next morning she decided to try an epidural to see if it would help things progress! Little by little it did, and by about 3:30pm it was push time.
Let me tell you something. It’s one thing to go through a birth yourself, but to watch another woman go through the ups and downs of childbirth will change you. To see the determination on Erika’s face as she pushed to bring life into the world even though she was exhausted gave me chills. To see the relief on her face when she heard those baby cries for the first time was awe-inspiring. And to watch Trent and Erika go from husband and wife to daddy and mommy made me bawl like a baby. From the other side of the lens, I got to witness first hand the miracle of life, and it was so amazing.
Erika and Trent, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for bringing me along with you on this journey. I could not have imagined a better first experience and cannot wait to watch little miss Rilynn Kay grow up! It goes fast, so cherish every. single. second.
Erika tried anything she could think of to speed up this process, but Rilynn had a mind of her own! 
One of my favorite past times when I was going through labor was to color, so I brought the same ones I used to color in for Erika just in case! 
This nurse, my goodness, I didn’t catch her name (Lauren, maybe?) but she was absolutely amazing throughout this whole process!
“From the moment they placed you in my arms you snuggled right into my heart.”
Rilynn Kay Sterrenberg | 8 lbs. 5 oz. | 21 in. long
Time lapse!
What a proud daddy he was carting his baby down the halls!
Rilynn LOVED her first bath!
Related Posts:
Trent + Erika’s Engagement Session
Austin + Alisha’s Maternity Session
