newborn « Hilary Mercer! Photography

About a month ago I put out a casting call for local soon to be mommies. Rachel was suggested to me and she was due super soon. I pitched her my idea and she wanted to do it. Which made me ecstatic. Super excited and nervous since I have never been in the same room as a person having a baby.

Rachel text me at 9:45 Sunday night the 29th saying her water broke. I immediately grabbed some snacks, water and gathered up my things to head to the hospital in Fayetteville, NC. As I got there she was having contractions and they were close to putting in an epidural. Soon after the epidural Rachel was feeling .. well she wasn’t feeling much which is great. Her labor progressed quite quicker than I had anticipated which isnt a bad thing at all.

Feel free to watch the slideshow BIG by clicking in the right hand corner at the bottom.

Laila Rose was born August 30, 2010 at 4:57 AM She weighed in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. and is 20 inches long.

I love that perfect pink skin! (1 of 1) Rachel & David, Thank you so much for allowing me to share all of those special moments with you and your family.

8 Comments About: Birth of a baby, Chapel Hill Live Birth Photographer, Durham Live Birth Photographer, Durham Live birth photography, Fayetteville, Fayetteville live birth Photographer, Fayetteville live birth photography, Goldsboro Live Birth Photographer, Goldsboro live birth Photography, Labor, Miracle, NC, North Carolina, Raleigh Live Birth Photographer, Raleigh Live Birth Photography

Meet 10 day old Shelby. She took a while to show up (poor Mom.) You might remember Shelby’s mom Nikki from a few weeks ago. 20100820-DSC_6252 20100820-DSC_6243 20100820-DSC_6313

This cradle is a family heirloom of theirs. Nikki’s grandfather made it for her when she was a baby and its been passed around the family for a while and now its back where it started, well sorta. Again, I love that a blanket I made is making an appearance in the photos :) 20100820-DSC_6357 20100820-DSC_6213

Call me!

20100820-DSC_6371 She fought sleep the whole session but finally she managed to drift off.

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something is not like the rest

20100820-DSC_6570 20100820-DSC_6573 gotta love all those little details, they aren’t that little forever Nine_Square_Grid

Charlotte or Charlie is a cute little baby. She is probably the best baby I have photographed although it might have been my new bean bag. :) I really like newborns and I really wish I could meet more of them. They are my favorite subjects to photograph besides couples and lindy hoppers. I really like the fact that I am their first professional photographer. When they are older they will see these pictures and think, what was she thinking? “Wow! How cute was I? Mom, I fit into a bowl?” Or other random things like that.

Charlotte is about a month early. Her mama wasn’t due to have her until September 6th. Luckily she came early since her daddy really wanted to meet her. To second that luck the whole family was able to hang out with me on Sunday. Thanks for taking the time out of your limited days to spend with me. Now on to Baby GaGa (her in womb name which I might steal when I pop’m out.) She was 6 days old when I finally got to meet her. 20100815-DSC_5658

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Chad, I know youre going to hate this photo because of the missing ring(and i love it!) but Y E S ladies, he is taken! 20100815-DSC_5869 20100815-DSC_5887 copy 20100815-DSC_5899 20100815-DSC_5915 I made this quilt for her as a baby present. It thrilled me that she wanted to use it for the photos!! 20100815-DSC_5933

I have been wanting to photograph a baby hanging for quite a while, yay for parents being game! 20100815-DSC_5948 copy love those little rolls. 20100815-DSC_5969 no wonder this kid is so cute.

newbeginnings

Hello from the Bahamas!

For a while there I wasn’t sure this little bundle of cuteness was going to enter the world. She took forever. She really liked her momma! Finally she did though, at a whopping 9lb 1oz. That’s a 1 not a 10. She was definitely fighting her sleep the day we chose for photos too. Eventually she couldn’t fight it anymore and then let a little magic happen. Isabella was 10 days in these photos. 20100708-DSC_3378 20100708-DSC_3515 This next one is one of my favorites from the session, Jons face along with the babies just really make me laugh. 20100708-DSC_3507

i think she looks just like big brother 20100708-DSC_3584 copy 20100708-DSC_3596 20100708-DSC_3602

cutest baby everrrrrrrrrrrr! (yes I did go into pirate talk there)

just look at those lips! 20100708-DSC_3619

born in June her birthstone is pearl 20100708-DSC_3660 20100708-DSC_3657

3 Comments About: baby girl, dolce de vita, goldsboro newborn photographer, goldsboro newborn photography, north carolina newborn photography

Christopher was my last session while I was in Pensacola. Seriously, right after I left them at the hospital I drove home to North Carolina. He was born a few days before I was due to leave town which meant he didnt get to leave the hospital until I was already gone. So I figured Id try and get a few photos of him anyway. Poor little guy had been poked and prodded so he had bandaids and hospital paraphernalia galore. I think these turned out pretty ok considering the circumstances :)

20100607-DSC_0413 20100607-DSC_0474 20100607-DSC_0490 20100607-DSC_0514 He wasnt a fan of the big bowl.