"What can I say? I thought my wife was beautiful before she became pregnant!"

Lanelle met Drew in her late thirties and was 42 years old when their son Zane was born. She is a down-to-earth, warmly forthright and confident woman who works, quite comfortably, in the male-dominated field of construction. Before meeting Drew, Lanelle had pretty much let go of the idea that having a child would be part of her life.

Lanelle called me to schedule a maternity and newborn session as a gift for Drew.

"Being pregnant was so amazing - watching my body grow, feeling him grow and kick. It was exciting, but it was also scary. I was, after-all, 42 years old having my first baby. But, I was healthy and strong - not only in body but mind and spirit. This was the right time for me to have a baby.

I felt beautiful and having my photo taken in "full bloom" if you will, was so fun and made me feel special. It is one of the best things I did - to document forever this magical time of my life. Something I thought had probably passed me by."

It was Drew talking about Lanelle while she was pregnant that was so inspiring to me.

"Lanelle positively glowed. I, (and anyone who bothered to look), could see the happiness and anticipation in her face every day for the whole nine months. She is still the most beautiful woman I have ever known."

As the images show, our time together turned out to be a tender expression of family. Lanelle`s maternity session included her mom Carole and our second session, along with baby Zane and Drew, included Drew`s mother Judy.

With maternity and family images, it is intimacy and depth of experience that I find most precious, and that I strive to convey in the images I create. The goal is to find and capture an experience of connection and a sense of lineage in images that will last, and be passed down through generations. In my sessions with Lanelle and her family, it all just flowed.

And, what never ceases to amaze me is the uniqueness of each woman`s experience.

"Zane`s birth was nothing short of perfect. I felt ready, strong and unafraid. Now, I sit and stare at him when he`s awake or asleep or nursing. I wonder what kind of boy he will be, what kind of man. I "waste" as much time as possible watching him, snuggling him, playing with him, holding him since it is just a second of time in his life that he will be so small."

Lanelle, Drew and now baby Zane live in Seabeck, Washington, a tiny town on the Northwest coast of the Kitsap Peninsula.