I just want to say that I adore your site. A-DORE it. I think the work you do is incredible. Every morning the first thing I do when I get to work is check to see if there have been any updates because I love reading birth stories and love seeing your photos that capture the beauty, pain, bittersweetness of labor and delivery. I can’t imagine a better way to start my day! It always gets me thinking about the day my two bambinos (Joseph, 2, and Pilar, 5 months) were born, and what a miracle making new life is and giving birth to that life. Reading your site puts a smile on my face and fuels me through the day. It’s always extra fun to check out your site because, being a native Cincinnatian (I moved to Bloomington, Indiana in 2004 and have been here ever since), I end up knowing ¾ of the people who you photograph. Nothing like keeping up on old friends via their kiddos’ birth stories!

I also wanted to tell you how cool it is to read so many women’s stories of giving natural births. Every birth is special and every birth is a miracle, but I am always always in awe of the women who go ‘au natural.’ I did not have natural births with either of my kiddos—I only wish I had the strength and guts to do it—but every one of my friends who decides to have a natural birth, I always forward your blog entries of women who have done so and they find great comfort in reading the words of other women. In particular, I always forward Mel’s story of Nico’s birth and Jenny’s story of Kynlee. I just recently forwarded those on to a friend of mine in NY who is contemplating a natural birth—she’s done a ton of reading, but she’s afraid she won’t be able to do it—she’s anxious and scared of the pain. After she read those entries, she said they affirmed her decision to have a natural birth and gave her strength knowing that, yup, it’s gonna be tough, but that she can soldier through it. Ya’lls photography is an inspiration!

When we get crazy enough to contemplate a third (and God willing, of course), I’m going to have to find a photographer in Bloomington who will take pictures of our child’s birth. I have so many mental pictures of Joe and Pili’s births that I’ll never forget—and my hubby took some pretty decent shots post-delivery, but as you both know I needed him through the labor process and might have smacked him if he were trying to take photos instead of support me—but I’d love to get someone to document those hours. Maybe when that moment comes, I’ll ask you guys if you have any contacts in B-town or Indy, or know of others in the birth photography business that might be closer to us geographically.

As a side note, if you ever need guest posts, I’d love to write up my kiddos’ stories. I know ya’ll don’t know me from Eve (though Mel and I ran around in some of the same circles, even though we’ve never met), so if that’s weird I totally get it. I could also see that opening up a can of worms—if you let me write a guest post, then you can let any old Joe Bob write a guest post! But if all that’s required to post is an admiration and love of your work, then you can feel free to call on me, I’d love to share my stories which are both typical yet atypical. You probably know what I mean.

Thanks for empowering women with your photos.

Peace and all good things,

Steph Woody Goetz

Congratulations to Adam, Melanie, Nori and the entire family!