What better day to share Baby Willow’s birth story (my view) than Today on international Women’s day!!

Although the outcome was amazing and we have our beautiful bub in our arms safe and well the story of her arrival (much like every birth story ever told) was quite a tale. It was filled with fear and pain, the struggle to keep going when it all seemed to hard, nail biting suspense and topped off with love and an indescribable joy.

Larni’s pregnancy was fairly rough she suffered with Hyperemesis (severe morning sickness that lasted all day) during her whole pregnancy and towards the end her Blood pressure became unstable and bubs movement inside reduced significantly which culminated in Larni being induced at 37 weeks.

A couple of times during her pregnancy Larni said to me “are you excited to meet bub?” I would always smile and give her a hug have a few words with bub and say “I sure am, I can’t wait”! But inside I felt a great fear. The fear of knowing what still lay ahead, the fear of not being able to help when my daughter was in the most excruciating pain and the fear of the unknown (birth throws up all kinds of unknowns).

It was decided that Larni would start her induction on Monday the 19th of February! Larni and Cameron arrived at the hospital a little early, the excitement of getting to meet their baby fueling them. They entered the birthing suites at 7:45am and Larni had the first stage of the induction (the tape) inserted. Larni and bub were monitored for a little while and then they were moved up to the Maternity ward so that Larni could rest and let her body do its job. I tag teamed with Cameron about 1pm so he could go home for a shower and some sleep.

The day went on and Larni’s discomfort continued, Cameron returned and then about 8pm Larni was taken up to the delivery rooms to see how things were progressing. If Larni hadn’t dilatated to 3cm a “balloon” was to be inserted. Larni was 2cm dilatated and they attempted to do the procedure but it wasn’t successful. By this time it was 12:30am! Cameron and I were told to head home and return the next morning at 5:30am

From the Countless messages I had received from Larni between 1am and 4am I knew that she hadn’t slept during the night. Walking back into the hospital the next morning and knowing that bub would be born that day put a bit of a pep in Mine and Camerons step and a grin on our faces. Larni’s waters were broken as soon as we arrived and her contractions started almost immediately.

To begin with Larni had to be on the bed to be monitored to make sure bub was doing ok and then she was ecouraged to move around to help labour progress. With Cameron’s support (and at times mine) Larni laboured for the next 6 hours with grace and control taking each contraction as it came. Knowing that it was going to be a long one and recognising some fatigue from Cameron I encouraged him to go and get some fresh air and food about 1pm he came back as refreashed as possible and ready to face what might come.

Around 2pm Larni was checked to see how things were progressing, although she was starting to feel the need to push she was only 5cm dilatated. Larni was exhausted and with this news she got very upset and expressed that she couldn’t continue like this any longer. I’m pretty sure the exact words were “I don’t want to do this anymore, I can’t! I just want to go home”. Larni said this while looking straight into my eyes with tears in hers and my heart broke a little (I can remember saying pretty much the same thing during her labour 21 years ago). I just wanted to take away her pain.

During Larni’s preparation (as much as you can prepare) for the birth we had attended birthing classes and had spoken at length about the pain options etc. Larni decided that she would like an epidural, the midwives agreed that this was a good option for where Larni was at, at that stage and things were organised quickly. Once the epidural came into affect Larni was able to relax a little and although she still had the sensation of the contractions she was much more comfortable. Unbeknown to Larni (because I was rubbing her back) I had a few tears here. The last couple of hours had been intense and we were all feeling Larni’s exhaustion. It was my turn to go for a walk and regain my composure.

Around the time that Larni opted for the Epidural there was a shift change, the two beautiful midwives Mel and Chloe that had been looking after Larni since her waters broke were replaced by another two amazing midwives Barbara and Brooke. One of these women was very familiar to me she had been the midwife on duty and delivered Larni 21 years ago. The running commentary in the room for the rest of the afternoon to anyone that walked into the room was “you can come in but your not delivering this baby, you can assist but I delivered her Mumma so I am going to deliver her”. This made for smiles, laughter and a beautiful, peaceful environment.

Around 6pm and with Larni’s contractions starting to get far stronger they once again checked to find that Larni had dilatated further but there was still some Cervix in the way. Talk was starting to happen about the best and safest way for bub to be helped into the world. By now Larni had been in Labour just going on 13 hours and she was starting to show signs of an infection. Although Larni was exhausted bub was appearing to be doing ok her heart rate was a little bit erratic but not too crazy. It was decided that it was safest for Larni to be taken to theatre and if bub was far enough down they would attempt to use forceps to help her into the world or if she wasn’t far enough down bub would be born via cesarean.

Things became a little crazy from here on out, we went from having 5 of us in the room to having about 15 people in the room. Only one of us could go with Larni to theatre and although every mum bone and feeling inside me was shouting that I wanted to be the one it was no longer my place I had to hand over my baby to Cameron, the doctors and midwives and entrust that they would look after her (sorry my eyes are welling up just typing this). Whilst this was all happening I was on Larni’s left and behind her a little so she couldn’t see that I had become quite upset, I was trying my hardest to get it together, I wanted all of the focus and care on Larni my heart was just hurting for my baby and I was so scared for her and bub. Calmly the Dr walked around the bed and he held my shoulders and looked me in the eyes and said “I know how your feeling my first grandchild was born this year too, I promise I will bring them both back to you safe and sound”. Then everyone was gone!

With the room empty and in a chaotic mess I just stared at the door for a minute or two praying that they would care for my family, I don’t know that I even took a breath. My phone was on the bench on silent but because of the quiet in the room you could hear it buzzing. It was Brodhie my son, unbeknown to my husband he just rang to see how Larni and bub were doing. When I told them that Larni had been taken to theatre Brendan came over to wait with me. I told Brendan about the day and explained what was happening in theatre as much as I knew and then we just sat in silence. I looked up at the clock at 9:03 and I took the biggest breath I had taken all day and I said to Brendan “she is here, bub has been born”. He asked me how I knew and honestly I didn’t have an answer for him other than “I don’t know but I just feel a peace and I know she has been born”

Minutes later I received the following message:

**Welcoming Willow Rose, born at 8:55pm**

Although finished her shift well and truly Barbara returned to Larni’s room about 10:15 and reassured us that Larni and bub were doing well and told us that Willow had been born with the assistance of forceps but only required 1 big push by Larni.

Larni, Cameron and Miss Willow returned to the room about 10:45 and there were hugs all round and a few more tears of happiness and relief! Cameron and I gave each other a big hug, we had experienced something that day that neither of us will ever forget and we had each others back making sure that each other was doing ok. I am so so so proud of both Larni and Cameron, watching them experience this together and care for each other just made my heart happy. They both nailed it!!

I would like to take a moment to say a huge thank you Sarah (the midwife that seen Larni all through her pregnancy) and to Mel, Chloe, Brooke, Barbara and all of the midwives, nurses and doctors that we encountered at Maitland hospital for the care they took not just for Larni and Willow but also for Cameron and me. I will put some more photos below of Willows birth (taken by someone in the theatre) and her first days in hospital!!

Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them!!!

Happy International Womens Day 2024

This story really starts about 18 years ago, about the same time I started my business I joined a local business group. We met each week of a Wednesday morning and for the 9 years I was a member there were between 20 and 30 other business owners in the room each Wednesday. The group of business owners were predominately men, this wasn’t an issue it just meant the services that I generally had the most in common and could refer easiest were mostly owned by women. For example a beautician and make up artist were great business’ to partner with as I regularly sat down with Brides and Women wanting their hair and makeup done for their photoshoots so therefore they were easy business’ to refer too.

A business that we worked hard to get into the room was a Florist and this is how I met my beautiful friend Annette who owns East Maitland Florist. Although at the time we were at different stages in our personal lives we clicked.

Over the years a few beauticians came and went from the group but eventually another beautiful friend to be, joined the business group and filled the spot of Beautician and Make up extraordinaire, Heidi.

Together Annette, Heidi and I formed a bit of an easy referral group we trusted each other with our clients, knowing that they would always be looked after but more than this we formed an amazing friendship. The group held social events over the years where we would bring along our partners and depending on the function our children. This is how I met Annette’s Darryl and Heidi’s Rob.

Annette, Heidi and I decided one day to do a promotional wedding themed shoot so that we could all showcase what we could offer to our wedding couples. We also used these shoots to try new things and create images to use in our marketing material while also advertising for each other, it worked so well. When doing the planning for this particular shoot in 2013, I said to Annette I think I want to use an old truck for this shoot do you know of anyone who might have an old truck that we could use? She just laughed at me and said “I have a whole paddock of Old trucks, Darryl has a yard full of projects. We will do the shoot out at my place and Darryl will tidy up one of the trucks and you can use it”.

So this is what we did, we did the shoot out at her property and Darryl had the truck out ready for me. I think it was on this day that I also fell in love with using old trucks in my photos. I have popped my favorite photo from that shoot below!!

Over the years Annette, Heidi and I have stayed very good friends even though we have moved on from the business group and our business’ may have changed we still make time to catch up for dinner on the regular and we each know that the other is just a phone call away. As a photographer I have gotten to photograph some major milestones in both of my good friends lives I photographed Annette’s daughter getting married in 2011 and the birth of Heidi’s beautiful baby boy Jack in 2016.

My Daughter Larni worked for Heidi for a short time before she shut her business in 2016, Larni then went and worked for Annette for a short time helping out on a Saturday to gain some experience. This is when Larni met Darryl, Darryl had a soft spot for Larni and they would both joke around and pick on Annette. Larni would joke around with Darryl commenting on his collection of vibrant Hawaiian shirts, which he wore everyday even doing deliveries for Annette’s shop, that was just Darryl and it made people smile.

A few years later Darryl became sick, he tried valiantly to fight it but in July of 2021 he lost his fight and I received the heartbreaking call from my beautiful friend to tell me he had passed away. Over the last two years I have watched my amazing friend battle with her grief but also become stronger at the same time taking things one day at a time.

Sitting down at Dinner a few months ago, Annette and I were talking about what was happening in our business and catching up. I was heavily into the planning of my Christmas sessions and I mentioned I was on the look out for an old truck to use in my photos. Unbeknown to me Annette went home and spoke to Darryl’s Son and her Son and said that she would like me to have one of Darryl’s trucks to use up at the Glasshouse set. They were all in agreeance and they decided on the two trucks that I could choose between. Annette called a few days later and told me what her and the boys had decided and asked me to come out and choose the one I would like.

Brendan and I went out one afternoon after work to look at the trucks, we wandered down the paddock to where the two trucks were living. I immediately fell in love with the smaller of the two trucks and honestly it was an easy decision to make, this one was the exact picture that I had in my head. Brendan went back to grab his tape measure from the car to see if it would fit on the car trailer.

While he was gone we stood chatting, enjoying the beautiful end of day sunlight and watching the little wrens (birds) jump around the truck. One of the little blue wrens jumped up onto the bonnet and just sat looking at us. I turned to Annette and she had tears running down her cheeks, she then explained that Darryl had loved wrens and in his memory she had a tattoo done of a wren wearing an Akubra hat (which he wore everyday) over her heart. Both in tears by now she said that this was the first thing that she was parting with of Darryl’s and the wren was telling her that she was doing the right thing and that Darryl would have wanted me to have it. The wren turned away but then appeared to look back nod his little head and fly off.

While standing looking at the truck I also felt that this truck was familiar in some way and I said to Net “I think that this is the truck we used in our shoot all those years ago”. We had a bit of a laugh but without an answer we just let it go I took a few photos and after drying our tears and walking back up the yard, plans were made.

For safety reasons we decided that we would have to book a tow truck to do the transfer. I had to catch up with Heidi the following week and I was filling her in about the truck and the Christmas set etc. Heidi told me that I needed to use Kyle from Hallinan’s Auto Electrics to do the tow as they had moved some equipment for her that required care and consideration.

A couple of days later I sat at my computer and while searching through a hard drive for some other images I came across a couple of images of the shoot that we did all the way back in 2013 including the image above. I made the image as big as I could on my screen and put my phone beside it with the image I had taken the day we went out to choose which truck. I called Brendan in to help me decide if the two trucks were one and the same. His answer was yep it sure is he then went about pointing out all of the things that were the same. All of my images have a date and time attached to the file and when I looked at the date and time on the photo from the shoot in 2013 it was the 15th of September 2013 at 5:09pm. I then looked at my phone and discovered that the photo I had taken on the afternoon that I had gone out to choose the truck was the 15th of September 2023 at 5:09pm. Cue the Goosebumps again :0, 10 years difference to the day and time!

With all of the quirky little things that happened in the planning and coincidences of dates and times I truly think that Darryl is giving his blessing from above for his truck to find it’s new home up at the glasshouse farm.

Moving day arrived and standing watching the truck being loaded with Annette, we were a bit emotional but I said to Annette I need a name for the truck did Darryl have a middle name or a nic name? After counting out his middle name she said we should call him ‘Dazza’ and that’s how Dazza the truck got his name and came to live up on my Glasshouse farm!