Ariana is gracing the blog with her sweet presence on this fine Wednesday.  Enjoy this little peek into her newborn session!

 From the moment I sat down and chatted with her mother Gayle about Ariana, I was excited to share her story with you.  Gayle and her husband Kevin made the decision to adopt around fifteen months ago.  Adoption can be a long and difficult adventure, and Gayle expressed how very led her and Kevin have felt throughout the entire process.  

They were able to meet Ariana's birth mother and sister before Ariana was born, so they've been so blessed to hold Ariana in their arms from the very beginning.  Ariana's arrival into this great big world has been a bit rough.  She had some health difficulties and spent thirteen days in the hospital before she was able to come home.  She's still struggling a bit so say prayers for her and her parents when you think of them.  She's had some additional pain that the doctors have said should wear off as time goes on, but it's made for some long and sleepless nights for these new parents.  Most nights she spends in the arms of her parents, so Gayle and I couldn't believe how wonderfully she did for her newborn session.  I usually try to photograph newborn sessions within the first ten days of birth, because it tends to be much easier during those first few weeks.  She was over three weeks old and still having health struggles that made her cry a lot, so the fact that she was such an angel for her session was a definite answer to prayer.   I love these shots of the three of them in Ariana's room. One of my favorite parts of this story is the way it worked out to name their new little bundle.  Before she was born, Gayle and Kevin sat down with her birth mother and sister and out of the three our four names that Gayle had jotted down as options she liked for naming her little girl, 'Ariana' was a name that her big sister had picked out as well.  It's the little things like picking the same name that are wonderful reminders that God really does know what He's doing and cares about the smallest details of our lives.