Maternity: Ellen + Hendo

Ellen and Hendo (dad's name is Mike.. but he goes by Hendo :) are incredibly special to me. So I was thrilled when I got the chance to document this special time in their lives. Ellen is an animal lover so of course she wanted to include their furry family member in the shoot (which I loved since he is extremely photogenic!). Ellen is also extremely creative and has a great eye for all things pretty! So she went shopping at Free People (the tea dress from Free People is to die on her!) and Urban Outfitters to put her looks together and I'm thrilled with how this shoot turned out.
We started in their home in Ventura, California and then drove up into the hills of Ventura where we were blessed with some incredible light! I have to say that this shoot is particularly special.. since the morning after the shoot Ellen's water broke! She was over 8 weeks early.. the nursery wasn't nearly ready.. they hadn't decided on a name and her original birth plan included a doula and a local birthing center. The hospital staff kept baby in momma's belly for as long as they could.. but babygirl Henderson didn't want to wait. At 3 lbs. 11 oz., she came out 7 1/2 weeks early and had to be kept in the NICU for quite some time. During those difficult weeks.. Ellen and Hendo leaned on their loving community and showed an incredible amount of hope and courage. And I'm very happy to report that Miah progressed well and is now happy, healthy and oh-so-perfect!! 

By the way, they decided to name their daughter Miah... because the bible verse that had had provided them with so much comfort and peace is found in the book of Jeremiah. *happysigh* 

As a footnote, Bentley (the adorable dog featured here) actually passed away unexpectedly a few weeks ago. When I heard the news it broke my heart and...  it made me happy that he had been such a star of this shoot. 

Ellen + Hendo.. don't know what to say to you that Hendo won't make fun of me for later.. so I'll avoid the cheesiness and just tell you that I heart you mucho and can't wait for your upcoming family shoot!