At-Home Newborn Session with the Mallory Family in Waynesboro, VA

It’s such a treat when other photographers welcome me to photograph their family. I know what it’s like to see and hope for certain photos for your own family, as you’re so used to being behind the camera. You hope for certain images while also releasing…and when another photographer chooses to release their trust into my hands, it’s a gift.

The Mallorys are local wedding photographers, and you may also know them from their amazing coffee shop in Waynesboro – Farmhaus Coffee Co. (Um, have you had their brown sugar latte? It’s my fav!!)

They welcomed their amazing son, Fields, this past October and they welcomed me into their home to document this new season for them – an honor I don’t take lightly! They welcomed him with many unknowns at play and I’m so very grateful to have them share a bit personally about their story. In their words, “Our story together so far has been one full of celebration and grief, waves of confusion and peace, love, compassion, and true community…”

Within 24 hours of meeting our first baby, a baby boy we hadn’t even named yet, we were sent to UVA and told that he was born with a very rare condition called clinical anophthalmia. The term means he was born with severely underdeveloped or nonexistent eye tissue and will not have any vision. We were kept in the NICU for 4 days (3 nights) to see every specialist and undergo every test to learn if there are any other conditions or concerns. After days and countless doctors, we were told that it is highly likely that Fields’s condition is isolated to his eyes and we were relieved and so grateful for this news. 

We found ourselves completely overwhelmed by this new reality we were not expecting but also comforted with the truths that we are not alone, that none of this surprised God, and that the first thing Fields sees will be Jesus and the Kingdom.

One of the very real moments I remember in the NICU was telling Aaron that of course we wouldn’t do newborn photos with Fields (he had a name by this point). It was too hard and awkward and it would just be one more loss to mourn. But in a totally uncharacteristic move, Aaron challenged me. He told me we would absolutely plan newborn photos because this little boy deserved to be celebrated. So we did just that. Amy was the first person to come to our home after we brought Fields home and our time together felt “normal”- just what my brand new mama heart needed. 

We’ve had six months to get to know Fields at this point and the doctors appointments haven’t stopped (they won’t for many, many more years) but the good is starting to outweigh the bad. The smiles and “mama” babbles are becoming more real than the scary unknowns. We are establishing routines and normalcy (in the midst of a pandemic that is anything but normal). And while we know we have a mountain ahead of us (maybe a mountain range is more accurate), we are having such a sweet time getting to know this little boy.

Things are not as God originally intended when He created all things “good” and made us in His image. But we know that Fields is in our life and our community for the furtherance of His kingdom and that we all might see Him more clearly. We named him Fields Able after the verse in Ephesians that says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph 3:20-21) And we named him with the belief that Fields is going to surprise us again and again with all that he is able to do. For now we’ll just take sleeping through the night 🙂 .”

To continue following the Mallorys and their amazing little man, you can find them on instagram at @themallorys.

Amy Nicole Photography has been documenting stories of life and love for over 10 years. Amy is a family & newborn lifestyle photographer based in Charlottesville, VA. She strives to create timeless, genuine and effortless photos for you and your family to enjoy for years to come.

I’d love to create photographs for your family that feel genuinely you. 

You can learn more or contact me here!