Bina’s Baby Shower

Bina and Sunit are expecting! Their friends and family hosted a beautiful shower in her honor on March 4, in Ladera Ranch, CA.  Their lil’ man will be coming soon to a hospital near you!  With just 2 short months to go, I was wondering… where IS this girl’s belly?  She’s a whopping 7 months pregnant, but sporting a baby bump as if she’s going on 4 months… how DOES she do it?!  I had to tuck and tug on her pretty little dress just to capture small glimpses of her bump. Even her portrait session turned into a game of Where’s Waldo!  Bump aside, it was a bright & fresh day and the rain stayed away.  A week earlier, the forecast called for rain, but ironically…AND luckily, it didn’t SHOWER on the day of the SHOWER, Phew!  I had a blast hanging out with these girls. The games were a riot and the ‘Beauty Bar’ was a hit!  Always a fan favorite when the guests get to build their own goodie bag.  Every basket of goodies was emptied in minutes…a record breaker if you will! Check it out!

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Sonel’s Journey of Hope

Sunday, February 26th marked a milestone in Sonel’s journey to pregnancy, which began a distant 5 years ago. Together, Sonel, her friends, and family have been through an extremely emotional roller coaster to say the least. I came to know of Sonel’s story, her journey, and her hardships that weekend. Her story was so moving and inspirational it gave me goose bumps. I knew at that point I had to share it, and with her permission, inspire others who might be going through any difficulties. It began after 4 years of marriage, when Sonel and her husband Jayesh began trying to have a family. All the while, never presuming their struggle would unsuccessfully play out for another 5 enduring years. She went to a multitude of doctors & specialists, made efforts through every avenue possible, including Clomid, IUI, and IVF. She was ultimately led to the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine.

While Sonel was undergoing fertility treatments, her mother, Suman, fell severely ill in November 2010. She was prescribed medicine under the presumption she had a cold or flu. However, Suman suddenly lost the ability to walk and communicate. Her family rushed her to the ER; where the docs performed a CT scan, only to find out the culprit was a large brain tumor which needed to be surgical removed immediately. Thankfully, the doctors were able to successfully remove the tumor the following day. Suman began recovering and things were starting to look up again. 7 months had passed…and just before Sonel & Jayesh were heading out to Colorado for additional fertility treatments, they were informed that Suman had developed yet another brain tumor. After unsuccessful treatments of chemo, radiation, and therapy, the family was left with no choice but to have the doctors perform another surgery to remove it; the surgery was scheduled for August 8, 2011. Simultaneously, with help from the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, Sonel & Jayesh successfully conceived and was able to share the good news with Suman. Friends and family began planning the Baby Shower which was scheduled for January 8 this year. However Suman’s 2nd surgery was accompanied with paralysis to the right side of her body, as well as memory and speech loss. Devastatingly, Suman later passed on January 3rd…5 days before Sonel’s baby shower (which was cancelled after the immense loss).

As the weeks passed and Sonel’s due date was nearing, friends and family (sister, Anita, sister-in-law Jayshree, and best friends, Yasna and Shakti) all put together a quick and intimate shower to honor Sonel’s triumphs and hardships. Suman would have been so incredibly proud at how far her daughter had come in her journey to parenthood… and they all wanted Sonel to see that in the form of a shower. I was especially privileged when Yasna contacted me to cover her baby shower and even more fortunate that I was able to share her journey with you today. This post nor this story is about a baby shower, but about a bigger message; directed to those out there struggling through a hardship of their own… be strong, have faith, and believe in hope! Sonel & Jayesh will be welcoming their identical twin girls (their little miracles) at the end of the month! Congratulations Sonel & Jayesh & thank you for sharing your inspirational story with me and allowing me to share it with others.

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Anand & Radhika | Engagement Session

This impromptu session has become one of my favorites!   The dearest Rob w/ ZoArt Images contacted me to shoot this engagement session on his behalf.  I was so honored, and even more humbled when I met this delightful, fun, and energetic couple!  They were up for just about everything… so I was even more excited to try new things.  We had talked about what they’d wear, how they’d coordinate, and I have to say, they did a fabulous job on the attire! 5 Stars go to you both… the images are stunning, vibrant, crisp, and FRESH!  I took them to the Fullerton train station (veteran location for me as I stood there many-a-morning awaiting my track up to downtown LA) and then we finished it off at the serene & calm, Craig Park.  Their upcoming wedding will be held on April 7th and I’m looking forward to 2nd shooting it with Rob.  Anand & Radhika, thank you again for being so gracious and open to my ideas.  Enjoy!

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