Welcoming Rhett William Parsons | Where Life Grows 🌱

There are some stories that begin long before a baby ever arrives.

Over the past months, I’ve had the honor of documenting pieces of life with the Parsons family through my year-long documentary project, Where Life Grows. From muddy boots and chore time to quiet moments between sisters, newborn lambs, horses in the pasture, and the everyday beauty of farm life . This project has never simply been about photographs. It has been about preserving a season of life exactly as it is.

And now, a new chapter has begun. Welcome to the world, Rhett William Parsons.

While these images were more posed than the typical documentary moments I’ve been creating for this project, they still carry the heart of what Where Life Grows is all about, connection, family, and the feeling of home. These are the very first photographs I’ve taken of Rhett, and someday I think they’ll mean even more because of that. The beginning of his story. The beginning of watching Audrey and Elena step into their new roles as big sisters. The beginning of seeing how this little boy settles into the rhythm of life on the farm.

One of my favorite parts of photographing his nursery was seeing pieces of my own western work hanging on the walls. Abbey thoughtfully chose several of my images from out west to decorate Rhett’s room, tying together the western lifestyle their family loves with the quiet warmth of this new season. As a photographer, there’s something incredibly special about seeing your artwork become part of someone’s home , especially a space that will hold so many firsts.

The girls were absolutely smitten with their baby brother. Audrey and Elena already have such gentle, loving personalities, and watching them interact with Rhett was one of those reminders that the small moments are often the ones that matter most. Tiny hands holding him carefully. Curious smiles. The excitement only sisters can bring.

With Mother’s Day approaching this weekend, this session feels even more meaningful. Watching Abbey with her children, now as a mother of three, was such a beautiful reminder of how quickly these seasons pass. The long nights, the tiny newborn stretches, the little hands reaching for mom, the way older siblings proudly gather close around a new baby… these are the moments that deserve to be remembered. Not perfectly. Just honestly.

Although newborn photography is not something I plan to add regularly to my services, I have to admit, this session was incredibly meaningful to photograph. Not because of perfect poses or sleepy baby setups, but because of the story behind it.

And the story is only beginning.

Going forward, I’ll be continuing to document more candid moments with Rhett and the girls as part of Where Life Grows. The in-between moments. The chaos. The tenderness. The real life that unfolds when a family grows and changes together. Those are the memories I’m most drawn to preserving.

Because years from now, it won’t just be about what life looked like.

It will be about what it felt like.