It had been weeks. Braxton after Braxton, contraction after contraction. I never knew if I was going into labor or if I ate some bad pinto peans. I had enough. So we did it. My husband and I took a trip to the hospital. I thought for sure little nameless child was coming...
SHE IS GORGEOUS!!!!!!!! What a beautiful family!!! Congrats on the two feet that your family grew! COME TO NC so I can be honored to take your family pictures!!!! 
She is beautiful, just like her Mother! Congratulations! Her name is amazing.
You, my lovely, are adorable. Love your photos, story and your GORGEOUS new baby girly!! Congratulations my friend! Loved seeing this and reading all about your delivery! <3
Oh my she is adorable!! And the name? LOVE.IT! Many congrats to you and Phil!!!!
She’s stunning and so are you. I’m so happy for you. Love the name. Dr. Carter’s my dude too! Isn’t he just so calm? Love it. Congrats buddy!
She’s perfect and so is her name. Congratulations! She’s beautiful.
Congrats! Thanks for sharing. She’s beautiful.
you have got to be the most beautiful woman i have ever seen in labor. EVER. not really fair if you ask me 
and wow- she is the most adorable thing ever! congrats mama… you did good
~S
Congratulations Melissa and Phillip!!! She’s beautiful! Love the name BTW! And you looked fabulous through it all!
I feel like I have been checking Facebook every hour hoping for this info–so excited for you! Se is gorgeous, you are gorgeous, peace is in your eyes my friend, love it! And love her beautiful name. Congratulations Niu family!!
Beautiful! Just Beautiful! Way to go Mellissa!
You look gorgeous, she is gorgeous, and Philip looks smitten. I hope you are enjoying your 3 lovely girls and taking it easy. You have a beautiful family Melissa. Congratulations!
P.S. So because of Philip’s dream… does this mean you are having another baby soon and she will be named Cosette?
Loved seeing your post..congratulations Phillip and Melissa! She is beautiful, just like her mother!
Okay, it is SOOOOO ridiculously unfair how amazing and GORGEOUS you look after giving birth!!! I have three boys, and not ONCE did I look as good as you do!! Your daughters are all so beautiful! They are lucky to have such gorgeous parents
Congratulations! She is just perfection! 3 such beautiful girls! You are blessed, Melissa! How come you look so AMAZING after having a baby?! You have such a gorgeous family! I wish all the happiness to you 5!
beautiful family! congrats!
wow, beautiful! you are all beautiful! congratulations!!!
Conratulations Melissa! She’s so beautiful, and I can’t wait to see all the beautiful baby pics you get of her. You’re not supposed to look so amazing right after having a baby, you’re a beautiful Mama!
Congratulations! Naomi is beautiful. And I can’t believe how amazing you look after just giving birth!
Beautiful story, beautiful baby. Congratulations. It was fun to see you all yesterday.
Congratulations Melissa and Philip! What a beautiful little girl! I love the meaning of both her names. So happy all went well!
Hey Melissa, we met at the uswirl awhile back. The baby is beautiful. Just curious what type of lens you used in the Hospital and if you used a flash. I have been working for Bella baby doing photos of newborns and my lighting never seems to look as good as yours did in these photo’s. We are told to shoot in manuel. That could be my problem since manuel is scary for me. Thanks, Montana
you done good! very precious indeed.
YAY YAY YAY!!!! So Happy Sweet Naomi is here! She is beautiful as all the Niu girls are. Hugs from the Long Family!
Oh my goodness Melissa….she is SO pretty! I love her name too. Congrats to you all!
Whaddup Niu! Muchos Congratulatos to your fam. One, two, and now three little beauties. What a(nother) blessing for you and Phillip. I marvel at how composed your writing and pics (seem) to be, maybe the real story is a bit more chaotic.
All the very best from my family to yourn.
BP
Oh Melissa, I wish we knew each other in person. I see you on FRAMED and read your awesome blogs. You have such a way of writing and making beautiful pictures go together so elegantly. My day is better when I read these blogs. My two favs? The one you wrote about Rachel when her baby was born, and this one you wrote about your own sweet angels decent from heaven.
Thank you, you are truly blessed with many gifts.
Suzanne
Congratulations you guys! Melissa you are beautiful and baby Naomi as well!
Oh, I love it…!!! All of it!!! You are so amazingly relatable, and for heavens sake gorgeous. I love your photography, and that you can make even a pill bottle look interesting. But what kills me the most is that you don’t even look like you had a baby…and it was your THIRD??!!!! You go hot momma!!!!!
Oh my what a beautiful little girl. She is precious and I’m sure will live up to such a wonderful name. We love you guys. I can’t wait to meet her!
She’s so stinkin’ cute, Melissa and Phillip. I love her! She is definitely peaceful and pleasant. She’s a heart melter!! Congratulations.
How did it feel to be behind the camera again, after so much time in front of it? You’ll have to tell me.
Good luck transitioning. So happy for you.
I am in love with the picture of all 3 of your girls! Congratulations. I can’t wait to meet her.
LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! Welcome baby Naomi…. I can’t belive that if they would have sent you home that last time you probly would have had the baby on the couch!!! Congrats you guys!!
Wahoo! What a great story and images…and of course, LOVE little Naomi. What a great name – Momma would be honored Congratulations to your whole family!
Congratulations, Melissa and Phil! You are headed down the same path as Doug and me–three girls (and then you get your boy, and then three other girls). Naomi is just beautiful. We are so happy for you.
YAY!!!!!
you and yours deserve all the happiness!!!
many congrats.
YAY!!!!!
you and yours deserve all the happiness!!!
many congrats.
p.s. what is “fall risk”? just has me curious.
wow. what a great story with a beautiful ending. congratualtions. i’ve been adicited to frame from day one and this whole time had no idea you were also a photographer! beautiful work. wow. all the best to you and your already gorgeous family. hope you get a little bit of sleep. ours is just about 10 months and just now…i’m catching some zzz’s.
Wow, I had so much fun reading your post. Congratulations you two! She is just precious.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! She’s perfect! You look fabulous. Sheesh.*jealous* Loved the pictures. Another beautiful daughter… Awww! Love you guys! Hope to see you soon.
I LOVE that you did a self portrait in the hospital bed after just giving birth. Awesome! I’m definitely bringing my camera and some Ilford 3200 my next time around. Congratulations on a beautiful, healthy baby girl!
Just now seeing this post and I love it! Love all the pictures and that last shot with all three of your kids is just precious!
We washed our hands, put on our aprons, received our assignments from the head cook and anxiously waited for the doors to open. The crowd of men, women, and children entered. They seated themselves and quietly waited while the little pre-teenage boys served their food. The other volunteers filled plates for cold,...
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Melissa, I admire you and Philip for doing this!!!! It shows all of us that we need to do things for other people. Thanks Melissa !!!! The pictures are Amazing !!!!!!
Thank you Clair!!!!!!!!!
What an AMAZING way to start off the year! You are an amazing woman, I did not know you played the piano? SO MANY TALENTS you have! Your family is amazing and I am sure you changed the year for those you touched already! Thanks for your inspiration in so many ways!
What a sweet experience; especially to get young kids in the habit of helping others. The best part of service is that you always seem to get more out of doing it then those you are helping. Thanks for the great example you and your family are.
WOW! WOW! WOW! I love these photos and the story that accompanies it Melissa. Thank you for sharing this with all of us and Happy New Year to each of you.
Melissa, I have been completely mesmerized by you and your contagious photos and captioning. I have quietly been enjoying your work via facebook for 6 months now. As I looked over the rescue mission photos I was moved to comment after seeing the photo of everyone with their heads bowed. You are a talent of photography, but more than that you are a woman that reaches right into the human soul and makes me want to be a better woman! Thank you for sharing.
In admiration from Colorado,
Robin Chambon
Thank you so much for inviting us to join in serving here with you this night! What a most rewarding experience to participate in volunteering for such a wonderful organization and serving those needing our help most in our community. I am so blessed and we brought many smiles that evening on the first day of 2011! What a great way to begin the year in serving others!
You really captured all of our feelings for our evening of service. No activity could have been more rewarding than being at the Rescue Mission with these grateful people and hearing their amazing stories. How thankful I am for caring people who set up facilities like the mission to aid people at some point of dependency during their life and then provide a way for others like us to be involved. Thanks to you and Philip for making us aware that we need to do this type of service as often as we can!!
this was a perfect way to start the new year – serving others, being with family and friends, receiving gratitude, filling my heart with joy and hope for 2011. Love it!
You don’t know me but I follow your blog religiously. I admire you and would love to join on the next adventure like this. It looks like you guys had an amazing experience. (ps, I’m a friend of Angelas, not just some crazy stalker!)
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