[If you came directly to this post, please read here first for a little background on the project and here for Martha’s first post]

When I visited them at their home near the end of July, it had been sixteen months since I last photographed Martha, Wyatt, and Maddie; and that long since they had said goodbye to Stacy. This visit, however, was so I could say hello – to the newest member of the family, Samuel Rhett Jenkins.

{Click the first image to open slideshow}

I found out in February that Martha was pregnant and due in July. We couldn’t get our schedules to match up for some photographs until a baby shower she was given at church, which turned out to be only 11 days before Rhett was born.

When Martha shared with me that she was pregnant and that the baby’s father was not going to be in the picture, we both realized that she was going to have a tough road ahead of her – being a single, widowed mom was hard enough already, and now dealing with all the questions and judgement that might come from suddenly being an unwed new mom. I asked if she would rather just not be part of the project any longer, if that would be easier. She didn’t even hesitate before telling me that she absolutely did still want to be involved. Maybe even more so now.

Then came the end of June and this incredible outpouring of love and acceptance from her friends and family.

Stacy’s mother and sister with Martha’s mother saying goodbye at the end of the party. Martha said it was hard to tell her parents about the baby, and it was hard to tell Wyatt and Maddie, but the most difficult conversation she had was with Stacy’s family. She knew they would be hurt, and they were. But then his mother told her that now they would have three grandchildren instead of just two. It was agreed that the baby would have the Jenkins name, regardless of blood.

Rhett was born on the 3rd of July. I had planned to be there to photograph his birth and use some of those images to introduce you to him, but as luck would have it he was a few days early and I just happened to be photographing a wedding the night he made his arrival.

Lucy greeted me at the house with quite a bit of barking, but she calmed down and by the time I left we were fast friends.

This was just a couple of days before Rhett turned four weeks old.

People deal with loss in different ways. Grief can overtake you (and you can let it). You can accept it and deal with it one day, hour, minute at a time and seek help to work through it. Or you can push it away, deny it, and try to fill its place with other things, people, activities, feelings. You can be sad, angry, bitter, or indifferent. It can cause you to put your guard up or it can completely knock it down. It can cause you to lose all hope.

Then the sweetest, most innocent little thing comes along and reminds you that hope was still there all along.

Martha told Maddie and Wyatt shortly after she found out she was pregnant. They were a bit confused about her having a baby without being married, but were also very excited about a new brother or sister.

I am not so sure Lucy is as happy with not being the baby of the family anymore though.

I told Martha when I was taking this shot that she really seemed so much more content and at peace than she had in all those months leading up to finding out about Rhett, and she said that it was true, despite the circumstances and the chaos of pregnancy and having a new baby to care for alone, she really is in such a better place now emotionally. Therapy can be a wonderful thing, when you are ready for it.

No one will ever replace Stacy, for her or Maddie and Wyatt, no one can ever fill that void that he left. But Rhett has definitely breathed new life into the family.

Wildman Wyatt is one very proud big brother.

And I think it is safe to say Rhett has big sister Maddie wrapped around his little finger, too.

The morning after this visit Martha was taking the kids for one last fun out-of-town trip before the start of school, so her mom and dad came to spend the night and tag along to lend a hand.

Since the kids were so patient with me taking all the serious photos, I asked them if they wanted to do just one with silly faces – this was their answer!

It has been quite a journey for this family over the past two years. They faced sudden illness, death, loss, and heartbreak, but also learned to treasure good health and joy and hope and new life in a whole new way. And I am grateful to be allowed to tag along and see what new adventures lie ahead for the Jenkins clan.