Hiking adventure at Estero Llano State Park in Weslaco, Texas

Estero Llano State Park, Weslaco, Texas

In all the years I’ve lived in the Rio Grande Valley, I had never taken the time to visit Estero Llano in Weslaco, Texas. I’m not sure I can be proud of that statement. I’ve missed out.

Hiking hasn’t been my thing, ever. If you know me, you know that snakes scare the bejeezus out of me and bugs induce soprano tones from my throat. It’s no lie. Ask my kids. They’ll chuckle and tell you all about it.

Since life has us all turned around and masked up, the family has gotten creative about how we can safely see friends and loved ones. Frankly, we rarely go anywhere these days but over the holiday break, we wanted to see familiar faces and embrace the holiday spirit.

The solution, outdoor gatherings in large open spaces while masked. That’s what worked for us and honestly, it was a beautiful opportunity to do things I don’t generally do. I have to admit. This holiday break taught me to be a little more open minded about hiking and exploring the outdoors. Aside from being mildly scared of the wildlife, I found that I was mostly astounded by the beauty.

The cool breezes took me back to all the days I played outside as child and the outings kept nudging me to try some more. So over the holiday break, we not only explored this beautiful state park… we kept on exploring and I can’t wait to tell you about those.

Estero Llano has clearly marked trails that lead you to various bodies of water which are perfect to catch a glimpse of the many birds that travel through South Texas on their migration journeys. I hear there’s also an alligator which I did not get to see (thank goodness) and the kids were kind of bummed about missing “Alli the Alligator” as they called it.

There is an area with a small incline that leads you to a water reservoir… if you make it out there, the view is worth the extra steps. We saw plenty more beautiful birds and looked down to catch a glimpse of the park while we were up there. (I make it sound like a steeper mountain but it’s really just like getting to the top of a canal..)

If you plan to head out, take me with you next time. I’d love to document your family hike. :) (I promise not to hit the soprano notes on your outing…)

~Norma H

Some "me" time.

McAllen Photographer | The Making Friends Tour, Jukebox The Ghost and The Mowgli’s in Austin, Texas.

Hi y’all!

Sometimes I look at this crazy life I’m living and I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky. I think like most people, (ok, maybe not most…) I often wondered what I was meant to be doing. I never really felt quite right in all my other job opportunities. Although I’ve learned so much through each experience, none felt like it fit me and my soul.

Fast forward 30something years and here I am, living my dream! This dream doesn’t come without a price though. Living life on-call is sometimes challenging (especially when you are a mother of 5.) I have left my own birthday celebration for births, skipped out on my kid’s 1st theater performance, and various other events. Sometimes this part of the job seems a bit too demanding, it’s not just my feelings after all… but I wouldn’t change it.

I.Love. What. I. Do.

Now, with that being said, I am human and I do need to recharge and refuel to keep going. This month, I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands in concert while visiting Austin, Texas. Jukebox the Ghost was in town and I didn’t want to miss it… my March mama was aware of my plans and she was totally understanding (thanks Emilie!)

I made sure I left a solid plan behind and had a wonderful team to help me out in the event Emilie went into labor while I was out of town. Their support was so comforting, I always want to make sure my clients are in good hands and building these backup photography relationships is so important.

I spent the weekend with my siblings, laughing, eating all the vegan treats I could find, and laughing some more. Then we jammed to the beat of The Mowgli’s and Jukebox the Ghost at the Empire in Austin. All in all, it was a pretty fantastic weekend and I feel recharged and ready to be on-call again. I treasure this amazing family of mine as I’m sure you will treasure your family as it grows… Life is incredible.

Here’s a glimpse of my concert weekend! (Also, I totally learned that concert photography is not my jam. I’m more of a live-in-the-loud-bumping-base-moment kind of person.)

I hope you enjoy this tiny glimpse into my life! If want to say hi, book a session, or explore the booking process, Click HERE. I can’t wait to meet you and help you document your story.

Happy Birthday Baby Louie!

Beautiful natural birth at Edinburg Women's Corner

Each and every birth story is so special to me. I'm humbled each and every time a mama invites me to capture this moment for them. Getting to witness baby's first breath is amazing to me and it's even more wonderful when I can share this moment with a close friend.  Amy is a dear friend of mine and I was beyond thrilled to be able to capture her birth story. I can hardly believe it's been a year!!! Where does the time go? As we celebrate Louie's 1st birthday, I bring you his birth story in Amy's words. 

"Louie’s Birth Story

It’s funny how perspective truly affects how we perceive events. As I look back on the days surrounding L3’s birth, there is a significant difference in how I felt in those moments and how I feel about that week now.  Last August, I was so ready to no longer be pregnant! But I wasn’t even due until August 21st so I wasn’t holding my breath that Baby L3 would do me any favors and arrive early. 

The week L3 was born was pretty busy; a lovely shower thrown by my in-laws and a visit from my sister and niece. We spent a lot of time spoiling our Madelin in preparation for her transition to Big Sister. On Tuesday the 16th we had a Surprise Baby Sprinkle for my “Pregnancy Buddy,” Jessica. I went to bed that night thinking, “I’m 39w2d, with Madie I was already having contractions for a day by this point, and still nothing.” I had to keep reminding myself that every baby is different and that we were on God and L3’s time, not mine. 

    I was awakened at 4 a.m. the next morning with early labor contractions, nothing very serious, but WE WERE FINALLY IN BUSINESS! I got out of bed, put my TENS unit on, and got back into bed to rest up for what I thought would be a long labor like his sister’s. We started our day at about 8 a.m., so far my contractions had been consistent, but still nothing serious. I told my husband, Louie, called into work, and then called my midwife, Anna, to let her know. We met with Anna later that morning and it seemed like my contractions had died down a bit, so we went about our day. 

Louie and I enjoyed a quiet lunch and then went home to relax and prep Madie for what was to come. We made a quick trip to HEB to stock the fridge; at this point it was about 6 p.m. and I felt like my contractions were picking up. Walking began to get difficult, but having had a long first labor I still wasn’t convinced. We made it home by 7 p.m. and my contractions were lasting close to a minute, but still 8+ minutes apart, so we tried to eat and called my in laws to let them know they’d need to come pick up Madie soon. I sat in the living room on my yoga ball, breathing through contractions and told my Mom and Louie that I’d like to make it to at least 10 p.m. before we head to the hospital. Come 9 p.m. things are really progressing, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle the car ride if we waited any longer, so I told Louie it was time to leave! He called his parents to change plans for Madie’s pick up and Norma, our birth photographer to meet us at the hospital.

The whole hospital thing was new to us, since Madelin was born at home, and we probably took way too much stuff, but I was determined to make the best of it. Checking in was a frustrating process, but also a nice distraction from my contractions. Louie had gone to get things from the car and was not allowed to come back into the room until it was done. Thank God my mom was there to help me changed and settled in. Seeing my contractions on the monitor was a strange experience, I could see that things were picking up quickly and I was so ready to meet our son. Finally at 11 p.m. Louie returned with Norma just as Anna came in to check on me. Anna had to run into an emergency C- Section, but assured me she’d be right back and that L3 would be here very soon. I really didn’t believe her. I was convinced that my labor would last much longer. My contractions felt pretty intense, I was having to pause and was unable to talk during. There were even pretty close together, at this point, but I still didn’t think things were truly happening, because in between I felt fine. I was walking around and joking, until I wasn’t, ask Louie and my Mom. One second I was happy, and then a contraction would come and don’t you dare joke! 

Around midnight, I remember Anna telling the staff to get everything ready and in my head I was thinking, “Yea right, we are going to be here forever.” Shortly after that, Anna told me that if it felt right to go ahead and start pushing during my contractions. I guess I was just in denial, but my memories from Madie’s delivery really had me thinking that I wasn’t there yet. I know, I know, “Every baby is different,” I say it all the time, but in the back of my mind I expected to be in significant pain for a long time before my baby arrived.

While my contractions did hurt, I wasn’t hurting in the normal sense. After trying several positions, Anna suggested I get on the bed on my hands and knees, I hesitated, but I trusted her completely, so why not. Immediately things felt easier.

After a few contractions my water broke and I got this crazy, intense urge to push. From there everything moved so quickly. I remember feeling like I had to get this baby out and then Anna told me to stop pushing, I pretty much yelled at her, “NOW? I can’t,” but I was able to and then she told me to push again and his head was out!  Then one more push and HE WAS HERE! 

I couldn’t believe it! He was so perfect with his huge pink cheeks and the same little nose as Madie. Instantly, we were enamored with this amazing little creature we had created and everything else disappeared. L3’s umbilical cord was short so I couldn’t quite hold him right away, as soon as it stopped pulsating Louie cut it and I finally got to hold him. I could have stared at him forever.

Then I handed him to Louie and my mom. Of course I was ogling him this whole time, dying to hold him again. Although, I wasn’t at home, my birthing experience was much better than I had expected. Between my mom, hubby, Anna, and the supportive hospital staff, I was in great hands. I felt empowered and was treated with respect. They helped me to trust my body and bring my son earthside in a peaceful and loving environment. My Birth Photographer was also amazing! Thank you so much, Norma, for being there for us!"

Thank you for sharing your story with us Amy! Your words took me back to that beautiful August day. I am truly humbled to have been present on such a special day for your beautiful family.

Happy 1st birthday Louie! 

If you are interested in having your birth story captured, reach out! I'd love to chat. 

~Norma Hess