Irina is like a gentle breeze: she moves swiftly, speaks softly, brings life to anything that is blessed with her tender touch. Her large brown eyes are always filled with concern and care. You would want to protect her, hug her little slender shoulders, help her lift the heavy weight she is always carrying. She looks almost fragile, as a graceful and delicate as a crystal wine glass on a tall stem. Yet, don’t be diswayed: this gentle girl has got a spine of steel.
She came to America just eight years ago, with a handful of money and a toddler whose temper was quite a handful. Her husband was busy with work that he started straight away. Ira was busy with settling in her new home, all alone with her little boy. While daddy was surprising everyone by how hardworking and dedicated he could be, Ira surprised moms of other toddlers at the playground with her unusual questions: “How do you teach your one little one MATH?” Her own one year old was learning math, was learning how to read in two vastly different languages, was practicing small motor manipulative skills, was applying his big motor abilities, was testing his mommy’s patience. Luckily, her patience comes in BIG packs. So thin, so graceful, his mom just looks fragile: hiding inside is so much strength, I wish I had a quarter. There is more to her besides gentle beauty and hidden strength: those gorgeous large brown eyes are hungry to see and learn, her tender hands - to try new things, her strong desire grow and to achieve new heights. Her efforts were not in vain: when her little one grew big enough to go to school, he turned out really gifted in math and when it came to swimming - a true champion. Yet, taking care of her home, teaching her baby, making a homemade meals for her family every single night wasn’t enough. Ira was eager to do more, was ready to do so. Every extra penny they earned didn’t go on vacations and exotic gifts. It went straight to the local college, for Ira’s new degree.
Dream Come True Photo: Irina Preganant Belly - Maternity SessionDream Come True Photo: Irina Preganant Belly - Maternity Session
College for youngsters is fun. College for Irina was like mountain climbing: every class was a gigantic obstacle to overcome. Yet her initial lack of language was no stopper in English, History, Economics, Foreign Language, or Science classes. Admirable, to say the least. The biggest challenge for this gentle girl wasn’t in sciences or even 8 page essays she was losing her sleep over. The hardest class for this shy girl, uncomfortable with too much attention, turned out to be public speaking. Despite her worries, even this class Ira passed with flying colors: her speech turned out the best one in her class.
Dream Come True Photo: Irina Preganant Belly - Maternity SessionDream Come True Photo: Irina Preganant Belly - Maternity Session
Now they both got a job, a beautiful new house of their own, and a new baby on a way. I wish to stop the story there, but the mountains for them to scale were just growing: a rare pregnant woman faces so many physical challenges as Ira had this time around. Despite prescribed bed-rest, despite all the efforts, their second baby came prematurely to this world. Babies are adorably helpless, needing our help on every step. This baby was helpless in a literal sense: a remarkably tiny thing, he didn’t know how to breath, how to eat, how to survive. Long painful weeks followed first in the hospital, then at home. The baby went home with the special breathing monitors and an earsplitting alarm that kept turning a wailing
siren on every time the tiny baby boy attempted to move and the annoying sensors and monitors were dislocated again.
Dream Come True Photo: Irina Preganant Belly - Maternity SessionDream Come True Photo: Irina Preganant Belly - Maternity Session
I wish you could see that baby now. He started out so tiny, he didn’t look completely human yet. Now he is crushing the pediatrician’s growth statistics by towering over 97th percentiles. I wish you could hear his sweet voice, see his big kind brown eyes. See how excited he and his big brother were about the third little baby on a way in mommy’s tummy.
It takes enormous courage to try out for another baby after everything these guys have been through. Yet, as you can see, courage is plentiful in this family . Yes, it was a hard decision for all of them, but now they are really looking forward to welcome their new baby into this world.
Irina is not only smart, hardworking, beautiful: she is incredibly fun. When the constant search for a perfect light took us to the enormous windowsill, Irina suddenly felt playful about her newly discovered pregnancy-appetite and wild pregnancy-cravings. I wish I could say that we ate all these delicious "props" at the end of the photoshoot, but they safely returned to the fridge. If we did, no windowsill will hold us after such feast!;
Thank you so much, Irina, the girl I admire so much, for letting me share your inspirational story and your beautiful images!
