The Ray Family | Maternity Session in Raleigh, NC

Congratulations to this wonderful pair! I am so happy for Jeremy and Allie to become parents to a baby girl due around Thanksgiving. She is loved so much by her parents and extended family already!

I have known Allie for quite some time and have known her husband Jeremy for even longer. Allie and I are in similar medical careers and have bonded over patient and trauma stories in addition to the woes of PA school. She has become a wonderful friend and I always look forward to meeting up with her and her husband on my trips back to NC.

My first memories of knowing Jeremy date back to middle school, but I think I have known him even longer. Back in middle school, my family and Jeremy’s family would go skiing together. Jeremy and his twin brother were quite the daredevils out on the ski slopes; and throughout high school and beyond, they’ve been known to pull pranks and crack jokes on unsuspecting subjects. While things have changed some and the pranks are fewer and farther between, we still laughed over a bit of ‘potty humor’ during Jeremy and Allie’s session.

I still remember the first time he told me about his crush on Allie; it was almost a decade ago now while they were both working at his dad’s restaurant in Raleigh, NC. Obviously, that crush grew into something much deeper between them and they got engaged several years later at the very spot where we were taking maternity photos!

I love watching Allie and Jeremy interact together. Jeremy can be so goofy and Allie just goes with the flow. He cracks jokes and she smiles at him and laughs. Even after almost a decade of being together, they still enjoy each other’s company. They make a great team and really are the perfect complements. These qualities are the ideal foundation for building a family and I know they will be amazing parents.

Their maternity session was at the park outside of the NC Museum of Art which as previously mentioned holds a very special meaning for them. In addition to being the spot where they got engaged, under the willow tree was also where Jeremy surprised Allie with a stuffed animal holding a note saying they could pick up their new puppy in a few weeks!

Five years later, their black lab puppy Deacon is grown up but still bursting with energy and love; and after their session at the park, we headed back to the house to grab a few photos inside their home with him. He is after all the first Ray child!

Although Deacon has tons of energy, he will be a wonderful big brother! My kids popped over with their grandparents for a quick visit while we were at the Rays’ house. Deacon was so patient with both of them! He waited for my baby to crawl out of the way before sprinting towards the stuffed animal that had just been thrown. He never pushed the kids over and wanted only to give them love. It was the sweetest.

I enjoyed spending the morning with the Rays at the museum park and getting an opportunity to see their baby girl’s nursery later that day. It isn’t quite ready for sweet baby ‘Karen Corona’ Ray yet, but Allie’s vision for the final set up is beautiful. I can’t wait to see it and learn of their final decision for her name! I am so excited to share these photos and am looking forward to hearing about all the new adventures the Ray family has as a party of 3 + Deacon!

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