Indianapolis Maternity Photographer | Raw Sugar Photography
It had been way too long since I had seen this couple. Way too long. But, I feel so honored that I get to witness this new chapter of their lives. Crystal and Bobby are expecting a sweet baby boy in just a couple of months, and it’s only fitting that I get to help document it, since Crystal and I have experienced so many new chapters together.
Crystal was the only person I knew when I moved here to Indy almost 10 years ago. We sorta kinda moved here together. Crystal and I met while working at Fox 8 News in New Orleans. I produced their new morning news show and she was my meteorologist. It was new territory for both of us, and there were many growing pains along the way, but nothing prepared us for what happened when we were called into work one Friday evening in August 2005. Hurricane Katrina was forecasted to hit the city and we were going to 24-hour coverage. We were all working nonstop, trying to keep our viewers safe and informed, while we ourselves were scared beyond belief. There was a collective sigh of relief in the control room when the Mayor issued a mandatory evacuation early Sunday morning. Only problem was, we weren’t evacuating. Our news director told us we were all staying to continue reporting on the hurricane. While most of us were in tears, Crystal stood up to our slightly terrifying news director and told her we NEEDED to leave. She finally agreed. With fewer than 24 hours until Katrina was supposed to make landfall, we all caravaned to our sister station in Mobile, AL. What was normally a 2 hour drive took us 11 hours. 11 hours as we watched black clouds roll in, felt winds begin to rattle our cars, and heard rain pound our windshields, 11 hours of pure fear. We made it with just a few hours to spare, and went right on air to continue our coverage. It was like nothing any of us had experienced, the reports coming in from the city were heart-wrenching, true horror stories from the Superdome where many people were forced to seek shelter. This hurricane was the stuff of nightmares. Our news team watched as some of our own neighborhoods were destroyed by flood waters. We had nowhere to go. We slept at the news station for 2 days, we couldn’t go home, no one was being allowed back in to the city. There wasn’t much of a city left. Finally, corporate stepped in and gave us the option to go be with our families, wherever they may be scattered. Crystal is from Indiana and I’m from Illinois, so we decided to follow each other back up I65 to the good ol’ landlocked Midwest until we figured out what was going to happen with our jobs and our lives.
Crystal and I kept in touch during those next couple of weeks and we both agreed we didn’t want to go back to New Orleans. Our jobs were in limbo, the station (remember, we weren’t going to evacuate) was under water, and they didn’t know when we’d be allowed back to the city to see what was left of our homes. Our corporate office was really wonderful and told us to take as much time as we needed. Crystal quickly found a job in Indianapolis as a meteorologist for RTV6 and encouraged me to apply. I applied to all the stations in Indy and eventually accepted a job as a producer WISH-TV. It would be a new start for both of us.
Of course, over these past 10 years we haven’t been the best at keeping in touch. We both got out of the news business, I had kids, she got married, and life got busy, but I never fail to think about her or that experience every year on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This shared experience ensures that we will always have a bond.
Back to happier things – Bobby and Crystal are having a baby!!! Crystal is an absolutely stunning mama-to-be, and when she put on the lilac dress and flower crown she looked just like a perfect Disney princess. A pregnant Disney princess – now, that would be an interesting cartoon! Congratulations, Bobby and Crystal, I cannot wait to meet your little boy!
Raw Sugar Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, child, family, couples, and engagement photography in Indianapolis, Indiana and surrounding areas, including but not limited to, Fishers and Carmel.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks