Reagan Arlene Charlotte Rice - Anna Filly Photography

There are few things greater than a baby’s laugh. I mean– lets be real here, there’s almost NOTHING better than a baby’s laugh, except for maybe a wide toothless grin. My sweet friend Reagan hasn’t quite gotten to the laughing stage yet, but she’s trying. Her smile puts all other little six month olds to shame. I swear she looks just like her mommy, Morgan.

I was two grades above Morgan, but that didn’t stop us from becoming close friends. Her laugh, and my love of making her laugh instantly made us buddies. Being Morgan’s friend was just something that happened naturally. One day we were talking about how both of our daddy’s were pastors, and how I thought her older brother was cute, and the next day we were buying pet fish & giving eachother nicknames. Then, one day after I had graduated high school, and Morgan was about to, I got a phone call.

“Anna, I’m pregnant,”

I laughed and said something about how I was too.

“No Anna, really, I’m not joking,”

You know that feeling you get when you just KNOW you’ve been punk’d and Ashton Kutcher is most DEFINITELY hiding somewhere and you’re like “Okay, alright, realllllly funny guys! You got me!”

Yeah, I had that feeling… only I quickly realized, Ashton Kutcher was nowhere in sight (trust me, I checked).

“You know what this means…” I said slowly

“What?” Morgan asked cautiously.

I laughed a little, trying to lighten up the mood, “I’m gonna spoil that kid rotten,”

Life continued on. Morgan stayed strong through it all. She was a senior in high school, and she was pregnant. Quiet whispers begged her to abort the baby. They told her she couldn’t raise it, she should just live her life and give it up. She & her fiancé even thought about putting the baby up for adoption. But when they found out it was girl… they knew they just had to keep her. The baby wasn’t an “it” anymore. It had a gender, a purpose, it became more real to them in that moment.

There is no doubt that this little jewel is her mommy’s daughter. They both share the same effortless grin, the same bright, wide eyes. Those eyes have been passed down from each generation. It’s pretty obvious where Morgan and her baby girl get there beauty from.