First-time parents Cindhi and Ross Davis were on two hours of sleep when they arrived at Simply Joyful Moments Photography with their newborn son, Theodore.
“It was the first time I’d been out of the house since the hospital. I was so excited I got to wash my hair and put on normal clothes,” Cindhi, who lives in Columbus, Georgia, told TODAY Parents.
The former teacher, 37, was also looking forward to watching photographer Sarah Jankowski work her magic.
But Cindhi was just so tired. And the couch in Jankowski’s dimly lighted studio was so comfortable.
When Ross, 39, announced he was going to relax and close his eyes for a moments, Cindhi told him that was a good idea. Within seconds, the exhausted dad was out.
“I remember leaning into my husband and thinking, ‘I’m just going to sit here and watch the shoot.’ That was my last thought,” Cindhi said. “Next thing I know, Sarah is like, ‘It’s done!’ And I was like, ‘What? What do you mean it’s done?’ I had passed out cold. It was the first bit of uninterrupted sleep we’d had since Theo was born.”
And they’ll never forget it.
Jankowski’s assistant, Amanda Walker, captured a picture of the moment the Davises fell asleep, and the image went viral on Facebook with thousands of likes and shares.
"They just looked so adorably snuggled up and completely out,” Jankowski told TODAY Parents. “When they woke up 45 minutes later, they were like, ‘We needed that so much.’”
Jankowski noted that it isn’t uncommon for moms and dads to nod off in her studio.
“When parents come in, it’s usually when the baby is one or two weeks old,” she explained. “I’ve got a white noise (machine) going and I keep the room nice and warm. You put all those factors together and it’s a recipe for a nice comfy nap.”