Johan Holmgren, 42, and Jakob Bruntse, 41, longed for years to become parents, but they weren’t sure it would ever happen for them.
“I’ve sort of wanted to become a dad as far back as I can remember, but I almost gave up the dream when I realized that I was gay,” Bruntse wrote in an e-mail to The Huffington Post. “Fortunately, I fell in love with Johan who didn’t only share my dream; he was determined to make it come true.”
The couple eventually settled on a plan of building their family by using a surrogate. They worked with an agency in the United States, as surrogacy is discouraged in their home country of Sweden. After a year-long search to find their perfect match ― Alexandra Burns, 24 ― followed by a devastating miscarriage, the thrilled fathers finally welcomed their baby girl, Ellen, into the world last month.
Kansas-based birth and family photographer Tammy Schmit of Little Leapling Photography was on hand for the birth (as well as pregnancy and newborn sessions), and the emotional images she captured are proof that there are many ways to become a family. Congrats, all!

Jakob (left): We contacted an agency that helped connect us with our wonderful surrogate. It took almost a year to get the perfect match. She is not the biological mother. We used an egg donor from Kentucky. We now know her well, and keep in touch.

Jakob: I was surprised it was so un-dramatic. In movies, births are often panicked situations, with all of this extreme pain, and screaming and doctors and nurses running everywhere. Of course, it was far from painless for our surrogate, but she was so calm.

I had hoped to give birth without pain medication, but it was just too much for me. Before I got the epidural, there was a moment where I was freaking out, and I did have them leave for a little bit. I was overwhelmed. But as soon as it was time to push, I wanted them there.













Captions have been edited and condensed.