Maternity photo of military couple goes viral

MIAMI -- A tender picture of a homestead couple that's gone viral captures what so many military families go through -- the couple, separated by thousands of miles, awaits the birth of their first child. 

Expectant mother Veronica Phillips says her husband, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandon Phillips, was deployed overseas just a few months into her pregnancy. He has never been able to put his hands on her growing belly. 

Veronica says it was her husband who encouraged her to take maternity photos. But she wanted to somehow include him in the photo shoot. 

"I did the pictures just to honor him," she told CBS Miami. "You know, because I told him, 'You're going to miss a lot when I'm pregnant. You're going to miss a lot.' And he didn't realize how much he's missing. And I didn't realize how hard it would be without him." 

Photographer Jennifer McMahon edited separate images together to make it appear as though the couple was next to each other. The photo drew national attention after it was posted online. 

The baby boy is due to arrive on June 10. The couple says they plan to use technology on the big day to bridge the distance between them.  

Other military families have posted similar photos online for different occasions. Last Christmas, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandon Sistrunk's family photo went viral while he was deployed overseas.