Four Month Favorites

It's amazing how much changes in a month! Walt has been playing a lot more this month and is becoming curious, especially about our dog Buddy and any kind of electronics. We've had to really be intentional about turning the TV off cause he will turn his neck like an owl to watch it. One Sunday at church the man next to us had his phone out and Walt was just staring at it the whole time (until he got hungry and decided he was done with sitting in service). Anyways, here are our favorites for this month...

Munchkin LATCH Transition Cup Walt still won't take a bottle but we've had some luck with this transition cup. It's soft like a bottle nipple but shaped more like a sippy cup. He loves the handles on it and wants to hold it himself.

Oball Rattle Like I said, Walt has started actually playing with toys which has been so fun to watch. He loves this ball cause it's really easy to hold. He does get frustrated cause he wants to put it in his mouth and can't because of the shape. He also will get it hooked on his finger and end up throwing it across the room. It's a great toy for at home but I wouldn't take it in the stroller cause it would be easily lost

Wide View Digital Color Video Baby Monitor He's been doing great sleeping in his crib and this monitor makes it easy to feel comfortable with him in his own room. It has a bar across the top that goes from green to red depending on the noise level. Plus the camera works really well and allows you to check on him without having to walk in his room a million times (and risk waking him up when you trip over something)

Fisher-Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat This is by far the best purchase we've bought lately. Walt loves standing up and sitting up, which is awesome but makes it difficult for me to get things done. This chair is awesome cause it lets him sit up and lets me move around. I've actually been able to make dinner lately because of this chair! It also has two hooks on it and comes with two little toys but you can switch them out. Bonus-the fabric material comes off very easily and washes nicely. Which we had to do two days in a row...

Spiral Activity Toy This is a soft toy that works well for on the go! We hook it on the stroller when we go on walks and on the side of his carseat for longer drives. It also is nice to pull out over at other people's houses to keep him entertained without having a bunch of toys.

Happy 4 months sweet boy!

A Light That Shines is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Three Month Favorites

Walt turned three months a few weeks ago, hard to believe how fast the time has gone by! I had to pack up a bunch of his clothes yesterday, which was quite sad. He's developing such a cute personality though and I love getting to hang out with him during the day! Here are our three month favorites...

The Jesus Storybook Bible We have developed a bedtime routine of bath (every other night), diaper change, pjs, and then I feed Walt while Kyle reads a story out of here. I love how each of the stories points to Jesus and the pictures are wonderful. It will be special to keep reading this especially as he gets older and we can talk about the story when we are done. He loves books and I'm glad we've started reading the Bible to him at an early age.

Boppy Pillow  I used this to nurse every now and then but Walt loves to be propped up on here. It lets him sit up a little bit and he likes to look around. He usually tells his best stories while propped up on the boppy. You can also use it for tummy time but we haven't done that as much cause he does really well with tummy time on the floor.

Carters Lamb Blanket I grabbed this out of the toy box on a whim this month and Walt loves it! He grabs it and rubs it on his face. We call it his lovie and it has become a car ride staple. We did forget it at my parents' house one night, thankfully he isn't at an age where he needs it just yet. I think we will buy a second one as a back up!

Summer Umbrella Stroller We had been using the travel system stroller that we borrowed from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law for our carseat but Walt started getting really warm and didn't like how he couldn't look around. We tried out this umbrella stroller and he really enjoyed it! He looks around at everything when we go on walks and is so content. It helps at night when it's too early for bed but he's getting fussy. One afternoon I took him and Buddy on a walk and it started raining, quite an adventure to try and get home but Walt didn't seem to mind at all.

SwaddleMe As I mentioned in my last post I mostly do a "super swaddle" when Walt is going in his crib (which is all the time now!) But not everyone has the swaddle technique down, so this is a nice back up option. There is velcro on it so it keeps his arms down and works well, although he has managed to get his arms out a few times.

A Light That Shines is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Things I've Learned About Being a Mom

Things I’ve learned in the past 3 months of being a mom…

·      Sleep is a treasure, hard to find and very valuable

·      You can never have too many burp rags, keep one in every room that you might possibly be in

·      The first time you go to the pediatrician’s office you will be a mess. Germs, other kids, unsure of what to do And your baby will have a blow out in the waiting room at some point. Ours was the 2 month appointment.

·      Babies don’t just fall asleep when they are tired. Seriously, I thought when Walt’s tired he will just fall asleep so I didn’t keep track of how long he had been awake. I’m sure some babies do just fall asleep, mine does not. He wants to go and move and talk all day long, and if he’s awake for too long he gets super cranky. Now I write down when he woke up so after an hour or so I can get him ready for a nap. I swaddle him, put him in his crib and let him babble until he falls asleep. He’s happy, mommy’s happy, life is good.

·      Never give up on the swaddle. For the first month probably we were just convinced that there was no way to swaddle Walt that would keep his arms in so we just didn’t do it. Then I started again and it is magical. I do what we call a “super swaddle” for naptime and a regular swaddle at night. The other night he was screaming and I swaddled him and then he was perfectly calm. Seriously, magic. Don’t give up, just keep trying and it will be worth it

·      It’s hard to learn how to be a mom and a wife

·      Learning how to wear Walt in a wrap decreased my stress level of taking him places. It’s so much easier than lugging the car seat around and he usually ends up falling asleep.

·      You will talk about poop with your spouse more than you ever thought possible

·      Every baby has unique challenges, just because one baby seems “easier” than yours doesn’t mean that’s true. Don’t compare, especially not based on social media.

·      Your phone will be FILLED with pictures of your baby.

·      Create a photo stream (if you have an iphone) and invite your family members to join, that way they can see pictures of your little one every day but you don’t have to flood social media with pictures

·      It’s important to learn how to ask for help

·      Postpartum hormones are no joke, mixed with very little sleep and any level of frustration can be pretty bad.

·      Breastfeeding makes you hungry all day long, I make a variation of these protein bites about once a week and keep them in the fridge so I can grab a few when I don’t have time to make anything

·      Take naps when the baby sleeps, leave the dishes and laundry until you wake up if the baby is still sleeping after your nap you can do those things. You will regret not taking a nap. I still try and lay down at least once a day- Walt still wakes up in the middle of the night so I need an extra 30 minutes around 4:00 or I will be super crabby by dinner

·      Sometimes you just need to get away for an hour and just walk around Target. Side note-you’ll probably end up buying something for your little one.

·      Figure out what helps you manage your stress and find a way to make it happen. For me it’s working out and I go to the gym at 7am three times a week and Kyle hangs out with Walt.

·      The love you’ll feel for this child is unexplainable and it makes you understand God better and your own parents

·      You will be so proud of your little one for things that maybe don’t seem like a big deal to other people—like him holding up his head or almost rolling over or letting out a big burp

·      Seeing your parents as grandparents is one of the best things in the world

·      No matter how little sleep you’ve gotten or how many diapers you’ve changed in the past 30 minutes when you get a tiny little smile or sweet look you will forget all of that and just be so in love.

Looking so cute in a baseball hat

Stretches in his onesie that is really too small...

Two Month Favorites

Walt turned 2 months old last week and had his appointment this week. Our little boy is growing so fast! He grew almost 3 inches in a month, which is crazy and explains why his clothes are getting too small! He's moved up to size 2 diapers and is starting to out grow his 0-3 month clothes. He is such a sweet boy, very curious and will definitely be an explorer once he can start moving! 

Here are our favorite things from the past month...

Skip Hop Activity Gym We have the farm version of this which has been discontinued, but this one is super cute too! We call ours "Walt's Farm" and he loves it! He will lay there and punch and kick to try and find the animals. We also hung this Moose on it and he loves kicking it and gets fussy if he can't reach it with his feet.

SoundSpa Portable This is a heaven send! It's a noise machine, we just use the white noise feature but it also has different noises like a heartbeat and summer noise. You can either plug it in or put batteries in it. I love how compact it is and it also gets pretty loud which helps block out noises when you finally get your little one to fall asleep.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar We started reading books to Walt pretty early on. I want him to love to read and was just excited to read to him. This is definitely his favorite book. He loves looking at the pictures especially the big butterfly at the end!

Carter's Baby Boy Rompers I am not a big fan of putting shorts or pants on Walt, they just fit him funny and are kind of a pain when you are changing diapers so often! But these are awesome, they look super cute and a little nicer than just a plain onesie!

Skip Hop Duo Signature Diaper Bag There are so many diaper bag choices but I love the one we went with. My sister-in-law helped me register, which was so helpful, and she recommended getting a "non girly" bag so Kyle wouldn't mind carrying it around. This bag is awesome, it comes with a thin changing mat, both pockets in the front close with a magnet, and there is a pocket perfectly sized and placed for easy access to your phone.

Speaking of diaper bags, I think my next post will be about what I keep in my diaper bag and helpful tips for always being prepared (Sounds cheesy but nothings worse than running out of diapers and praying little man doesn't have a blowout before you get home!)



A Light That Shines is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

One Month Favorites

I started this post a few weeks ago but I never got around to posting it. Figured I should get it done before little man turns 2 months next week! 

There are a few things that have been life savers during this first month and I wanted to share them. 

Fisher-Price Rock N Play Sleeper This came as a huge recommendation from my sister-in-law, and I am so thankful for it. This is where Walt sleeps at night and during most of his naps (unless he falls asleep on me and I just enjoy the snuggles). The incline is nice especially if your baby has any form of reflux. The shape of it helps snuggle him plus there is a vibration feature that you can turn on. It's very light weight and we just move it from room to room depending on where we are, we've also packed it up and taken it over to my parents' house when they were watching him. Highly recommend!

Robe I have a nice robe from Gap which they don't make anymore but it has been so helpful during late night nursing sessions. Postpartum hormones make body temperature go all over the place. I would wake up sweaty and then get freezing while I was nursing. The robe is nice to be able to just throw on over my nursing tank when I get up and is still easy to nurse in.

Sprout Feeding App This app is amazing especially during all the sleep deprivation. It has features for breast feeding or bottle feeding and helps you remember when the last time you fed was and which side the baby fed on first so you can alternate.

My Brest Friend Original Pillow I registered for this and a Boppy pillow and I was lucky enough to receive both of them. They have both been useful in the past month, but the Brest Friend was so nice to have at the beginning when I was learning how to breastfeed. At first it feels like you need four hands to be able to get the right latch, hold him in place, grab the burp rag, etc. This provides a sturdy surface and holds the baby at the right angle to nurse. It also has a nice pocket which I keep a baby nail file in (since that's the only time I can trim Walt's nails)

Gerber Prefold Cloth Diapers We never used these as diapers but they make awesome burp cloths and changing pad protectors. They are easy to wash and nice and soft!

Aden + Anais Bamboo Swaddle These blankets are so soft and lightweight. Walt is a master at getting out of swaddles and he's pretty warm natured so these work awesome. I love how soft they are and I know we will use them for many years to come. I actually bought a second pack a few weeks after Walt was born to have extras when the others were dirty which happens so often haha!

Nursing Tanks These are awesome when you are breastfeeding! I have a few and a wear them almost every day. They fit really well work good under t-shirts without being too tight or bulky.

Trader Joe's Coconut Coconut Oil I used this all during my pregnancy to prevent stretch marks and now I use it after I breastfeed. It helps prevent dry and cracked nipples plus it has antibacterial properties.

Thermos Water Bottle I actually use the water bottle I got from the hospital but I also try and keep this one full at a different part of the house. Nursing makes me so thirsty and it's important to drink enough in order to keep milk supply and energy up.


A Light That Shines is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Pregnancy Favorites

I was pretty lucky to have a relatively easy and uneventful pregnancy. That being said, even the easiest pregnancy still comes with it's aches and pains and difficulties. I wanted to put together a list of my pregnancy favorites, the things that really helped me make it through those nine (let's be honest it's ten) months.

Altoids Smalls Mints I never had really bad morning sickness, but I would get queasy at times especially around certain smells. These mints are perfect cause they aren't too big but they are strong enough to cover mask a smell. I would keep a container of them in my purse at all times.

Crane Humidifier About a month into my pregnancy I went out to Colorado to visit with family, after I got back my nose was so dry and I kept getting nose bleeds. We registered for this humidifier for Walt but I ended up using it a lot during my pregnancy.

Champion Fitness Ball This was a recommendation from our Birth Boot Camp class, more on that to come. They make all different sizes of fitness balls, I went with the 55 cm cause I'm pretty short (5'2"). I sat on this a lot toward the end of my pregnancy. It made me sit up straighter and apparently helps the baby get into position. The night I went into labor I had been sitting and bouncing on it for about 2 hours, so maybe it helped!

Trader Joe's Coconut Coconut Oil I've become a little obsessed with coconut oil--I use it on all different kinds of things. At the beginning of my pregnancy I was using cocoa butter to prevent stretch marks but I wasn't really a fan of the smell. I decided to start using coconut oil instead and I didn't end up with any stretch marks on my stomach. (Also a good thing to have around if you're breastfeeding cause it can help prevent and treat cracked and dry nipples)

Birth Boot Camp About 15 weeks into my pregnancy my midwife asked if we had thought about taking any kind of birth classes. It was something I had thought of but just hadn't researched much. This was her recommendation and I'm so thankful we decided to take it. It was a little bit of an investment but was very informative! I strongly recommend the in person classes, we had to watch one online cause we were both busy and missed the in person class and it just wasn't as engaging or helpful. This class definitely helped both Kyle and I know what to expect and learn different pain management techniques in order to have a natural birth.

Aveeno Calming Body Wash During my second trimester I started taking baths, it really helped at the end of the day when I was achy and every muscle in my body hurt. I poured a little bit of this body wash in the bath as it was filling and it made light bubbles and made the whole bathroom smell really nice. Plus it leaves your skin soft and not itchy like some bubble baths do-nothing is worse than getting out of the bath and feeling like you need to take a shower.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Third Trimester Tea I bought this pretty late into my third trimester. It is a Red Raspberry Leaf Tea which is supposed to help prepare your uterus for labor as well as prevent early and late term labor (not sure how it can do both haha). Make sure you check with your doctor before you drink it. By this point in time I was super warm all the time so the idea of drinking warm tea sounded miserable. Instead I would brew it and then pour it over ice. It doesn't taste like raspberries, but has a nice early/floral taste to it. I have no idea if it worked but I do know that Walt was born the day before his due date and my labor was only 11 hours, so maybe it did help!

Other favorites that can't be bought:

Going for walks--I went to the gym a few times a week until about 30ish weeks. Then I started taking Buddy for a walk almost every day instead. I really think the walks helped my body prepare for labor and move Walt into the right position. There were days that I just wanted to lay on the couch but I went anyways, and then laid on the couch...

Rest--Which leads into this point. Rest! I had such a hard time with this, I wanted to be up and moving and getting things done. But my body was tired and I would get grumpy and sore if I pushed myself too hard. Learn how to take naps now, it will be helpful once your baby gets here and you sleep in 2 hour increments.

Avoid comparison and give yourself grace--I loved following other pregnant moms on instagram and reading their blogs. Too often, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, I found myself comparing every little detail. They look like they haven't gained as much weight as I have or she's still going to the gym everyday, how come I'm not. I had to realize that every pregnancy is different and I needed to listen to my body instead of focusing on others. I also had to put my scale away because it was causing me unnecessary stress. In all fairness, I would sneak it out about once a week and weigh myself just to make sure nothing crazy was going on but no more daily weigh-ins for me. Trust your body, give yourself grace, and avoid comparisons.


What things did you love during your pregnancy?


A Light That Shines is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Walt's Birth Story Part 2

**Same warning: This is a birth post and while I don't go into graphic detail, if you're not interested in birth maybe don't keep reading**

Also, some of these details are a little fuzzy to me cause I was in my own world for most of the labor, I zoned out and just focused on getting through each contraction. In fact Kyle said, "I don't know how you're going to write Part 2 cause your eyes were closed for like 6 hours." haha! Maybe we can convince him to write his version of Part 2 as well...

Alright so I left off with us getting to the hospital, which was around 5:30 am May 21st. We made it up to Labor and Delivery and had to get buzzed in cause it was after hours. The buzzer wasn't working, it was almost like someone left it off the hook cause we could hear the nurses talking but no one was answering us. Let's just say a lady in labor standing waiting for a door to open does not go over well. I was about to open the door and let the alarm go off when they finally buzzed us in. The hallway that the door opens to is like 500 feet  (probably an over exaggeration) long and I was dreading this walk. I had already been down the hallway earlier that week and my contractions were way more intense by this point. Thankfully two nurses came down the hallway to meet us with a wheelchair.

We got into a room and they had me lay down on the bed, which I was not excited about cause I had a hard time with the contractions while laying down. I laid on my side and grabbed onto the bed every time I had a contraction which seemed to help some. They hooked me up to monitors to make sure Walt was doing okay and then asked a bunch of questions. I honestly don't remember if I answered any of them or if Kyle just answered all of them for me. I was in my own little world by this point and not up for talking. The only thing I liked about being hooked up to the monitors was that the nurses could tell when I was having a contraction and when it peaked and helped me breathe through it. Walt hated the monitor though and started moving like crazy which made the contractions worse.

Throughout my pregnancy I had really bad heartburn, thankfully I had been able to control it by taking Zantac twice a day. But it was not working at this point and I had horrible heartburn. Breathing through contractions is already hard but when your throat feels like it's on fire it's nearly impossible. I asked the nurses if there was anything they could do and they said they would check with the midwife. They also checked to see how dilated I was, I was at 4 cm, which was awesome to hear cause I had been at 1 cm the whole time we were at the hospital on Monday. The nurse came back after talking to the midwife and said "You're having a baby today! You're admitted!" I was excited and nervous all at the same time--it was really happening!

I asked to get out of bed at this point, they let me and brought me a "birth ball" to sit on (which is really just an exercise ball mixed with an office chair for stability) I sat on this while they took like six vials of blood and got me hooked up with an IV port cause I had to get antibiotics during labor. They also gave me heartburn medicine through the IV and it helped immediately, I was so thankful for that!

My contractions were getting stronger at this point (I feel like I'm going to just keep saying this, there is no other way to describe it...) I tried sitting on the ball but it wasn't comfortable. I needed to find a spot where I could rest in between contractions. Kyle moved things around on the bed and raised part of it and put a stack of pillows so I could rest my head. I was also feeling dizzy at this point, I think it was from all the blood they took. Right around this time the nurses switched shifts and Gina came in, she was amazing. She brought me some grape juice, which helped the dizziness go away. I'm not a big juice drinker but I probably drank a gallon of grape juice during labor haha! I kept laboring and things got more intense--the contractions were stronger and closer together. I asked to be checked again and I was at 6-7cm.

At this point I asked if I could go into the tub so they moved us into the "big tub" room. I don't remember moving into this room or how all of our stuff got into that room, but somehow it did! I sat on the toilet while they filled up the tub, and then moved into the water. Caysi showed up to take pictures, so thankful she was there even though I never said anything to her. (Again, in my own world and wasn't up for talking) Everything felt so much better once I got in the water. I felt like I could rest between the contractions and the pain wasn't as intense. I kept laboring and my water broke at while I was in the tub which was a very crazy feeling.

I love that you can see my very pregnant belly in this picture

I remember getting really hot at one point, probably from the water and the fact that I had this huge plastic glove on my left hand to keep my IV port from getting wet. Caysi started fanning me, which helped so much and they got the AC turned down. I also convinced the nurse to take the glove off, since the port was getting more wet from all the sweat inside the glove. I think that was the most I talked during labor. The midwife and her student came into check how I was doing, they checked me and I was still at 6-7cm. They tried to get me to change positions in the water but I couldn't wasn't very cooperative. They finally convinced me I should get out of the tub for awhile and find a different position to labor. I was not happy about getting out of the water, the contractions were so close together and much more painful out of the water. I started to get discouraged, it seemed like things weren't moving along anymore.

I ended up back on the toilet leaning back and Gina kept telling me I needed to lean forward but I just couldn't. I sat in the shower for awhile and Kyle sprayed me with water. I knew he saw my frustration and I remember looking at him and knowing he felt like he couldn't do anything to help. I think we both let out some tears and felt discouraged for different reasons. He never doubted my strength but I know he wanted to take away my frustration but couldn't.  I felt like I was hitting a wall, I said "I don't think I can do this" and I heard Caysi say "that means you're close!" And I remembered from our Birth Boot Camp that I was probably in transition and getting really close. I tried to refocus and decided to listen to the advice Gina was giving and go out to the bed.

I ended up standing next to the bed and leaning forward. I have no idea how long I was in this position but I know the contractions started changing at this point. I had the urge to push but I knew it wasn't time yet. Kyle kept telling me to do "horse lips" which is basically just pushing your lips out and letting your breath out that way. This keeps you from pushing with your exhale. Between this and making low groans I kept myself from pushing on most of the contractions. During the whole time Kyle was making sure I was drinking water and grape juice and never left my side. Several times I told Kyle, "I feel like he is coming...I just want to push." He kept me calm and reminded me not to push just yet. Gina came to check me at some point, she probably heard my noises get louder and more intense. (I had a sore throat for two days after labor from all the grunting and low noises I made) She checked me and said something like "You have no cervix left and he's at the +1 station" I remember being confused and asked her "How dilated am I?" and she replied, "You're at a 10! You're ready to go!" I wanted to cry out of excitement, I was finally there! This was happening and my little boy was going to be in my arms so soon!

They got me back in the tub because that was where I wanted to deliver. It felt so good to be in the water again. Gina called the midwife and let her know what was going on. I remember having a really strong contraction and Kyle said "don't push just yet." And just then I heard Candis (the midwife) say "If you need to push, you push!" She had just walked in and that was the best thing I could've heard. She coached me through how to push and told me I was going to have to push through the pain that was going to come.

The pushing was hard but it felt like it had a purpose and my body wanted to push. I felt like I was just going along with what my body was trying to do on its own. I had to switch positions for a little while, I moved to my knees and leaned up against the side of the tub I think this helped him move down a little more. Then I went back to sitting with my back against the tub which allowed me to rest between contractions.

Everyone was really encouraging and they kept telling me how good I was doing. At one point they started talking about how they could see his head, and I remember how excited Kyle was. Candis told me I could reach down during the next contraction and feel his head, I did this and it was so crazy. It gave me all the motivation in the world--my boy was so close to coming in the world and he just needed me to stay focused a little longer. The pushing got really intense at this point, I think it's what they describe as the "ring of fire". Basically everything is getting stretched beyond any point of comfort. It took extra focus and determination to push past this pain.

Finally during one of the big pushes they told me his head was out! They had me do shorter pushes to get his shoulders through and the next thing I knew my son was on my chest. I immediately started crying, he was here! All the pain and frustration was gone, my little boy was here. I came out of my "zone" and remember looking at Kyle and seeing the joy in his eyes. We were both so overwhelmed with love for this boy. The nurse hit the call button and announced "We have a baby boy born at noon!" They delivered my placenta and once the cord stopped pulsing asked Kyle if he wanted to cut the umbilical cord. He did and I just kept staring at my little boy. He was just so perfect. Candis commented on his size--the midwives had thought he would be close to 7 pounds, but clearly he was bigger than that. She said something like "where were you hiding that boy?!"

Love the emotion of this picture, one of the happiest moments of my life captured

The process of getting me out of the tub and back to the bed was going to take a little bit so they asked Kyle to do skin to skin with Walt. Kyle was so excited to hold his son and had been waiting for this moment. He held him for awhile while I got cleaned up and a few stitches.

They delayed newborn procedures to let Kyle and Walt have skin to skin and then I was able to hold Walt for awhile while they finished up stitching and pushing on my stomach (seriously worse part ever...) Walter was 8 lb 9 oz and 20.5 inches long. Big boy!

A boy and his daddy

Adorable feet

Back in mommy's arms

Overall, I was in labor for about 11 hours. Labored at the hospital for 6 of those hours and pushed for about an hour total. I wanted a natural birth and I was so thankful the nurses and staff never questioned me. No one ever asked me what my level of pain was, no one ever offered me an epidural or warned me that it was my last chance to get one, and all the nurses and midwives were so encouraging every step of the way. I know natural birth is not for everyone, and everyone should be able to birth they way they chose. I was grateful for the support I was given in my choice because I know that is not always the case.

Kyle was the most incredible husband during this whole process. As you can see in the pictures, he never took his eyes off of me. He was there for all 11 hours and made sure I was staying hydrated and kept telling me how amazing I was doing. When I look through these pictures I see the love he has for me, and the love he has for Walt. He is selfless, supporting, and the best husband and best friend I could ever ask for. He knew exactly what I needed and even though I barely opened my eyes for 6 hours, I always knew he was there. He was praying for me and never once doubted my strength. He kept telling me how proud he was of me and that our boy would be here soon.

These pictures are one of the most amazing gifts I've ever been given. I asked Caysi if she would be interested in taking pictures during labor for me, realizing this was asking a lot of her (she's 6 months pregnant) She not only agreed but was so excited to be a part of Walt's birth. I never acknowledged her during birth because I was in my own world but I knew she was there and I knew she was praying for me and encouraging Kyle. She reminded him to eat and drink cause he was so fully focused on me. There is no way I could ever repay her for all she did and most importantly for the memories she captured.

During the last part of my pregnancy I put the hashtag #waitingonwalt on my pregnancy pictures. Well we waited on Walt and he came at exactly the time he was ready to come. He is one special little boy and we love him more than we ever thought possible.

We waited on you, you came in the perfect time, and now you are forever part of us