It Takes A Village

The saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child."

But I think it takes a village to bring one into the world, too!

The past few weeks I have been so blessed by so many people

as we waited for our precious Miles to arrive.

To those of you who were so sweet to text or call
during the 10 days between my due date and Miles' arrival - thank you.
Your kind words were the encouragement I needed
to help me make it through the difficult days without going bonkers.

To my parents - especially my mom, who was with me every day

from my due date until Miles arrived - thank you.

Not only did my mom entertain [a very energetic] Max

while I had appointments, but she also tolerated my moodiness

and frustration in the last days. (I'm sorry for that, Mom.)

She stayed with Max while we were in the hospital

and welcomed us with a home-cooked meal when we were discharged.

In the few much-too-short days afterwards, my mom

was a HUGE help around the house and let me get a bit of rest.

We were all so sad to her and my dad go back to Wisconsin!

To Clay's parents, who dropped everything to drive into Fort Worth
and meet their newest grandson - thank you.
Jack and Karen were so sweet to bring Clay meals in the hospital
and to switch off with my mom watching Max.
They even entertained the kiddos one morning
so two tired parents could catch up on their sleep. :)

To our doula Jamie Hinton, who totally made the goal
of a natural VBAC a reality - thank you.
We really were so incredibly ignorant, it's almost embarrassing.
But Jamie helped educate us so we could make informed choices
throughout the last weeks of pregnancy, and I am totally
convinced that I would not have been able to birth a 10-pound baby
without medication had it not been for her calm coaching
and steady presence throughout my labor!

And to my dear husband Clay, who has been so supportive
of, well, everything throughout this pregnancy - thank you.
He reminded me constantly that I was doing the right thing
in waiting for Miles to come on his own,
even when I felt like throwing in the towel (which was often!).
And although he was very overwhelmed by the labor process,
Clay was right there next to me whispering encouraging words the whole way.
I couldn't have asked for a better partner in bringing
another baby boy into the world!

When I think back on those two neverending weeks,
I see how richly God has blessed us
with so many people who care so much about our growing family.
We are so very, very grateful to each and every one of you!