To celebrate my littlest, Garrett's, upcoming birthday, I've been sharing his birth story with you all! As a Springfield, IL photographer, I love sharing pieces of my personal life so you can get to know me better and understand my passion for capturing special moments.
Last week, I talked about how God opened our hearts to expanding our family. If you believe in God, and even if you don’t, I encourage you to go back and read it; it’s truly a God story! This week, I’m excited to share how Garrett made his grand entrance into the world.
The day the world became a better place...
After nine months of growing our sweet boy, I was scheduled to be induced at 6:00 a.m. on September 19. I had taken the week before off to spend one-on-one time with Ryleigh, cherishing our last days together as her being our only child. The night before, Eric, Ryleigh and I picked up takeout from a local restaurant and headed to the park and played until dark. It was a bittersweet goodbye when we dropped her off at her grandparents’ house, knowing her world would soon change, and the next time we'd see her, she would officially have the title of "BIG SISTER".
When we got home, Eric went to shower and do a final bag check, and that’s when I started feeling contractions, which little backstory is exactly what happened with Ryleigh! I laid on the couch and started timing them; they were coming every 3-4 minutes and getting closer together and definitely stronger. When Eric came into the living room to check on me, he realized I was tracking contractions. Out of all the possible responses, he said, "I need to go shave." If you know my husband, you know that is the most "Eric thing" he could have possibly done.
By the time he finished, my contractions had intensified, so we called the hospital, and they told us to come in. As we prepared to leave, my water broke. It was in that moment that it hit me that Garrett was on his way!
We arrived at the hospital around 10:00 p.m. and got to our room by 10:30 p.m. I immediately requested an epidural, but I had to undergo blood work and tests first. Around 12:45 a.m., I finally got the epidural. I tried to rest, knowing it could be a long night. I put my headphones in and listened to worship music. There is something peaceful about surrendering to God in a moment that you feel week and have no control.
However, within 45 minutes, the pain returned in full force. I called the nurse, and she quickly ran to get the doctor, because Garrett was ready to see us! Within just 15 minutes, our sweet boy was here! At 1:40 a.m., Garrett made his entrance into the world, weighing 6 pounds, 12.5 ounces, and measuring 20.5 inches long. He was and still is an absolute pure perfection. He was wide awake for the longest time just staring at us, and it was one of those moments where the world stood still, and everything was perfect.
Since that moment, the world has been brighter with Garrett in it. Our family fell in love with him at first sight, and I can’t wait to share some of those first interactions next week. Stay tuned for Part III! But, until then, enjoy a sneak into the first part of his second birthday milestone session below!
