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.
The first 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! Last week, I shared about his birth. This week, I’m excited to share some of the first interactions between our family and Garrett.
The Sweetest Love...
At 1:40 a.m., Garrett was placed on my chest, and our world felt complete. He was so content, and it was a beautiful moment I will never forget. After I held him, Eric took him in his arms, and watching my husband hold our son for the first time filled my heart in a way I can’t describe. We were overwhelmed with gratitude, love, and awe.
From the moment we found out we were expecting, we couldn't wait for Ryleigh to meet her baby brother. She talked about him throughout the pregnancy, kissed my belly goodnight, and proudly told everyone about "her baby." That morning, she arrived at the hospital with her grandparents, beaming with excitement. When she saw Garrett in his bassinet, her smile was bigger than I had ever seen. I asked if she wanted to hold him, and without hesitation, she climbed onto the couch, hands outstretched. The second he was placed in her arms, she grinned from ear to ear and didn’t want to let him go. Even after ten minutes, when we asked if she wanted to let her grandparents hold him, she insisted on holding him longer. To this day, she is an incredible big sister, and Garrett adores her.
While in the hospital, our parents and my grandmother visited throughout the day to meet baby Garrett. Anytime someone held him with Ryleigh in the room, she had to be right next to them, keeping a close eye on her baby brother. The outpouring of love and support from our family made the day even more special.
The next morning, we were discharged with a clean bill of health for both Garrett and me, and we headed home to start our life as a family of four. Since then, we’ve been soaking in every moment.
Thank you for following along on this journey over the past three weeks! My two sweet kids are my world, and I love sharing these personal moments with you because they shape who I am as a Central IL Photographer and as a mother.
