Ashley & Baby Jackson

I posted about this before, but my dearest friend Ashley and I were due just one day apart from each other. It certainly wasn't planned that way (how could you even plan something like that? - that's what I want to ask anyone who asks us if we planned it, ha.) but it's been great. 

Actually, it's really hard in a lot of ways to be pregnant at the same time as your best friend because then you can help each other out in the same way that you could otherwise. You can commiserate together, but you can't go mop the other person's floor, clean their baseboards, or make them dinner because they are feeling too nauseous to do those things if you're feeling too nauseous to do those things, too! 

But do you know what is great? Being able to be there for each other when you most need it. 

Ashley was struggling with high blood pressure and ended up delivering baby Jackson three weeks early via early induction due to possible pre-eclampsia. (I'm just glad our babies birthdays will still be in the same month!) Her mom was out of town, and she graciously allowed me to come and be with her for the labor and delivery. I acted as a support to her and was there to take pictures as well. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I cried through the entire delivery because it was just so amazing. Ashley was strong, powerful, beautiful, and amazing. I snapped a few pictures on my phone of the picture that I took of her and everytime I look at them I just want to sob. 

I'm so grateful that Ashley let me be a part of this special time. It has made me so excited to meet our little girl in just a couple of weeks. In the past, I've been fearful of the labor process - but watching Ashley did nothing but make me confident and excited for the whole process. It's a bit mind-blowing. Our babies are literally days apart as far as their development in utero, but now she has a tiny little baby-human that she is holding in her arms. I can hardly believe that I have one of those, too - she's just still growing and living inside of my body. (Pregnancy is beautiful but crazy at the same time.) 

The only problem is that now I feel like I want a birth photographer in the hospital with us. It's always been just David and I, but having a record of those special moments between David and I - a way to capture the feelings and emotion of the whole experience would be amazing. 

Now excuse me while I go and work on packing our hospital bags because this whole baby thing just got to a new level of real!