I can’t believe that a year has flown by! One year ago I got the text I’d been waiting for: my dear dear friend Taya had finally started labor! I quickly grabbed my gear (as “quickly” as an 8-month-pregnant woman can–yes, eight months!) and headed over to pick up Taya’s cousin, Elspeth, who was also pregnant! We raced as fast as traffic and those pesky speed limits allowed allllllll the way down to San Diego without a single pee break! (That was the biggest challenge right there!) It’s a good thing we didn’t stop, because as we parked, Taya was pushing!
Taya really was a trooper. This was her first baby, which can be intimidating at best. Then when you take into account that her husband, Guy, was all the way in Afghanistan and wouldn’t meet this precious baby girl until she was 6 months old AND that Taya had elected to experience labor pain-medication-free, you totally understand why she’s pretty much in my top ten of heroes from an emotional and physical standpoint!
Anyway, back to little Zoe. After a great bout of pushing, that sweet baby girl came out…at 9 pounds, 11 ounces I believe! Goooooooo Taya! Like I said, top ten hero list for her! We joked a little because it looked like she was a month old already…squishy and pink and just so comfortable in her mama’s arms. *estrogen pours forth here*
And this is what she looked like in May when I took their family photos, shortly after Guy came home from Afghanistan!
This sweet family just recently moved to Arizona, but they are dear to my heart. Taya, my pregnant buddy, I am so proud of you! Zoe, I am so so so honored to have been there on your birthday! My own baby boy, Hunter, arrived one month later to the day, so if you don’t mind younger men in twenty years, Zoe…I’m just sayin’!
God bless!
Elaine
Afterthoughts: Being informed about your labor and birth choices is a topic dear to my heart since I had my first son, Jack, at home and second son, Hunter, at the hospital, both without meds. That doesn’t make me a superstar, that just means I had very low-risk pregnancies and a hefty support staff. That being said, anyone interested in learning about their labor and birth choices should check these people out!
Best Start Birth Center: I was so impressed with all the love and support shown here, plus the very comfortable and classic accommodations available to a laboring mother and her family. The midwife and her assistant were professional and yet tender. They knew when to be quiet through a contraction and when to offer Taya suggestions to get more comfortable or encourage progress. Trying to get down to San Diego to have my third baby (whenever that happens!) would be way too difficult, but anyone living in that area should definitely check them out!
Those of you who are pregnant and in the Antelope Valley/Santa Clarita Valley, please check out two people dear to my mama heart: Renee the Midwife and Shannon with Labor of Love Doula Services.
I am proud to announce that Elaine Dieball Photography is one of the few photographers in California to participate in the Celebration of Smiles campaign! I am a member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), which teams up with Operation Smile each year to raise money for corrective surgeries (such as cleft lip and cleft palate) for children and young adults around the world.
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