Photos of my labor...

Sweet Kylie was so helpful, her gentle touch was so comforting.

 Thank you Kass for the birth flags and dream catcher in my birth space <3

 below is a photo of some of the beads that were presented to me at the Mother's Blessing.

 Having cold cloths and pressure on my head really helped.

 Our last belly picture, 39 weeks and 40 weeks

 Kylie got cold, so daddy helped her get bundled :)

 Water, ice, Gatorade, apple slices and my Gentle Birth affirmations.

 Cold wet clothes and sweet Kylie who just jumped in and helped without any instruction.

 The midwives spend a good amount of time simply listening and waiting. There is no rushing or sense of urgency, just hanging out waiting for my sounds to change,

 I love Kylie's face in this one, she would look to Sheridan for confirmation that everything was ok, and seeing Sheridan so calm helped her feel safe and comfortable.

 I have always been sensitive to a lot of stimulation during labor, I love to have it quiet and my eyes closed.

 My mom sat perched in the kitchen updating the blog :)

 I had been checking myself to see if I could tell how far along I was. In this photo I can feel the head when I put my finger just about 2.5 inches in.

 I ask Craig if he wants to feel our sweet babies head too. It was so exciting to feel the baby so close to coming out.

 During labor we check the baby's heart rate (after a contraction) every 20-30 minutes, baby always sounded great!

 Sweet kisses from my girl.

 She was so sweet and supportive. I was amazed at her ability to be so comforting, especially considering we woke her in the middle of the night :)

 I like this photo because you can see so much of the scene...my mom blogging, video cameras set up, my support and the table with my birth box and everything we might need for delivery. This is the same spot we set up the birth tub for both Kylie and Cooper :) All three kids born in my kitchen :)

 My amazing husband who is always so supportive, I am a very lucky woman!

 I got very hot and needed to be fanned this was right before I started pushing.

The next post will be photos of pushing and birth. It will be unedited and graphic, so consider yourself forewarned :)