On June 8th at 2:20 AM we welcomed our sweet Everly Jane Ballesteros into the world. She weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 20 inches long. Our hearts have never felt so content and alive and we couldn’t be more grateful for our answered prayers. It was a long wait but this precious miracle was so worth it! On the morning of June 6th, my water broke and Dan and I decided to wait out the beginning stages of labor at home. We spent the next 24 hours getting last minute things in order. Dan assembled our rocking chair, I got to hang the baby mobile I made for her, we added some details to her baby corner, and we straightened up the house. We felt so much excitement and anticipation and there was such a peace surrounding us the whole time. On the afternoon before we went to the hospital, we went out to lunch on the bay, met my parents for a walk and enjoyed the sunshine for a little while. It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon before heading to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital on June 7th at 1 pm and 13 hours later gave birth to our precious Everly Jane. She decided to come 9 days early 🙂 I had the most incredible support team with me! My sweetheart Daniel, my parents, my sisters, my grandpa, and Dans parents were all there for us. Daniel and I walked the halls of the hospital together as I was working through my contractions. Each time one came we would pause and Dan would just embrace me each time until it would pass. He’s been the perfect support to me and I feel so fortunate to have this man by my side. He makes me feel like I can conquer anything in the world. My parents and sisters came shortly after, as it was getting closer to baby Everly’s arrival. We tried different positions to get comfortable and my mom helped me work through some of the last stages of contractions. Having my family with me was such a huge blessing! It gave me all the strength and encouragement I needed. When it came time to deliver, I was blessed to have my husband, my mom and my dad right there in the room with me. I’m so thankful for a smooth delivery and so grateful she came out healthy! I’ll never forget the feeling of her being placed on my chest for the first time. My world became complete and my heart was filled in that moment. The years of waiting were over and everything I’ve ever wanted right in my arms. I was experiencing so many emotions all at once and all I could do was cry. My beautiful girl was finally here! The answer to so many years of prayers. Every tear and every heartache melted away as I held her in my arms. I’ll also never forget the first time I placed her on her Daddy’s chest. I watched him fall in love with her and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I watched him melt as she slept soundly with with her cheek to his chest. There’s nothing like seeing the love of a father for his daughter. She looked so safe, so content, and so protected. That moment will forever be engrained in my memory. We stayed the night at the hospital and got to visit with our family for a while. Everly got to meet her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, and her cousins. It was so special to be able to have everyone there and such a joy for us to see her be held by all the ones we hold dear. We got to take her home the next day! Getting to put her in our car felt so surreal. The drive home was beautiful as we watched the sun start to fall. The first song we played for her was a song called “Just A Whisper” that I wrote before becoming pregnant and during our time of waiting for God to answer our prayers. I sat in the back seat next to her, just staring at her sweet face, in awe of God and what He gave to us. Dan and I caught a glimpse of each other in the rear view mirror and without any word being spoken, and tears rolling down my face, knew we were sharing the same feelings in that moment. We came home and introduced our pup Rusty to her for the first time and he’s been so tender and sweet around her. I’m excited to watch them together as she grows up. It’s been an adjustment for him obviously not getting all the attention, but he’s been such an amazing dog. Shortly after we got home my parents came over and surprised us with a beautiful home cooked meal and a cake welcoming our little Everly Jane. It was the perfect way to spend our first night at home as a family. So far these last two weeks have been everything I hoped it would be. I’m so thankful for every single moment of it. I love being a mom and I’m so excited for the years of adventure ahead of us!