Oh this night, it was such a beautiful night. I was called by the sweetest of sweet doulas in the middle of the night and told that my friend was at the Austin Area Birthing Center and that she was about to start pushing. It’s phone calls like those that will WAKE YOU UP. I brushed my teeth, grabbed my camera bag, and jumped in the car. I took the tolls to make it there faster and regretted wearing my pajama shorts and tshirt, a cold front had blown through…it was cold and WINDY.
When I walked in the birthing room I was greeted by an excited father-to-be, the same midwife that delivered my baby (!!!!!), and my friend. There she sat beautifully laboring in the birthing tub and said, “Hi Eryn, how are you?”
She asked me how I was doing while she was in labor!?! My jaw hit the floor and I sent her a million imaginary hugs and kisses, grabbed my camera and started photographing the time her baby came into the world.
Again, I cannot begin to describe the honor I feel when parents ask me to be there when their child comes, to trust me to do a good job and simply breathe in the same room where their brand new human takes its very first breath. To everyone who has trusted me with this task, thank you. I am truly humbled each and every time.
And there was a baby.
Something that was extra exciting about this birth is no one knew if it was a boy or girl, total surprise! Everyone thought it was going to be a boy and then out came a girl and her husband exclaimed, “It’s Zuri!” The room was bursting with joy and emotion. Best. The face of a father learning he has a daughter, priceless! Fact: Every time I watch a baby being born I sob silent tears of joy for about 6.94 seconds.
I kind of love that he cooked her a steak minutes after she birthed his baby. So archaic.
And then two became three and all was right in the world! I drove home that morning on such a high that stayed with me throughout the day, it was the most beautiful of times. Happy Birthday Baby Zuri!
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