Sunday, August 31, my sister had her beautiful baby boy Oliver, and I was lucky enough to be able to witness my first live birth (not counting my own, of course). Thanks to being slightly rotated and having a hand by his face, it was a long labor (she noticed her first mild contractions on Saturday morning and had already been in early labor all night when I got the text to come over sometime after 4 am on Sunday morning). You can see the progression of light in the pictures: the sun had not yet risen when I arrived, and it had already been set for several hours by the time has was born around 10:40 pm. We kept the birth tub hot with boiling water, and everyone kept mama hydrated and energized with coconut water and snacks in between contractions. It was truly a testament to home birth; her midwives were patient and allowed her body to do its thing, and Bethany was a champion. She had an amazing doula who was by her side helping her through every contraction, and the support and encouragement of her family. Ollie seemed completely unphased by the labor; his heart rate was great the whole time and he was born alert and hungry! Welcome to the world Oliver!

* I'm officially dipping my toe into the world of birth photography, so if you or someone you know is interested in having the birth of their baby documented, please contact me! :)