Everett Mart Beverage
"Rhett" for short :)
Our son, born January 31st, 2020 at 9:37pm.
8 lbs. - 21 in. long
His estimated due date was the 29th of January... and when that day hit, I lost all my drive to keep going. I was just so anxious to be in labor already! Thankfully, my sister, Ranelle, helped me get a little renewed drive and energy to keep taking care of myself and do my extensive list of "labor prep" things (drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea, etc.)
I'm not here to share my birth story, though I love to share it with people, in-person and when appropriate! :)
But I will just say that my labor started in the evening on the day after his due date. And I couldn't have been happier! I love thinking back to it and remembering the excited goofy smile that I was trying to suppress as we packed everything into the truck to head to Buckhannon! Yet, things did not progress along, so we were playing a waiting game in a hotel close to the hospital, and I was working with my Doula to try to help labor progress.
I will insert here that a good Doula is certainly worth any investment you are able to make into one! She was amazing throughout the whole journey!
I slept some through the night and let Tyrel sleep as much as he could. The Doula met us at the hotel at 10am the next morning... we went to the hospital at 11am. At 2pm I was finally to the "active labor" stage. Yay! Another moment where I was just soooo happy! Hehe.
Our son was born 7 hours later... and those 7 hours were a wonderful blur. I honestly loved it all...! Of course I had moments where I thought, "Never again!!!" Haha, but that passes so quickly, and then in a wild daze you are holding your own child in your arms.
Nenaw and Papaw (my parents from Missouri)
Tyrel's parents :)
With this being their first grandchild, we'll just assume for now that they will be called Mamaw and Grandad. But you never know what little man will end up calling them. ;)
We spent a couple days in the hospital (a day extra because Rhett had some signs of Jaundice), but this was our very-happy-to-be-going-home photo!
Sleeping-in on mommy and daddy's bed ;)
Nenaw <3 About to give him his first bath, which he loved! :)
Of course I had so much fun being his photographer-mommy and putting him in all sorts of little poses. I have dreamed of doing my own newborn session for years. ;)
The little sock monkey was from his daddy's childhood :)
2 weeks and 11 lbs. :)
Up 3lb from birth weight and 3 lb. 10 oz from lowest weight.
I am so thankful for a healthy, growing baby boy.
I just love these yawns... well and all the other little faces he makes!
As I am typing, I can hear him make little grunts in his sleep, and I can already picture just about what face expression goes with what grunt. ;)
-MarLeahJoy
