Reflecting on 2021

Being a small business owner is no joke, friends. The work never ends. Literally…never. So it’s a REALLY good thing that I genuinely enjoy what I do!

But with everything, there needs to be moderation and balance. This year has taught me so many lessons and showed me so many beautiful things, but BALANCE is what I will be bringing with me into 2022.

I am so genuinely grateful for all of the families that have trusted me to support and/or document their births. Whether you are just starting your family or continuing to grow your family, the transition is a magnificent one - full of emotion, exhaustion, discomfort, fascination, joy, heartache and abundance. I feel that it is a time in our lives when we are so incredibly fragile AND strong at the same time. To be trusted to grace that space with you, it means the absolute world to me.

While I have always kept notes and details about each family I serve, I don’t often share the numbers. My families are so much more to me than a number. But this year, I found the numbers to be fascinating, so I would like to share. I documented my first birth in September of 2016, my daughter was three months old! My father passed away that December and a good portion of the following year was filled with managing his estate and raising two littles under three years old. I witnessed 9 births that year. In 2018 things had evened out a bit more and I had the honor of attending 17 births. Similarly in 2019 I was invited to 18 births. We all know how rocky 2020 started and there was a REAL scary moment there where I thought I wouldn’t be able to do this work again. However, amidst a global pandemic, I documented and/or supported 27 births. By January of 2021, I was already booked into August and realized I needed a bit of a break, so I scheduled myself off-call time for the last three months of the year. This is the number that shocks me. I witnessed 38 sweet souls enter this world in 9 months time, quietly surpassing my 100th births. If you would have told me back in 2016 that I would be here today, I wouldn’t have believed you.

Yes, I have worked hard. But literally NONE of this would be possible without all of YOU. Thank you for your trust, your support, your love, and your patience. Below is one image from each birth I documented this year that I have permission to share from. Each birth so special.