Angela’s Lab | Cherish Every Moment

It doesn’t seem like long ago I was anxiously awaiting her birth. Like most first-time moms, I was worried about knowing when I was supposed to go to the hospital, or what to watch for if something wasn’t right and I needed medical attention. It was the birthing class for parents at the hospital that put me over the edge. Granted, they give you a lot of helpful information, but it seriously drove my anxiety up a few levels. In part due to my anxiety and in part due to my doctor wanting to take the weekend off I think, I ended up going in to be induced the day before my due date, which turned into 18 hours of labor and finally a C-section. Stupid decision. I should have waited. The chances of having a C-section increase immensely by being induced. So, think twice or three times before doing so unless it’s really necessary of course. Anyone who’s had a C-section knows the recovery is a nightmare and you completely miss out on the “magical” birthing experience, or at least being the first one to hold your baby. All this aside, after the long and frustrating, eight-year-long journey to get pregnant, I am so grateful for my daughter and cherish every moment of being a mom. There’s no other bond like the one between a mother and her child. You feel their happiness and sadness, their triumphs and defeats, and want to take on any difficulty they experience yourself, even you can’t. Part of you wants to slow down time, so they don’t grow up so fast… while the other part of you is excited to watch this amazing human being grow up and see what they’ll accomplish next. We hear all the time — “Be present.” And, I would add to that — Cherish. Every. Moment. Our sweet girl just turned 10, and as my husband said recently, “We only have seven summers left until she leaves for college…”

All photos were taken by Jacqueline Hanna Photography on location in Sedona, Arizona at Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village and off Schnebly Road.

xo
Angela