Draw Me Close: Welcome to the world, Nadav Ember Rune Ame. It took us 11 days to find your name, but we got there.

We made inspirational signs to post around the apartment, so that in a fit of intensity, I could find some grounding and attempt to relax. This was Jelani's.

Living-room home birth. I pushed and experienced intense contractions for 8+ hours, many of which were on an IV because I couldn't keep any food down. Finally, at 8.5cm dilation, nothing was progressing, and we all agreed to transfer to the hospital at 11pm. It was the most uncomfortable car ride of my life, but I was greeted with kind faces at the hospital door, including my doula teacher so I was in good hands, literally.

My dad looks proud

Safe on the outside

From the dream of a home birth to the operating table is a lot to process

That's a better view of my insides than I got at the time. Cesarean in action.

Our Lesbian Superheroes, Reina and Christina

The Hearing Test

Dr. Sara likes to visit you

You heard that right

Our old friend, Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock to be precise

To calm your nervous system, we will try anything, little one

Meet Uncle Brett

RIP Alpenrose

Meet your Uncle Shenoah. He's a professional goofball.

Gramma Lydia. She's the best with kids.

First Chanukah

Cousin Sienna was super interested in being responsible for you, even though she was the youngest. She was your great first babysitter.

Up in the Sandia's

It looks like we sleep a lot, but really it's just the easiest time to capture a good photo, lol

Drum lessons from the very beginning

Up, up, and away

Meet your Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins

Do you hear that?

We're starting a band, and you should be ready

Had to get you a passport to visit B.C. to meet your Uncle. It was your first international trip.

Aunt Kashia and Cousin Sienna

Cousins and friends in Alb

How did I get stuck with these people?

Cousins Lila and Kaia

My Cousin Hannah came to take some photos of us, and she just happens to be a professional photographer among many other art forms

First Halloween: me as a flapper, and you as a caterpillar. Natural mix, right?

Yep, you figured that out pretty quickly. Unfortunately, nursing not so much, so I pumped round the clock for eight months, and you drank my breast milk plus the liquid gold of strangers through a bottle.

Meet your friend, Donzia. She can't get enough of you.

Maybe Pooch was your first babysitter.

In case you can't tell, there is a sleeping baby under that corn, napkin, and blanket.

Pumpkin patch!

Corn Maze

Kenilworth, bathed in light

Huh?

Calm people are godsends

That's Chai Rex

...back at the beach

Your first friend: the shiny, purple balloon. You were so delighted with this simple gift.

That's one way to sleep.

There are so many things to experience.

The Gorge

See that smoke in the background? That's not a cloud. In fact, it was the beginning of a major wildfire in the Gorge that resulted in thousands of tree acres being lost and the beloved Gorge being off limits for years.

Jane's first time seeing you outside of me

Amelie and Kai at the eclipse sighting

We look like we're in a bad sci-fi movie, but I swear we were genuinely enamored with a major solar eclipse.

We make regular visits to our community garden plot.

I think this is such a beautiful photo taken with our good friend, Shulamit

Little Boo

Yes, your dad will do anything for ice cream

The Titanic scene, in horizontal

Napping with Gramma Jill

Yep, that's your Auntie Sho

We have over 20 pots on our back patio with colors and textures galore.

Cousin Jana and Phillip come to say hello.

Grandma Jill looks so honored to hold you in her arms.

Fern love

I'm exhausted and on narcotics, but I can feel your warmth and rightness against my heart.

Our new family

Meet Uncle Lowell

Pooch is holding down the home fort while we grow a family in the hospital.

A work of art

Dad has no idea what he's doing, but he's happy doing it.

The A.C. was too high in the hospital room, so Jelani and Stargazer rest under a sheet. I woke from a narcotic daze to this strange sight from my hospital bed.

Meet Saba

Dr. Sara spent 8 hours with us at home trying to facilitate our desired home birth, and then she came with us to the hospital in the middle of the night. Though she wasn't warmly welcomed by hospital staff, she wouldn't leave my side. As they set me up in a bed, she bunked down on the floor given that it was the middle of the night. She continued to take my vitals with her own instruments and check on me every few hours, and despite not being admitted into the O.R., she was waiting eagerly outside to meet you.