Trusting my body and my baby, I recognized when a fearful thought would arise and chose to change it. Absolutely it was incredibly hard, but I was strong - stronger than maybe some skeptics had believed when they found out I was doing a home birth. And sincerely, people's doubts never offended me. I just felt sad that they didn't realize the full feminine strength that all women posses. I got to experience it in all its fullness yesterday, and my reward was birthing, not only a baby, but also a mom. _ Bonnie started letting me know she wanted to come meet the world at 5:00am on Monday, January 2, and my astounding husband and mother helped me labor until about 12:45pm when I got in our bathtub to push. My little sweet sister joined us then to squeeze my hand and help document the journey. Our midwife, Emily, from Lovers Lane Birth Center, was calming and made me feel strong and safe. The last push was something I'll never forget - a defining moment in my life. She came out into the water at 1:59pm and she was perfect. _ Ben and I got a moment alone with this new little angel and I fell even more in love with my sweet husband. I'm reliving yesterday in my head over and over again. It was amazing, and if you are at all interested in a home or natural birth, I'm thrilled to help provide any insight or resources. _ Our little Birdie is 7.5lbs and 20in long with hair already long enough for pigtails. She pooped on me three times in the first two hours of her life, so we know she's for sure Ben's daughter...