Michael’s Birth Story: A Journey of Strength, Faith, and Grace

Bringing Michael into the world was nothing like I had imagined—but it was everything I needed to experience. His arrival was not early, not on time, but six days past his due date. Induced labor, exhaustion, unexpected turns, and unwavering faith marked the beginning of my motherhood journey.

The Long Wait and The Plan That Changed

I had envisioned a natural birth, free from interventions. I was determined, but my OB, with her wisdom, suggested that I not rule out the epidural entirely—just in case. “You might need the rest,” she said. I nodded, but in my heart, I still clung to the hope of enduring labor without it.

Labor, however, had other plans.

A Marathon of Labor

Induction began, and the hours dragged on. My body worked hard, but progress was slow. The contractions intensified, and fatigue took over. I was already nearing 24 hours with no food, no sleep, and every ounce of my energy being poured into something my body had never done before.

When the pain became unbearable, I finally surrendered to the epidural. And I have to thank my OB for her wisdom—because without that rest, I truly don’t think I would have had the strength to push.

Pushing Through the Unexpected

Laboring during the COVID era came with an added challenge: a mask. Imagine trying to bring a baby into the world while wearing a mask and then, on top of that, having to wear an oxygen mask because Michael’s oxygen levels dropped when the Pitocin was increased. It was nauseating, grueling, and overwhelming.

And then, it was time to push.

Except—I didn’t know how. No amount of preparation had truly prepared me for that moment. My amazing nurses guided me, but after what felt like an eternity of pushing with little progress, the words “emergency C-section” loomed over me.

I knew deep down that I wouldn’t be able to handle surgery after everything I had already endured. But God was in the middle of it all.

Strength I Didn’t Know I Had

The epidural was turned off. I slowly regained movement in my legs. The nurses repositioned me, helping me push in different ways until finally, I was in the traditional position. Every fiber of my being was weak, yet somehow, I kept going. Ice chips became my best friend, and I fought the nausea and exhaustion with everything I had left.

Then, one final push.

And just like that—Michael was here.

The Moment That Changed Everything

Exhaustion. Relief. Overwhelming joy. I couldn’t believe this tiny, perfect baby had come out of me. My body bore the evidence of the battle—one of my eye blood vessels had burst, and my face was puffy. But none of that mattered.

Michael was here.

Through it all, my husband never left my side. Through the endless waiting, the pain, the pushing, and even while watching the inauguration during our long hours in the hospital, he was my rock.

Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. It was hard, it was exhausting, and it pushed me beyond what I thought I could endure. But through it all, God was there, guiding every moment.

And at the end of it all, I was given the greatest gift—my precious son, Michael.

My Top 15 Favorite 2024 Amazon Finds

My top 15 favorite 2024 Amazon finds can be your 2025 favorite Amazon finds! They all range from the kitchen, kids items, and just fun everyday items! I’ll break it down underneath through categories and hopefully you’ll consider them your favorite as well!

Kitchen Items

Fullstar Vegetable Chopper
My husband and I love this vegetable chopper! Whenever we’re in a time crunch to get dinner ready and need a bunch of onion or tomato for stew, this is our number one grab in our kitchen cabinet! It’s such a time saver as well!

Elk & Friends Kids Porcelain Bowls w/ Silicone Sleeve
This doubles as a kid find and kitchen find! It’s a ceramic bowl with Silicone Sleeves, so if the kids accidentally drop the bowl, it won’t break! I love this find because it teaches our toddler boys how to handle ceramic bowls, and it keeps all those microplastics away from them as much as possible!

Elk and Friends Kids & Toddler Cups | The Original Glass Mason jars 8 oz with Silicone Straws with Stoppers
Just like the bowls above…This also doubles as a kid find and kitchen find! It’s a glass cup with Silicone Sleeves and straws so if the kids accidentally drop the cup, it won’t break! I love this find because our boys love making smoothies and again, less microplastics getting into their systems!

Home/Bath Items

Shampoo and Conditioner Dispenser for Shower Wall

Talk about organization that is simply pleasing in the eye for shower time! I love how these bottles hold so much for shampoo and conditioner and it is easy to install on your shower tiles! Used this because I hated seeing large bottles on the floor of our shower and it just wasn’t an easy access whenever we needed our shampoo or soap!

Bioderma - Atoderm - Shower Oil

This is an item that I did get influenced on by Dani Austin! I saw this on her instagram stories and I had to try it and it is amazing! For someone who has sensitive skin (me) and is prone to get rashes, the Bioderma Shower Oil is a lifesaver for me. It keeps my body moisturized and soft and so yes, I definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good body wash alternative!

SAMMART 42L(11 gallon) Set of 2 Collapsible Plastic Laundry Basket-Foldable Pop Up

Let’s face it, as a boy mom I am constantly doing laundry and without these two laundry baskets, laundry was chaotic for me! But I love these two foldable baskets, because 1. it folds so I can store it easily while saving space and 2. creating a system with this has made folding laundry easier! Here’s the trick, Basket 1 I use to grab all the clothes that are from the dryer, and Basket 2 I put all the clothes I folded in neatly so I can store it back into the closet! It’s been a game changer for me, and I hope it will be for you too!

Sliding Door Lock-2 Pack Sliding Glass Door Child Safety Lock For Sliding Glass Door

This was a fun find if you ever need to lock your sliding glass doors! Our toddler boys love to hide in the closet and sometimes, it just wasn’t safe, so we got this to make sure they’re out of the closet when we’re not around and it has been a total game changer.

Toddler/Baby Items

Baby Delight Go with Me Slumber Deluxe Rocking Bassinet

This was a lifesaver when we just had our third baby last year! We were traveling for my husband’s work and just wanted a travel bassinet that was light and easily can be brought around so he can sleep well and this was perfect! Our third born slept well in it and if he moved from one side, it would rock him to sleep.

Dreamegg White Noise Machine - Portable Sound Machine for Baby

You can never go wrong with a portable sound machine! We have two toddler boys so, when our third boy came, we knew we needed a portable sound machine that we could take with us to drown out the noise the other two boys were making. We love the Dreamegg White Noise Machine because it’s pretty affordable and the noise level was perfect for our newborn!

Wake In Cloud - Toddler Nap Mat with Pillow and Blanket, for Kids

Looking for a Nap Mat for your toddlers? This is our favorite! We love all the different patterns and how soft they are. Our two toddler boys go to preschool, so it’s required for them to have it, but we love bringing it whenever we travel or whenever they have sleepovers at the grandparents house. They both love the different patterns they can choose from and how they roll up!

Magic Sleepsuit Baby Merlin's Transition Product - 3-6 Months Swaddle Transition Sleepsuit

I never used the Magic Sleepsuit for our other two boys when they were a baby, and boy did I miss out! I love the Magic Sleepsuit for our littlest. This honestly helped him sleep better through the night when he was 3-6 months, which gave me saving grace of sleep as well! It is worth the investment since it’s only good for 3 months if you have a newborn!

Smart Steps® Trend Activity Walker, Space Walk Navy

I love this walker for our littlest and honestly for me! He’ll have fun walking around while I get dinner prep! We do have a little gate for him to crawl around, but we love him in the walker because it’s easier for us to keep an eye on him! He’s prone to finding the littlest things and paper and put them in his mouth, so with this walker, he’s able to move around and well we get to make sure only the good food and snacks get in his mouth.

SUNNY BIRD 12L Large Insulated Lunch Bag, Leakproof and Foldable Lunch Cooler Box

If you’re like me and need to carry multiple milk bottles and snacks, this is the most affordable minimalistic insulated lunch bag you’ll ever find, at least in my opinion! The price is worth it for how spacious this bag is and with so MANY POCKETS! There’s literally room for everything and it keeps everything cool (with ice packs of course). We love this bag and it does in fact fit underneath our Nuna TRVL Stroller and our ZOE Double stroller!

Other Fun Items

Flydo Pilates Grippy Socks with Grips for Women Yoga Non Slip Long Socks

I don’t do Yoga or pilates anymore… but they say they know you’re a Millenial or a GenZ just by looking at your socks! But I honestly love these Grippy socks just for home and going out! I love putting it over my leggings! They’re super comfy and cute!

Magnetic Tripod for iPhone, 64” Selfie Stick for iPhone Magsafe
Last but not least, my favorite Tripod for iPhone or Samsung! I love that you don’t need to struggle on putting your phone on between two grippers! It just magnetically sticks on and keeps the phone on! It also comes with a Bluetooth that syncs with your phone so you don’t have to use the timer on your phone to take photos! It’s amazing!

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