Back in my prime blogging days, when I was building Nancy Ray Photography and speaking at conferences and doing all the things, I remember someone attended an event I was speaking at and shared all that she wanted to do. I was cheering her on to create this business and work that she was so excited for!

One of the things I was MOST nervous about before having our 4th baby was the fact that my due date was 2 weeks before school started! Here are 5 things that have helped this transition back to school run much more smoothly than I even anticipated.

These photos. Gosh they already hold such a special place in my heart. Thank you to my dear friend Olivia Suriano for taking these photos we will cherish forever! As I’m approaching my due date, these photos remind me what an absolute gift it is to carry life inside of me. Something I will never, ever take for granted.

We’re having another BABY! 🎉 It’s true, and I can’t quite believe I’m typing these words… Baby Ray # 4 is coming this July!

Sign up for your free spot in my online class where I'm going to teach you all about how to organize your family photos on Wednesday, April 15th at 2 PM Eastern!

Here’s my philosophy on birthday parties (and parties in general): the more babies I have, the more simple it has to be! That philosophy has been born out of necessity, but I’m actually growing very comfortable and proud of the fact that I’m a Pinterest Perfect mom. I’m just doing my thing, and I’m very happy with that.

If I’m honest, my current situation tells me to not plan anything, because my family is going to keep getting sick and I wont be able to do it anyway. I KNOW that sounds like I’m a grumpy pants complainer, but it’s honestly how I feel after the December and January that we’ve had! BUT. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that if I DON’T plan or try, it’s guaranteed that nothing will happen. So I’m going to keep showing up and trying. I’m going to keep setting goals. And if there is more sickness, I’ll push some of these goals back to March and ask for God to sustain us.

I’ve been traveling with our kids since they were babies and I’ve learned lots of tricks and tips along the way!

Get ready! This is a gamechanger. For you, the parent, as well as your kiddos!

It’s called “Mind Body Soul Time.”

I’m sitting here with Beaufort sound asleep on my chest, both girls are napping (insert victory dance here!! All 3 kids asleep at once!), and I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I’m about to write my THIRD child’s birth story. For so long I wasn’t ready to become a mama, it is purely God’s grace and goodness to me that I am one today. If you’re new around here, or if you just love birth stories, I’m including some links that will fill you in on my journey to becoming a mama to three. And then you’ll hear the crazy story of how Beaufort William came into our lives.

While I’m in the middle of the Contentment Challenge, I find that refraining from buying all the things makes me appreciate things that I REALLY love and want to own. It makes me super intentional and thoughtful with what I buy.

Today, I turn 32!

I LOVE birthdays, and I love parties and celebrations and decorating and cakes and all the birthday things. I am not one of those “low key” kind of people when it comes to birthdays - I like to celebrate every year of life BIG. I don’t mind aging at all… I see it as part of life and want to age gracefully. So the more candles, the better!

But this year, it’s quiet. And I’m LOVING it.

8:05PM
We got checked in, made it to the room, and the nurse checked me: 7 centimeters!

3:30PM on July 25th
I had just woken up from a nap. I was already on maternity leave, It was 4 days before my due date, and I had been chasing my 2 year old Milly around all morning. I felt mild cramps, and then they would subside. “Could this be it?” I laid there for 30 minutes, praying, timing the cramps, and begging God for help and His presence.

We checked into the hospital around 11pm. I had lost all concept of time, and everything at this point everything is very fuzzy in my memory. I was completely in a different place mentally and physically, focusing all of my energy on the work before me. I remember being shocked to find out it was 11pm – I thought it was much earlier! We were delivering at a brand new hospital, and it was like a ghost town. It had only opened its doors 2 weeks prior, and we were the only ones there to deliver a baby! It was pretty great. Instead of triage, I was escorted straight to a labor and deliver room since all of them were empty.

I didn’t fully realize what a life changing experience Milly’s birth would be. I have learned to surrender my plans to the Lord’s throughout my pregnancy, and I learned to surrender to Him in a very real way during Milly’s birth. To provide a bit of context to my story, we decided to have a natural childbirth, free of medication.