When my best friend Annamarie asked me monthssss ago to come to Richmond to take their hospital pictures once their first son officially made his grand debut I was like WAIT REALLY?!?! ME?!! Greatest honor.

To be honest, it was quite the blessing that I didn’t get a speeding ticket on the way there because once I heard he was really hereeee (100% natural deliver, I might add… Anna YOU’RE A CHAMPION), I couldn’t fast-forward those four hours fast enough (through a snow storm even) to go snuggle that little babe in person… Peter Gray Akins. <3

Seeing Ryan & Anna already be theee best parents to Gray makes me so overwhelmed in thankfulness. Like, they’re naturals. Sleep deprived but *actually* glowing and walking on air happy. They were made for this!

I’ve gotten to pray for Gray’s life since he was the size of a blueberry (five weeks along), marvel at the Lord’s miracle of creating life (thx to The Bump app for the play by play as he grew week after week), and already shop for way too many melt-worthy baby clothes, but hey THAT’S MY JOB as Aunt Carol. Bottom line: walking this season of my friend’s lives with them has filled my heart with no greater joy. Nothing so surreal as holding your best friend’s baby in your arms.

Even though they live four hours away and I can’t randomly make them dinner, pick up groceries for them, or pop in to hold him so Anna can get some rest (selfless to volunteer myself for baby snuggles, I know) I’m GRATEFUL for our time together in the hospital when Gray was less than 24 hours old. Where I soaked up every second, obsessed over his cute little face, perfect features, and baby squeaks… and thanked Jesus over and over for the gift he is to this world!!!

I actually was telling my cousin about it all the following week and started crying haha… it just meant the whole world to me to be there in what felt like such sacred moments. Something I’ll never forget (and will obnoxiously remind him of for the resttt of his life).

MEET MY NEW BEST FRIEND, GRAY!!!!!!!!! So much love in my heart for this little fam. <3

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