*Six Months*

Dear Zach,

These past six months have been a joy and a blur all at once. We made it through the newborn stage, yay! That is always a tough time for us (especially me, as I have alway struggled with postpartum depression, anxiety and nursing issues in the past). This time around was so much better though. It has been so much fun to watch you and your brother grow and hit your milestones. I'm really enjoying this stage this time around and find a lot of joy in having babies in our home again. We have seen many tender mercies since you and Nathan have joined us. I want to record those here for you.

• Two of my friends (Lillie Buhler and Halley Whitney) also have babies and they pumped and donated some of their milk for you and Nathan. It lasted for a few months and I am so incredibly grateful for this gift. It took a lot of the anxiety away from me, as that is tied to me not being able to nurse. 
• Grandpa Chell and Nana Dot are paying for a part time nanny to help us out. There's a story behind this one. When I was in high school, Grandpa Chell made a bet with me that if I wasn't married by the time I was 24, he would buy me a car. He didn't want me to get married too young and also encouraged me to kiss ten guys before getting married. I don't think he realized at the time just how determined I am. I got married at age 24 (one month away from turning 25) and your dad was the 9th guy I kissed (I dated someone else for a while, who was #10), before marrying your dad. I never did see that car but they offered a part time nanny instead, which we gladly accepted. Her name is Taylor Ireland and she returned home from her mission about a week or so before you were born. She has been such a blessing to our family. I'm not sure how I could make it without her help. 
• A friend gave me TONS of her boys' baby clothes, shoes, bibs, blankets, etc. Like ten huge bags  and boxes full. I was very grateful, as we had gotten rid of most of our baby boy stuff.
• You don't usually wake each other up when the other is crying at night. It amazes me. 

I love your expression.