They say third babies come with their own wisdom. But no one told me mine would force me to face every emotion I carefully locked away, thinking I had already worked through it all. After our boys left for grandma's (with a promise of return), something cracked open inside me. As I listened to a meditation, years of carefully constructed walls crumbled. I cried deep, soul-shaking tears of fear, anxiousness, and guilt I'd thought I processed but just stored away. Baby girl was already teaching me that true healing doesn't come from thinking we worked through something- it comes through feeling it all. The waves immediately grew stronger. Josh transformed our space with dim lights, candles, and worship music. We slow danced, my head against his chest, and between contractions, I felt not just release but hope, excitement, and PEACE about meeting our baby girl. In the safety of his arms, I let myself be completely undone. Our birth team arrived like whispers, and when transition hit, Harper taught me another lesson: unlike with Siah, this birth needed my active participation. I had to join forces with those powerful waves instead of waiting for them to do the work. (Josh's perspective on this part is quite entertaining) But the real magic? When our boys returned. We'd told them, "Mommy might roar like a lion or dinosaur birthing your sister." Come to find out later, as I roared, their little voices roared with mine through the door, a chorus of mama and cubs bringing new life into our family. I think their solidarity gave me the final courage I needed, and within minutes, she was crowning. They witnessed her emergence, their little hands helped cut her cord. Three births, three journeys: each perfect in its own way. But Harper's birth transformed not just our family, but my understanding of strength itself. Sometimes strength roars like a lion, sometimes it flows like tears, and sometimes, it echoes in the voices of children, calling their sister home. #waterbirth #laboranddelivery #positivebirth #positivebirthstory #unmedicatedbirth #unmedicatedlabor #birthstory #homebirth #MomsofTikTok #pregnantlife #pregnanttiktok #pregnancy - @hannahbower2