i will never forget the moment we became parents for the first time. we were terrified and at just 31 weeks, the girls came too early. i looked at zach, exhausted after being in labor for 12 hours, laying on the operating table and as they rushed piper over to stimulate her lifeless body, i was crying because i knew they weren’t ready to be in this world…and in that moment he looked at me, squeezed my hand, wiped the tears from my face and said ‘yes they are ready, we have strong little girls and god’s got this.’
it was the first time a daddy’s love saved the day.

it was 6 days later when he gave piper her first bath…. he was tender + confident, gently cleaning her precious 3 pound body in her isolette…then dressed her while our NICU nurse dressed lila in their very first outfit… pink preemie jammies from carter’s. he was SO proud and the excitement on his face when he brought me into their separate rooms, ‘look at our girls, babe…aren’t they beautiful??’
…and a daddy’s love saved the day…

we’re now in the age of tea parties + bubble baths, secrets + giggles. the light of their life, their hero…
he built them their dream swing set complete with 2 slides, a rock wall, tire swing and more….and he comes walking in and it’s instant smiles. from kissing boo boos to good night kisses…
..their daddy’s love saves the day..

we added a baby boy in the mix, the perfect caboose on this crazy train…and from the moment his daddy held him, the world made sense. his eyes light up when daddy walks in the room and he squeals in anticipation as his daddy comes near…
…his daddy love saves the day…

we often feel as though we’re failing at this parenthood gig… these babes don’t read the book they come with and it’s easy to lose sight of all those wins along the way…but there are SO many wins… that first bath, those fist smiles…and the more babes you add, the more love there is… carter’s has been alongside us from the very beginning and i’m honored to have the girls included in their newest campaign, ‘with you from the start’... grab your tissues friends because this video has me feeling all the feels… keep your eyes peeled for those familiar silly faces in the mirror!

so much has changed over the last 3 years and our biggest promotions to mama + daddy have brought us the fullest of hearts and the most grey hairs. from those first preemie jams to easter dresses hanging in their closet, carter’s is with us for every one of these milestones.

with you from the start video | facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram

“from the start of holding on, to the start of letting go… the years may pass, but ‘the starts’ don’t stop…and each milestone along the way, you’re growing too.” – carter’s

the days are long but the years are short and y’all and this parenthood thing… it’s the most challenging journey we’ve ever been on . there’s no rule book, no road map… but alas, it’s THE MOST amazing adventure of our lives..in all of our ‘firsts’ over the last {almost} 3 years {how did THAT happen?!}, watching zach become a daddy is by far my favorite… the way he loves on these babes is unlike anything i ever thought was possible.

if you can pick just one, what is your most memorable experience as a parent, aunt, or grandparent?!

If you love Carter’s as much as I do, you don’t want to miss out on the Carter’s #CartersFromTheStartSweepstakes Twitter Chat! Join us on Thursday, March 22 from 1-2PM ET to share your favorite “firsts” for your little ones and mom wins! Carter’s will be giving 5 lucky participants a $100 gift card at the end of the chat. Make sure to use the hashtag #CartersFromTheStartSweepstakes in all your tweets! RSVP now!

**a GINORMOUS thank you to ivory lamb photography for capturing my entire heart in these pictures, molly elyse videography for making our chaos look beautiful in carter’s video, and carter’s for sponsoring this post!**

girls
dresses
flower bow
piggy bows

miller
pocket henley
jeans