My birth story starts with being told I wasn’t having a baby anytime soon and ends with holding baby girl in my arms just hours later.

Getting dressed during pregnancy wasn’t about style as much as it was about adjusting in real time, finding what worked, and still feeling like myself in a body that was constantly changing.

Preparing for baby number two eleven years later has looked very different from the first time, shaped by experience, a few hard lessons, and a much clearer sense of what actually matters.

A decade after my first baby shower, I returned to our wedding venue to host a relaxed, café-inspired celebration that reflected who I am now and what truly matters the second time around.

The movie captures the heart of People We Meet on Vacation, but without the slow burn that made the book’s ending feel earned, it trades depth for speed.

Every time someone marvels at how easily Ava and Eddie love each other, I’m reminded that the gentlest family stories are the ones we build slowly, with intention and trust.