Vivian. The name means ‘alive’ or ‘life’ which is exactly what we prayed for during our pregnancy. As I carried our child, my request of God was to hold this child, full of life and vitality, and to welcome him/her with every opportunity and advantage. Ruth means companion/ friend; a vision of beauty. It was also…
Category: Pregnancy
Our Rainbow Maternity Session
When these images were captured, we were just shy of 29 weeks; today marks 36. I remember looking at the countdown calculator on my pregnancy app or considering how far away December seemed in the first trimester. Now here we are four weeks, or less, or a bit more, from this life joining our family…
October Awareness
There’s a designated month, week or day for almost everything. October hosts a number including Breast Cancer, Domestic Violence, Chiropractic, Estate Planning, and Adopt A Shelter Pet Awareness… Another honored this month is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. For all the personal reasons, this one holds the greatest meaning and consideration. Last year, we…
Pregnancy After Miscarriages
We’ve had support and love and prayers and positive thoughts from so many as we’ve gone through our pregnancy journey. Strangers and acquaintances have extended unexpected kindness; family and friends have shared in our heartache. I’ve connected with people from across the globe, literally, as a result of sharing our experiences. And there have been questions by many who…
The Halfway Point
We’ve hit another milestone and are half way through this pregnancy. It feels really good to be here. Today marks 20 weeks, 1 day. Exactly three weeks past the gestation when we lost James. This pregnancy feels really familiar. I feel much like I did when I was pregnant the first time. Sometimes I have…
Our newest hope
As I walked into the imaging room, I was working to keep my emotions under control. Everything was just below the surface and I felt I would lose it any at moment. “Before we get started, we need to go through some history,” said the imaging technician. I don’t know what I thought that meant…
Comparing Miscarriage Experiences
I’ve experienced two miscarriages. They were each devastating by their own account but very different experiences. After our first loss, I carried some fear of losing again, but more so, I carried confidence that it would not happen again. We would be spared another such loss. Perhaps I was naive or cocky but I had…
Sharing News Early
The rule is you wait until after the first trimester to share your pregnancy news. After 13 weeks, it is “safe to make the announcement” and accept the congratulations and well-wishes. News Flash! There is no safe zone.
Connie’s Birth Story
Monday, April 13 Contractions began at 2:37 a.m. I woke to go to the bathroom and after returning to bed felt a “tightening.” I wondered if this was a contraction… and decided to record the time just in case. Several minutes later, another. Is this real, is this our birth day? Contractions continued throughout the…
Why I Am Choosing a Natural Birth
As shared in blog post “38 Weeks,” we had to have some monitoring throughout the first two trimesters of our pregnancy and take precautions due to my LEEP procedure in 2003. The monitoring was far more intervention than what I desired. I would have preferred to not have had to have the ultrasounds, but when pregnant…
Bear Vale Life 