Before I Even Met You

The day I found out I was pregnant, my world changed in ways I never imagined. It wasn't the kind of news that came with only happiness or only sadness. Instead, it came wrapped in a thousand emotions that refused to settle. Some mornings I would wake up with a smile, gently placing my hand on my stomach, wondering who this little person would become. Other mornings I would stare at the ceiling, overwhelmed by fear, questioning whether I was ready for the responsibility that now rested on my shoulders.

Pregnancy has a strange way of making your heart hold two completely opposite emotions at the same time. I have laughed with excitement while secretly crying myself to sleep. I have imagined tiny hands wrapped around my finger, then moments later worried about whether I would be enough. The future suddenly became both beautiful and terrifying.

I worried about money.

I worried about being alone.

I worried about whether I would make the right decisions.

Most of all, I worried about whether my baby would one day look at me and feel proud to call me their mother.

There were moments when the nausea was so unbearable that I wondered how women survived this journey. Some days I couldn't eat. Other days I was exhausted before the day had even begun. Every new ache made me anxious. Every unfamiliar feeling sent me searching for reassurance that my little one .as still safe.

Then yesterday happened

Yesterday is a day I know I will remember for the rest of my life.

I lay quietly as the examination began, trying to prepare myself for whatever I might hear. My heart was racing faster than I thought possible. I kept praying silently, asking God to let everything be okay.

Then I heard it....