Noah's Rainbow

  Justin and I have been on the journey to become parents for over 3 years now, but that journey began its closing chapter in a whirlwind on February 10, 2021. At just 2 days shy of 38 weeks, I knew in my head that Rainbow Baby could arrive at any time. However, my heart felt like I had more time to prepare, mentally and emotionally, for that moment to arrive. I should have known that, true to the form this story has taken all along, nothing would be as I anticipated it to be when that moment finally came! Justin and I had had dinner together and then got into bed to watch Netflix and fall asleep like we normally do. I was running through lists in my head for work and for home for the following day, and for about the millionth time that evening, started to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. As I rolled over to stand up, a sudden gush sent a shock through my body: either I had just peed my pants or… I quickly made my way to the bathroom, giving Justin a look of slight concern.

  February 5, 2021 To my Rainbow Baby, Today, I am 37 week pregnant! It is officially baby month!! How crazy is that?! This pregnancy has gone warp speed. At times, it seems only yesterday, I was walking into the doctor’s office to have you transferred into my belly, and now we are 3-ish weeks away from your arrival!! I do have moments where I think back to all the shots at the beginning of this pregnancy and think, “That feels like a lifetime ago!” because this pandemic year has seemed eternal. But for the most part, this season has gone by so fast and I can’t believe that we will be meeting you soon. I oscillate back and forth between being ready for you to come on out and hoping you will stay in there a while longer. I’m definitely getting very uncomfortable and my back is sore almost all of the time. In those moments when I’m driving 20 minutes to work or a doctor’s appointment, I’m thinking, “okay, get OUT!” as my back sears no matter how I sit or move. Then I look at all the thin

  January 29, 2021 To my Rainbow Baby, Today, I am 36 weeks pregnant! Just like that, we only have 4-ish weeks to go until we meet you! I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone, and yet it also seems like a lifetime’s journey to get to this place. We are so eager for your arrival, but we still have so much to do to prepare for you. My nesting hormones are ramped up, and sometimes I feel like a whirling dervish, ramming around the house crossing things off the list. I know that, if you decided to make your appearance tomorrow, we really are prepared for the most part- we have a carseat, a place for you to sleep, clothes to put you in, and essentials like diapers and a breast pump. But I would like to have more things organized and put away, and I’m just not really sure I could ever be fully prepared for the process of bringing you into this world! So your daddy and I are going to use every moment you give us to make sure you are knowledgeable and prepared for what to expect, and