Tuesday, August 12, 2014

A shared journey is a great journey!

In my previous post I told the story of our journey to have a child - it was a long, expensive, emotional one. Announcing our pregnancy to our families was a moment of extreme joy, but with a little hesitation too - they had known about our previous 3 pregnancies and it was also heartbreaking for them when we lost them - because they are my 'village' and we all felt the losses.

Around the same time we started doing our IVF cycle for Zachary's pregnancy, my younger brother Roh and his wife Bec had started trying for a baby (I won't lie a small part of me hoped they would take a few months so that we could enjoy being the centre of attention for a while!). But I had a suspicion - I'd seen Bec at my older brothers house and I could have sworn she held her tummy - you know in that protective way pregnant women do... and she was being very cautious about what she ate. My spidey senses were tingling and I felt a small rush of hopeful excitement. Sure enough a week after our announcement, Roh and Bec announced that they too were pregnant!!! My instinctive reaction was tears - happy tears - I love them and this was amazing news! The idea of having someone I love travel the journey with me was awesome! Not only were they pregnant, they were due 4 days after us!!! I know that it would have been a little stressful for them during the weeks prior to the announcement - hopeful that our pregnancy would go the distance. When we reached the 12 week mark I am sure they let out the biggest sigh of all! They are sensitive and thoughtful like that.


Comparing Beautiful Bellies - I was HUGE!!!
Over the next few months of our pregnancies Bec and I bonded over the joys, the emotions, the cravings, the morning sickness (hers... I didn't have any but Bec had it quite badly), our ever changing bodies and the anticipation of motherhood. We spent time together, did Pre natal aqua and pilates together and we felt comforted by each other. When Zachary came early Bec was there to support me - especially emotionally! We'd been out of hospital a few weeks  and Zachary was 7 weeks old when Bec went into Labour - Isabella Helen was born on the 9th December 2013. A delicious chubby black haired beauty! It was love at first sight! I new that our children would be blessed to have each other and hoped they would become great friends!
Bec and the beautiful Isabella minutes after her birth I have SO much love for these two


Zach and Isabella Meet for the first time - already copying each other - born to be friends!
Over the past 9 months Bec Isabella, Zachary and I have spent most of our days together (we are in a mums groups formed from the women we met at Aqua, plus we live 3 minutes drive from each other!) And we have watched and marvelled at how our children grow and change daily. We discuss the latest issues and concerns and we share our babies everyday milestones. We giggle, we sigh, we cry together and we a united in our desire to be the best version of ourselves we can be for the sake of not just babies and our husbands, but for ourselves too. It had to have been God planned that we would take this ride together - he must have known that we'd need each other and I am so grateful for that. When we don't see each other for even just a few days we feel the loss!
I love the way these two are together - so loving!

Roh and Isabella

Together Bec and I are blessed with wonderful families  - between my family and hers we are lucky to have parents who are involved and interested and supportive of us. We have siblings who love our babies like they are their own and nieces and nephews who adore their new cousins.

It takes a village to raise a child. This is a story about one part of my village - but she's an amazing part!