Around 15 weeks, I started to feel my little one nudging me. And now, I’m feeling her more and more lately and that is WILD to me. There are so many different stages when pregnancy becomes more solidified in your mind but nothing quite compares to feeling a person moving inside of you.

I’d been whining a lot during the first trimester, and justifiably so, about how much you have to give up and sacrifice to bring a life into this world. So much of my comforts (as simple as getting a back massage or sleeping on my back) have been taken from me because they may be detrimental to our baby girl and until you see your baby during the ultrasound appointment it doesn’t feel real.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been consistently feeling her shift around and her little punches and kicks and it makes me feel so much joy. Also makes me feel reassured that she’s doing alright in there. I’ve had anxiety pretty much my whole life, but nothing quite hits like maternal anxiety. And I know that won’t go away ever, it just evolves as the kid grows. I know every mother can attest to this.

I had my anatomy scan a couple weeks ago and got to see the baby doing well and thriving. We even got 3D scans of her face 🥹. It’s so cool seeing her face develop (I think I already see the infamous Spates nose developing!) I pray every night that she comes into this world without any trouble and that I can meet her and love her and be the best mom I can be.

Mike and I just recently celebrated our 7 year marriage anniversary and I realized I’ve been with this man about a third of my life (we started dating 11 years ago) and we’ve been through so many ups and downs together: the loss of family members, graduating college, changing jobs, moving across the country, adjusting to desert life, etc. And now we’re about to embark on one of the craziest journeys yet: being parents together. I can’t wait.