In case you missed it... We're pregnant!
I'm officially 26 weeks and 3 days as I write this. And I thought I'd take a moment to catch you up on on the season of our pregnancy and invite you along for the journey! So here's a recap...
FAQ: We're you trying to get pregnant? And how long?
YES! And we started trying by the end of October. By measurement that puts us conceiving around the week of Christmas. What a BEAUTIFUL way to end the best year of our lives in 2022! It's also a really big testament of our faith because I had tried to get pregnant for years prior and I could never conceive. What a blessing it was and worth the wait, since I didn't know Adam then!
The Backstory:
I had adopted Freddie with my late husband in August of 2018, just after his 14th birthday. A few short months later my (late) husband passed away and we moved back home to South Carolina. Adam had his son Grayson in September of 2018 and this his daughter in September of 2021. After a series of traumatizing events and as time progressed (along with age) neither of us was sure we wanted to have more children. But as our love grew and our family became stable for the first time, we both were open (Adam was extremely on-board). We decided to start trying right away. And at the same time, we kept hearing the name "Abel" in our hearts and seeing the word "able" everywhere we went- in scriptures like Ephesians 3:20 and Bible studies that our church was starting. We talked about the name and how much we liked it and if we had a son we would name him Abel- for Abel was also Adam's youngest son in the Bible. The next morning, a brand new song was played live for the first time and it was called "More than Able". It was so sweet to cling to. And we chose the word Able for our family for our word of the year for 2023 as we rounded out the year.
Little did we know that right before we conceived we would be faced with some really disheartening challenges for our family. I had felt it coming in my gut, but I knew that it was coming. Able was the perfect word to remind us God is in control. He is able. And He wants to fight on our behalf.
The Announcement:
I told the "world" that we were pregnant at just 9 weeks (back in February) and here's why: I almost held onto this for a few more weeks, but my sweet friend (who has experienced infant loss) begged me to go against the grain (if it was for me… which you know is TOTALLY ME)! She explained, no matter how far you are along, this life should be CELEBRATED from the beginning! And, I couldn’t agree more! No matter what happens, I am at 9 weeks screaming to the world “How can you not see God?!” I’ve waited for this moment all my life and there’s not a moment I need to hide it any longer. So here we are… a full minivan full of car seats and ready for our new little Alonso Babe to arrive in September! (For those of you counting that’s all 3 Alonso kids born in September 🤣!)
The Gender Reveal:
We couldn't wait much longer to find out the sex. So, we did a gender reveal and got Freddie our son to capture it! (He's typically the family photographer now that he's "too old" for pictures (sigh...18 year olds). So, we bought a party popper, had Freddie look at our Sneak Peek results from a local lab and had him give us the correct color.
Our Reaction:
It’s a….
🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼
BOY... much to my surprise! We had prayed for a boy. Hoped for a boy. But, I was in disbelief because I didn't want to get my hopes up! And there it was! We had our ABEL!!!
What's in a name:
We debated on several middle name options, but nothing stuck until one day we were learning about Samuel (also my first and oldest cousin's name). We had debated on another strong Biblical name, a Spanish name (Adam's dad is from Spain), but we didn't like anything we came across. When I said "What about Samuel?" Adam said that was the first one he liked. So we looked up the meaning and it means "God has heard." And a born leader, dynamic, disciplined, encouraging, admirable and noble. It seemed like the perfect match for Abel which means "breath of fresh air". And our last name means "ready for battle." This little boy has a HUGE legacy already. His name holds so much of the truth of the season we are in and the battle we are fighting for our family. And he came at the PERFECT time!
Another Twist:
Adam and I would joke, but I was so serious about wanting a natural birth. He told me that I was going to be begging for that epidural. This wasn't something new-age or a fleeting thought for me, it was something that I really had studied over the last 10 years and wanted to be part of my birth experience-plus most of you guys know, I am a little crunchy (hence the name "granola" in our brand). Adam on the other hand, had come from a very medical-minded and career family. After some talking, watching some webinars and a documentary called "Why Not Home?" Adam decided he was on board! Adam and I have decided (Lord willing) to have a home water birth right in this very spot in our living room!
If you want to follow our EXCLUSIVE Birth Experience Updates, click the link to join!
Our Birth Registry and Such
And just because so many of you have asked, here's a link to our:
Baby Registry on Amazon
SERIOUSLY the best gift is the gift of preparation as we prepare to bring Abel into our home.
You can also make contributions to our birth team services:
Doula and Photography Services with Rebecca Haymes (just make sure you mark it as a "gift" and you put "Lauren Alonso" on it so she knows where it came from)
Midwifery Services, we are using Hatched at Home
More to come!!!
Links to Connect with Us:
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We so enjoy sharing my life alongside you! We are so grateful to each of you reading and being a part of our life and our story! We hope to be part of yours, too! And, we'd love to connect.
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Finding joy in every season,