We scheduled their maternity session for January 5th. We hoped it would be a sunny evening with that amazing golden light. Then the forecast came out. It called for non-stop rain all day. We almost rescheduled but decided to embrace the rain. We’d protect ourselves with umbrellas but we’d document this journey as it was. The day arrived, the hour arrived and the sun came out and blessed us with that golden light you dream about. Their maternity shoot felt like a perfect metaphor for how this pregnancy has gone.

In June, my little sister and I sat outside of Pie Five about to indulge in some cheese pizza. She looked at me and said, I have something to tell you. I said, “you’re pregnant aren’t you?!” That’s right friends, I get to be an aunt again!! We’re all ecstatic!

For weeks we sat in our hope for a bright sunny pregnancy. The one we all hope for and expect. A healthy baby that we get to watch grow up and become an exceptional human. Then the forecast came. Kay & Mitch went to their 20-week anatomy ultrasound and the doctor found something. They were sent to the University of Maryland Medical Center for a second opinion. After many tests & and a mistaken gender reveal by one of the techs (they didn’t want to know the gender but she slipped – it’s a boy!!!), our little man was diagnosed with a heart defect. It’s called Tetralogy of Fallot. It was the initial look at a forecast for rain. Total shock. Complete devastation. Why is this happening?! What does this mean?

Fortunately, as more and more tests, knowledge and information came in, that forecast started to show a little bit of break in the rain. Instead of raining all day we might have some cloud coverage. We can work with cloud coverage.

“Tetrology of Fallot is a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth. The four abnormalities that make up the condition include pulmonary valve stenosis, ventricular septal defect, overriding aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy.” – Mayo Clinic 

Our little man is expected to have a healthy birth. Followed by four to five months of growth at home. Basically, we need to fatten that boy up to give him the best chance at surgery. Then at four or five months, he’ll have open heart surgery. This will be the rain storm in the day. Open heart surgery on a grown human is terrifying. In an infant, it’s devastating. But we’ve got the umbrellas – faith and we have the rain boots- his amazing team of doctors at the University of Maryland. Right now we’re leaning into the faith and hope that all goes as well as the doctors are predicting. That this little man will come out of this surgery stronger and healthier than he went in and we will watch him grow into a wild and crazy child turned incredible adult. We know we will get that bright and sunny evening, but sometimes you just need to live through a bit of a rainstorm.

Hair & Makeup by: Meaghan at Fleurt Beauty Company 

Can we please talk about how gorgeous my sister is?! And how adorable she is preggo!!!

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