I pray for all of my expectant friends, because I know what pregnancyis like. It is exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally to growanother human inside yourself. But I do believe that this is the firsttime I have prayed for a pregnancy literally every day since I knew about it.
It started, for me, when I received an intriguing text from my friend,Mary. “I have a secret.” That is a hook that will get me every time. I love a good secret.
Obviously, I was super excited for Mary to become a Grandma for thethird time. After all, one of the few things better than two grandchildren is three grandchildren. But this secret went just a little deeper than a sneak peek of a pregnancy announcement.
Melanie has a condition that causes her blood to clot anywhere it flows in a vessel, including an umbilical cord. For this reason, hers was a very high risk pregnancy. I am no stranger to high risk pregnancy, as I have had one of my own. I know the feeling of praying almost constantly that baby will stay put for just one more minute…just one more minute. So I committed myself to pray for Melanie and “Our Butterbean” (because everyone needs a name) every day until she arrived safely.
At first we didn’t know if there was any hope at all, so we prayed. Then we found that the condition is not unknown, and that there is a treatment – daily injections and blood thinners. So as Melanie gave herself daily injections of blood thinners and made the 2 ½ hour trip to Augusta time after time to be monitored by a specialist, we prayed. Then, miraculously, Butterbean began to grow…and show! So we continued to pray.
Then there was the gender reveal. A girl! How much fun is that? And she had a name. Ryleigh Brooke. After all, someone who has been prayed for so much by so many was bound to be beautiful inside and out, and she needed a name to match. But I still refer to her in my prayers and inquiries as our little Butterbean.
And finally, after months…and months…of waiting, my itchy shutter finger was finally able to have the long-awaited maternity session with Mark and Melanie. I had three very special photo sessions planned for this year, and this was one of them.
It’s not just that the camera loves Mark and Melanie, although it does.(Melanie always has that just-stepped-out-of-a-magazine beauty that I envy so.) It is mostly because this session is a testimony that God still answers prayers. When Ryleigh Brooke arrives safe and healthy in her mother’ arms, she will be a wonderful picture of God’s love, mercy, and grace.
Published by leonawaters
I am a family lifestyle photographer in south central Georgia. I have a passion for helping families create beautiful images that they can be proud to display in their homes. I love music, knitting, and all things chocolate. View more posts
