Spring Baby

At this time last year, I was pregnant with a baby who we lost at nine weeks gestation. From fairly early on in the pregnancy, I had felt anxious about there being problems and the possibility of losing the baby. I hadn't felt the same anxiety when pregnant with our daughter, and wondered why I felt differently this time around. I remember praying and talking to God about how I was feeling, and the thing I remember most clearly about my prayers was that God showed me a vision of my family - we were standing under a magnolia tree in full bloom and I was holding a newborn baby. At the time, this didn't make sense to me, because the baby I was pregnant with was due to be born in December - there certainly wouldn't be any magnolia trees in bloom then - our baby would be five months old by the time the Spring blossom arrived. But it was definitely a newborn baby I saw as I prayed. Then, we lost the baby that I had felt all of the anxiety over. I would no longer be having a Winter baby.

A few months later, we found out that I was pregnant again, and felt a great sense of relief and hope when the 12 week scan showed a healthy baby with a strong heartbeat. Our baby was due to arrive around the 30th April 2016, and this picture of my family that God had shown me back in May 2015 came to mind many times throughout my pregnancy. I remember going for a walk in January, and seeing daffodils blooming. The mild temperatures during Winter have done funny things to the Spring flowers this year, and I couldn't help but wonder if there would be any flowers left to blossom and bloom by the time our baby was due to arrive.

Jude was born on 1st May, and one of the first outings we did together as a family of four was to St. Andrew's Park. One of my favourite things about this park is all of the beautiful trees they have there, and they are just glorious at this time of year. Although most of the Magnolias around Bristol have dropped their petals for this year, the cherry blossom is in its element, so as soon as I saw this tree, I knew that I wanted to make the picture that God had shown me a reality - a physical photo of the assurance he gave me that I would be holding a newborn in my arms this Spring time.