Fear is real.

George Mark Children's House

When I was pregnant with Ruthie Lou, my biggest fear in birth was the physical pain that I would experience birthing her beautiful baby body. I wasn't scared of it but was nervous about it; how I would endure it, how I would work through it, how I would overcome the pain.

Then, pregnant with Reid, I still felt fear about pain, but it was emotional fear, true fear, real fear, terrifying acknowledging death fear. I was afraid that my baby would die and I was in fear about the emotional pain that rules your life when your greatest love dies. I feared that I couldn't rebuild my life, myself or my marriage if our next baby died, too.

My fear about birthing pain, never really entered my mind in Reid's pregnancy. Physical pain, I could tolerate that, but could I endure the devastating sadness that grips you in deaths shadow? I prayed I would never experienced that loss agin. I prayed and repeated affirmations to myself all day long for 37 weeks 5 days.

I am so grateful to hold my boy today, two (+) years after his birth. I am so grateful he is alive. I am so grateful for Reid.

And I fear him dying every day.
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