The Story of Adrian

                                        Baby Adrian Steele by NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer Jeremy Lau

Adrian is our firstborn, and thankfully, we were able to conceive quickly after deciding to start a family. We still went through some checks, though, as I had a miscarriage when I was younger, and we wanted to ensure that nothing from that experience would impact our efforts to get pregnant again. I found out I was pregnant with Adrian in February, and it felt like everything was lining up perfectly. I’ve always loved fall and was looking forward to having a fall baby. As a teacher, my second trimester aligned perfectly with summer break, allowing me to spend a month with my students when we returned to school—it all felt perfect.

During my pregnancy, I experienced typical morning sickness that lasted all day long, along with exhaustion and bloating. I had mixed feelings about it; I loved and hated those symptoms at the same time. However, I did have some significant scares. Toward the end of my first trimester, I experienced bleeding and cramps that led me to the emergency room. Since I was under 20 weeks pregnant, I was sent directly to the ER, where I underwent an ultrasound and then an MRI. Afterward, it was determined there was nothing else to do. I …