Oh, friends, do I have a special story to share with you today! It’s the story of Baby Juliet, a true miracle baby. When Juliet’s parents shared her story with me, I knew it needed to be shared with others. I knew it was the type of story that would help other parents see that many families go through hard times, even if it doesn’t seem that way from afar. It’s the type of story that reminds you that you’re never alone in your struggles.
Juliet’s family shared their story openly with me and it brought tears to my eyes right away. I asked them if I could share their story with you, my readers, and they welcomed the opportunity, so I’m sharing it below, in their own words. If you’re struggling through something similar, I know it will give you hope. And if you’ve been through a similar situation, I hope you’ll share your story, too, so that other parents can gain hope and strength from it.
What’s the first thing that ran through your mind when you both found out you were pregnant?
“It was on Christmas Eve morning and I woke up Aaron, waving the pregnancy test and screaming that I was pregnant. Aaron scooped me up in his arms and kissed me. We were so excited because we had been trying for so long and also a little scarred because we had lost two previous pregnancies.”
Juliet’s Miracle
“This pregnancy was a rough journey but our God was in control the whole time. Prior to this pregnancy, we had two miscarriages and getting pregnant wasn’t the easiest road. The day we found out we were pregnant, I got the flu and we were concerned for the safety of the pregnancy. After finding out we were pregnant, I had to immediately go to the doctor to begin taking hormones in order to keep the pregnancy viable. At the appointment, we discovered I had a large cyst on my right ovary that would require surgery at 14 weeks if it didn’t shrink. So I had to stop my job in fitness to go on modified bed rest. We had many people praying for us and the cyst did eventually shrink. We thought we were in the clear until our 20 week body scan when we got the news that Juliet had bilateral choroid plexus cysts on her brain, she was measuring under the 5th percentile and I had low amniotic fluid. We were then sent to a maternal fetal specialist who confirmed the diagnosis and advised that she would either die in utero or shortly after birth and offered to terminate the pregnancy. Our response was absolutely not! We believed firmly that the Lord had a purpose and a plan for our daughter’s life. So they sent us home to wait and begin monitoring the pregnancy very closely. We gathered family and friends to pray with us, trusting that the Lord was in control and he would heal our daughter. This was not easy to live through just waiting to hit mile stones in our pregnancy hoping to get further and further. After waiting for what felt like an eternity we went back to the specialist doctor again, they did all the same tests and the results were a 180, she was looking great! The doctor even said “I have no medical explanation for these results” and we said “We didn’t need one bc we knew the Lord had Juliet in His hands” There were a few more ups and downs but our Lord was faithful and blessed us with our little radiant warrior!”
What was the first thing you thought when you saw your baby for the first time?
“Oh my gosh, I’m a mom! This is Real life ! I was on the operating table so Aaron got to hold her first, but when I started talking to her, Juliet turned and looked at me, she knew my voice. It was the best feeling anyone could experience.”
How was your experience having your newborn photographed? Were you nervous or worried before? How did it turn out?
“It was a great experience! We were nervous that our newborn wouldn’t cooperate and that it might be a stressful experience, but far from it. It was a wonderful, calming environment and all of our concerns would put at ease from the beginning. It was a fantastic experience and the photographs we received were incredible!”
What would be your advice to someone getting newborn photographs taken?
“Relax and give the photographer space to do her thing. She’s a professional and the end result will be much better for it!”
I hope you enjoyed reading Juliet’s story as you viewed a peek at her newborn session, too. Juliet’s story inspired me in many ways, including how I share birth stories on my blog and I hope to share more parent stories this year. Stay tuned!
No matter your journey, I would love to help you document new life within your family. My studio, based in Katy, TX is a warm and welcoming environment to have photos created of your new baby and family. Your story is only yours and deserves to be celebrated. Let’s talk about it.
