Catie E. Prather - Gods Rainbow

Chapter 1

Im Pregnant

T hat Friday morning in June was unforgettable. When I woke up, I felt like something was different with my body. Not only that day but every day leading up to that moment, my body felt different. My boobs were super sore, crying every second over the smallest things, and the semiobvious: missed period. I say semi because since my cycles are irregular, I did not think that much about my period not coming that month. Another thing that should have been my indicator of pregnancy was the taste of metal. I remember the taste; it was like I had sat and ate a bag of nickels. That taste was instant in mouth. The day before, I was in conversation with my sister, and during the call, I made mention to her what I was tasting. She gave me a look like, Honey, youre pregnant. She did not say anything, just smiled when I made mention of it.

I remember getting up and immediately touching my tummy as though something was there. I got out of bed, made a pit stop at bathroom counter to grab the pregnancy test, and made my way to the restroom. I remember the feeling of knowing before I peed on the stick; I was pregnant. I watched in anticipation. The first line appeared, solid pink. The second line sweetly crept in the window, solid pink. Im pregnant Thank you, Jesus! With the biggest smile I could smile, I walked back into the bedroom with stick in hand and gently nudged my boyfriend to wake up and receive the news. Baby, baby Were pregnant, I said with a huge smile. My boyfriend is a deep sleeper, but that morning, he perked right up when I said those words. As he held me in his arms, I thought, Were pregnant Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus Thank you.

Traditionally, women/couples who find out they are expecting do not tell anyone right away. I did not follow that rule! The first people I eagerly told were my parents. My family is my everything. I look up to my parents not because they are my parents but because they are genuinely good people. My parents have been married forty years. I have an older brother and two older sisters. When I say my foundation is my family, I mean just that. Each of my siblings have given me so much knowledge and wisdom. I love them so much. This pregnancy meant so much to me! Not only would my boyfriend and I be first-time parents, but we would be able to share our blessing with our families and continue the legacy. So much knowledge and wisdom there. So telling the news that they would be grandparents again was everything to me! But how do we tell them? We cant travel to their home because of COVID-19 What to do? I decided to deliver proof the news via text by sending a picture of the positive test.

Good morning, Momma! How are you this morning? Were you still asleep? You sound sleepy.

Yes, baby, I was, but I need to get on up. You okay this morning?

Yes, Momma, I am good. Mom, do me a favor? Check your text message and call me back.

Okay, daughter. Checking now. I will call you back.

I counted backward from ten awaiting her callback. I got to the number two, and my phone rings I answered and heard nothing but screams of joy, praising God, and cries of happiness!

You are going to have a baby! I am going to be a gran-gran again! she says. She was shouting so loud, she woke my daddy, who I could here in the background of the call.

What are you doing all that hollering for?!?! What is wrong with you?!?! he says.

Our daughter is pregnant! She is going to have a baby! Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Lord! she says as she hands my daddy the phone.

Well now, daughter! My baby girl is going to have a baby! he says.

Yes, Daddy, I am pregnant! I took the test this morning, and it was positive! I cant stop smiling! Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Lord!

Yes, indeed-y! God is good! You all feel all right?

Yes, Daddy, we are fine! Neither one of us can stop grinning!

All right, baby. Well, here. Go talk to your momma. I am going to get up and call the young man in a moment to congratulate him.

Okay, Daddy, I will let him know. I love you.

I love you too, baby! Heres your Momma.

After handing the phone back to my mother, we discuss the next steps to take. I needed to make my initial appointment to confirm the pregnancy. I remember feeling so excited, amazed that it was happening, and just overall gratitude to God for this moment. After getting off the phone with Mom, I eagerly made the call to my GYNs office to schedule the appointment. I was given a time for the following Friday. We were so excited; next Friday seemed so far away!

Why all the excitement? For us, the news of pregnancy meant everything. Neither one of us had children. The idea of being a mother has been on my mind since reaching my thirties, and the fact that the idea had potentially turned into reality was beyond gratifying. In addition, something so beautiful was beginning during a challenging time. We got pregnant during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone was getting into being safe by social distancing and staying in the know of the potentially deadly virus that was taking the US by storm. Sure, the pregnancy could appear to have come at the worst time as it pertains to going to appointments and the hospital for delivery, but my boyfriend and I felt safe. Safe to make our appointments for the normal checkups that occur in the pregnancy journey. Also, we developed our safety plan to make sure we were masked, gloved, and sanitized when having to make the trips. We were ready! All in all, this blessing was much-needed good news we had been waiting for.

Chapter 2

June 12

T he first baby appointment was finally here! That week was one of the absolute best weeks (despite COVID-19) Ive had since the start of 2020. I remember consistently holding my tummy while feeling light twinges, tweaks, tugs, and pulls. From the research I had done, those were all good signs of the little bundle of joy developing! I remember seeing my boyfriend consistently smiling and beaming with light. He was so attentive, like he became my instant bodyguard! Every move I made, he was right there asking if I was okay, if I needed anything, if I wanted random food I laugh a bit to myself thinking about it because it was rather sweet seeing him like this. Each time he would ask about or try to do something to accommodate me, I would think, Okay, calm down, future dad. We have been pregnant for like five minutes! It was cute though; he was only showing the level of excitement that I was feeling. We are going to be parents!

We got up that morning, getting dressed and preparing for the appointment. The trip to the doctors office felt like the longest car ride ever, but we got to the doctors office fifteen minutes before the appointment. I remember looking at the time every two minutes while we were in the car, excited to get there. While we sat in the waiting room, I found myself having a full conversation with God in my head, thanking Him for this wonderful gift and praying for nothing but good things, a healthy pregnancy. They called us back and led us to the ultrasound room. I remember being surprised with the ambiance and setup of the area. It was rather peaceful and serene, not a sterile room filled with machinery and gadgets, just relaxing and calm. The only machinery present was the ultrasound device and a flat-screen monitor mounted to the adjacent wall. There was soothing music playing in the background, and the lighting in the room gave a soft glow. There were two smaller windows in the room, both with blinds closed. The examination table looked so comfortable! It was positioned at an angle in the center of the room, allowing ample space for a guest chair and more space to move around. The leather-bound, lounge-style chair positioned beside the exam table was perfect for my boyfriend to sit in while waiting with me. Before the technician entered the room, I remember looking around at everything. I became fixated on the screen, visualizing and fantasizing about what we were about to see! I could do nothing else but rub my tummy and smile with excitement.