Being asked to submit essays about my unplanned pregnancy on another blog has caused me to explore the whole saga all over again. A new perspective on the last 15 years of my journey has brought about some fresh revelation as I step into a new season of life. It feels like I'm beginning to see some of the pieces of the puzzle come together and the big picture makes a little more sense.

After I left so many of you chomping at the bit for part two of my story, they bumped up the publish date for part two over at Kindred Mom. 

Here's the second post in a series of three:

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy late in college, making the decision to parent my child without a partner was a terrifying and emotional journey. The unthinkably tough choices and turmoil that come with facing life as a single parent have led me to where I am today. God’s assurance and moment-by-moment faithfulness convinced me to carry on to the next step and the next after that. The greatest gift in my unplanned pregnancy was the loving and accepting response from my family and faith community. I know not every mom walking through an unplanned pregnancy experiences that, so I don’t take it for granted.

I’d already wrapped up school for the semester when my baby was due, but she wasn’t born for two more weeks! For 13 long days, I had nothing to do but wait. Finally, at 6:00 am, I awoke to a puddle in the bed and called out, “Mom! I think my water just broke!” She came running in and helped me up. As she cleaned up the mess, I called my doctor and got the dreaded advice:

“Walk.”

All day long I walked and walked up and down the street where I’d grown up. I remembered happy times like roller skating in the cul-de-sac with friends, and not-so-happy times with police cars and shouting… At one point I checked the mailbox and discovered a large envelope from my nursing school of choice. I waddled into the house yelling, “I got in! I’m in! I start in June! I’m going to be a nurse!” It was my acceptance letter to an accelerated nursing program. How divine. Isn’t it just like Jesus to bring us reassurance in our most vulnerable moments?

... 

Read the rest of this post at Kindred Mom. My labor story didn't unfold as planned and I went home empty-handed...

ICYMI, here's Part One.
And here is Part Three!

If you are dealing with an unplanned pregnancy or you know someone who is, I pray you are receiving the support you need. If you are not, email hello@tiamcnelly.com and I'll do my best to connect you to resources in your area. For now, I'll tell you what helped me the most: Your baby is already loved and everything is going to be great!