I can’t tell you when we started dreaming of this day, but our teenage selves would be squealing.

I’ve been talking about raising babies alongside this girl since we were girls ourselves, but now it’s actually happening and saddled with the excitement is a deep sense of gratitude. As we often discover, growing older can take us down different paths. Oftentimes, friendships reach their end not because of disagreements, but distance, direction, and time. It’s not always the case that your childhood friend remains your friend into adulthood, and even less likely is it that you’ll get to watch your childhood friend have children of their own, but here we are.

It really is an honor to watch someone you love stretch themselves so far into a new identity that they become an entirely new thing. Parenthood has that effect on people. Jenna and Caden will be welcoming the newest member of their family in early January (if he doesn’t decide to show up early), and I can’t wait to watch the two of them become parents.

I am certain that Jenna’s rock solid self-assurance will lend a sturdy hand to raising up her little boy, and Caden’s wisdom and faithfully-generous belief in people will give Baby H a deeply rooted sense of identity, and a reliable way to navigate the world. Not everyone in life will be so lucky with the parental lottery, but Baby H has hit the jackpot, and as Caden and Jenna near the end of this waiting season, I can’t help but look on in awe at the ways they have already become such capable and wonderful parents.

We had to document this season of stretching, this season of becoming, so we all got our cozy clothes on and snapped some in-home maternity photos. Here is a little sneak peek of our session together:

While I know I’m not the only one, I can’t wait to meet Baby H and watch my bestie become a mama. Praying over this sweet little boy’s arrival!

Until next time!

xo,

Jess