INNISFAIL – There’s nothing that compares to the joy of becoming a parent.
For expectant mothers, that journey begins the moment they learn they are pregnant.
“There was surprise, excitement and I was a little bit nervous, just because it’s the first one,” said Amie Gamez, 25, of her first baby due in mid-July. “I didn’t know what to expect throughout the pregnancy.”
Gamez is the daughter of Pastor Gerald Bradbury and his wife Karen from the CenterPoint Church in Innisfail.
She and her husband Miguel, who now live in Calgary, were married for about a year and a half when they learned they were expecting their first child, a girl whom they have named Camila Grace.
“We did want to start a family soon,” said Gamez. “It was a beautiful, unexpected surprise that we were super excited for.”
Like many expectant mothers, Gamez has been busy preparing for motherhood.
“We started doing the nursery and we have regular checkups that we keep going to,” she said. “I keep going to the gym for light workouts, just to keep myself going and active.
“I have my little binges, but what pregnant mother doesn’t,” she added with a laugh. “I try and do my best to eat healthy."
For some women, the journey to motherhood is a little more difficult.
Candyce Oakley, 30, of Innisfail, and her husband Kade, have been married for four years and are expecting their first child in mid-June.
“We tried to get pregnant for four years. We did fertility treatments (in Red Deer) and had a miscarriage at 20 weeks with a previous pregnancy,” said Oakley, who is just a few weeks away from her due date.
“We’re very excited now to be at 34 weeks along and pretty close to the due date,” she added, noting they are choosing to keep the baby’s sex a surprise until after the birth.
Like many expectant mothers, Oakley has had a mix of anticipation, excitement and nerves with her pregnancy, particularly because of the difficulties she faced over the years.
“I’ve always wanted to be a mom,” said Oakley. “With the struggle of infertility for four years, (pregnancy) was hard for me to think about.
“I’ve finally started buying things and preparing, now that it’s closer to the due date,” she added.
Gamez said with all the anticipation and excitement surrounding the birth of their first child, there is one thing about becoming a mother that she is looking forward to the most.
“I’m excited to hold her and just see her laugh and smile,” said Gamez. “I’m excited to see the person she becomes and the plans that God has for her.”
