If someone had told me back in high school that by the age of 21 I’d be a wife and expectant mother, I might have laughed. But here I am, thirty weeks pregnant and married to my best friend, preparing to welcome our little miracle into the world.
Our story started out in the summer of 2019, when we both volunteered at a local church’s Vacation Bible School. I had recently finished my sophomore year of highschool, and I was not even looking for a boyfriend. I was first drawn to Benson because of his kind demeanor with kids. Once I got up the courage to talk to him, I realized we had so much in common. We shared the same Catholic faith and pro-life convictions, enjoyed playing and watching sports, and he liked to listen just about the same amount as I liked to talk. And he was taller than me, which is hard to find as a 5’11 woman!
We began dating, which involved spending time with each other’s families and going to a lot of Pirates games. We also explored the local state parks, finding that long walks and talks are one of our favorite things! Benson graduated high school in 2020 and earned a great scholarship at Providence College, a Dominican-run university in Rhode Island. I still had a year of highschool left, so I was pretty heartbroken to say goodbye for the fall semester. But time flies, and pretty soon I too was attending college in Providence. After a semester of culinary school and a semester of community college, I transferred to Providence College in the fall of 2022.
Benson proposed during my first semester at Providence College, and it was a very easy yes! While I was only 19 years old, I knew with certainty that he would be my husband and the father of my children. We loved going to the same school, and in between classes we planned our wedding, took pre-cana classes, and worked a bunch of jobs to save money.
We got married in July of 2023, at the same parish we met four summers prior. We then had the opportunity of a lifetime, a semester studying abroad in Rome, Italy. So we spent our first few months as newlyweds exploring Italy, eating a lot of pizza and gelato, and making new life-long friends. We returned to Providence to finish our degrees, with Benson graduating in May of 2024. I still had one semester left to finish.
Since we were back in America and Benson had finished college, we had no reason to put off having a baby. In early July, we found out we were pregnant! We were overjoyed to be growing our little family, and that joy has only grown each day. Classes started back up for me in September, so I spent my second trimester as a full-time college student. Despite morning sickness and tiredness, I loved going to school pregnant. I knew that everywhere I went, I wasn’t walking alone. Every book I read and lecture I heard was also, in a way, shared with my baby! I was very blessed to have supportive professors, and so many people on campus shared in my joy as my stomach got more noticeable!
I finished my degree in mid-December, and Benson and I moved back to Pittsburgh into our first house! We now are settled in and preparing with great anticipation for the arrival of our baby in March.
Going through this pregnancy with Benson has deepened my love for him. He has been through every step of the process with me, from driving me to doctor’s appointments, making sure I’m eating and sleeping well, and carrying all the heavy boxes during our move. He prays with me and for me, shares in my joy over every little baby kick, and works hard to provide for our family. It is so beautiful to think of all the milestones we’ve been together for, from highschool and college graduations to countless holidays and special events. We’ve really grown up together from teenagers to young adults, and now we get to watch our first of hopefully many babies grow up too.
I am humbled and honored to be carrying this new life in me. Every day I thank God for this baby, for Benson, and for all of our blessings. I can’t wait to meet our baby in a couple of months, and I know Benson and I will only grow closer as we begin this journey as parents together.
By Bella Fechter