The following was written by KSAT anchor and reporter Sarah Acosta.
My husband and I are over the moon about our little girl that I am currently “growing.” I have always loved gardening and watching my plants and flowers grow, and now I love watching my baby girl grow every time I hear her heartbeat or see her go from looking like a blurry bean to an actual baby on the sonogram machine.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family:
My husband and I like to keep our lives private on social media. He actually doesn’t have a social media account, which is why I honor his decision to stay offline and don’t post him. But if you meet us in person, we are very outgoing and fun, and he talks more than me so buckle up.
We got married in March of 2022 with a small wedding at my parent’s house after dating for about two years. March is a special month for us, and I love that our baby is due around the same time that we got married.
We both wanted a girl and we are thrilled to be expecting a little girl. My husband will soon learn how to do hair and will be practicing ponytails and braids on me over the next six months.
When did you find out you were having a girl?
I was doing a live shot for a 9/11 ceremony at a local high school for GMSA @ 9. I was in between live hits, and I saw the doctor’s office calling. I answered and started sobbing when they told me that all her blood tests came back normal and that we were having a girl. KSAT photojournalist Azian Bermea — who I happened to be working with and is one of my husband and I’s good friends — did what he does best and started recording my reaction, which was a full-blown ugly cry out of pure joy. I am grateful I was working with him that day and that he documented my joy so that I can show my little girl one day. Also, my mascara was all over my face for the next live hit that I had to do just a few minutes after that.
What has your pregnancy experience been like?
Something that this pregnancy has taught me is that every pregnancy is different, and mine has been particularly difficult. Watching most of my friends go through pregnancy with mild symptoms didn’t prepare me for the intensity of morning sickness, migraines, insomnia and fatigue that I would experience and am still experiencing in the second trimester. I am so grateful to my managers and the support I have received at KSAT as I juggle reporting and anchoring the weekend morning show while experiencing this.
I think the “pregnancy glow” and the glamorous or fun part of pregnancy that we see on social media don’t talk about the hardships that can come with it. I want to be as realistic as possible because I know other women who experience difficulties don’t talk about it and they shouldn’t feel ashamed to do so.
Am I so grateful to be pregnant and that so far my baby girl is healthy? Absolutely, and I will take all the symptoms for her to be born happy and healthy. But do I want to be real and honest? I have never been anything less.
Growing a baby, everyone will look and show differently. It’s one thing for a woman to experience this and people to make comments about her changing body, it’s another thing for a woman to do this on TV in the public eye. I just ask our wonderful viewers to be kind and supportive, rather than pass judgment.
Do you have names picked out?
We decided on names for a boy and girl a long time ago if we were to ever have children. We are Catholic and wanted the name to be a Catholic saint name. Her name will be Odette and will go by Dotty. She will be named after the French nun Odette Prévost who was a librarian and teacher in the mid-1900s. I think this is fitting since my husband has been a teacher and now works in academia and is a PhD student. I love both names, and we are still working on a middle name.
You’re already a pet and plant mom, how excited are you about your new “mom” role?
Of course I am excited, but to be honest, I haven’t thought about it much. When I really love or care about someone or something, I am all in, so I know it will be the same when it comes to being a mom. My dogs Scooby and Sister have always been attached to me and follow me everywhere I go, but it’s almost like they have “beefed” up security. One of them has to be touching me at all times because they know they have an important job of keeping their baby sister safe.
Scooby even lays his head over my belly when we are lying down and it’s the sweetest thing.
I do feel bad about neglecting my plant mom duties. The garden at KSAT is barely holding on and my garden which I planted from seed this spring in my backyard has become a wild overgrown mess. My father who is a physician told me early on that I needed to be very careful about working with soil and gardening because it can seriously harm the baby. I was shocked, and I spoke with my OBGYN and she said the same. She advised me that because of the amount of gardening and digging I do, it would be best to avoid it if I could. My husband immediately cheered me up and reminded me we are now growing a baby, something much more important than a garden. I will continue my gardening segments but they will just be altered to where I do more instruction than demonstration or I may even enlist some special guests to help me with projects.
What are you looking forward to most in motherhood?
Most importantly I want her to know that she is so loved so she can show others that same kind of joy and love. Some people are born old souls, and some are forever young souls. At heart, I have always been a little girl who finds joy in children’s movies, games and playful things. I am excited to have a playmate that I can garden with, do arts and crafts with, and be my buddy on all my weird escapades.
What about your husband in fatherhood?
My husband is a writer and theologian. When I read his response I cried of course, because it is perfect.
“Parenthood is a unique opportunity to reflect God’s love in the world. I am so excited to do that. It can seem like a lot of pressure but I see it as a privilege! I just want her to be conscious of the love she deserves because she is made in the likeness and image of God. That’s my goal as a dad, to reflect God’s love through my love for her, so that she knows that’s the love she always deserves. That’s the true movement of a dad’s heart.”
What’s one lesson that you learned from your parents that you want to teach your child?
My mother was a stay-at-home mom and she was in charge of all of the logistical things like feeding us and driving us across town or even the state when it came to our extracurricular activities. I know she sacrificed a lot for us and I deeply appreciate that. I was proud of her when she went back to teaching after I graduated. She taught me you can sacrifice for your children but don’t lose sight of yourself or livelihood. My father worked long hours to support us, but I will never forget the Saturdays that he had off and he would take us to the mall all day to eat at the food court, ride the carousel and spend hours in Walden books. When he could, he took us to school and in elementary school would walk us to our classrooms holding our hands. My brothers and I are very fond of those sweet memories. Both of my parents showed me different types of sacrificial love, and I hope I can show my daughter the same.