Our greatest adventure yet

Farah Jadran

Syracuse Woman Magazine has become a part of so many milestones in my life and I truly have been glad to share each and every one of them with SWM readers.

This fabulous group of readers was with me when we launched this incredible magazine, when I got engaged, left to take another job opportunity and got married. Most recently, all of you were a part of me becoming a cover woman myself and now, I am on the most important journey of my life so far. I'm getting ready to become a mama!

To say Niko and I are excited is a HUGE understatement. We are overjoyed and so grateful for this blessing. You can tell from our photos inside Syracuse University's Carrier Dome that we are happy, but you can especially see pure joy in Niko's leap of excitement!

We thought it was important to take our announcement photos at a place that was important to us; a place that has been a part of our journey together as a couple. Niko and I are both huge sports fans. He grew up an SU fan and I bleed orange as a Newhouse master's alum. Most of all, the Dome is special to us because we took wedding photos there after our ceremony in

May of 2015. Two fantastic photographers were a part of those special moments. Rick Needle took our wedding photos and Rick Policastro took our baby announcement photos. We thank them both from the bottom of our hearts for capturing special moments in our lives - ones we truly cherish!

This has been a special journey so far and the newest part of it will begin in November. (We are waiting until our baby is born to find out if they are a boy or girl, so no, we aren't keeping it a secret. Even we don't know!) One of my favorite parts about getting ready to be a mama and Niko getting ready to be a papa is this: Every day, Niko tells me he can't wait to meet our baby. That just means so much to me. It literally makes my heart flutter and I sometimes get a little chill because I can't wait either.

We are excited to meet our baby and to help them grow and of course learn so many things. We will teach our baby love, kindness, compassion and respect. We hope to take all the things we've learned in our lives and pass them on to this beautiful blessing. We also know our three pups are going to watch over and love this baby so much. Bogey, our rescue pug, has been cuddling up to my belly for a while now. (I think she knew before I did!) I think she loves the pregnancy pillows and thinks they are for her, but I do believe Bogey is hearing the baby which means the baby is hearing her snorts and snoring as well! Niko and I know Jack and Bear will also be wonderful guardians of our baby - welcoming them into our family. FAMILY - a term becoming more special to us by the day.

Kindness can change someone’s heart. It can help others realize there is a world around them and more to life than possessions and petty arguments. Kindness can be the message you wear and walk with because you choose to live life with genuine gratitude for each day you are given. Tomorrow is not promised. Why not spend today being kind and being positive? SWM

Farah Jadran is the anchor of CBS5 This Morning and CBS5 News at Noon for CNYCentral in Syracuse. Farah also served as editor of SWM for more than four years after she helped launch it in January 2011. If you or someone you know is spreading kindness in our community -- tweet at her -- @ FarahJadran using #BeKindSyracuse.