Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope everyone is enjoying time with family and friends remembering the many blessings in their lives.  Weston and I plan on celebrating one BIG blessing this year!

Yep, we are 13 weeks pregnant!!  Here is our ultrasound at 12 weeks sleeping with his/her hand on its face.

I still can't believe that we're pregnant and in our 2nd trimester.  Those who are close to Weston and I know that we've been praying and struggling to start our family for 2 years.  We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility, and we've been through more doctors appointments, shots, blood draws, and ultrasounds than I ever imagined.  But I am so thankful for my husband who has been my support and partner through the most difficult time in our short 5 year marriage.  He's wanted this baby just as badly as me, and he has stayed so strong and faithful to me and the Lord.

Above is our ultrasound picture to ensure our baby was in my uterus-where it should be for the next 9 months.  When we first found out we were finally pregnant, our doctors were not hopeful that this baby would live.  They were concerned my hormones were not increasing like they should be and perhaps this baby was ectopic or I would miscarry.  So we were in what I termed Pregnancy Purgatory.  I knew I was pregnant, but my heart was guarded.  It wasn't joyful like I imagined.  We didn't get to surprise our parents with great news.  We had to share with them that this may not be our time, but they were our prayer warriors.  It was the most emotionally draining two weeks of my life waiting until we were far enough along to see on an ultrasound where our little one was.  For those two weeks, I went to the doctor every other day for bloodwork.

After the first week of finding out we were pregnant and my hormone levels, I was told my doctor wanted to talk to me about his concerns at my next appointment.  I knew it wasn't good.  I was devastated, and my mom came down that very next day to be with me and go to my appointment.  I am so thankful that my mom was there with me.  The doctor was very kind and explained to us his concerns of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.  He told me in his 20 year career as an infertility doctor that only two of his patients with hormone levels like mine went on to have healthy pregnancies.  So we left knowing it was all in God's hands and prayed that the baby wasn't ectopic, and if I were to miscarry, it would happen naturally.  I could not believe after struggling for two years that I was praying for a natural miscarriage, but I had to give this baby up to God's will.  He blessed us with this baby, and it was His will I prayed for our baby.

After our appointment, we went to Hobby Lobby to get crafty and get our minds off of everything for a little bit.  I will never forget this moment.  We were right there in the middle of the ribbon aisle when I got a phone call from my nurse that my numbers had tripled!  It was a miracle!!  My mom and I tried to contain our excitement and praise with the news we had gotten in Hobby Lobby to minimize the strange stares of why two women were so excited about ribbon.  I continued bloodwork monitoring for another week with each time tripling.  They want it to double, so triple was wonderful.  The doctor called to tell me that he hoped he was wrong on this one, our baby, and continue to rest until my first ultrasound.

Like I said earlier, our first ultrasound showed the baby was snug in my uterus, but we still had a long way to go.  It wasn't until another week that we heard the baby's heartbeat.  It was good and strong at 126 bpm, and the doctor told us it was a good sign of a healthy pregnancy.  It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.  I wish I had an ultrasound picture from that appointment, but I don't.  Below was next week's ultrasound where the heart rate was 160 bpm.

 

A little video of the heartbeat from 7.5 weeks along.

And we had one more ultrasound before I graduated to the OB!  Heartbeat was in the 180's, and the doctor congratulated me. This was so exciting to finally be released to the OB and join the baby bump group. 

 

 And on Halloween, I had my very first OB appointment at 10 weeks.  Here was our little pumpkin's Halloween picture.

I want my all my family to know how thankful I am for the love and support that they give to Weston and I.  We are so blessed.  We were blessed even before we conceived this baby, and now my heart is bursting.  I have never been happier than how I feel at this moment.  It feels wonderful to share our story.  Through infertility, God has pruned my heart.  I've had moments of weakness: anger, sadness, and confusion.  But through it all, I've learned to be happy for others who have what I desired.  We've opened our hearts to the idea of adoption in our family.  I've learned to be patient and listen to what God wants for our lives.  And I am so thankful that this is what God desires for us at this moment with this very loved child of God. 

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!!