5 Weeks - Journal Entry

Today's date is actually, October 8 2015.  I was cleaning out my nightstand and ran across my hardly used journal.  As I flipped through it I realized I had written several times early in my pregnancy.  I want to record it on my blog with the rest of my posts, in case anything ever happened to is.  So although I announced it on my blog, I am going to repeat some of the same from my journal which is more detailed.  I am so happy I wrote all of these memories down to reflect on.  I had already forgotten so much!  I will note in the title 'Journal Entry' for each one.

IUI 3 - 3 follicles

Beta 1 2/13/14 79
Beta 2 2/15/14 220
1st Sono Feb 28 10:00am

I am 5 weeks and one day today!  We found out Wednesday, February the 12th and have been on cloud nine ever since....

I originally tested on the 10th, thinking it was day 10 post IUI, but got a negative.  Aaron said he thought it was day 9... sure enough it was.  I text Mom, Andrea, Ali, Schroeder, Krystal, Kacey and Sarah to say day 10 was negative, but that we were still hopeful for day 12's test.

On Sunday, February 9 at 5pm my friends and family all stopped to pray for us wherever they were.  It meant so much to us that our loved ones were praying for our baby.  Apparently, God was listening :)

Wednesday morning I woke up to use the bathroom, took the test and went back to sleep (4:30am).  At 6:30 I was having the most vivid dream.  In my dream, I was holding a pregnancy test lying in bed and first saw it was negative, but after a few minutes it turned positive.  I woke up and walked to the bathroom to grab the test.  Positive!  The line was very faint, and I knew that was okay, because so many of my friends had said the same.  I was in complete shock, couldn't believe what I was seeing.  I walked into the living room where Aaron was asleep and he immediately opened his eyes and said 'Go test!'.  I said ' I did....'  He jumped up and ran into the bathroom to look at the test.  The next few minutes were a blur for us, although I seem to remember hugging.  We couldn't wait to call our family!  We sat down on the bed and called mom on speaker phone.  She like us, couldn't believe it and kept saying, 'oh my gosh, oh my gosh, are you serious?'  She was half asleep, we both cried a little.  We called Karlos next.  She was asleep too and had a similar reaction to Mom, she kept laughing.  I could hear her smile through the phone, it was so sweet.  We called Andrea, but she didn't answer.  She called back a few minutes later, and knew by our early am wake-up call.  She squealed over and over, super sweet excitement.  Ali didn't answer, we tried a few times again anyway.  When she finally called back she screamed.  We were having so much fun calling everyone. Aaron said a couple days ago he wished we could live that day over.  It was incredible.  Johnny was great, he said 'ALRIGHT!!!' and just laughed and laughed.  His reaction was one of my favorite, the joy in his voice was priceless.  Grandpa Thomas answered the phone saying, 'well congratulation!'  Grandma was still recovering from shingles and grandpa wasn't sure if she was up to talking as her pain was most prevalent in the morning.  He said, 'grandma, Aaron and Nicole are pregnant'. We heard her squeal and she quickly got on the phone to congratulate us.  Every call was so special.  Grandma Clark answered the phone and said, 'Did it work?' She was thrilled for us.  Doug and Rita were in Hawaii so I emailed, 'We are pregnant!'  He emailed back shortly after and called to congratulate us.  They knew all about fertility having gone through it themselves and were so supportive from the get go.  They sent a picture of a note they wrote in the sand saying, 'Good luck Aaron and Nicole!'  We got it right after our procedure.  So very thoughtful.
Our friends were great too.  Schroeder was asleep when we called - she just mumbled hello, went dead silent and hung up.  Hilarious!  Lana didn't think anything of the early call and started immediately telling us a story about Lee, Aaron piped finally, and said, Lana do you think there is a reason why we are calling you this early?  I tried to call Kacey, but she didn't answer.  We decided to knock on her door and tell her in person.  When she saw us she grabber her heart and close her eyes - total happiness.  Dustin was at the gym when we got there so we waited for him to come home.  He knew immediately when he saw our car, big hugs and congrats.
After all of the excitement, neither of us wanted to go to work.  All we could do was think about our news.  We must have looked at that test 100 times each.  We went to breakfast together and begrudgingly went our separate ways to work.  By noon I was totally exhausted.
My first symptoms were headaches and feeling bloated. I wasn't sure if I was bloated due to my meds prior to testing, but the headaches were out of the norm for me and made me wonder, what if?
My phone rang off the hook all day.  Each time Mom called me she was more and more emotional.  She kept saying, 'my baby is having a baby!'  I don't think I have ever heard her happier.  That evening Aaron and hosted Lifegroup, and I celebrated Nicholas' 5th birthday.  We both had fun announcing our news.
Aaron has been as sweet as can be since finding out.  He makes me breakfast in bed almost everyday.  Even sweeter, he prays on my belly everyday, thanking God for our gift, asking for a safe, healthy baby.  He is the happiest I've ever seen him.  Something about a new baby brings out such joy in everyone.

The days following it started to sink in (a little).  I don't think it has fully hit either of us.  We took several more tests and each day the lines grew darker.  Whew!  A relief!

Our betas were 79 on day 12 and 220 day 14, could be a single, but could be twins!  Either way we are just so happy to have nice high numbers to put our minds at ease.  This has been the most incredible journey.  I was a little bit apprehensive to start fertility, but once we decided to go for it, that faded and I felt pure excitement for the days ahead.  I was very blessed with a strong peace.  We were so blessed to have been successful on a 3rd IUI rather than going the IVF route.  I would have been on board, but IVF is much more invasive and expensive.  During and after our first two procedures that didn't result in pregnancy I remember telling several friends that I knew God's plan for us was perfect and that when our time came I know I wouldn't wish to change one step of our journey.  This is true now more than ever!

Aaron wants to watch a movie and keeps asking if I am done.

Next week we have our first sono.  Single or twins????

And now he's asleep.   Of course!

Hopeful

Yesterday was an exciting day for Aaron and I.  We had our third IUI procedure and are hopeful for good news in two weeks. Our numbers looked great.  We put the rest in God's hands and trust in his perfect timing. 

Mom went to our appointment with us and spent the rest of day with us doing 'mom stuff'.  We relaxed, watched movies and ate her famous split pea soup.  (Don't knock it till you try it!)

Today I received this picture from Doug and Rita in Hawaii.  So nice to know they are thinking of us!

John 16:24

Until now you have asked for nothing in My name.  Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.  

  

Kisses from Katie

I recently read a book that touched me deep down in my soul called Kisses from Katie. The story is written by a girl who moved out of the comforts of her parents home in Nashville and the modern world, leaving the love of  her (young) life behind to devote her life to the broken children of Uganda. She started an organization that allows children to go to school that could not have otherwise afforded to. These children are also fed, clothed and given medical attention as needed by this ministry. Katie now lives permanently in Uganda and has  adopted FOURTEEN children, or as I see it, saved FOURTEEN lives! Wow.  Her passion, faith and selflessness to give her life to these children made me think about my own life. As a Christian, I am called to not only love my neighbor as myself, but to serve and save them the way I would my own family.  It's a big calling.

Last year a friend of mine had the privilege of fostering two four year old boys from different families. I was fortunate enough to be with Lisa when CPS called late one evening to pick up a small, brown eyed boy named Nicholas. I'll never forget that moment. Nicolas was quiet and shy, but also very sweet and loving. It was apparent he had been badly neglected in more ways than one. Several months later, CPS called to tell her about another 4 year old named Julian who needed a foster home. She took him in without blinking an eye. Julian was much more talkative, but also more emotional than Nicolas. Both boys were very different in personality, but both desperate for love, affection and attention. My friend is a single foster mom who works a (very) full time job. I knew her desire was to foster and/or adopt, but never saw the depth of how truly amazing she was until I observed her in the role of mothering two precious foster boys. Both boys made incredible physical,mental and emotional progress in their new home with Lisa. Julian is now happily living with his grandmother, and Nicolas and Lisa are having a beautiful new home built on acreage where he can run and ride his new four wheeler to his heart's content.

Again, I think about my own life. I am so abundantly blessed, but why me? Why am I so blessed when there are children and people everywhere that go without shelter and food, children who are neglected and abused. The answer is simple. I am blessed so that I can be a blessing to others, and my heart's desire is to one day save a child's life as these women have. When the timing is right for us, I trust that God will put the right child in our path at the right moment.

Information about Katie's ministry Amazia and her book can be found in the link below. I highly recommend this read!

http://www.amazima.org/katiesbook.html