Psalm 33:20-22

"We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you."

Monday, February 28, 2011

Oh Boy!!




Ohhhhh...what a week. Where to start. Warning: This may be a LONG post! I guess I'll start with last week. I was expecting my period anywhere from 2 Friday's ago (the 18th)to mid last week. I don't keep track of my cycle anymore, so I just had a good guesstimate when I'd need to be prepared for AF to arrive. I had lower back pain and cramping 2 Friday's ago, which is SOOO typical AF symptoms. I was ready with protection the next few days. Nothing. Now comes Wednesday, and I'm like, hmmm, I think I was at day 30 and that's not uncommon. The longest I've gone is 33 days. But for some reason, I went THERE. The "what if" Q's starting popping into my head, but they were different than before. Now I was worried I was pg. But, I was like, we'll just wait and see. Well, Thursday came around and after I wiped I saw mucus (sorry tmi) but I'm normally looking for blood! Hmmm...I was also getting hungry more often. Thursday I really started to panic. I said nothing to dh, I mean why?? Why go there and bring up past hurts and feelings, after all, we've moved on! I started to get angry and frustrated. Finally Friday morning I got up early while dh was doing a Bible study. I was determined to take a test I had in my drawer that I bought 2 years ago not to prove I was pg, but to prove I wasn't so I could let my mind relax! So, I actually had to read the directions to see what to do since it's been so long! I took it and I set it down and finished up and looked at it (knowing it said it takes 3 minutes) and it was positive IMMEDIATELY! OHHHH BOYYYY!

I wish I could say I was ecstatic, joyful and felt blessed, but I didn't. I was frustrated and upset. How could this happen NOW, 7 yrs later, and 4 months after God completely took this desire away?? How could this happen now that we have a passion for adoption?? So, I was loudly sobbing as I took out the test to poor hubby. He was praying and I loudly interrupted with by sobs. He looked at me and later told me he thought someone died. I handed him the positive stick and somehow got out "I think I'm pg." He just stared at me in complete shock. We were silent for a long time hugging. He said, how do these tests work, is it true? I said I don't know what this thing means, I've never seen one! I went upstairs to call my dr (who's nurse was really excited!!) and poor hubby went to work waiting to hear what the results were from the doctor. He was like a deer in the headlights, dazed and confused (as was I!).

So, my beta was 2269 (I found this out today, 3 days later...I heard 269) and progesterone was 20.7. I got the call, "You are definitely pregnant." I was like OHHHHHH. I wish I could say at that time I was excited, I was stressed out! What do we do about our home study, what do we do about the profile I just started scrapbooking the day before? What about my last post where we are attending a adoption support group?

Friday and Saturday a lot of tears were shed on my behalf. I had to grieve the child I thought I'd be adopting in the next year. I had to let go of my plans for the next month. I felt convicted and needed to open my heart up to this baby that God created in my womb, even if it meant it would cause me pain (not knowing now if we'd carry it full term). I think I had such a hard time because I HATE that I'm the cliche. I HURT because of how we may be used by insensitive people as the example of "just relax" or "just adopt and you'll get pg". I HURT for those struggling with IF and/or are waiting to adopt. I feel I am the enemy. But, God has put on my heart to be an advocate that God did this. We did not "just relax" or "just adopt" to get us here. It was ALL God. We will make sure to let others know this and to tell them how much it hurts when people say these things.

One funny, almost a tmi thing I'll share, but it is the year of the packer like I posted before! Lets just say my hubby will always remember the day our child was conceived...men never forget the date that their team won the superbowl!!!! We had a GREAT laugh over this!

So, just as I'm starting to accept what God has been doing, I started to spot last night. It was a small amount and was red. I immediately started progesterone and started to stress. How could God do this to me????? But, my amazing hubby talked to me and prayed for me, and I started to feel better.

This morning I went in and had an u/s and thankfully all is good. We are about 5 weeks 3 days along and we saw the sac and the yoke sac. My ob (that I don't like and will be switching) is "cautiously optimistic" and I go back in 2 weeks on my birthday for another u/s to hopefully see the fetal pole.

That's been my EXTREME whirlwind of emotions and life in the last 3 days. I've had on and off cramping, lot of gas (sorry), not happy intestines, tiredness, and today I started to get a little nausea.

To all those who are still waiting, I am sorry, and I hope I do not cause pain. That is not my desire at all.

I ask for prayer for my hubby, myself, but mostly our baby. Dave will be calling one of the agencies this week to cancel our home study that was SOO hard to schedule and letting her know we are pg. One step at a time! My prayer is that God be glorified through all of this!!


Here's a pic from our first u/s, sorry for the quality!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Finding my place to belong

Last Sunday, we had our first Adoption Connection meeting. There are 4 couples at church (us included)that we are starting an adoption support group with. The meeting was so awesome! One of the couples adopted through the same agency as us 11 yrs ago, one couple just brought home their 2 yr old son from the Philippines one month ago, and another couple is at the same stage of adoption as us.

It was sooo amazing to find my place. They understood me (us), and I could talk the talk of adoption like the best of them!

On our way home, I told Dave that I'm so thankful for God's plan and perfect timing. If we had become pg, we never would have experienced this. I would still feel like an outsider in a fertile world. I don't know of anyone that I could meet with for support, support with having a baby through IVF and yrs and yrs of infertility and now thrown into a fertile world where I do not fit in.

But, this group GETS me. Two out of the three couples have IF. We all feel God has called us to adopt, and are super excited for where he is leading us as a group to advocate for adoption. My child will have support. My child will have a place to fit in where being adopted is the norm. My child will have babysitters that are adopted. My child will fit in no matter what race, for there is a wide range in the group! For this I am thankful. For this reason I praise the Lord for allowing me to see a glimpse of his perfect plan for me as a mom. I praise Him for bringing me to a place where I belong.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Monday, February 7, 2011

Victory Tastes Great!

Last night we went over to Dave's parents house to watch the superbowl. I must admit that I was VERY much into the game. I am not a big football fan, and I think that was the first game I ever watched all of! I found myselft cheering, screaming, and sweating! HA! I guess I'm officially a Packer fan! Our poor dog was so stressed because he could sence the tension in the room the last quarter! He didn't know what to do when the "pack" was so stressed out!! All in all, we had a lot of fun with the family, and I'm sure it will be something that none of us ever forget! Now I just got to go get me some Packer gear to make it official!

Superbowl Champs!!


A true Packer Backer!




Dave and his dad helping to bring the trophy back home to Green Bay!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Date finally set

Dave finally got through to our caseworker and got a home visit scheduled. Now, I'm not sure how all agencies work and how timely they are, but I really think this is bogus. We first met with her in November, handed in references and some other paperwork in December, and then everything else the first week of January. This week she just sent out our reference letters to be filled out and she can't fit us in for the home visit till March 7th! Plus, it will take her at least a month to write it up! Here I was hoping to be approved at the latest at the end of this month! Now I doubt it will be done in March...

God is in control, but sometimes I feel like others are ruining this experience for me or allowing my child to go to someone else cause they took too long. I know that isn't true, but I was never a patient person...sometimes I feel I deserve something to go fast since I've been dealt IF...really, does everything in my life require a long wait?