That’s right! We are so excited and so blessed to say that we’re expecting a baby in late March 2018! *cue the hallelujah chorus, fireworks, and popping of champagne (or in my case, sparkling cider)* 😀
^ That’s the photo we used to announce to family and friends on Facebook that we have a special little miracle headed our way! For those who can’t read the onesie, it says “Future Hogwarts Student”, which is a Harry Potter reference, along with the wand and scarf. We are BIG fans of HP in this house, and by we, I mean me, and my lovely husband just goes along with it 😉 It was SO cool to see the reaction on Facebook – friends and family members just poured out so much love and excitement and the post ended up with over 70 comments and over 250 likes! (Now, if only each of my blog posts had that much interaction, right?? haha). It’s so amazing uplifting and encouraging to have that many people supporting us and happy for us in this new season of life.
I also made this little flat-lay photo to act as my cover image on Facebook and I love how it turned out! Totally nerdy and totally me – this kid has no choice but to be a nerd, too 😉
However, we weren’t always so confident that we would ever get to make an announcement like this. You see, 6 months ago we were told that the only hope we would ever have of having biological children was by going the IVF route. We had tried for over a year on our own and nothing was happening, so we went to a fertility clinic nearby and were told those words that were so very hard to hear: IVF is the only way.
It was a long, sometimes painful (self-administered injections, blood draws, and surgery – ouch!), and often emotionally draining journey, but praise the Lord, all of that was worth it and it WORKED. We found out the IVF had taken on July 14th, 2017. It was almost unbelievable! I’m now almost 14 weeks pregnant and it’s still almost as unbelievable as it was then (except for the fact that I’ve been a complete invalid due to nausea/vomiting/exhaustion, and I got to see baby moving up a storm at my ultrasound last week) but it’s finally starting to become more real.
It sucks that this is the road we had to take, but we made it through, and surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. However, I hate that infertility has such a stigma surrounding it – how it’s hushed up and not talked about and that you’re considered a failure if you are unable to procreate on your own. So I’m going to do my part to attempt to change that. Over the next month or two, I will be chronicling our IVF journey and give the full lowdown on the process, the emotional rollercoaster, and how to talk to and support people who are going through this.
Infertility can be so so isolating and I want you to know that you are not alone if you are going through this. There are people out there who have been there and want to help! I’m an open book and am more than willing to answer questions, hear your story, or even just pray for you – you can always email me at dwellbeautiful@gmail.com.
We are SO thankful for this little life that is growing inside of me and we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for the well-wishes, prayers, and good thoughts. They mean more than you know <3 March can’t get here soon enough!
I couldn’t possibly be more excited for you! SO, SO happy my friend!!! xoxo
Thank you so much, Kristi! It’s so exciting to finally be in this stage – especially when we weren’t sure we’d ever get here! <3
Congratulations!! There are SO.MANY of us who struggle with infertility and are dumfounded at why it is still such a taboo subject. Our journey isn’t typical but it means we are strong, determined, and will cherish every moment that much more <3 Can't wait to meet that little Sooter!!
We are totally strong, determined, badass women! It really does suck that infertility is still such a foreign thing to so many, especially considering that it touches so many. I’m hoping I can help destigmatize it a bit with my upcoming series!
So excited for you to share your story and journey. It’s so relevant to share today and I really admire your desire to share with those of us who haven’t been there. I want to know. I want to know what to say and not too. I generally don’t ask friends “when they want to have kids.” But is that even the right approach? I’ll be interested to hear what you say love. So excited for you. And praying for your peanut.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support – both are welcome and needed! I’m excited to share our story and hope that it can be helpful to those both going through it, and those who aren’t. Talking to those who are dealing with infertility can be tricky, especially since it varies what helps/hurts from couple to couple, but I’ll be sharing phrases that helped (and the ones that really didn’t) when others were talking to me. Thanks for being a wonderful friend! <3
Congratulations!!! Infertility kicked my butt for 6 years but we now have two beautiful, kind, smart children (who both happen to be young adults now). I believe God waited for the perfect moment and gave you the perfect child. I’m glad you’re feeling better so you can enjoy every moment of your well deserved pregnancy. I’m now going to be a grandma, my daughter is expecting the end of April, and I couldn’t be more excited! Cheers to you and your perfect child!
Thank you so much, Jennie! I’m so sorry that you had to go through infertility for 6 years – it was hard enough for me to go through 2! You must be an incredibly strong and amazing woman 🙂 I’m so glad that you have two wonderful children (and a sweet grandbaby on the way!). Thank you so much again for your felicitations and encouragement! It really does mean so much 🙂