Not sure if all of the "TMI" details you're about to read are all that entertaining... but I wanted to write it down for my own sake of remembering.
Jason and I have known since we were dating that we wanted to have a family. While some couples start "trying" and conceive right away and have successful pregnancies, God had other plans for us. He placed us on "the road less traveled" and it's taken a lot of prayer to get to where we are. I tried really hard to "control" things by charting my temperature, keeping track of my cycle on a fertility monitor, etc. However, during the month of August I decided to put away all of the "tools" and just see what happened. I went away with my Mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law to the beach, and was so busy getting my classroom set up and squeezing in last minute summer excursions that I kept my mind completely off the calendar and my cycle.
School started in the third week of August, and I remember one Friday afternoon just sitting in my classroom and crying my eyes out because I felt so overwhelmed. The teacher across the hall, Cindy who is kinda like my "Work Mom", came to my aid and reassured me that everyone was feeling overwhelemed. Fast-forward to the following Monday morning, and Cindy comes across the hall, stopping in my doorway. She takes one look at me and says, "Believe me, everyone is feeling overwhelmed..... BUT. ...Is it possible that you might be pregnant?" I guess my mini-emotional breakdown tipped her off. I thought for a minute and said, "Well my period is supposed to come in two days... I guess it's possible..."
That night, I got home and made dinner. Jason was out working late. I cleaned up from dinner and was sitting on the couch, thinking about what Cindy said. In the back of my mind, I knew I had three or four pregnancy tests (aka Pee-Sticks) in my bathroom closet. I thought, ''Oh, what the heck. I'll just take one and see what happens..." assuming that it would probably be negative since I wasn't supposed to start for a few more days.
I grabbed one of the ClearBlue's and followed the directions. Then there's the 3 minute wait. Instead of straining my eyes to look for a line, I decided to read my Bible. My devotional reading for the day was from Psalms 116.
I love the Lord because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
2 Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
and my prayer for mercy.
2 Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
3 Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave[a] overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord, save me!”
5 How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
6 The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
7 Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
8 He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
So merciful, this God of ours!
6 The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
7 Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
8 He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9 And so I walk in the Lord’s presence
as I live here on earth!
10 I believed in you, so I said,
“I am deeply troubled, Lord.”
11 In my anxiety I cried out to you,
“These people are all liars!”
12 What can I offer the Lord
for all he has done for me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.
14 I will keep my promises to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
in the presence of all his people.
15 The Lord cares deeply
when his loved ones die.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
yes, I am your servant, born into your household;
you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people—
19 in the house of the Lord
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people—
19 in the house of the Lord
in the heart of Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
...And then I glanced over and saw this:
And then came the tears.
Uncontrollable happy, scared, excited, blessed, nervous tears.
I shared the news with Jason that night, but given our previous experiences, he was very apprehensive to get excited. I called my doctor's office (at the time) the next morning, and after begging for bloodwork, they finally sent in the order. After a veryyyyyy loooooong Labor Day weekend of waiting, I received word that my pregnancy levels were MORE THAN DOUBLNG in the given time frame, and everything looked good in that respect.
We shared the news with our parents and families a few weeks later. Everyone is so excited and supportive - we are truly blessed to have such an amazing family.
