Infertility|Miracles|MyFirstBabyBoy

My husband and I started dating when I was 14 he was 16. We got married at 18 and 20. October will be 16 years of a very eventful life together. There have been really great times, ok times, bad, ugly, terrible times and wonderful times. Like most marriages are- its been a ride! We had dated so long before we got married after a while we were like "Let's have a baby!" How hard could it be right?! We were young, perfectly healthy for all we knew and ready to start building our family. It didn't happen the way we thought it would. Not even one step of the way. Our quest to start a family would begin 4 years of frustrating, heartbreaking ups and downs. Infertility is a really awful heartache. Hope is very hard to muster up sometimes when you are in the middle of this long drawn out process that appears to never end. Compared to some who have spent 10, 15, or 20 years trying, 4 doesn't sound like much, but in the middle of it all it still hurts. I am thankful for the lessons we learned through it all and the gratitude and sympathy gained from walking through something like this.

Friends or family would awkwardly call and hesitantly tell you they are pregnant. They know what you are going through and don't want to make it worse and you try your best to celebrate with them because you truly ARE happy for them, but inside you hurt. You just question "why not me too God?!" Soooo many emotions and disappointment month after month.

Time would continue to pass and we were referred to multiple doctors until finally we had an amazing, sweet specialist. They did test after test. There was no obvious reason. Shots and pills for months and the first 2 rounds of IUI (Intrauterine insemination) didn't work. We would just say "Ok thats it for a while." We would just figure if it happens it happens, if not THIS roller coaster is miserable and we just want to get off now! We pursued adoption, but it never worked out. Eventually we would pick it up again because we knew God gave us doctors for a reason and that he can work through them to help us. We had a peace to see it through this time.

They figured it out "Cervical Stenosis." They did the surgery to fix it, another round of IUI and we had a baby on the way! It was a happy, happy day when I FINALLY had a positive test!!

{To avoid TMI I will be vague about this part!}...they checked my hormones everyday to make sure they were rising. About 3 days after the positive test I began to spot..then it got heavier...it was not fun. My levels were very low also. They quickly raised my progesterone med and put me on bed rest. I'm not sure what the solution is now when this happens, but 12 years ago and for this doctor bed rest, no stress, and progesterone was what their prescription for me to try to avoid a miscarriage. I would rest it off and be up for a couple of days and then it would start again and I would be back down. Lots of trips back and forth so they could check and make sure there was a heartbeat. This went on for the first 5 months. Constant fear and stress that what you prayed and prayed for and were so happy to have was going to be gone. Not fun.

After all of that my levels were good and I was able to carry on like a normal pregnancy. 50 lbs and a c-section later I had a sweet 8lb 6oz baby boy one day after my due date. It was VERY exciting, he was perfect.

2 weeks later the first day I was released to drive after having my little miracle baby we were meeting my mom and sisters at the mall in Pensacola. It was just me and Levi in my Chevy Avalanche when we were in a head on collision. An elderly man in a convertible had blacked out and come into my lane driving very fast on a busy highway that overlooks the water. A few more feet or hit just a little bit harder and we would have been off that cliff, in that water. I got beat up and bruised, the other man was in critical condition for several weeks, Levi just woke up from his nap then went right back to sleep! Seriously there were angels aIl around us. It was a very scary day and our first and hopefully only ride in an ambulance....not the way we thought his first outing would go!!

He has grown up to be a sweet, responsible, respectful, smart, handsome boy who just started middle school. He loves church, he loves sports, he loves his family and friends. He is absolutely passionate about hunting and fishing! You don't get much emotion from him about anything unless you talk about his deer camera, his traps, his hunting dogs, or work. He is the hardest working kid I know and is very business minded. Even when he was tiny he would always have a "great idea" on how to make things, save money and sell things. He has a very calm, steady personality. He has been a blessing since before he came into this world and I can't wait to see what he does to change this world.