Wednesday, September 15, 2010

All The Juicy Details...

Well, not all of them, I am a lady after all!

But somehow, "Most of the Juicy Details," doesn't have a great ring to it, does it?

Ha!

First off, I wanted to thank all of you for your awesome support! We are so excited to have this baby, but I know how discouraging it can be to be wanting to be in this phase of life, and you keep having to read about other people's pregnancies. Don't lose hope!

Solomon was so right when he said "For everything there is a season,"

With that being said, here's a little about our story. Not many of people know this stuff because I thought it was too private to write about before we got pregnant.

I came off of Birth Control in July of 2009 after reading several articles in a book store about how long it can take the female body to re regulate itself (averages are in the 6 month - 1 year range before a woman even begins to ovulate!)

I was shocked when I read this. I'll be honest. Right before I got married, I went to the Dr., asked to be put on a certain pill, and she prescribed it without further discussion. I never even read the instruction packet. Just took it every morning for over a year, not thinking about the serious health implications. When I began to research and find out that it was possible for some women NEVER to be able to ovulate naturally after coming off of the pill, I freaked out. That was NOT what I had signed up for.

So, I talked it over with Ian (this was in Late June 2009,) and we decided I would finish the pack I was on and come off of it. We had already realized we were ready for kids months earlier, but were waiting until we got overseas/ had a job to begin trying.

I had a gut feeling that it would not be a fast process.

Anyways, Callie, over at Through Clouded Glass, went off the pill about 3 weeks before I did, and we shared prayer requests with each other over facebook for almost a year (Thanks, Callie!)

I went about 7 months without ovulating and with having very irregular cycles. This was shocking to me, as before the pill, I was Regular Betty. Every 4th Tuesday at 10 am. For 10 years.

Seriously.

I went to my yearly check up in January as panic was beginning to rise, but my Dr. told me that she took a year, and that she wouldn't really be worried until that year mark hit.

Except, we knew we would be in the Middle East at a year, so that was pretty scary.

By February, I had really relaxed about it. I took the time to pray over other people's pregnancies and focus on what God was trying to teach me right then.

My close friend, who was in Virginia and Canada with me announced her second pregnancy in May.

I'll admit, I was confused, and hurt. I asked God, "Why do they get two babies and I can't even have one?" My confusion and sorrow turned to joy when I heard God saying "this is not your time. Trust in Me."

The summer in Vancouver passed without much change. I had given up charting and doing any over the counter OPK. I just couldn't spot that big "O," worth anything!

I became semi obsessed with adoption. I researched how expats could adopt while overseas. I crunched the numbers (we have massive school debt and would want that to be paid off.) I prayed about it. I knew that we couldn't even begin down that road for 3-5 years. Bleh.

And then, wouldn't you know it, July came and went, and the date for my next cycle came and went. I wasn't going to get my hopes up. I had tested for almost 8 months out of the 12, when I felt I was "late," or tired, bloated, nauseous, etc. Every negative broke my heart and I didn't want to do that again. I had even had a struggle with God, when I set a date for testing one month, if I was three days late. I heard that still small voice say, "No, wait until the 5th day," but I ignored it. Another negative, and wouldn't you know it, on the fifth day, I started my cycle.

Lesson learned.

So, two months prior, when I had used my last test, I didn't buy another set. And I told Ian not to let me.

So we didn't.

In early August, as I was one week late, Ian and stopped by the drug store and picked up a pack, not thinking we were actually going to use it, just wanted a pack to Pack into our luggage. That same day I experienced what I can only call "bobble head syndrome." Ian had a grand old time cracking up as I experienced extreme vertigo for almost 24 hours. Walking was near impossible. Sitting up left my head bobbing back and forth. My appetite was completely lost.

And I was running warm, which was odd, seeing as Vancouver dipped down into the 60's that week.

I made myself wait until Saturday, August 14th, exactly two years and two months from the day we were married. I woke up early and slipped into the bathroom, tested, then left it on the counter while I shakily sat on the floor and slipped on my contacts. Those three minutes were so long. I had done that exact same routine so many times before. I prayed "Please God, shield my heart. Let me rest in You. Not in my own earthly desires."

And then, I stood up. There on the counter, sat the positive pregnancy test!

I stared in disbelief. Usually the tests I had used had been hard to read, but this was a very easy to read digital test, so there it was...clearly a positive!!

I slipped back into bed with Ian and tried to lay very still. My heart was just bursting! I waited for as long as I could, then I snuggled up to Ian, waking him up.

"Guess what? You're going to be a Daddy!"

Ian was overjoyed, if not a little groggy! ha!

We spent the next three days on cloud nine.

More on the details later..... Thanks for sticking around for such a long story!

18 comments:

Rachel and John said...

Oh how wonderful! I'm so so happy for you.

Hannah said...

how fun! The Lord does give good gifts... and they are even better because they are given in his timing. So so so so so excited for you!!!

Jamie said...

What a wonderful story :) So happy for y'all!

Kristin said...

Gah!! This brought tears to my eyes! I am so extremely happy for you!!

d.a.r. said...

Oh my gosh!!! I am so so so excited for you. Congrats, you two are going to make the most wonderful loving parents!

Lauren said...

Wow...what an incredible story of perserverance & God's glory! Thanks for sharing!

Ginger said...

I have tears in my eyes you guys have such a great story and what a testament to God's timing. Many Many congratulations to you!!

Alison said...

Oh, I love this story! Love how God's timing is always perfect!! He knew how fun it would be to go to the Middle East with a special surprise inside your tummy! :)

The Taffs said...

His timing is ALWAYS perfect! Congratulations again!

Brittany said...

CHILLS AND TEARS my dear friend! I am so proud of you and Ian! THank you for sharing this story with us, and I pray you continue to do so!

We are all so thrilled for you!

:))))

Natalie said...

I love this story! It gives me so much hope : ) I pray that I will have a wonderful story like this to share some day. Isn't it amazing the things the Lord teaches us when we trust in Him and wait for His timing?! Congrats again! You will be wonderful parents!

Kaylyn said...

This blessed my heart so much! Thanks for sharing this testimony of how perfectly God works in His time!! Yay! So excited for you!

Kelli said...

haha! regular betty. love it!

Sonya said...

I love stories of God's perfect timing! Can't wait to hear more!

Jessica said...

How exciting! It seems like these things always happen when we are least expecting it or have given up hope.

About the birth control thing...I am so absolutely frustrated that I was not made aware of all that it does to the body when my doctor prescribed it to me when we first got married! First of all, my cycles have been so out of whack since I came off of it, and it has currently been about 6 months since I've ovulated, too. That is just crazy, and so frustrating! Anyway, I will step off of my soap box now :-)

Congratulations again!!

Callie said...

I'm so happy for you Brittney! Good first half of the story. :-) And I'm so glad that we could share our prayer requests with each other over the last year - it helps to have someone else going through the same thing!

~M~ said...

Congrats!!!

cait said...

So this is very belated...but congrats! I've had so much fun getting caught up on your blog! What a wonderful story...truly a testimony to God's awesome plans. I went off the pill earlier this year too b/c I hated it controlling my body. Plus, looking into the future, I was a little worried about the same things you were initially. Now I'm a HUGE advocate for other birth control besides the pill. I'm so thankful to not be on it anymore...such weird stuff! Praying for you as you go along your journey of pregnancy and then into being a momma! How wonderful!