As many of you know, Nick and I tried for nearly 5 years to get pregnant. In fact, at the beginning of this year, after 2 years of trying on our own and with my OB, then 3 years with a fertility specialist, we were preparing to take the leap and try IVF. We had tried multiple times with other fertility treatments that failed. It seemed IVF was our only hope to have a biological child. We’d wrestled and prayed and felt we had the freedom to move forward.

On February 11th, we took the first step towards the process by getting initial bloodwork taken. All fertility treatments center on the woman’s cycle, so we were waiting for the right time to complete the tests and start the process.

Because the timing of my cycle is key to the whole process, I’ve been tracking and monitoring it for years. My diagnosis of Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) makes it very unreliable or predictable. However, I knew we were in a cycle that could result in a pregnancy and had been working with the specialist to support a potential positive result. I was guardedly hopeful that, by some miracle, we wouldn’t have the need to move forward into IVF.

I woke up early (5am) on the morning of February 15th because we had our insurance enrollment meetings at work all day and I had much to prepare before the first 7am meeting. I had a leftover pregnancy test in the bathroom drawer from the last potential cycle, so on a whim, I decided to take it. After dozens of these tests without a single positive result, I assumed that morning would be no different. I waited the appropriate time and then checked the test. I was in utter shock and disbelief to see the faintest of pink on the line indicating “pregnant”! I actually had to do a double-take to be sure my eyes weren’t playing a trick on me!

I started shaking and could hardly catch my breath. Should I wake up Nick? Should I wait until I get the blood test to confirm? Can this be real?

After our first fertility treatment, we made announcement boxes for our families. At the same time, I had made a special box to help me tell Nick the good news when it came. But, we had just lived in a hotel for 2 months with everything in storage and were just 2 months into our new house. Where had I put that box? I frantically searched and found it right away. It needed a tiny quick repair and then I was ready to tell Nick he was finally a Daddy!

I climbed back in bed and with shaking hands gently nudged him awake. “I’m sorry to wake you”, I said, “but I think this is important.”. He turned on the light and struggled to wake up as I handed him the box.

By this time, I was full-on crying in a mixture of joy and disbelief. He asked me what he was looking at and if it was real. I told him that any pink at all on that line was a positive result. I told him I would do my best to get a blood test later that morning, but, yes!…we’re having a baby!

We cried and prayed and thanked God for the hope He had given us. We knew we were a long way from out of the woods, but this was the most positive news we had heard so far in our pregnancy journey.

I sent an email to my nurse and headed off to work. It took crazy strength to focus on the meetings and questions I had coming all day.

There was a break between our morning and afternoon meetings and I was able to sneak away for a blood test. Waiting for those results seemed like a lifetime.

When we had gone to have our bloodwork earlier that week, we learned that we had been transferred to a different nurse in the practice. We had been with our nurse, Cindy, for the previous 3 years. However, in a long list of ways that the Lord has been particularly sweet to us in this process, our new nurse was on vacation and Cindy was covering her patients. After having to call me countless times with bad news and hard choices, Cindy was the one who got to call and confirm our pregnancy! Such a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but it was certainly a sweet way that God kissed the day for us.

I got to make one of the sweetest calls of my life to confirm the news to my beloved that we were finally parents! The Lord had finally chosen to say “YES!” To our cries for a child of our own. I believe He prompted me that morning to take that test at the earliest possible moment. Because of my PCOS, my body does not produce enough of the hormones needed to protect and promote a pregnancy. We were already on a preventative course and could now monitor it so closely to be sure our little one had a chance. I’m so grateful for the knowledge and wisdom of our doctor who fought to create the perfect environment for this pregnancy to thrive!

I’ll post soon about how we told our families. It’s been so much fun to walk through this journey with people who love us and have prayed for Hailee Grace when she was nothing more than a hope and desire of our hearts.