What?! We're pregnant???

Definitely not the words I thought I'd ever say...

Clue #1 - On the way home from an out-of-town trip, I burst into tears because I was hungry and we had skipped lunch.  Um, not normal.

Clue #2 - I could smell every ingredient in Harlan's lunch from the other end of the house.

Clue #3 - I put away an entire bowl of Pho for dinner one night.  Have you seen the size of those bowls?

Clue #4 - Hugs became excruciatingly painful.  That's all the detail I can give there...

Each time something strange would happen, I'd toss it aside.  I mean, we were just 6 weeks out from our ectopic pregnancy.  These were most likely phantom symptoms and my mind was playing tricks on me.  After a week or so, I decided to stop worrying and just take a pregnancy test. 

And I almost fainted...

IT WAS POSITIVE!!!

Panic set in almost immediately, so I grabbed the phone and called my doctor.  Could a baby survive after my body had endured the painful effects of a Methotrexate shot for the ectopic pregnancy?  Would everything be okay?  My doctor requested I immediately go to the lab for blood work and scheduled an ultrasound.  I have never been more terrified as I waited for the results!

Then, the call came.  "Congratulations!  Your HCG and Progesterone look great, and according to the numbers, you're almost 6 weeks pregnant."  WHAT?  No. Way.

The next day, we headed to the doctor for an ultrasound.  What did we see?  A precious gestational sac and yolk sac.  There wasn't a dry eye in the place.  My doctor's words:  "I'm speechless".  Praise you, Jesus!  You leave us speechless because You are SO GOOD. 

I was measuring closer to 5 weeks, so we were still too early to see a heartbeat.  We scheduled another ultrasound for a week later, and it was the slowest week of my life! When the day finally arrived, I prepared myself for the reality that there could be no heartbeat.  I prayed every moment on that exam table, and then I heard those amazing words:  "There's the heartbeat!"  Oh, thank you Lord, for creating such an extraordinary miracle, and a precious heartbeat going at 123 bpm. Normal.  Healthy.

My doctor cried.  I got hugs from nurses, including the one who helped us get through our previous pregnancy.  Harlan and I cried.  That little flickering heartbeat brings me to tears every time I think about it.

In 2 weeks, we go back to the fertility center one last time to check on the baby's progress.  At that point, the chance of miscarriage goes down to less than 3% and I'll be turned back over to my regular OB. 

2 more weeks.  This experience opens up a whole new realm of faith, a whole new reliance and trust that God will protect our little one, help him/her grow strong, and hopefully be in our arms in 7 months or so.  We continue to cry out to Him.  Will you pray with us?

So, to sum it up, we're pregnant!  Naturally pregnant, without any crazy drugs, IUI's, surgeries, or ovulation tests.   It happened just a few short weeks after the loss of our first little Elam.  Baby Elam #2 is due to arrive in early October. Can you believe it?  To God be all the glory.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory... in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Letting the Cat Out of the Bag - Part Two

 

"LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things..." Isaiah 25:1

Story to come...

The Mega Post!

 *This pic was taken my sophomore year in college on an ice day.


Whew!  Sorry for the short blogging hiatus - Austin had its once a year, "barely snowing, so let's shut down the whole city" day last week, and things have been busy, busy.  I've baked a lot, had my first doctor's appointment since the pregnancy...lots has happened, so it's time for an update!

Infertility:  It's been a hard few weeks.  The reality of being back at square one has really hit home.  I've really been enjoying not being at the doctor every other day, having ultrasounds, using ovulation predictor kits, and wondering what part of my cycle I'm on.  Yesterday marked 6 weeks since the ectopic, and at 8 weeks we're cleared to start trying again.  Yikes!

We went back to our doctor for a consultation yesterday.  I felt a little sick driving in to the parking lot.  Part of me stills prays that I'll have regular cycles and won't have to step foot into the Texas Fertility Center ever again!  Can I hear an Amen?

I've also been rebelling against the idea of a laparoscopy to check for endometriosis.  Exploratory, elective surgery isn't on my list of things I'm just DYING to do.  However, since my pregnancy was ectopic, my doctor strongly recommends the surgery before attempting any more treatments.  The other option, of course, is In Vitro.  I know without a doubt that I am just not ready to go there yet.  I've been in constant prayer for direction and wisdom, so I'm trusting my gut that IVF is not the direction to go right now.

What does that mean?  Surgery.  Ugh...

The upside is that my doctor will take pictures of my insides so we can all see what's going on in there.  I'll make sure to post all those here once we get them.  Just kidding - I don't need any creepy pictures of myself (or rather, my guts) floating around the internet.  


Baking:  I've been baking, baking, baking!  I've got more up my sleeve for Valentine's Day as well!

Peanut Butter Brownies with Chocolate Ganache - Recipe here

YUM!  I baked these for a meeting at work.  The only thing I'd change is the peanut butter ratio.  They had just a hint of peanut butter, and I like more of a punch, like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

Blondies - Recipe here

Blondies are my go-to dessert when I need something I can make quickly.  As you can see, they can be made with all sorts of yummy ingredients.  I stuck with the classic chocolate chip variety this time, because chocolate is my favorite thing.

Chocolate Stout Cake - Recipe here

Oh my goodness - I LOVE this recipe.  It calls for stout, like Guiness, but Harlan had some Brooklynn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout!  It really intensifies the flavor!  My mother and father-in-law both celebrated birthdays last week, so I brought this to celebrate with them last weekend.  I'd show you a picture of my own cake, but sadly, it's all gone!

Up Next...Valentine Whoopie Pies - Hooray!

How absolutely adorable are these?  I found the pans at Sur la Table, and now they're on sale!  Go get one for yourself.  The pan comes with recipes for both the cake and filling.  I can't tell you how excited I am to make these!

In other blog news:

Words can't express how much I appreciate my friend Kristine.  We've gone through a lot of the same things in regards to infertility, and she is such a wonderful example to me.  She has offered so much encouragement, and I know God has something extra special planned for her!

Last week, she gave me this album Steven Curtis Chapman wrote after the tragic death of his little girl.  The music is raw, heartbreaking, and moving.  It has really touched me, encouraged me, and shown me more about the love my Father has for me. 

There's one about God's faithfulness.  I thought I'd share it with you:

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;

it is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord."

Lamentations 3:22-25