"A psalm of praise. Of David. I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever." Psalm 145
We waited a couple of hours before we called our parents to tell them. (We wake up super early for work, so I didn't want them to think something was wrong.) To say they were over the moon with excitement is an understatement! Then, we told our family, friends and small group members throughout the day. It was such an exciting day! A day filled with the most thankfulness and gratitude and love and excitement that we could ever imagine. Adam and I will be the first to tell you-We don't know what we would have done through this season without all of these special people loving, supporting, praying, and encouraging us through everything. They were there in the bad times and the good times. They stood by our side even in times when we thought we might not survive from all the hurt and pain. They were there no matter what-even if they didn't have the words to say. They were there for me when I needed to just sit and cry in their arms for 15 minutes. They were there praying for us constantly. They have also been with us in this exciting new season and have been celebrating with us and praising God every step of this pregnancy. This was the definition of what godly community is supposed to look like. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all these sweet family members and friends that the Lord has truly blessed us with. You have loved us just as Christ has showed us how to love. God Bless their precious, sweet souls.
Week 4 and 5: After much excitement, I called my nurse to let her know that we were pregnant! I was so excited to share the news with the people who have helped us so much along the way. She called me back later that school day and wanted me to come in the very next day for blood work. On Thursday, I went in for blood work to make levels were measuring as they should be. She called me back Friday with amazing results! My blood work looked amazing. They brought me in again on Monday for more blood tests, and then again on Wednesday. Each time my blood results looked great and my levels were rising. Praise the Lord for these nurses because they watched me and this sweet baby very closely. That gave me such of a peace of mind. We continued to see God's provision and hand over this baby over and over again. That is why this sweet child of ours is known as our little Christmas miracle.
Now, let me be very honest. Having 2 prior pregnancies that ended in miscarriages doesn't exactly leave your mind. We were both a little timid/scared of the unknown. I had so many questions of "what if?" floating in my mind. Satan has a way of using this to make us fear during pregnancy. Those of you reading this that have had a miscarriage know exactly what I'm talking about. It is a fear that the same thing will happen again but it is completely out of our control. We refused to give way to fear though because we were not going to let fear grip us. Right after finding out we were pregnant, I wrote down and meditated on a few verses about not fearing and trusting the Lord. I would cling to these verses over and over again when I felt fear creeping in.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10Week 6: During week 6, we were finally going to see Baby Curtis via ultrasound. We were so excited but right before this appointment, I was having to pray through some major fears. In all reality, I was terrified to look at that ultrasound because I didn't know if the screen would show good or bad news. Either way, we would trust the Lord and praise him no matter what our circumstances were. Dr. Schnorr performed my ultrasound and confirmed that Baby C was growing right on track and looked great. We could even see the tiny flicker of the heartbeat which measured about 110. This is when they gave us our official due date. One of the nurses asked, "Do you know your due date yet?" I told her I knew it was going to be around Christmas time. She giggled and said, "Your baby is due on Christmas day." I started tearing up in this moment because I was just so thankful that the Lord chose me to carry this blessing. We both were thankful that the Lord continued to protect this child. We both were grinning about the due date being Christmas because this baby was nothing short of a miracle. At this appointment, Baby C was about the size of a chocolate chip. Some of these pictures don't look like a baby yet because of how early in the pregnancy I was but here is our ultrasound at about 6 weeks:
"You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield." Psalm 115:11
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7
"Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For insider what great things he has done for you." 1 Samuel 12:24
Week 7: During week 7, we were able to see Baby Curtis on ultrasound again. The doctors brought me in about once a week to give us peace of mind. It was such a blessing but it was also really cool to see how much our baby would grow in one week span. We have so many ultrasound pictures from almost every week to reflect back on baby's growth. At this appointment, Baby C was about the size of a blueberry. The heartbeat was measuring at about 160. Our sweet baby was growing right on track and still due on Christmas day! If there was one thing we learned during this season, it was to give all credit to the Lord. Praise his Holy Name for knitting this child in my womb. Praise Him for protecting my body and our baby. Praise Him for this baby growing right on track. Praise Him for a team of doctors/nurses that were so wise about their jobs. Praise Him for every day and week of this pregnancy because from our point of view, each step was a miracle. Here is a picture of Baby C at about 7 weeks:
Week 8: I was not supposed to have a doctors visit during week 8 because of my previous check ups that looked great. During that week, I felt as if my symptoms were fading away. This made me extremely nervous even though Adam assured me that everything was ok. Thankfully, they were able to get me in last minute one afternoon. At week 8, Baby C was about the size of a Jelly Bean. Our appointment confirmed that everything was perfect. Baby C's heartbeat was 160 and baby was measuring right on target at 8 weeks and 4 days. Huge Praise!! This was the farthest the baby had ever developed in all of my pregnancies! What a relief this was to see such great news! This was also my last appointment scheduled at Coastal Fertility Specialists. Usually around week 9, the doctors release you to go back to seeing your regular OB. This was a bitter sweet moment for us. I loved every person that we came into contact with at this facility. Everyone was so excited for our pregnancy. We gave Dr. Schnorr and my nurse Andrea a hug before leaving. Here is a short thank you to some of the kindest people we know:
As I reflect back on this journey, this doctor and his team of amazing nurses and staff were one of the biggest blessings during such a hard season of life. I have so much respect for this amazing team of specialists who provided more than just physical help. God is so so so good! He never ceases to amaze me. I am a lover of details-when it comes to everything. God perfectly orchestrated every single detail of our story and intertwined it with these people. Through our 7 months of struggling with infertility, they never ceased to give up hope and were determined that one day we would be holding a child in our arms. Thank you times a million to Coastal Fertility Specialists for making us feel like we were way more than just patients. Thank you Dr. Schnorr and Andrea for being the most wonderful doctor and nurse that God could have ever placed in our lives. Dr. Schnorr-I knew from your hundreds of Tabasco ties that you were going to be the perfect match for us. Your joyful spirit and outgoing personality kept us positive during this time. Andrea-Your sweet and gentle nature and your honesty was so refreshing. Thank you for being there for me, as more than just a nurse, but someone to talk too. The two of you have been such a blessing to Adam and I and we are forever grateful. You both will always hold a special place in our hearts.
I wish I could put into words how thankful we were at this appointment. All I can say is that God just continued to show up over and over again and provided for us in numerous ways. He just kept telling me to trust him more and each time, I became more and more in awe of how good and perfect our Heavenly Father truly is. This is one of those times where I needed to trust the Lord more and not lean on my own understanding. Trust me-God has taught me a lot about learning to trust him with absolutely no borders. The worship song called, "Oceans" by Hillsong United became the theme song of my life.
"Spirit lead me where my trust is without bordersHere is an ultrasound picture of our little baby bean at about 8 weeks:
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever you would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior."
Week 9: Week 9 was a big week because I was no released to my regular OB for normal monitoring. At this week in the pregnancy, a lot of risks go way down. I was also able at week 9 to stop taking my Progesterone hormone medicine. Baby C was now about the size of a grape. My first appointment at East Cooper OBGYN went really well. I had already met my doctor one time back in December. I had scheduled an appointment to meet her that way when I was pregnant and released by Dr. Schnorr, it would not be my first time meeting her. Right off the bat, I knew she was an amazing doctor and that we were a good match. This is just yet another way the Lord continued to provide for us.
At this appointment, Baby C's heartbeat was around 180 and the measuring was right on target. There were several really exciting things about this doctors visit. We got to hear the heartbeat for the first time in this pregnancy. That sound never gets old. It's like music to you ears. During our ultrasound, our baby started wiggling around. Seeing that will just blow your mind. I am so in awe of all the details that God designed for women in pregnancy. I can't even fathom how much it amazes me to hear and see the parts of the process where God is knitting this sweet baby inside of me. I always think about this verse when I ponder about the miracle that God is growing inside of me.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!" Psalm 139:13-17Here is an ultrasound of our sweet little babe at about 9 weeks:
Our Miscarriage Scares: Right after this appointment, we had a miscarriage scare. It was the weekend and we were with friends hanging out one night. I had been feeling fine all day and didn't think anything was wrong. I went to the bathroom and noticed that I started spotting. I wasn't cramping bad or anything like my previous miscarriages though. I was in panic mode. I called Adam into another room to tell him that I was spotting. We both agreed that we needed to go the hospital right away. On the way to the hospital, we were texting friends and family to let them know what happened and to ask for prayers. Thank goodness for these friends and family who were our prayer warriors during this time. It was one of the scariest moments of our lives. As scared as we were, we refused to believe that we would miscarry this time. I prayed and prayed and prayed that God would protect this sweet child and that this baby would not be miscarried. I prayed and commanded that my body be in line with God's plan. I ask for his hand and protection over this child. We continued to pray until we were seen by a doctor.
It was pretty late on that Saturday night so the hospital didn't have an ultrasound tech available at the time. They had called the ultrasound tech that was on call that night, and she drove to the hospital. In those moments, it felt like we were waiting for an eternity. While we waited and prayed, we both felt that the Holy Spirit was with us because we had this overwhelming sense of peace. A peace that only comes from the Lord in a time like this. In these moments, we just clung to the Lord and prayed for his hand over this baby. Looking back on this moment, I am thankful for the Lord's presence and thankful for how it challenged us to cling to the Lord more. It reminded me to be thankful that He was in control and that He is Sovereign over all.
The ultrasound tech finally arrived and did an ultrasound of the baby. Praise the Lord for this sweet women who came in and was so gentle and kind. She immediately showed us the baby and the heartbeat. What a relief! While she was checking to make sure my uterus and ovaries looked normal, she noticed the baby moving. The baby was just a wiggling in there. God sure does have a sense of humor. How sweet it was to see baby doing just fine and wiggling all around in there. She also showed us the (good) cyst on my left ovary that was producing progesterone for the baby. This made me feel a lot better because I didn't have that in previous pregnancies. This also was even more confirmation that my body didn't need the extra progesterone medicine anymore. Overall, the visit was extremely comforting and I was so thankful that we could go home and go to sleep knowing that our Baby was in the Lord's hands.
"For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and was among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."2 Corinthians 6:16I had another miscarriage scare not the very last day of school. Thank goodness my students had already left for the school year. My Mom had come to help me clean up and pack some of my classroom for summer storage. I went to the bathroom and noticed spotting again. I was scared but not as scared as the week prior when I started spotting. I called my doctor's office and scheduled an ultrasound for them fit me in. While waiting for my afternoon appointment, my nurse called to talk with me. She said that it was probably just normal spotting that happens sometimes. She asked if I had been cramping which I had not been. So they brought me in just for peace of mind and to check on our baby. Adam met me at the doctors office and they called us in for an ultrasound. The ultrasound tech was so nice. She said she didn't blame me one bit for coming in to check on things seeing as I had a history of 2 prior miscarriages. Baby Curtis looked great! Praise Jesus!!! The heartbeat was strong and the measurements were right where they needed to be. Baby C was also just a wiggling in there again. I was so thankful for this facility being so willing to take me in last minute just to double check everything. In these moments, we have learned to fully rely on the Lord and trust in His plan. Our faith has definitely be challenged through these moments. Ultimately, we have really learned to trust the Lord. Through this our faith has been strengthened, we are being sanctified to be made in Christ's image, and our hearts are being molded to reflect Jesus. Praise the Lord for another great check up and a healthy baby. Here is a picture of Baby Curtis at about 10 weeks:
Week 10 and 11: During these two weeks, I did not have an appointment scheduled. My next appointment wasn't supposed to be until week 12. During these weeks, I was now officially on summer break. I was loving my time off! I was sleeping in late and relaxing and trying to get some errands done that I don't normally have time to do during a busy work week. The only problem was that I almost had too much time on my hands to sit and think. This really started to take a toll on my mind.
My symptoms were starting to ease up. In the weeks prior, I had been really nauseous and had constant acid reflux. I also had NO appetite for any food. Things that I used to love to eat would repulse me even just thinking about them. (I will be the first to tell you that all of those yucky symptoms were a blessing. During the time in between appointments, it kept Adam and I at such a peace because we knew that baby was growing and developing. I will never complain about any symptom during pregnancy because as much as they stink, it is God's way of affirming that he is knitting together a child in my womb. What a blessing it is to have confirmation of the work that is happening inside of me.) Because my symptoms were somewhat fading, I decided it was probably best to call the doctors and talk with a nurse.
I spoke with my nurse at East Cooper and she told me that since I was nearing the end of my first trimester, my symptoms fading was totally normal. That definitely eased my mind to hear her say that. She also said they could try to fit me in to the schedule the next morning for an ultrasound. I took her up on this opportunity because sitting at home and stressing wasn't good for me or the baby. Again, I needed to take this to the Lord instead of always relying on the doctors to ease my mind. At this appointment, I was about 11 1/2 weeks. Baby C was about the size of a lime. Baby C measured right on target and the heartbeat was 167. During this ultrasound, she showed us the nasal bone on the baby. The nasal bone is a great sign that the baby has no chromosomal abnormalities. What a blessing it was that she pointed this out to us! That eased our minds even more. Since I was measuring almost 12 weeks, we were pretty much considered in the "safe zone." Here is my latest ultrasound picture of our baby which is at 11 1/2 weeks:
Week 12: Week 12 was the latest appointment I have had with my doctor. At my 12 week appointment, I had a normal check up. They took a urine sample and checked my blood pressure. Instead of an ultrasound, they used their fetal doppler monitor to check the heartbeat. I will never get tired of hearing the sound of our sweet baby's heartbeat. At that appointment, Baby C's heartbeat was about 163. The doctor answered a couple of questions and then we were sent on our way. After our appointment, my sweet friend, Stephanie took our announcement pictures. (Side Note: She is so talented! These pictures were just what we were wanting. I think it's pretty clear from the pictures the amount of love and joy we have already for our sweet baby.) To say we were excited is an understatement. We finally made it to week 12! We were almost in my second trimester! As I reflect back on every week, I continue to see God's faithfulness throughout this pregnancy and throughout His story that he has written about our lives.
"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23Week 13: Praise the Lord because we are currently in week 13! One of my good friends let me borrow her at home fetal doppler to hear our baby's heartbeat in between appointments. That has been something fun to do at home and in between appointments. I don't have another appointment for a couple of weeks. My next appointment is at a special 3D/4D ultrasound place. We will find out the gender the next day at our gender reveal party. Not many updates this week except for the fact that we are still ecstatic about this baby!
Last little side note: The Lord has written this beautiful story in our lives about redemption and his faithfulness. After we lost our first baby, the Lord laid it on my heart for me to share our story. I didn't know the timing of when he wanted me to do so but I knew I wanted to be obedient to his will. I felt that it was very heavy on my heart to share our story when we announced that we were pregnant one day. I obviously had not a clue when this would be. After we found out we were pregnant, I felt the Lord really tugging me to post our story. Once I was on summer break and about 10/11 weeks along, I started working on this blog post. For Adam and I, we would not be glorifying the Lord if we just announced we were pregnant and only shared the good news. We knew that the way that He would get the most glory was to share not just the good news but the pain and suffering that led up to it. This is not something that we would have ever done on our own. After all, who wants to share their most intimate details of their lives for the whole world to see? I definitely wasn't raising my hand for this one. But in the end, this is something the Lord has called us to and we want to see to it that we are obedient and honoring Him in all we do. We have had so many friends encouraging us along the way as we decided to air our story. Thank you to those people who have encouraged us to do so! My friend Lauren gave me this piece of truth to encourage me last week:
"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls." Hebrews 10:39
Let me end with this: So far, this pregnancy has been a healthy one and baby seems to be doing great. We are not promised tomorrow though and neither is this baby. Whether our baby is born in December or we lose our baby again to miscarriage, we will still praise the Lord. We will praise Him no matter our circumstance. We will praise Him in our mourning and praise Him in our rejoicing. As I stated in the very beginning, our prayer is that our story offers comfort and peace to someone that might have a similar story. If you just read this entire novel, thank you for taking the time to read the testimony that the Lord has written for our lives. Thank you to the Holy Spirit who led us to write this and for giving us the words to put on this page. Thank you to the Lord for challenging us to put our story out there. To Him be all the Honor and Glory. Amen.
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" Revelation 7:12
With Love,
Adam and Becca
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Pregnancy Announcement Photography Credits: Stephanie Adkins: stephadkins.com |
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