16 months of waiting and wanting for child number 3 to bless our lives. It was a long wait with too many questions, Dr changes, diet changes, supplement research and unfortunately tears. Getting pregnant with our second child, our daughter, happened with a bat of an eye and after such a quick turn around I thought “I guess we won’t ever have to worry about fertility”. Life sure does have a funny way of keeping us guessing, the third time around it was just NOT happening . After about month 6 we got worried, month 8 I got mad, month 12 really sad and month 13 we began to live a bit more in a space of we are VERY blessed beyond all measure with our two beautiful children and this might be it for us biologically. Mainly, pinning the fertility issues to having two cesareans and the effects the surgeries had on my uterus.
Life at this point went in cycles that coincided with my cycle, kind of a monthly roller coaster. After riding on this roller coaster for too long it was finally the time all 4 of us had been anxiously awaiting, VACATION! It was time to break the roller coaster cycle and just go have some fun and get out of the day to day routine! That’s just what we did. We went on a 10 day road trip starting with visiting family in the south and then heading to the coast of Georgia parking it in St. Simons Island, GA. Our vacation was just what we needed. It was PERFECTION and we all had such a wonderful relaxing and rejuvenating time.
The only little negative that I was not looking forward to was the fact that I had to pack and travel with very large packages of feminine products where ever we went due to the time of month we were traveling. As usual I waited for the signs of my monthly friend and as usual I had them all, hot flashes, mood swings and my very least favorite bloating, cramping and spotting. For 2-4 whole days as usual before the BIG event actually started (this was part of the issues I had been seeing DR’s for). As best I could I ignored all of this and just had fun with my family.
Towards the end of our vacation we had an awesome fun adventure filled day and we decided to head to the little beach town and get some frozen yogurt and watch the sunset. While ordering our frozen yogurt two older couples overheard us and could tell immediately tell we were not from Georgia (this happened a lot) and they asked us where we were from. We told them Michigan and they immediately got excited and exclaimed that they were in fact from the great mitten state too! They had actually retired to Saint Simons Island but had lived just about 30 minutes from where we live now. We had a really nice time chatting with them but I have to admit I actually started to get a little annoyed with the fact that our yogurt was now soup and our kids were covered head to toe in chocolate because this nice group of retiree’s just wouldn’t let us go. But while being slightly annoyed we both put our smiles on and chatted, we did enjoy the talk. The gentleman gave my husband his email address (which of course we can’t find now) and then we finally parted ways and enjoyed the rest of our chocolate soup and walk to the peir.
As we were finishing our walk through town and just rounding our way down by the pier a car pulled up, it was the retirees, the gentleman stopped, rolled his window down and yelled to us with a large smile on his face “Your family should be on a billboard for Pure Michigan, a boy and a girl and ONE ON THE WAY” (after 16 months of trying for a baby those words were literally, like a bullet) I politely smiled and clenched my teeth as they drove away. My Husband instantly looked at me not sure if I was going to burst into tears or chase down their vehicle. I didn’t say too much that night but anger was my emotion. Anger at someone for saying that to us not having known our situation, anger because sure I was a little bloated but in no way did I look visibly pregnant, anger because I felt like in that moment the Lord did not protect me from the blow of those words to my heart.
The next day we woke up and had planned to go to the beach, I put on my swim-suite and cover up and was a little more cautious about what I chose to wear and asked my Husband 100 times if I looked too “bloated” (especially after the statement made to us the night before). I armed my bathing suite with the needed supplies for my ever yet illusive monthly friend to show her full vengeance as she had been ramping up all week. We enjoyed our time at the beach, it was our last full day on the island. Coming back to our cottage and upon changing I was surprised to find my protection in my swim wear was actually not needed, AT ALL, at this point I became annoyed. Thinking alright let’s go already body, I know you’ve been having a hard time figuring this stuff out after the last baby but let’s GET IT TOGETHER and get the show on the road already.
That night we got our stuff packed and so we could wake up early the next day and begin our journey home. I had fully expected to wake up that night to my favorite visitor ready to join us for the two days in the car, but I was not awoken and slept wonderfully through the night with no night sweats, bloated belly or any additional spotting, the horrid monthly symptoms I had inherited since my last pregnancy had seemed to vanish. We woke up and hit the road. At this point I started to look at my calendar as we drove and realized that it marked day 5 of expecting the monthly show and the show and all my symptoms had seemed to quietly slink away with no sign of return. Once the kiddos fell asleep for a nap in the car, I brought this fact up to my Husband just to be sure I wasn’t crazy. This is not the first time we have had this discussion, but it had happened at 2 or 3 days past not 5!! I did not want to take another test and see a “not pregnant” but I did not want to go another day without knowing for sure and convincing myself in my head that I was (again I had done this far too many times over the last almost year and a half).
We stopped for the day in White House Tennessee ate dinner at a fabulous Mexican restaurant and headed to Walmart to pick up the dreaded proof. However, this was the first time taking a pregnancy test that I was SURE it would be negative. I just needed the peace of mind that I was not pregnant so I wouldn’t be wondering for the rest of our trip home, all of the previous times I had taken a test I was sure it would be positive only to be disappointed when it was not. Once we wrestled our two crazy’s to bed in the hotel room I snuck into the bathroom and took the test, just waiting the three minutes so I could get it over with and get some sleep. Well three minutes later I did not see a NOT all I saw was a PREGNANT!!! Hot tears immediately filled my eyes as I rushed to wake up my Husband and tell him ever so nicely that he needed to get up and come in the bathroom. I showed him the UNBELIEVABLE test results and we sobbed in disbelief together. We then actually had to recount the month to ensure that this was not in fact immaculate conception! Thankfully we were reassured and one occurrence is in fact all that is needed! I hardly slept because I couldn’t stop smiling.
Our third baby, a sweet precious girl is now 16 months old and has been such a blessing to our family, she is the perfect fit and came at the perfect time. The even more miraculous thing about the whole experience is the timing of her joining our family and her birth. I have thought about it so many times since then and it was literally like my body heard the words “ and one on the way” come from the gentleman’s lips and it stopped in it’s hormonal, hot flash, spotting, tracks and decided it was time to hold on and have a baby. I have no explanation for this other than God used him as our angel for a moment and we unknowingly entertained him through melty ice cream and chocolate covered children. Fortunately my heart overcame my hormones and we continued our conversation and in the end we were blessed by his bold words. Timing of not only this occurrence but also when the baby will arrive, my Husband graduated from graduate school with his MBA on December 14th and we had our precious girl on December 21st (one week later) and were able to come home from the hospital on December 23th, MERRY CHRISTMAS INDEED!
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2
I have heard this verse several times since then and have come to tears each time, we never know who God will choose to put in front of us or how he will use that person in our lives or our presence in theirs. I ‘m sure this gentleman had no idea he was in the midst of being used as an angel for us, speaking hard to hear words in that specific moment only for us to find out words that seemed to shake my body out of it the crazy state it seemed to be stuck in. I hope in the future I remember this moment and never become too busy or to distracted to take the time to entertain angels. This experience tested and grew my faith immeasurably and looking back I am so thankful for all of it and my token of remembrance of God’s faithfulness gives the best open mouth kisses and full neck squeezing hugs.
That’s my Shiny ~ J
