Hello Second Trimester!

Hello and happy Good Friday everyone!! As we celebrate this weekend and all that God has done for us, we are most thankful that on this Good Friday, He sacrificed himself, so that we all may be washed clean in His blood... paying for our sins. What a beautiful gift. I hope you are all feeling the love of Christ this Easter season!

Today, we are 14 weeks pregnant, in our second trimester and feeling amazing! No more morning sickness, a little more energy... and feeling overwhelmed with love for our sweet clover baby. We are growing!!

We checked on our little baby this week... and little clover decided to give us quite a little show... showing off all of his growth and his smooth moves... and even... his family jewels! Yes, ladies and gentlemen... our little clover baby is a boy! We are having a son!

Making that statement brings me to tears as I am writing this. Our sweet son. Our beautiful miracle. The one we cried over... struggled for... prayed for... begged for... and are now thanking God every second for.

After a rough weekend last week, me with bronchitis following a bad sinus infection... and hubby also sick, we have some catching up to do around this house! The biggest task at hand: working on our new floors... we have roughly 5 months to get everything in order for our sweet baby boy!! Oh and I'm sure you are all wondering, we HAVE chosen a name. :)

Please continue to pray for our rainbow baby! (A rainbow baby is a baby that comes after the "storm", a loss or several losses or infertility... or in our case, all of the above. It's a symbol of God fulfilling His promises and His undying love for his children.) We receive this last weekend as our first gift for our sweet clover baby!

My mind is racing a thousand miles a minute with ideas for rooms and wishes and dream for our sweet Caleb...  my heart is overflowing! Thank you everyone for standing in prayer and love with us as we continue this amazing journey! I can hardly put my thoughts in order as I'm writing this.

If you find yourself in the middle of a stormy time, remember, God will NEVER leave your side. Trust Him, walk WITH Him... depend on HIM! You will find your rainbow!

12 Weeks!

Hello dear friends,

We have arrived at 12 weeks. It still feels so strange, like a dream come true. This week we saw a regular doctor. That felt so bizarre... to be back in that office, with the "normal" people. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared to leave our specialist. Even though he repeatedly told us that everything was perfect and normal, it still feels surreal to have a "normal" pregnancy progressing so beautifully. I never dreamed this would be our situation, I desperately wanted a miracle, but is anyone really prepared for it? We dream of it... we beg for it... but do we truly believe it will happen to us? I can't say that I did.

I spend much of my days in prayer, as I've probably said before. Prayers of devotion, thanksgiving, protection and peace. And guess what? God always answers my prayers, I pray for peace and I receive it. Whenever I become anxious, I repeat in my mind "I believe in this miracle. Thank you Lord for bestowing this amazing blessing upon us." I say it until I'm confident in it. And I do. I believe in this miracle. I believe in your miracle too, even if you haven't received it yet. God is still good. God is good all of the time.

I sought the Lord and He answered me. He delivered me from all of my fears. Psalm 43:4

 

Our most recent appointment couldn't have gone better. Clover baby is growing, moving and beautiful.

 

 

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalm 37:5,7

 

I am so in love with this child. I'm in love with all of my children, and I long for the day when we are all together in Heaven... but for now I rest in this feeling of joy. We don't see a doctor again for an ENTIRE month! I've never been allowed to go that long, it's scary and so exciting. I cannot wait to find out whether our little clover baby is a boy or a girl. I finally feel comfortable enough to fantasize about the future, baby names and room layouts and all of the fun things that go along with expecting. If you follow me on pinterest, I'm sorry for flooding you with goodies... and food, lots of food. Lol. Recently I even invested in some cute maternity clothes. I feel bigger every day, and I must admit... it makes me feel beautiful, this life inside of me.

 

 

 

Something is definitely growing in there. :) As our first trimester is rapidly coming to a close, I can't help but feel like shouting from the rooftops how amazing our God is. I don't hesitate when anyone asks about our pregnancy to tell them what a miracle it is, and how amazing our God truly is. Please continue to pray for us and little clover baby, who is now the size of a large plum or a ripe apricot (depending on what app you look at). We are feeling a little better every day, a little less sick... a little less tired. Some days are still tough, but they are glorious. My darling child, I will do anything I possibly can to take care of you... even if all you want to eat is Special K (fruit and yogurt variety) and sliced bananas (clover's current favorite food). I've never been so anti-junk food before. Not because I'm trying to be healthy, but because I just do not want it, for the first time in my life. All in all, everything is going wonderfully. I praise God for that every day, please join me in singing His praises. For today, I'll leave you with this beautiful verse:

 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

 

We hope to be able to update you soon with more good news and a gender announcement just as soon as we know!! My mom is thinking it's a girl... I'm leaning towards a boy. We have NO preference, but in every clover dream I have, baby is a bouncing beautiful boy. :) We love you all! Thank you for your love and prayers!

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National Infertility Awareness Week is approaching very soon, so be on the lookout for information about events going on around the US and where you can go to find information and support. Remember, if you are on the path of infertility... God is not doing this to punish you. You haven't done anything to deserve this. But God WILL use this to grow you. He WILL use this to take your faith beyond anything you could even imagine and He WILL use you to bring Him glory. He is in the business of miracles, and He has a plan for you. Stand confident in the love of our Father. 





National Pregnancy And Infant Loss Awareness Month

Most people know the month of October as breast cancer awareness month... but did you know it is also Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month? In 1988 President Ronald Reagan declared the awareness month... Here is his speech, Proclamation 5890:

Each year, approximately a million pregnancies in the United States end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of the newborn child. National observance of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, 1988, offers us the opportunity to increase our understanding of the great tragedy involved in the deaths of unborn and newborn babies. It also enables us to consider how, as individuals and communities, we can meet the needs of bereaved parents and family members and work to prevent causes of these problems. Health care professionals recognize that trends of recent years, such as smaller family size and the postponement of childbearing, adds another dimension of poignance to the grief of parents who have lost infants. More than 700 local, national, and international support groups are supplying programs and strategies designed to help parents cope with their loss. Parents who have suffered their own losses, health care professionals, and specially trained hospital staff members are helping newly bereaved parents deal constructively with loss. Compassionate Americans are also assisting women who suffer bereavement, guilt, and emotional and physical trauma that accompany post-abortion syndrome. We can and must do a much better job of encouraging adoption as an alternative to abortion; of helping the single parents who wish to raise their babies; and of offering friendship and temporal support to the courageous women and girls who give their children the gifts of life and loving adoptive parents. We can be truly grateful for the devotion and concern provided by all of these citizens, and we should offer them our cooperation and support as well. The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 314, has designated the month of October 1988 as "Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month" and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this month. Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the month of October 1988 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirteenth.RONALD REAGAN

It wasn't until 2006 that congress approved a proposal to make October 15th National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. That campaign began in 2002 by Robyn Bear, who after 5 miscarriages desired to raise awareness for those who had little to no support during their losses. With the help of Lisa Brown and Tammy Novak, they changed the way America thinks... or at least put it out there. Who says a few friends can't change the world?
With the help of the American campaign, Canada soon followed. In recent years, UK, Western Austrailia, New South Wales and Italy have recognized and instituted a holiday.

You can visit Robyn's website here.

That's a little history for you... and here are some more shocking facts.

1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. One in FOUR. That's astounding. Having three angel babies myself, sometimes it feels like even higher odds than that. I AM ONE IN FOUR. Are you? If you are, I want you to know that on this day I am specifically praying for you, as are countless other people reading this blog.

The goal of all of this? To let those know, who are suffering. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! You don't have to grieve in silence. You are a mother... whether your child is in your arms or in the arms of our Father in Heaven.

Although Pregnancy and Infant Awareness Day is not an international holiday, there is an international celebration of these little lives happening today! At 7:00 pm in every time zone, parents all over the world will be lighting candles in their children's honor. The idea is to have one continuous "wave of light" connecting all of us together over the entire world in love and support. The candles will burn for one hour.

We will be lighting three candles this evening... thinking about that seems like it is far too many. One would be too many, but here we are. Today, especially I find comfort in the community I have found through our losses... and knowing tonight, their candles will burn with mine.

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On a side note, while sitting in my backyard a few days ago, I looked up and saw this:

Yes, my heart lies in Heaven... and in my mind, I could hear my three little children saying "Mommy! Look at the picture that God helped us draw for you!"

I love you my darlings, I miss you so.
Until we meet again,
Mommy