Michele’s Maternity

All I can say is WOW. Michele is shockingly beautiful and has a genuine heart to match it. The excitement she has for her soon coming little man is so very evident and contagious! I cannot wait to meet that sweet peanut. I so enjoyed sharing in the exuberant joy this family expressed. Little Abby stole my heart and was a star in front of the camera. She is going to make an incredible sister with all of her hugs and kisses. Michele and Dustin’s precious babe is going to be so blessed to be born into this incredible family.

A few words from the Momma herself. She has an incredible story. Michele writes :

“Dustin and I knew we wanted to have a baby and we started trying right away, we thought it would be easy and thought it would happen fast. 6+ months later we still weren’t pregnant. I went to my OB and then started going to a fertility doctor – lits of tests later revealed that everything seemed normal and I was labeled as “unexplained infertility”. We tried 2 different medications for about 6 months… no success and a lot of heartache month after month. We then moved on to a technique called IUI with injectible medications and hormones… we had really high hopes, but 2 IUI cycles later we still weren’t pregnant.

After time this all becomes very emotional and too much to bear. It was a dark, lonely time. I was angry – angry with myself, my body, angry at God. I wanted this baby so bad and I couldn’t understand why it wasn’t happening…  It was all too much, I cried and felt so broken-hearted. No one knew what to say anymore… the “one liner” words of wisdom no longer offered hope or peace. I started to think it was never going to happen, that it wasn’t God’s will… but ended up not being able to accept that because it was truly my deepest hearts desire and God doesn’t place that desire there without fulfillment. So I leaned further into God and we pressed on. At the start of 2014 Dustin was able to switch to an insurance plan at work that covered IVF – what a tremendous blessing, as there was no way we could afford it out of pocket! We started the process in January (lots more tests, insurance hoops, blood work every day, shots in my belly every night, etc) and we transferred 2 beautiful embryos on February 11th.

There in that sterile hospital room we prayed and cried and hoped. We placed all our trust in God’s promise and faithfulness. Waiting for 2 weeks was tough, you become insanely aware of your body and question every sign/symptom you have! I took a home pregnancy test… and for the first time ever I saw a result I have never seen before – it was positive!!!! I called Dustin in and asked him “what does this mean?!” and then took a different test… followed by a digital one, haha! We were shocked and happy and scared, all at the same time! I went to the doctor the next morning for a blood test and sure enough I was finally pregnant! What a blessing and my heart was filled with so much joy! This joy was at times replaced with fear… because the chance of miscarriage with IVF is higher…  The first weeks of ultrasounds were so precious and gave me so much peace. I was so grateful for my amazing team of doctors, they were so understanding. And here I am 31 weeks along carrying a precious baby boy – Elijah James. Elijah means “my Lord is God” – fitting for our precious gift from God. We couldn’t be happier and we are so excited for his arrival in October! Thank you to all of our friends and family that supported us through this journey, 22 months of ups and a lot of downs. In the end it was all worth it and I am stronger in spirit as a result. Eli – I love you more than words can say, my heart is full. Thank you Jesus, all of the glory and praise to you!”