We have a heartbeat! Thank you God!

I just got in from my ultrasound, and we have a heartbeat! The baby's heart was beating 146 beats per minute and was measuring 6w4d. (According to my last cycle, I should be 6w6d.) The tech said this is exactly where the baby should be right now. I am just so unbelievably thankful! The ultra sound tech zoomed in so we could hear the heart beating, and it was the most beautiful sound I think I've ever heard. I am so thankful for all of your prayers and well wishes! I will post pics of the ultra sound later tonight. Due date according to ultra sound is Feb 19, 2009.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful to have made it another day. (One day at a time....)

I am thankful that my statistic's teacher curved our mid-terms by 10 points! Yippee!! That test was so difficult, so I'll take any points she wants to give us!

I am thankful that next week we will be at the beach with all of K's immediate family. Our nephew who is visiting from MT is so excited that we all are going. I can't wait to relax and spend time making new memories with my family. I really am blessed to have married into such a wonderful family.

(Ok, this is kind of cheesy, but...) I'm thankful that I tuned in to watch WIPEOUT on ABC Tuesday night. I laughed until my sides hurt! It felt so good to be laughing that hard at silly stuff. You guys should really tune in next week. Hilarious!

I'm thankful that Chris has been potentially matched with birthparents. I'm thankful Glenna is home safe with her new son, Isaiah.

I'm thankful that our Foster training is complete. We only have CPR, First-Aid, and our Home-study to go. (Casey asked if we still intended to pursue fostering since our recent announcement, and I have to say yes. This is something K and I still feel led to do.)

I'm thankful that it's such a beautiful day!

Thanks Ladies!

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who offered your congratulations and prayers. It means so much to me to know you all are here to offer support in good times and bad. I can't put into words what you all (and this blog) have come to mean to me. K and I have decided to only tell a handful of people (parents, siblings, close friends) with the request that they respect our privacy. Basically, we told those people who we know have a strong prayer life and relationship with the Lord. I am humbled to know that I am an answered prayer that so many people had prayed for me. I believe that they prayed when I just couldn't pray about this anymore. I am requesting that those same people continue to pray for the health of this child.

I'll let you all in on something...this has sort of calmed my anxiety. In the Bible, Hannah prayed to the Lord to give her a child under the terms that once God gave her a child, she would give him back to the Lord. This is why so many young families have baby dedications in church services. Well, once I found out I was pregnant, I felt immediately as if I should give the child back to the Lord from within my womb. It doesn't make me a saint, but it just felt appropriate. So, I am trying not to worry about what the next 9 months entails (although this feeling comes and goes). I know this child already belongs to God, and he will enable me to protect and provide for it, as long as it's within His will for our lives.

I pledge to pray for you all in hopes that you too will be sharing good news with the blogging world. I sent an email to a friend which said, "I was told I would have to use donor eggs to get pregnant. Now, I know if God can work a miracle with my eggs, He can do just as mighty things to other eggs and sperm." I will continually pray for God to hear our prayers until they break through Heaven like a flood.

I love you all.

Can you all keep a secret?

I have been impatiently waiting to tell you all.....after 5 years of ttc....and 2 miscarriages....I am currently 6weeks pregnant. My projected due date: Feb 17, 2009.

This came as a total surprise to me and K. I've known for about 2 weeks. It's been so hard not to shout this from the roof tops. I want to be so very excited--but history speaks loudly, and I am so very scared.

I called my doc on June 12 and told him of my positive test. He wanted me to come in immediately. I saw the nurse who loaded me down with vitamins, magazines, pamphlets... At one point, I had to just say..."I really appreciate you giving me all this stuff, but I'm just not ready to be reading any pregnancy magazines." She understood. I didn't get to see the doc, but he prescribed progesterone suppositories to be taken at night until I am 12 weeks.

I actually had to go back to the doc last week because I developed a UTI. This time, I was able to see Dr. R himself. He asked me how I felt. I explained I was cautiously over the moon. He then asked me if I had any ultrasounds scheduled. I told him the nurse set my first two appointments (July 9th for an OB workup; Aug 13 ultrasound--I would be 13 weeks). He asked how I felt about that, and I told him I was really nervous of another blighted ovum. So, he is bringing me in early for a vitality ultrasound.

This is set for Monday, June 30. Please, please, please....don't stop praying for me now. I want so much to believe that this time will be different. I know that God already knows the outcome. Each morning, I say to myself, "Elaine, we just have to make it though today...." I am trying not to worry about the future, but as you can tell, my anxiety is at a peak.

We finished up our foster parent training this past weekend. We still have our home study to do, and CPR/First Aid.

To all my sweet friends....I've felt defeated more times than I could count on this IF journey. I learn every day that the Lord still answers prayers. Whatever happens, we will thank him for giving us the time we have had to love this little one whom we've never met.

What I would give to meet this little one.... I am high risk, and I have been ordered by Dr. R to abstain from sex until 8-10 weeks. He wants to see the baby's heart beat first. So, please, please pray for a healthy baby next Monday....with a good, strong heart beat.

Happy Monday!

I hope you are all doing well. I had an extremely busy week last week. K and I are almost finished with our fostering training. We actually only have 2 classes left! The past 3 weeks have passed so quickly!

I have a midterm at school on Wednesday for my statistics class. I am looking forward to kissing this class goodbye, and I am relieved that it is half-way over! On the other hand, I can't wait for my Education program to start this fall! I love school---it's such a good distraction for me.

There are so many things going on right now, but I will save for another post. I will appreciate your continued prayers.

Praying for you all!
Elaine

Update....

Hello all! I must say first and foremost, I miss you all so much! I have been reading your posts and commenting here and there. Things are going full speed ahead for me at the moment, so if you feel neglected or forgotten, you certainly aren't.

Updates:

School: I am doing better at my statistic's class right now. I am actually about a week ahead of schedule, so that has really helped take a load off my shoulders.

Beach: The girls beach trip was so much fun. I can't wait to do that again sometime in the near future. One thing happened though that no one expected. One of the girl's who went with us received a call early last Saturday that her house had caught fire the night before. She was actually allowing someone to house sit for her while at the beach. Everyone made it out safe, pets included, but she lost almost everything. The only clothes she currently has is the one's she took with her to the beach. We are all scrambling around like crazy trying to help anyway that we can, but she is very upset. Please remember her in your prayers. I don't think she's a Christian, but I am not sure. I couldn't imagine handling something like that without the grace God provides during tragedy.

Fostering: We have now completed 1/3 of our training. K and I both have been fingerprinted and completed our physicals. This week, we have 2 classes (Meeting Developmental Needs-Discipline & Strengthening/Continuing Family Relationships). I can't believe the things I have learned so far about foster children, myself, my husband. I continue to believe that this is God's plan for our lives, but request your continued prayers. I know that if/when a child is placed in our care that it will be a huge transition for everyone involved.

Please be patient as I am posting less often right now. On top of all this other stuff we have going on, our nephew will be here tomorrow. He lives in MT with his mother. We only get to see him once per year (in the summer). So, we have to pack into 6 weeks what we give our other niece/nephews in an entire year. Not a lot of down time for us right now...and I feel a little sleep deprived!!!! (That is my favorite hobby....and I am finding less and less time to enjoy it these days.)

Love and prayers for you all!