"Even miracles take a little time." ~Cinderella

If I had to pick one word to describe this journey so far, it would be surreal.  Every time I let myself remember what life was like for us a year ago, I am reminded that "even miracles take a little time" :) Mother's Day has been a bittersweet day for me these last couple years.  This year, Josh and I went to church and the priest prayed for all the mothers, the mothers to be, and all the women who are trying to be mothers.  It was so great of him to acknowledge how hard Mother's Day is for someone who wants nothing more than to be a mother.  Surprise, surprise....I started crying and I couldn't stop :)  This journey has been such a humbling experience for Josh and I, and I can only begin to imagine the joys we are going to have when our baby arrives!  There is nothing more that I want than for everyone who desires to become a parent to never give up hope that their parenting dreams will come true!


This was on Mother's Day

I have found on this journey that I wasn't as prepared as I thought.  Maybe my feelings are normal, or maybe they are just exaggerated because of all my hormones, but I think it is hard to feel 100% confident in how prepared we are for the future.  Josh and I have taken the child birthing classes, the breastfeeding classes, read many books, and asked our friends and family a million questions.  Having done all of that, I am not sure how much more prepared I feel :)  I am hoping the lessons and skills we have learned on this journey have prepared us as a couple to be the best parents we are capable of being.

We now go to the doctor every other week...which is a reality check of how close we are to meeting you!  It is so great to be able to feel your little (getting stronger) kicks and jabs.  Sometimes I lay awake at night thinking about what the future holds and you move all around in there reminding me to include you in those plans :)  I have said it before, and I will say it again --this journey has been difficult, but there is a reason for everything and I appreciate every step we took to get to meeting you!!!!!



This was at one of my baby showers with my mom and Josh's mom

We are so blessed to have many friends and family who have helped with all the preparations for your arrival.  Grandma Judy helped me plant all my flower pots because I couldn't bring you home without pretty flowers to look at.  Tayta planted my garden for me so that we can hopefully continue eating healthy and make you as strong as possible :)  It has been very difficult asking for help, but I made a promise to you in the beginning that I would never do anything to put you at risk.  Other than getting stuck because I think I can fit in small places, I think I have done a great job of being cautious and taking good care of you in there :)

The nursery is about finished.  I have to admit that I plan to change all the bedding once I know if you are a boy or girl.  My mom has agreed to help make a new set once you arrive, and she understands my need to have something really girly if you are a girl, or something a little more fun if you are a boy :)  Other than that, Josh's cousin Michelle did an amazing job on painting the tree and the quote above your crib.  I spend a lot of time in your nursery, and I can't wait to share it with you!



These are the stripes Josh painted.  The bear was a gift from Josh's mom...it is taller than I am :)

This is the adorable tree that Josh's cousin Michelle painted for us. Once we have the baby, she is going to come back and add some animals to the tree in the color that matches the new bedding :)

Well, 8 1/2 more weeks and we pray that we will start a new journey as a family of 3. Our excitement and prayers continue to grow every day for your safe arrival!  As always, we continue to pray for everyone who is trying to conceive that God grants them the opportunity to experience the joys we are!

Hello 3rd trimester

Well, our journey is getting closer to when we get to meet you :) It is crazy to think that we only have about 12 weeks left on this journey.  I continue to thank God every morning for another day, and now I am starting to feel so excited for the day we get to see you.

We had an appointment last week and the doctor said all was well.  We had a sonogram and baby is measuring normal and everything looked great.  The heartbeat was 149, so you can take your guess as to boy or girl.  I was worried about being "flashed" by the baby during the sonogram, but luckily the legs were crossed in the beginning and then the sonographer never back to that region, even though the baby had uncrossed its legs.  I have a strong feeling that it is a girl, but I guess we will all have to wait to find out.  It is so exciting to know that we have such a big surprise at the end of this journey :)

When we started this blog, we had 2 intentions--to document this exciting journey and to share our experiences thinking we could possibly give someone hope that miracles do happen.  I am not sure how well we have documented this journey, but I know that we have helped others struggling on their own journeys. It has been so nice to hear from some of our friends that our blog has helped them continue and have faith.

 Last week was infertility awareness week, and I think one of my personal goals has been to help educate people on how to support their friends and family who are struggling with infertility. In the beginning, this journey was very lonely.  Josh and I both work in places with many young families, therefore we were always surrounded by pregnancy and babies.  It was hard to not feel isolated at times because we weren't sure how we fit in.  I hope and pray that we can be a support to anyone else who may be struggling with infertility.  One lesson I think everyone should learn: Never assume a couple is not trying to conceive, so NEVER ask, "When are you going to have kids."

This journey is nothing like I expected, but it wouldn't be our lives if it could be expected :)  I am so grateful for an amazing husband and supportive family to be cheering for our baby, and I am truly starting to feel the anticipation of meeting our little miracle.  We continue to pray daily in thanksgiving for this miracle, and in hopes for our friends and family who want to have a child. 

So, Baby Barra, we are counting the days until your arrival and we hope you already feel the extraordinary love we have for you.