Exciting News to Share!

Ok, so Josh and I are spilling the beans and spreading the news:

We're going to have a baby!!!

Yes, that means I'm pregnant! We are so happy, excited, and ecstastic! I am 13 weeks along today due August 18th, and overall have been feeling pretty good so far, just some nausea that seems to be resolving now. I decided to wait until after my 12 week ultrasound to tell everyone, just so I could have peace of mind that everything was going well. Here are some pictures of our little peanut (and that's probably just how big he or she is right now!):

little fingers!!

This pregnancy comes has a huge blessing to us, and we can't be more grateful! I know some people know our story and others don't, so I'll share a little. I've had a hard time getting pregnant, and it took us 3 1/2 years to finally achieve a successful pregnancy. Two years ago I learned I have endometriosis, which most likely is the cause of my infertility. It was only discovered because I was trying to get pregnant, otherwise I wouldn't have suspected it. To make a long story short, I had to go through several cycles of fertility treatments including three IVF cycles (one which ended in a miscarriage), dozens of dr. visits and blood tests, a few acupuncture treatments, endless prayers and fasting, and finally the third IVF cycle worked! I could have had triplets because they transferred 3 embryos to me, but I am happy there is only one baby! :) The emotional rollercoaster that infertility treatment puts a person through has not been easy nor fun, but I am so thankful for the support I have had. And I will forever be grateful for this place:

Fertility Centers of Illinois

We also feel incredibly blessed to be living in Illinois while going through all this. Illinois is one of the only states in the country that has mandated infertility coverage, so all (I think all, if not most) insurances must provide some sort of infertility coverage. I have been lucky enough to have an insurance that covers infertility treatment 100%!! So where I could have ended up paying thousands and thousands of dollars, I've only had to pay a small fee for physician consults and medications. We can't help but feel we were watch over and guided in our decision to move to Chicago for Josh's schooling.

It's been a little strange but exciting to finally be able to look ahead to the future now and think about settling a family. The past nearly 6 years that we've been married have been really great for Josh and I, just the two of us. We've been able to do a lot and travel a lot together, and I will always treasure the things we've done. It's really been nice to work full-time as well. I've made great friendships and developed great skills that I can take with me anywhere. This pregnancy comes at a good time I think, where I finally feel ready to change my main focus and start raising a family.

I can't wait to start really feeling and looking pregnant. I hope to enjoy every moment of my pregnancy (I'll even try to enjoy the not-so-fun and uncomfortable moments) because I don't know how many times I'll be able to go through this. And I'll definitely keep posting my progress here on the blog!