Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord!

I was 18 years old when the doctor diagnosed me with PCOS & laid down the news that it would be difficult if not impossible for me to one day conceive without medical intervention.  Being an 18-year-old with no prospects for marriage in the immediate future, I didn't shrug it off, but I wasn't overly concerned.

I married Michael when I was 29, & we were full of hope for our future.  We knew we had a hard road ahead of us in the children department.  And thus has been our experience.  In the course of our marriage, we've had grief over a disrupted adoption process & childlessness.  I'm ashamed to say that I even railed at God a few short months ago, momentarily questioning the most basic truths of His love & goodness like a child throwing a temper tantrum because she's denied something she wants.  I've had my medical diagnosis against me & neither Michael nor I are what you'd call slender, if you know what I mean!  ;-)  With PCOS, this is a definite strike against conception.  Almost 4 1/2 years have come & gone since our wedding, & we've done pretty good at beginning a healthy, active lifestyle . . . but not so great at maintaining it.

Almost 2 months ago, something just clicked, & Michael & I not only began eating healthy & exercising, we kept it up.  We trekked down to the bike trail that winds along the river 4 days a week, I worked out on the weekends while Michael went to his job, & we completely eschewed eating out, opting instead for home-cooked meals & homemade smoothies.  No more ice cream, fries, or deep-fried chicken for us!  Now we focused on farm-fresh eggs & dairy, coconut oil, fruits & veggies, & smaller portions.  When I was hungry, I would picture my stomach & try to eat enough to cover the bottom instead of filling the whole thing.  We ate just until we didn't feel hungry anymore; no more stuffing ourselves.  And we felt great!  Even on our camping trip, we strove not to undo all our hard work & maintain these principles.

Three days ago, Michael came home with a pregnancy test in hand.  I looked at him sideways & initally refused to take it.  Yes, I was late, but that had happened not so long ago as well, so I had decided that my body was simply rebelling against me.  Yes, I'd had a little nausea the last 4 evenings, but that was just the food I'd eaten.  Again, apparently, my body just hated me.  But, I can't look into those beautiful blue eyes & deny him anything for long.  So, I took the test, all the while lamenting that I didn't know why on earth we were doing this.  "I'm never going to get a positive!", said I.  He asked me to check to make sure the line in the test window showed up, indicating that we had done the test properly.  I picked it up.  "Ummmm . . . I think you need to come in here & turn on the light, because I think my eyes are playing tricks on me!"  There it was - a bold, blue plus sign.  But, that just can't be.  My brain shut down.  We snapped a picture on the cell phone & sent it to Beth, because I thought she would know what this meant.  I just couldn't accept what I was seeing.  She squealed with delight, "YOU'RE PREGNANT!!!"  Michael raced out to get a digital test while I peppered her with the same questions repeatedly:  "Can you get a false positive?"; "Can I trust this?";  "Is this for real?"  Three days later, I'm still stunned.  I keep looking at Michael & dreamily saying, "We're having a baby."


We're having a baby!!!

8 comments:

Lynn said...

Wow! I can't believe it, either! It's such exciting news, and I'm so happy for you and Michael, dear Chrissy. (I, too, love the digital tests; they seem so much more official.) :)

tracyplus4 said...

Absolutely a beautiful, miracle-filled story. God is AWESOME! So excited for you guys. Praying for a healthy pregnancy and baby. CONGRATS!
Tracy Bailey

The Boyds said...

Thanks so much, Lynn & Tracy! Michael asked me if I was going to throw the tests away since we have pictures. Ummmm . . . they're in my purse! ;-) I liked the digital one, too, until the screen went blank Monday. I guess I just thought it would say "pregnant" forever. At least I still have the "old-fashioned" one with the plus sign! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Praising God with you Chrissy! I have been waiting for this blog post because...I knew it was coming. I really, really enjoyed reading your story and God's work in your lives! Ben and I are filled with great joy in hearing about God's precious gift given to you two!

The Boyds said...

Thank you, Elizabeth! Michael & I have been so incredibly touched by everyone's excitement on our behalf. Y'all make us feel so loved! Know that we love y'all back!

Jennifer said...

Hey, Chrissy....YOU'RE HAVING A BABY!! YOU'RE HAVING A BABY!!!

This post made me cry! Oh so happy for you!!

Love,
Jennifer

The Boyds said...

Thank you so much, Jennifer! Thank you for your prayers, for your friendship, & for your excitement on our behalf! I love you!

April Hollingsworth said...

Gotta love those digital tests!