Our Birth Story
If you’ve kept up with our journey to fertility, you know
that this journey has grown us in ways that we never imagined. It’s stretched
and shaped the way we see and relate to the Lord. For me, personally, it has
challenged how I believed God would/could bless our family with new life. This
chapter of our lives, from the process of IVF to walking through this pregnancy
has been a testament of the faithfulness of God. Not because it was void of
barriers, roadblocks, doubts, or stumbles. But because each corner we turned
proved to hold more of God’s goodness for whatever may have been standing in our
way. We met God in new ways through this decision and I should have known that
it was preparing us for when we would need to use what we learned in the
process.
That day came when my doctor called late in the evening
after reading the results of my most recent ultrasound. When my phone rung, my
heart sunk. What was wrong? Why was he calling? When I answered the phone, I
felt like my world was falling apart. Every lie that the enemy had ever thrown
at me seemed to build a wall as he spoke. “I don’t like the results of the ultrasound,
so we need to go ahead and deliver the baby”. I sat on the phone in silence for
so long that he added “this is not a dream, we will deliver the baby via c-section
either tomorrow or the next day. I don’t want the baby staying in utero much
longer”. I was devastated. Continuing to stay in my womb was more dangerous
than our baby being born 3 weeks early. My mind was racing about what this meant,
what would it mean for our child in the future. A flood of emotions took over
and I just wept.
This is the part where I tell you
how important it is to seek the Lord for direction in EVERY season of your
life. A few weeks ago, I strongly sensed the Lord was calling me to a deep
fast. I knew God wasn’t after the things I was going to abstain from during
this time, He was after my focus for the near future. Because God knows the end
of things from the beginning, He knew I would need to kill my flesh to stay
focused on Him an His words for our child’s birth.
Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man
plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
The morning of our child’s birth
was a beautiful time of worship, prayer, and peace. We checked in, my vitals
were good, and I was ready to go. My husband joined me in the operating room
and our lives changed forever. Most of you know that we elected to wait to find
out the gender of our little one, until birth, and I’m so glad we did. My husband
had the honor of announcing “IT’S A GIRL” to the entire room and I think my
heart exploded in the moment I saw her sweet little face and heard her big cry.
We all headed into the recovery
room for a little bonding before we went on to the room we would spend the rest
of our hospital time in. I was experiencing my own little slice of Heaven with
our new bundle of joy. As the day went on, the hospital staff continued to
ensure we were both comfortable and healing properly. But there were some
concerns with her blood sugar. By the next morning, a decision was made to move
her to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
It felt like my heart was being
ripped out of my chest. The beautiful little girl that had just came into the world
needed a little bit of help. Our family spent the next week going to visit her,
feeding her, putting her sleep, starting life with her even though she couldn’t
come home with us.
Friends, this was probably the
hardest experience of my life, to date. But as bad as I wanted her home, I
wanted her whole. On day 3 of her being in the NICU, I could hear the Lord
teaching me. “Just because I made you the promise doesn’t mean that there will not
be a process. Don’t be so anxious to leave a season that you leave it unhealthy”.
Our daughter needed some support until she could do some things on her own, but
she also had to partner with the support to be successful.
How many times have we missed out
on the work of the Lord in our lives because we aren’t willing participants in
what He chooses to use to support us through our tough seasons. As her mother,
I also had to partner with her care (physically, emotionally, and spiritually).
When her care team would give me an update on her condition, I began to declare
the word of the Lord over her. I didn’t agree with anything that was contrary
to the truth of God’s word about her. The progress that she made, in the time
that it was made, had some in awe.
She joined our family at home
after a week in the NICU, but that week was a week where we could physically
see and feel God’s strength being perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians
12:9). We need all of the power of the Helper, the Wonderful Counselor in those
waiting rooms. We needed His grace to bring her home just like we needed it to
conceive her.
We grew through all of this and
now that we are on the other side, with dirty diapers, 3am feedings, etc., I am
grateful for God trusting us with our portion no matter how hard it is. Our promise
is worth every challenge we’ve faced. Holding the Lord’s fulfilled promise in
my arms is a reminder that He is always faithful, even in the difficulties. Our
birth story is proof of that.
Mrs. Truscott
This is such a blessing and I am so happy you guys are on the other side. Bkess your precious little one. She is perfect and beautiful. Congratulations to the both of you! Love you sis.
ReplyDeleteLove, LaShawn Cooper
God is so faithful. Thank you so much
DeleteI loved reading your journey! From the beginning you knew God would produce HIS promise through this process. And you never wavered. Before you even got pregnant you kept blogging that you knew God's promise for you and it was to have this child.
ReplyDeleteI NEEDED to read this. Not just because my own recent struggle with infertility or my own slip into complacency with maybe never getting pregnant again (because the disappointment hurts too bad to keep hoping) but because through it all you kept writing about and posting scripture about God's love for us. He is our #1 fan.
I literally was laying in bed thinking about my 34th bday coming next month and the dwindling possibility of becoming pregnant when I believe God led me to read your faith journey. Thank you for being so vulnerable along the way and never giving up even when it seemed like you should. I NEEDED THIS!
Thank you so much for reading. And you are an answered prayer because I didn't think sharing our journey was for anyone except us. I thought it was only about being obedient so we could trust God more. Don't give up on what God has promised you. It's His faithfulness that makes all the difference. And He does love you more than you will ever know.
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