I'm in love with Dr. Barnes....

Growing up as a military brat meant not really getting to pick and choose what doctor you wanted to see. And it always seemed as though they were actually practicing on you and you weren't actually a patient, but a lab rat rather. My navy hospital experiences really put a bad taste in my mouth for the average MD. And after getting out of the military hospital system I always got stuck with those doctors who made you feel like your questions were stupid or they didn't have time for you to even ask them questions. Anywho, I wanted to find a new OB/GYN that delivered at Baptist Downtown so that I could have the fertility clinic, high risk docs, OB/GYN, and NICU all in one place. I figure if something goes south, all four observing clinics will be in one location! I'm looking for a one stop shop, if you know what I mean. I had a few recommendations to claim Dr. Barnes as my primary care giver post fertility treatment. Today, with extremely high standards and expectations I got to meet Dr. Barnes.

He was fabulous and blew all my expectations out of the water. Annual exams don't top the list as one of my favorite things to do in the first place, and now I feel like I am so complex that if he would have just shooed me out the door, I would have been one disgruntled lady. First off, he skipped the whole awkward scene where you are wearing the dreaded paper gown for your first meeting. I got to stay in my regular attire and he came in and just talked to me for about 20-30 minutes. He wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere and had the calmest most encouraging spirit about him. He asked ME questions and got to know my history from head to toe and I really appreciated that. Then he opened the floor for my questions and not a single one was time wasted or stupid. He actually seemed interested in just having a conversation with me. Imagine that! He was so genuinely interested in our situation. And he warned me that he is like a mother hen with his babies and that he takes them very seriously! Well that works out since I was looking for a doctor who cared anyway, haha. Bring on the mother hen!

I am so excited to have him as our doctor. He was so encouraging and said that he didn't have any hesitations with my future pregnancies and that Dr. Winslow (fertility doc) could impregnate a 2 x 4, so he was confident that he would be taking care of a pregnant me in the near future. I appreciated his confidence!

I walked out of his office and to my car saying, "Thank you, Jesus!" To myself, obviously. I am praising the Lord for paving the way to Dr. Barnes. I feel like if I do get the opportunity to conceive, I will be in great hands!

Goodnight!

It is well with my soul...

Hi Friends and Family. I have been a slacker lately, I know. But this whole not working thing and filling my calendar with lots of other stuff has really gotten the best of me. It has been glorious catching up on my 2 year old to-do list.

Here is a snip it of what B and I have been up to...

Bathroom Remodel

Yup, we were right...there was a slight moisture problem.

The cement shower pan is outta here!

Remodeling projects and lots of other things have occupied my lil unemployed self.

I am a tad nervous to put this out there and we have friends that want to kill us (out of love of course), but we are actually thinking of pushing treatments back until January.

What?

I know, right!

We both agreed we had just way too much going on this fall to make it happen. And when things slow down for me, B will just be getting into his busy season at work. So with lots of prayer and thought, we think January will be a time when we can focus and clear our calendars to make our first attempt at IVF. Shockingly, I am totally fine with it. I thought it wouldn't sit well with me, but I must say I fully trust Brad's leadership in this decision and I am finding great peace in doing that. Funny, how when you listen to what God's word says about leadership and submission that abounding peace follows. :) I found myself humming today, among other things (Hide yo wife, hide yo kids...), "It is well with my soul."

Yesterday, I got to meet with a dear friend who has gone through IVF once before. It was a huge blessing to have the opportunity to hear her story. As you can imagine, the legal documents, ordering a few grande worth of hormone shots from online pharmacies, shots themselves, CRAZY lady hormones, and everything that comes with the procedures can be quite overwhelming. It is so great to have her as a resource. Meeting with her soothed my anxieties a great deal. Both her and her husband survived!! Surely Brad and I can make it through! Like I shared before, this journey can be extremely lonely...it was so refreshing to talk to someone who understood every angle of this roller coaster.

Brad and I will be celebrating 4 years of wedded bliss next week. Can you believe it? I can't. But I am assuming that is a good thing! I was thinking last week as our sister took her wedding vows with her husband, John, that we never dreamed standing on that altar that we would someday be walking this road together. Without a shadow of a doubt, we thought all those wedding toasts about a brood full of Harby's would come true for us. Everyone gets married, has kids, and lives happily ever after! You never dream this will happen to you. But I can tell you this, it has made us stronger. Marriages and relationships that go through challenges like the one we have been given to face will have roots that run deeper and longer than the average relationship. For that I can be thankful. And I can be thankful to be walking this road with my best friend. Thank you for 4 amazing years! The road ahead may be bumpy, but the Lord will never give us more than we can handle.

Tah tah for now. Thank you for the continued prayers, I know the Lord will answer them in due time and in His own sovereign way.

It is well with my soul.