I'll apologize in advance for such a long post -
A little over 5 years ago (May 2008), I found out I was expecting a baby. We were so happy! I was due January 14th. The first two trimesters went relatively smoothly. There were no major issues, although I was nervous during each doctor's visit. My blood pressure was a little high but no other warning signs indicated issues so they just kept an eye on me.
In August, we found out we were having a baby boy! Things continued progressing smoothly. I went to my checkup on November 6th. I had gained 13lbs in two weeks. My doctor said that wasn't normal and was more than likely fluid. He put me on bedrest for the weekend and told me to come back in on Monday. When I went back to the doctor on Monday, I had lost 6lbs over the weekend. I was expecting him to put me on a restricted work scheduled, but instead put me on full bed rest. During the next visit, he set me up to begin having non-stress tests done twice a week. At some point during this time, I began having what seemed to be severe gastric pains. The doctor thought it sounded like my gall bladder so I assumed that's what it was. I had been getting a call each trimester from a Baby Yourself nurse, a program through Blue Cross Blue Shield. She mentioned that the pain I was describing could be related to pre-eclampsia. I assumed my doctor knew more than she did.
My pain continued to get worse. My mom was planning to retire at the first of the year so that when I went back to work, she could keep Dakota. She ended up taking off early because I was in so much pain, I didn't need to be left alone. I remember a day (probably December 2 or 3) that she had wanted to go to the doctor because she'd been battling a cold and I was in too bad of shape for her to even do that much. I'd tried watching what I ate and it didn't matter. I was hurting so bad, I (who had not thrown up once during morning sickness) began throwing up. It was very difficult to be on bedrest and be still when hurting so badly.
I had another NST and doctor's visit on December 4th. Mom took me and I took my hospital bag with us because we halfway expected them to decide to keep me because of the issues I had been having. Before or shortly after the NST, the nurse that had collected my urine sample came back in and asked me if I was sure I wasn't swelling. I told her I wasn't (I had stopped swelling once they put me on bedrest). I knew from that question that more than likely, I had protein in my urine. I had had an ultrasound on my gallbladder a day or two before. I went to the doctor's visit where the nurse practioner told me that the ultrasound showed my gall bladder was fine. What was wrong with me then?
She checked me and told me I was dilated to 3 and 30% effaced. She sent me to the hospital to meet with the doctor. They decided to keep me and induce me. After doing bloodwork, things started changing. I found out my pain was from pre-eclampsia that had gotten so bad, my liver was causing gastric pains. The nurse later told me if I'd been one more day, I would've started having seizures. They turned the lights down, the TV off, limited visitors, and then told me what, at the time, I thought was one of the worst things: no epidural and no spinal.
After several hours of painful back labor, they decided the nurse and doctor had been wrong - that wasn't a head. It was a butt! So I ended up having to have a c-section. The doctor or nurse told my family I would likely come out in ICU on a ventilator. I was so out of it, I didn't really comprehend what was going on.
This was on a Thursday night, the night of our church services. A young brother at church gave the oil (we believe in annointing with oil) to my brother-in-law to bring to the hospital with him. He did and God made a way for him to be able to annoint me. Shortly after that, I started improving. Dakota was small but fine. He weighed 4lbs 6oz at birth and other than some small, normal issues, he was fine. He had a light case of jaundice and had a little trouble gaining wait. He was in the hospital for 1 week. He came home on Friday, December 12th at 4lbs 2oz. I still had issues with my blood pressue, but I ended up being fine. The doctor said I had a 25% chance of having the same thing happen if I had another one.
Fast forward to last winter. Jon and I were talking about having another baby. We both always wanted more than one child. I had decided I was just going to have to risk it, but everytime I would think about it, I had a fear - almost panic come over me. During this time, one day at work I received an email saying "We need adoptive/foster parents. Please post at your church." It caught my attention because a) I had never received an email from this person before and b) my mom used to work at DHR so I didn't understand why they would have my email address and not hers. In my mind, I thought "this could be a sign." I talked to Jon and he felt the same way. We had talked before about adoption but had forgotten about it. We began talking about it again and felt like that the email was God's way of telling us we should look at adoption again. We went to Birmingham to meet with what would later become our adoption agency and made the decision to persue adoption. The weight that I had when thinking about another child lifted. My burden was lighter. I felt like that was my second sign that we were making the right decision.
Not everyone may agree with our choice, but its not their choice to agree with. Jon and I have to do what we feel God wants us to do and what is best for the two of us and Dakota. We have now been on the 3-year waiting list for approximately 1 year. I have recently been reading a lot about adoption and other adoption stories. I am so excited. I am honored and thrilled to think that Jon & I might be able to give a child a loving, Christian home that otherwise might not have one. I just hope and pray that God sends us the right baby and that we raise it in the way He would have it go. Whether its one more year, two or three, I believe God will send us the right child when the time is right.
Sorry for such a long post! If you've made it this far, thanks for reading!
Bye for now!
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