A Heartbeat {sweetest sight by far}

Wednesday was one of my favorite, most special days to date. Billy and I had another Doctor appointment to check in on our growing baby Bird. What a sight we saw when Dr. Winslow pointed at the beating heart. It was so amazing to see this tiny peanut and a bulging heartbeat. This appointment was so special to me. For the first time I REALLY felt like this is real. I saw the heartbeat! The Dr. said that it was a strong heartbeat and great size for this stage. We were told Congratulations and we would be released from the FIRM. Nooo, I thought...I didn't want to leave their care. I feel really blessed to have only spent 6 months with them and be leaving because our dream, our prayer was now reality. Our Doctor and that office will always be so special to me.

Last night we called most of Billy's siblings. We had so much fun! It was neat to hear the different reactions. One sister knew why he was calling because the last time he called, he called to tell her he was engaged. Ha. I guess we need to work on our phone skills with some of the siblings...however, he has 10 siblings so it does get complicated. :) This weekend, Memorial Day, Mom and I are going to call her sisters. I cannot wait to tell my Aunts! They're like my 2nd Moms and have been so supportive in our journey. I know they'll be uber excited. I have a few girlfriends I want to call this weekend as well and then hopefully in the next week or so all the phone calls will be completed and we can announce to everyone else via Facebook.

And I'll leave you with the most beautiful picture I'VE ever seen!

Growing Baby Bird 6w4d

Greatest Gift {ity bity baby bird}

Yesterday, Billy and I experienced one of life's greatest gifts for the first time! We had our first (very early) ultrasound to confirm baby Bird is nesting in the right place. Praise God all looks good. We saw our tiny tiny little baby (really it just looks like a seed). :)

We are so thankful for our Doctor! Dr. Winslow has been so professional and such a gift in our journey to parenthood. I'm so blessed that God used him to help us. The Dr. office was finally a HAPPY place to be yesterday. We've had so many upsets in the same room that it was nice to finally breathe and Praise God for this miracle...and bringing us through it. Next week we get to see the heartbeat. Right now I'm about 5w3days and according to the Doc, we'll be having a baby January 12th!!

Growing Baby Bird 5w2d

Update on Mother's Day and reveling the big news!

We told the Birds at their home just before taking them to breakfast for Mother's Day. They were very excited. This will be their 19th grandchild so you can imagine they were excited but they've been down this road before. I think I expected fireworks when we told them and that didn't happen. haha

Headed to Folkston for reveal #2

Next was spending the day with my parents in Folkston. Mom and Dad were just doing things around the house and once they settled to sit and talk to us Billy handed Mom her Mother's Day card. It said "Happy Mother's Day Grandma!" She was confused as she read the note inside from "growing baby Bird" - she lost it! She was so surprised and elated. Dad said, "he knew" (of course he did, sure...:)). We had the best afternoon and even jumped the gun a bit and narrowed down my crib selection. :)

Tonight, I have a dinner date tonight with my cousin, Ashley. She's been such a prayer warrior and encouragement through this. If anyone knows the struggle and now joy, it is her and J. I cannot wait to tell her the prayers have been answered. Now, we are praying for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby! God is so good.

Our little secret {shhhh!}

It's been almost a week since Billy and I realized we were pretty sure we are pregnant. I'm so ready to tell our momma's tomorrow on Mother's Day. I can't think of a better gift. We are about to bust with excitement! I'm sooo ready for the next 9 days to pass so we can have our first ultrasound. Billy and I have discussed how in the excitement it still doesn't seem real until we go to that appointment. Although nothing has changed on the outside, I'm certainly feeling different! I've napped almost everyday possible (very unlike me, I usually hate naps), I have a dull achy feeling in my abdomen (I'm praying this is normal), I'm soo thirsty and am using the bathroom like crazy. Otherwise, I feel really good.

I keep telling Oliver that we'll have a baby in the house in the near future and he doesn't seem to understand yet. At dinner I told Billy I was concerned for Oliver and bringing home a baby...

Me: Babe, I'm concerned about Oliver's well being with bringing a baby home, he's so pampered.

Billy: Brooke, he has shelter and food - free rent, he'll be completely fine

Me: But I'm worried about his emotional well being, how it will affect him emotionally

Billy: This is a ridiculous conversation

Oliver is my first baby and I love that boy! I'm going to be sure to love on him a lot in the coming months. I want him to know he's loved! I think we'll need to work on his jumping (for "hugs") too - I don't want him jumping on a growing belly.  :)

I hope to take pictures tomorrow so I can document our day of telling the parents. They're going to be shocked!

Believe {and it will be yours}

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,

believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 11:24

Today, I am almost speechless and so humbled. Billy and I started praying for a baby two years ago when we started trying to get pregnant. Exactly Two years later...MULTIPLE fertility treatments, 2 IUIs = Five POSITIVE pregnancy test, Two beta (blood) test and the best phone call of my life later...we are officially pregnant!

I want to cry just typing those words. I'm in a daze of disbelief and I don't feel like this is really happening. The past few mornings of getting up at 3:30 AM to take a pregnancy test because I couldn't wait until 8AM were nerve racking and soo exciting! The final test (digital) was at the crack of dawn and I'll never forget practically jumping on the bed to wake Billy up (all before 4AM) to tell him it was really real, we were pregnant! However, we wanted to wait until we had a confirmation from our fertility Doctor (our first ultrasound with Dr. Winslow) before we first, let ourselves get too excited and second, tell the family. Since Mother's Day is only 4 days away we are going to announce the news to our parents Sunday. It's been hard having to tell my Mom fibs when she calls...she asks 101 questions and I just didn't want to tell her at work over the phone, that's just not exciting! So...Sunday will be a very happy day for the grandparents!! Being the realist I am, I'm overly cautious and do not feel 100% comfortable telling anyone else until our first ultrasound on the 16th. The Doctor wants to confirm placement in the uterus. Is this too much info for a blog!?

I wanted to document our journey so one day I can look back and see how God's hand was at work. Two weeks ago I had a IUI procedure and I asked Dr. Winslow in that moment, "What are my chances, what is the percentage of this actually happening?" He replied, "Brooke it is VERY hard to get you to ovulate and each procedure you have a 20% chance of conceiving." How GOOD and GREAT is our God? We beat the odds and I believe it's because God allowed my body to do what it needed to do and gave us this baby. I'm beyond grateful. We are definitely Blessed Birds! :)