Just a few more days (29 to be exact) and we leave for Prague then on to Brno, Czech Republic. I'm so excited about the possible out come of it all. Our prayers and promises will finally come true. As most of you know Tim and I have been married for almost 11 yrs now and we have been trying almost that whole time to have a baby. Due to some hang-ups on my part we wouldn't try IVF, although we did try everything else. But after July 1, 2008 thanks to my wonderful OBGYN and my pastor’s counsel, I had a change of heart. {Dr. Helton has been really great, so for you girls that are still in the Carrollton, GA area go see him and his staff 770-214-2121.} Any who, we decided to go through with the procedure and soon discovered this would not be an inexpensive journey. To have this life giving procedure in the big ATL would have been around $22,000 to $26,000. This is not including the medications, which would have been another $3-5,000. And to have it in Beaumont, TX its still around $9,000 w/o meds. And you guessed it no insurance coverage. In order not to jump up high on my soapbox about insurance coverage, I'm going to move on. Devastated by the numbers, I did what most Americans in my place would have done; I picked a new sport, Internet surfing. After many hours spent on the web I found a website that pulled me in with every testimony and all the thoughts of possibilities and the relief of gia-normous dollar amounts. A woman and her husband who knows what its like to have to put a second mortgage on their home to pay for a round of IVF and it not be successful started My IVF Alternative {www.myivfalternative.com}. Founders Magdalena and Jeremy Cogbill have experienced this gut-wrenching ordeal more then once. They finally this year got their miracle, Audrey, born May 18th. Congratulations go out to them; I know they are very proud of their little one.
Tim and I are going on Sept 26th to start our treatment. Words can't describe at the moment the excitement, wonder, nerves, and joy we feel right now. Tim, as most of you know, is a man of few words when it comes to his emotions. However I haven't seen him like this in I can't remember when. It’s the little things he does that makes it so precious. If you haven't seen his myspace page yet, you should it will make you cry. When asked whom he would like to meet he said Jesus, his babies, and someone else I can't remember at the moment. But isn’t that the absolute most sweetest thing you've ever heard. I think Tim is going to be a great daddy. He'll keep them entertained for sure, and he isn't afraid of a dirty diaper. (YES!!!{Think Home Alone}). We have already established a discipline plan. If I say I'm telling your daddy, he has agreed to actually do something that will make that a bad thing. Gotta love it.
I'm not even sure how many people actually read this blog, but I'm going to share with who ever what miracles we are praying for right now so that maybe someone else will help us pray as well.
Miracle 1.) We need a financial blessing at the moment. Everything involving the trip is paid except one very important thing, money for food! We would like to travel a bit while we are there but hey lets face it we would be a little more then willing to sit in the hotel the whole time if it meant we could eat instead. So here is a rough dollar amount for food and excursions that we should need $2000.00. That should feed us the whole time, pay for the driver to and from the clinic, and a few day trips to see the country.
Miracle 2.) We have decided to have a natural birth experience. No intervention from Drs., hospitals, or any of the such. Complication free delivery at home. That's right I said at H.O.M.E. We have done the research and contrary to popular belief and advise from several well meaning friends, we want an at home water birth, even if we are having multiples. There is now reason we couldn't. God made women's bodies very complicated and very capable to take care of this task. With the help of a certified nurse midwife who has been in the medical field for many years in and out of the hospital setting, we intend on believing God for our 100% pure natural experience. As part of this miracle of coarse, I want to be a NON high-risk pregnancy. My sister developed gestational diabetes when she was expecting and I'm believing God for a complication free, diabetes free, pain free {sky is the limit when asking for a miracle so why not aim high and just keep the faith} birth experience.
Miracle 3.) We want twins! Yes twins. A boy and a girl. I want them to have Tim's complexion, fierce green eyes, curly brown hair, and an unquenchable desire to live for God. We want them to be brilliant, inquisitive, and curious about the world around them. Let them have a desire to see the world and the means to do so. Let them want to save the world and be used of God to do so. I want my little girl to be just that, a little girl, and a daddy's girl. Most of you know I was very much a tom-boy growing up and that's fine if she is as well, I just want her to enjoy the girlie stuff so we can play dress up, and go shopping, and whatever. My little boy needs to be rough and tough and protect his sister. A momma's boy is ok till he gets older, and then I want him to grow to be a real man. Not the version the world calls men, but by God's definition of a real man. One who will lead his own house to live for God. I know they will struggle at times, but Lord give them the strength to overcome the adversities and never turn away from your ways.
Miracle 4.) We want to be great parents. Ones who tell our children every day that we love them, we are proud of them, and ones who knows when to use the rod and when to spare it. I know respect in kids start with the parents, and we want our kids to be the exceptions not the rule of this generation. The more we notice other people’s children and the way they behave, the more we love the yes/no ma’am yes/no sir. Lord let them learn manors quickly! We want to be good stewards of what God has entrusted us with. Let us teach them God’s word and his plan for salvation and train them up the way they should go.
Ok I so didn’t realize this, what was supposed to be a short blog, would turn in to a book. So I’ll stop for now and just keep everyone posted. Until next time, may God be with you and yours, and may you keep your eyes on Him and his return.
