There is a reason for my lapse in blog posts....
I just scrolled back through my posting about our India trip and unfortunately, I didn't mention the sunday service in a very small village where about 20 women laid hands on me and prayed for me to have a baby...at the time it seemed ridiculous. I told Usha (our family friend) to ask them to pray for something that I actually wanted...like a promotion or to win the lotto. But instead...their prayer was that when I returned to India, I would have a baby.
That was the very beginning of March...the end of April I got really sick. I had a fever, I was exhausted, and I couldn't keep a single thing down...not even juice. So I called my doctor and explained that I thought I had the H1N1 virus and I needed some serious antibiotics. She started asking me a series of questions and the very last one was, "When was your last period." I know women normally keep track of such things, but I don't...however, I happened to remember because I started the day before our trip to India and it was very annoying. If you are a woman, you will be able to empathize. So her response was, "So you're almost a month late." I had no idea what this had to do with the fact that I had the worst flu I had ever had in my life, but I said, "Sure, I guess...." To which she said, "Do me a favor and take a pregnancy test before you come in to see me." I laughed out loud at her and said, "I'm not pregnant! I have the flu!" But she insisted so I scheduled my appointment. The next night, Drew was leaving to get some things from Walgreens and I said, "Why don't you pick up a pregnancy test..." I had never taken one and was curious as to what the experience was like...peeing on a stick and such. He brought one home and I peed on the stick and waited. It was negative...just what I had thought. I came downstairs, laid it on the coffee table and said, "No big deal." At the next commercial, Drew picked up the stick out of curiosity...he had never seen on either. He started examining it and the box and said, "Shea, I don't think this line is supposed to be there." I looked and I said, "No, the line is supposed to be there..." And he replied, "Right, but there are two lines and it's a plus sign." I grabbed it out of his hand and looked at it...looked back at the picture that clearly said, "You're pregnant if..." And burst into tears. Drew turned pale white and slumped back in the couch. We didn't say anything to each other or even to ourselves for quite some time. Finally we both got up, turned off the lights and went to bed. I laid in bed all night thinking abou
t my life was going to be like with a baby and I didn't even know what to picture. I waited until 5:30a and I called my best friend Cammy...I cried some more and poured out my heart about my fears and my regret. Everyone in my life knew that I never wanted to be pregnant...having a family perhaps, but adoption was always the route I was going to take. After 3 days of moping and feeling quite sorry for myself, I pulled myself together and resolved in my mind to just go on with my life and think about having a baby later...after all, I had 9 months to think about it and prepare for it, right? Wrong. I went to the doctor a few weeks later wi
th my mother in law and my doctor informed me that I was 2 months along and my due date was December 8th. I felt jipped out of two months. Needless to say, seeing my little peanut on the monitor made everything real and I was thankful that for the time being, everything was normal (and I wasn't having twins!!).
My friends and family were extremely supportive...and some even volunteered to take "belly pictures" with me (thanks Matt). I got kankles and the worst morning sickness and I don't really ever want to go through it again, but that being said, the end result was a good one.
I don't think anyone is prepared for what a baby brings...but God has blessed Drew and I tremendously with the most amazing daughter. While I still have my struggles with being a mom (no more spontaneous dinner dates), I feel extraordinarily blessed that God deemed me capable enough to raise Naomi. She sleeps 12 hours every night and smiles constantly. She lets me kiss her whenever I want and only has eyes for me (no other baby has even come close to this). It's an amazing feeling.
So to that group of women in India...thank you for knowing something I didn't...but next time, please pray for me to win the lotto so I can pay for Naomi's college, because after-all, it's because of you that I even have to think about college tuition right now!
