How it all started

It was more than a year ago that the journey began.  Stephen and I had decided it was time to start a family and although I hoped it wouldn't take long, in the back of my mind I thought it would.  There was a time not that long ago when I didn't want to have children, I didn't even know if I wanted to get married.  I was in college and didn't know where my life was going. I didn't know what I wanted to "be" and I felt like time was running out.  Little did I know how drastically God would change all the things I once thought I wanted and needed in my life.  Although I didn't know what career I wanted for myself, I always thought I would be an independent working woman. 

Stephen and I started dating my sophomore year of college and it didn't take long before I realized I did want to get married and I was no longer ruling having children out. However, I had STRONG convictions that I would not bare my own children. No sir! I wanted to adopt.  Partly because I thought pregnancy and childbirth sounded awful and partially because I had found my soft spot.  Orphaned children broke my heart; I wanted to rescue all of them! And why should I have my own child when there were so many without a mother and father. 

Our Wedding Day

Fast forward a few years to October 17, 2009...my wedding day! Stephen and I got married and got a dog (the day we came home from our honeymoon). To me, Greta was all the child I needed and could handle. Those of you that know her know what I mean.  She's a HOT MESS! Seriously, she's so spoiled and crazy but I love her to death. And I know I am to blame for her craziness because I treated her like my baby.  I honestly still thought if someday we decided to have kids, we would adopt but that would be at leas 5 or more years down the road.  Funny how quickly things change. They don't teach you in school about the "baby bug"! After our first anniversary I still felt that children were a long way off but I was having this nagging thought that I wanted my own child now. What? Just two years earlier I didn't want children at all! Then I only wanted to adopt and now I wanted my own? I was in trouble! It was only a few months later that I felt "ready" to have a child.

Greta the day we brought her home

Greta watching TV

After Stephen gave me a VERY hard time about this choice, we thought it was best to wait a little longer before starting a family.  We waited until the following August and decided to start trying to get pregnant.