Chosen.

Chosen adjective

1. 1.

   having been selected as the best or most appropriate.

When googling the definition of the word chosen, the words "selected as the best" really settled in my soul. Jason and I have been "selected as the best" parents for the child we have been waiting on for so long. What an honor it is to be chosen. Our hearts are overflowing with excitement, gratefulness, humbleness, and love. We will forever cherish this moment in our lives when we got "the call" to be parents.

As many of you know, Jason and I have had a whirlwind of a year. About this time last year, we were doing IVF treatments and preparing for the IVF procedure. A year ago tomorrow, we were going in for egg retrieval. On December 14th , 2012 we found out the IVF procedure did not work and we were not pregnant. Although disappointing, a peace flooded my heart, and I knew God was calling us to adoption.

We started talking with Bethany Christian Agency in January and from there, we were approved as a waiting family in June of this year. In this past year, we raised all the funds necessary for our adoption, got a nursery ready, and have been waiting for "the call" ever since.

We got the call October 12, 2013. However, it wasn't a telephone call. It wasn't an email. God revealed to me that morning (while Jason was at a mud run in Columbia) that I was in fact pregnant. Yes, I said the "P" word. God called us to be biological parents to a little baby growing inside me.

How do I put into words how I felt at that moment? Excited, nervous, apprehensive, worried, scared, disbelief, etc. The list goes on. After trying to have a baby on our own for so long, seeking the best medical help we could find, and applying for adoption, the Lord decided to give us a baby. We never thought in a million years this would be the way He would do this. Some say, "See, you just needed to relax and it would happen." Or "I told you once you start the adoption process, you'll get pregnant." These are all things that people may say to us (with all the best intentions). But that's not it at all. God has known since I was formed in my mother's womb what this life would hold. He didn't just decide to allow us to get pregnant because we did all the right things. He's known since day one. All praise be to God for the miracle that is growing inside my womb. Because this is TRULY a miracle if I've ever seen or experienced one.

So, I know you're shocked. So were we. We're still blown away. So, here's a bit of info! We are exactly 12 weeks pregnant today (the baby is actually measuring 12 weeks 2 days). I haven't had any morning sickness (praise the Lord). I still get up and go to the gym with Jason each morning. We went to the doctor at 8 weeks and heard the heartbeat for the first time (172 bpm). I definitely shed a tear or two. We went back for our 12 week appointment today and heard the heartbeat again (160 bpm). Because I haven't had any symptoms, I REALLY wanted to hear that heartbeat. Not having a big belly yet, not really feeling pregnant (no symptoms), and not being able to feel the baby move made me question how everything was going in there. But, I was relieved to see our sweet baby today just moving all around, turning upside down, and moving it's arms, hands, legs, and feet. We will go back for our 16 week appointment the day after Christmas, and at that time will find out the sex of our baby. What a Christmas gift! It's truly all I want!

For all of you who are reading this and have continually prayed for us, THANK YOU. Those two simple words cannot convey the love we have for you. We know God heard your prayers for us. Prayer is so powerful, and we know all your prayers have had an impact on where we find ourselves today. We truly thank you all for all the love and support during this whirlwind of a year.

So, what about the adoption? Good question. We wanted to wait until our 12 week appointment to call and let Bethany know. So, we will do that this week. Basically, we will be put on hold until we want to continue. And trust me, we still feel the call to adopt. And we will adopt. We know the Lord will reveal to us the right time and way for this to happen in the future.

Please keep praying for us and our baby. We have always coveted your prayers and we ask that you continue to pray for a healthy pregnancy and for our baby to grow big and strong. Here's a few pictures we've taken so far in documentation of the pregnancy:

This is how I told Jason. He came home from the mud run and this picture was the first thing he saw when he opened his iPad.

This is the first photo of our baby at 8 weeks. We were able to see the heartbeat and 4 limbs.

 This is another photo at 8 weeks. This shows the baby was 1.72 cm long.

 Here is our baby today at 12 weeks. What a difference. Great photo of the legs.

 Here's the heart rate today at 160bpm.

Here you can see the cute little profile. 

What a blessing this is to share this news with all our friends and family. Since the blog has been where everything has been shared, we thought it was appropriate to share our great news with you in this way too!

With love,

Katie and Jason