Our NOT TTC story

Well since Ben and I ever discussed the possibility of marriage we knew we wanted to have kids. I always said I'd like at least 3 (coming from a small family of 2) and he wanted no more than 2 (coming from a family of 5). I figured we'd decide when we got there. We had also planned to not start having kids until Ben was done with school. So as most couple's do we figured I'd get on the pill and we'd be fine. We always knew there was a chance of getting pregnant on it and we figured it that was God's plan then fine. Lucky for me I did not get really sick on it like alot of people and could tolerate the extra moodiness, breakouts, and low sex drive in order to not get pregnant.

WELL....Obviously God had other plans and I am SO thankful for that.

It all started in October 2008 when I felt like the Holy Spirit was asking me about the areas of my life that I don't trust fully to God. I felt like He distinctly said, "You want to trust me in all areas of your life, why not your fertility and having kids?"

I was like "whoa...I'd never thought of it that way" Thus began my spiritual journey to discover what God said about having kids, the purpose od kids, and also preventing it. I also learned some startling things about the birth control pill from Randy Alcorn that I was not comfortable with at all.

I knew with all this information I found and the things God was teaching me I needed to talk to Ben about it. To tell you the truth I was SCARED TO DEATH to tell him. So I prayed, gathered my well organized notes and was prepared for the battle that lay ahead.

He didn't take it well at first. He thought it was a ploy for me to try and get pregnant...which it of course was not.

I told him what God had taught me about trusting Him in every area of my life including this. And also that I believed God wouldn't give us something we couldn't handle.

I asked Ben to join with me in prayer for a week about it and then we would decide.

I know God did a great work in his heart because after just a few days and some more conversations he agreed to let me stop taking the birth control pill and use the Fertility Awareness method.

This method is a combo of taking your temperature, cervical position, and cervical mucous. It's used especially for people TTC. But others use it to prevent as well. And even though we were trying to trust, not prevent, we felt it was okay to know when my cycles were and obstain or use protection during that time.

So I bought myself a basal thermometor and off we went.

It takes time getting used to all this temping and such, but the nice thing is you know exactly when you ovulate based on a temperature shift. I figured that coming off the pill I might not ovulate for a few months...

Well, my regular cycles before the pill went right back after the pill. I ovulated the first month off the pill. I couldn't believe it! Then I started freaking out...We had a little slip up a few days before that and if sperm stay alive up to 5 days...uh oh...I could get pregnant!

So a week went by and I eventually calmed down but never forgot about it.

I left with Ben's mom to a conference in Dallas fully prepared to get my period while I was there. I had light cramps but nothing came. The first day of the conference I got really dizzy and had to sit down but nothing more than that. I decided to tell my MIL that I hadn't gotten my period yet and also about our decision to stop the pill and all that God was teaching me.

At first I was scared because I wasn't sure if she would support it or think we were crazy since Ben was about to start grad school. She took it well and I completely supportive. She said she had a feeling about it and thought I might be pregnant! I told Ben about it and he said, "Oh you're not...you always skipped your period while on the pill..." I tried to explain to him that you HAVE to start your period after you ovulate but he didn't get it. He did tell me he wanted to be the first one to know if I was pregnant so that meant waiting till I got home to take a test.

So I decided to take the test when I got home which also happened to be my 24th birthday. Ben even went to the store and bought the test for me. It was positive...it took awhile to sink in but we were both so happy and our families were too.

So it's just so amazing to think how God had it all planned out. I am getting closer to my lifelong dream of being a mom and it is happening even sooner than I was expecting!