Wonderful news x 3!!!

**Please read first: I feel safe enough to share my wonderful news on this blog - however - I am not ready to share it w/ everyone else. B/c there is a limited audience that reads this blog, I am trusting each one of you w/ this news. I ask that you do not share this publicly (via Facebook, our family blog, etc.). It is fine to share w/ your spouses... but I ask that you please respect that I only want to share this w/ close friends (that's you!) and family. Feel free to comment via this blog, email, or private Facebook msg.**
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I've been feeling a bit 'off' this week. After feeling sick a few mornings in a row and coming home to pass out on the couch - I thought I should take a pregnancy test. So, on Thursday, June 18th, I took a home test and to our surprise - it came up positive!!!!And the good news doesn't stop there. I had talked to my sister the previous night and told her how I was feeling and that I was planning on taking a test in the morning - she told me to call her as soon as I did. When I called her she asked, "Well, do you want to hear my news first or do you want to tell me yours?" I cut her off to say, "It's positive!!" and then she quickly responded, "So was mine." WOW! We were completely surprised and excited that we found out (at the same time!) that we are BOTH pregnant!

And more good news... Ryan got a job!! He's been looking for 6 long months. For those of you who do not know - after coming back from Africa, Ryan decided to follow his heart and leave his career/job as a Civil Engineer and pursue teaching high school math. It has been a long and grueling process for him, as he has had many interviews w/ no offers. We were so relieved to find out the day after my 'positive' test that he had a full-time teaching job for the fall (at a great school might I add)!

God is sooo good!

But my main focus has been... "I'm pregnant!?" I'm still in shock, awe, surprise, extreme joy, and giddy-ness. I was planning on sharing my struggles in this area soon - but God surprised me before I could (and I'm so thankful He did!). I've disclosed to very few people what a struggle Ryan and I have had in this area. Just a few months ago I was diagnosed w/ Polysystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which causes infertility. I haven't been having periods and was extremely worried that Ryan and I couldn't have kids. We've been ready for kids for awhile now and just went off birth control in January.

I had especially been struggling this past month or so. I was jealous of anyone w/ kids or who had found out they were pregnant. I was even jealous of shows I saw on TV (like 16 and pregnant) and the parents I do visits for at the foster care agency I work at. I had prepared myself for it taking a year or so for us to get pregnant (or longer... to never) and me and Ryan had even begun talking about adoption more.

And now, here we are - pregnant! Can I say that again - WE'RE PREGNANT! Ryan thinks it is odd that I had to take a picture of the test result, but I wanted to b/c sometimes I can't believe it that I need to look at it again and again to remind myself that it's true. I thought the picture would be better (and more sanitary) to keep than the actual test.

I have been walking around in a state of utter shock and pure joy! I have moments when I just laugh out loud and smile and giggle. A few people have caught me doing this at work and have given me the oddest looks! But I can't contain myself - every time I think about God creating life inside ME... I just smile uncontrollably. So, I'm delighted to say that this blog will now be A Mother's Story x 2. Not only do I get the privilege of sharing my mother's story, but I can share mine as well!!

Stay tuned for more updates! =)