Our Introduction Letter

We met in the fall of 2012. We did not quickly become friends but remained acquaintances for many years. Most of our time spent together was in groups with other friends. In 2015 we saw the possibility of a relationship together and went for it. We found that we shared a lot of the same values. We both had a strong desire to get married to someone who loves God and loves others well and raise children to do the same as children are a blessing from God (Psalm 127:3-5). We began dating September third of 2015, were engaged by April 30th of 2016 and married by September third of 2016.

I [Her name] was already thirty when we got married and had been diagnosed with dysmenorrhea when I was a teenager and placed on low dose birth control to help stabilize my symptoms. So we were aware that beginning a family probably would not be straight forward.

I think we thought it would take a few years before we would get pregnant and have kids. After the first year without results I went ahead and had some imaging and blood work done by my ObGYN. She said everything looked good. So they recommended [His name] be evaluated.

I [His name] saw a urologist specializing in infertility. He ran blood work, imaging and a semen analysis. The analysis came back low but not infertile. Our take away from our doctors was that we could look into surgical procedures but it was recommended we just keep trying. During this stage of trying and waiting, [Her name] experienced multiple early miscarriages so we began to pray about IUI or IVF. We had been trying for about three years by this time of serious prayers over which direction to take.

In 2020 we felt ready, mentally, emotionally and financially, to undertake the surgical procedures. [His name] had scrotal surgery to help improve his numbers and the next year [Her name] had a diagnostic laparoscopic surgery which uncovered two ovarian cysts which were known from previous imaging and from them bursting in the past. What was new was that now from endometriosis, diagnosed with the laparoscopic exam her ovaries were covered in a growth called an endometrioma and this was probably preventing proper ovulation.

With these obstructions removed we were given the clear to try conceiving while waiting on our appointment with a fertility specialist to discuss Assisted Reproductive Technologies. In 2022 we went through 1 round of IVF which resulted in three embryos but only two survived by the day of insemination. We had those two inseminated and [Her name] was pregnant! Finally!

It only lasted 3 weeks. Into the third week, We received the bad news that the HCG level was no longer increasing at the rate it needed to and we should prepare for an early miscarriage. Another one. We opted to have a retest done just in case but it was confirmed. And the next week both babies passed. It was the most traumatic thing we went through together because of how much hope there was in what God would do with our faith in Him through this process.

After the miscarriage, we discussed with our fertility doctor all our options again. It was his opinion that we would probably need to do three to five total IVF cycles before getting a viable pregnancy. That was not what we wanted to hear. The good news we were given was [Her name] responded “text book” to the medications and could get pregnant.

The option of embryo adoption came up prior and again peeked our interest. When discussing IVF initially there was the consideration that needed to be made about what to do if we have too many embryos and the need to trust that God would have them intended for the right parents and home. After all, we believe that as much as we love our children and want good things for them, God’s desire and provision is more so (Luke 11:11-13). We feel called and are excited for the opportunity to become the parents to children who are in their own way waiting for the right people to take care of, nurture and raise them up to one day becoming who God intends them to be.