"...the riches of God's Grace He lavished upon us"

So by now, maybe you have figured it out. Don’t make me spell it out for you…

Okay… well… I will anyway, just b/c I LOVE SAYING IT.

I A.M. P.R.E.G.N.A.N.T. !!!

We had to wait until November 3rd to really spill the beans b/c we wanted to be able to tell at least ONE family member in person. CHRIS’ DAD is HERE!! And Ms. Jenny too, she’s like family. They arrived last night.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUTCH! J Seriously. His b-day is on the 4^th. But we couldn’t wait that long to hand him the ultrasound pics of his newest grandbaby! CT gave him the “folder” with our pictures in it and asked him if he could help us figure out why I had been so sick. He thought I had a tumor at first, poor guy. I think he looked at the pic of my ovaries first. Then he got SO excited. I think he was also just really glad that there wasn’t anything seriously wrong with me. I think we all hugged like 8 times each. It was SO GREAT getting to tell a family member in person.

So I wanted to tell you the whole story, for those who care. WARNING: THIS IS REALLY REALLY LONG, but I cannot help it. I want to record it all! Here goes:

I went on a church retreat the weekend of the Oct 16^th. It was an awesome time learning more about Nehemiah, however, I brought back with me a stomach “bug” of sorts. Over 22 people got this “bug” which consisted of diarrhea and for me a side of nausea and serious fatigue. I was averaging 2 naps a day. This is a girl who does not allow herself to nap (except on the Sabbath of course). I feel like all I accomplished that whole week was all The Price Is Right episodes got watched along with the episodes of Modern Family Graig and Sara sent over. Finished all of them. This too, comes from a girl who DOES NOT watch TV. We have a TV but I’m not sure why b/c we don’t have cable and IF we watch a movie it’s on the computer or big screen. I was very glad that we sprung and bought The Best of Price is Right for $2 when some friends were leaving.

Okay, back on track- feeling yuck. Right. I thought, “If I could just throw up I would feel better.” But I never did. Friday I told Chris “I wonder if I could be pregnant. He sort of ignored that. He wasn’t interested in entertaining the thought. So I told him to stop in Karen and I would go by the Chemist (aka Pharmacy). CT went to check the mail. I got my 2 tests for 40ksh (yea- 2 tests for 50¢!) I went into the nearby restaurant to use their bathroom. Well, I guess in my zeal I TOTALLY over-dipped my stick. So, of course, it was invalid… just a big blur. Darn. Wasted a quarter! I was disappointed, and apparently thought nothing of it. B/c I didn’t take the 2^nd one. I thought, “I’ll just wait and take this other one in a few days” rather than wasting another quarter. Haha. I really DIDN’T think it would ever actually be positive.

Friday night we had a storm and our power went out so some friends that live close by called and said “We’re coming to get you since we can’t make dinner.” We gladly took them up on the offer. So here we were 3 couples sitting around shooting the breeze at my favorite pizza place; girls at one end, boys at the other. They ask about my “stomach bug” so of course I go into the whole thing…with details…again. What? I’m a nurse. My friend Sandra said “You said you were a few days late, so how many days is that?” I said “20”. She yells out “WHAT??” It felt like the whole restaurant heard her and got quiet- I KNOW I turned 3 shades of red. All our men stopped in mid convo and were looking at us. I begged them to carry on and NOT ask questions. She told me to take the other one in the morning and she would call me. “Oh Sandra, don’t be so silly.”

The next morning I woke up and rolled around a bit then went to take my test. I thought, “let me just get this over with, have another good cry and move on with life.” I dipped according to the directions this time and immediately it was 2 stripes! What?? I’ve never had 2 stripes!!!! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER! So I went and basically waved my urine in Chris’ face waking him up saying “I’ve never had 2 stripes. Does it REALLY have 2 stripes?” I think I starred at it forever. Chris just said “ hmmm, well lets wait to get excited until we go to the doctor at 9:30. Fooey. Could I wait an hour and a half? And why do you have to be a stick in the mud? BUT IT’s 2 STRIPES!! (Oh right… b/c you can’t take any more disappointment. Poor fella. He’s so precious. I think he was trying to guard both our hearts. But it was a bit late. I was already making banana, walnut, cinnamon pancakes dancing around the kitchen listening to Jack Johnson sing about Banana Pancakes)

That morning while I was still in bed I rolled over and grabbed my bible in hopes for just a quick encouragement of some sort. I went back to an old routine I once had. Read Old Testiment and New Testiment. So I read a chapter of something I had been reading in OT. Then I flipped to the NT not knowing what I wanted to read. Well I flipped right to Luke 1:37. I had some of my favorite words of Mary’s underlined so my eyes went to that corner of the page. The words carried over from the previous page and this is EXACTLY what it read on the page "who was called barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God." ³⁸And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Tell me that isn’t straight from the Holy Spirit! I just REALLY LOVE JESUS."

After having a delicious breakfast we left for the doctor just down the road at Karen Surgery. They drew blood and did a test for my “tummy issue”. The French MD seemed quite excited about the 2 little lines. But what she thought would be a 2-hour blood test was actually going to be Monday! CT and I decided we COULD NOT wait that long. So we asked where we could go and know something within 2 hours. The lab MD from the tropical med. place showed up to collect specimens and was very helpful. She called the lab at NBO hospital. She gave me directions, and even told me how much it would be. We drove downtown to turn in our specimen. Then, in order to kill time, we went to see a movie: “Wallstreet” was the only thing playing. I knew we would get a call during the movie so I held the phone in my hand the whole time. Finally, the doctor called and I ran out of the theatre barefooted. She said, “You are very pregnant. Your HCG levels were nice and high!” I tried to contain my excitement and wipe the joy off my face, but it was IMPOSSIBLE. I wanted to go back in with a calm stoic face until I got up right next to Chris. Yea right! I came in grinning and CT was searching for my facial expression in the dark. It was all we could do during this serious part of the movie not to squeal like little school girls. We just held hands looking at each other crying and squeezing our hands tighter and tighter. OH MERCY!! It was SUCH AN AMAZING FEELING!!

That night we were invited to a Bri (aka cookout) at Sandra and Jonathan’s house with Su and Mark. So, same couples as the night before but we swore ourselves to secrecy until we told family. I kept telling Chris “Don’t leave me alone with them. PLEASE. I’m a terrible lyer”. Fortunately they asked very casually b/c they knew our history and were trying to be sensitive to it. So I just said I wouldn’t get all my blood work and stuff back until Monday or Tuesday, which wasn’t a lie at all! After an amazing meal we were just chatting and getting ready to pray. My brother calls CT’s phone! CT answers “Why are you calling me right now?” Which our friends thought was a hilarious way to answer the phone. Well apparently Matt was just thinking about us and praying for us so he called. J Love him. Shortly after that we headed home to skype my parents and everyone at the Rollins’ Reunion at my parents house. The internet was not at it’s best that night so it was difficult. Plus there was a lot of background noise so we were getting quite frustrated. Finally, I said “I don’t mean to be rude, but Mom and Dad please take the computer downstairs and shut the door.” They knew something was up so they obeyed immediately. We told them and of course they FLIPPED. Cry fest again.

Next stop, skype Matt and Beth; Apryle and Felix; Luke and Jessica- More cry fests! I think CT cried every time we told someone… as for me… I just got a terrible headache from smiling SO MUCH!

Sunday Morning.

We were beaming to say the least. We told a select few before the service. I went straight for 2 ladies that had prayed for me a few weeks ago after I expressed my passionate desire to have quality quiet times after such a disappointment. Sandra had prayed over me and for me many times. I still struggled. I wanted that quiet time I used to have. Before August 27th I would get up and “do” my quiet time, but my eyes wandered over the words and my prayers were half hearted at best. I would say “You are more than enough” but I wanted to MEAN it again. So I knew I needed more prayer b/c I was still struggling. I just told them a bit about what was going on and simply said “I don’t know how NOT to be sad.” I KNOW the Spirit was there that day. I at least felt my load was a little lighter. So I had to go back to these 2 ladies and tell them. They both began crying and one of them said through her tears “I had a vision! I had a vision of someone cutting an umbilical cord! But I just couldn’t tell you that.” I’m kinda glad she didn’t. AMAZING huh?!! WOW- GOD IS AMAZING! Okay- so we bawled ALL through worship. I was doing the shacking cry. Maybe people thought we had some serious spiritual warfare going on or something. We did not care. Can you blame us? We were singing “It is well with my soul” which I can remember making myself sing my first Sunday after finding out about Rwanda closing. This is a very special song to me any way. I can also remember singing it at my Paw Paw’s funeral. Then we sang, “How Great is our God.” At which point I just buried my head in my husbands chest who’s hand was up with tears just streaming. Oh… I’m getting emotional all over again. You guys… this is just SUCH A MIRACLE!

Our pastor has been teaching out of Luke. This day he was in Luke 5- where the faith of 4 friends heals a paralytic man. They were interceding for this man. We don’t know whether the paralytic man had faith or not, but it was his friends’ faith that healed him. We truly believe that it was the faith of our friends that healed my womb along with God’s incredible mercy, grace, and perfect timing. It was our precious friends who interceded for us when I struggled utter simple prayers. It was their faith that shown when ours was barely visible. Trust us, we feel like the least deserving people of this gift, b/c of the way we stomped our feet and pouted.

Monday.

Went back to Karen Surgery so she could order me a Ultrasound at MP Shah Hosp. She wanted this since we had never gotten pregnant and it took us SO long. She smiled at me in her office and said “Nature is a funny thing, huh?” I told her to “take a hike” in French! Nature my tail! God is just Good and merciful and his timing is perfect, lady! There is No denying it!

I waited around the house twiddling my thumbs until CT was done with his meeting so we could go. My mom was flooding my inbox with “call me as soon as you finish with your scan!” Cute little Grammy. I locked myself in my room trying hard not to smell Zippy cooking the dog food b/c it was making me gag. Finally CT called and I was on my way to meet him and poor Justin who has just been going with the flow. We’ve been dragging him all over NBO to hospitals and labs and ultrasounds. Hahaha. I was told to go with a full bladder and boy did i. I was about the pop when I went in the room. I was SOOOOOO FLIPPIN’ ANXIOUS TOO!!! They lubed up my belly and looked around. I didn’t see anything at first and neither did she. I think my heart skipped 10 beats. Then… there it was!! That little stomach bug!! I’ve never been so thrilled in all my life to see a dot in a circle! SO AMAZING. I looked over at CT and he’s looking hard for it something. Then she says “This is the baby and it looks good. It’s size is good!” Beginning to cry at this point. So is CT. THEN she changed the screen. Some waves appear and a lub dub. “This is the baby’s heartbeat and it’s good”. SOBBING so hard at this point trying to keep my belly from shaking. We.. okay I could even see the valves of the heart moving in the little dot!!! The lady said “Have you been feeling okay? Have you been having any pain or problems”.

“No, Mam. We’ve just waited a really long time for this.”

The doctor came in a minute later and said everything looks really good and there is just one baby. That’s fine with me. That’s one more than we’ve had the past 6 years.

Oh mercy- I am still on cloud 9. Every time I think of that ultrasound I just can’t help but cry. It’s just such a miracle.

Some of you may think we are silly for telling people so early on, but we have to share this and rejoice in this blessing! However long we have this baby- it’s no less an amazing miracle! People need to know that God is still in the business of miracles! He opened my womb after over 5 years!

So- heres to my new blog: About our little “bug” that we have prayed for for over 5 years. We cannot wait to meet you around June 10th!!