1. Wow! That Was Fast! (also in the variation, "You didn't waste any time, did you?")
Yes, that was fast. According to our doctor's estimation, we "wasted" about two weeks.
We did have birth control measures in place, but only planned on using them for a few months. We were excited to begin having children- we just wanted to avoid moving while pregnant in the event that Dave does find a job soon (on which we welcome your prayers.) So we weren't exactly disappointed to learn of this little miracle.
In addition to this, Dave had asked friends to pray during the engagement that God would give them a legacy of many children and generations after them who loved and feared God. While we were trying to control things and sort of delay that blessing, we do see the pregnancy as an act of God answering prayer. This does encourage us with the thought of what the Lord may do through our children. We are now praying that God will answer our prayers fully and cause this child to love Him greatly.
2. How Is Emily?
Emily is, for the most part, well. We have our fill of the regular sickness, but nothing is out of the ordinary. We also welcome your prayers on Emily's health and a safe pregnancy.
3. Do You Want a Boy or Girl?
Emily has no real preference for either, and we both agree that we want sons and daughters. Dave also notes, "I would like to have a boy first, so that I could teach him how to protect his younger bothers and sisters, but I would also rather have a little version of Emily running around than a little version of me." So we really don't care, as long as we get some of each.
3.5 Do You Want to Know Which it Is?
Yes. As Soon As Possible.
4. Have You Picked Out Any Names?
We have a few in mind, but nothing concrete. There are also many good names in each of our families. Our goal is to pick a name that we both like to say, has strong meaning, and has good cultural associations. Dave believes that his job is to name them something strong and then cause that name to come true for them. He recalls his own parents naming him David and then treating him as their beloved (the meaning of David) son.
We aren't sure, but we are thinking of keeping the name a secret and then naming the baby officially after it is born. This may sound strange, but we are one of the few cultures that doesn't do this. Then again, we're also one of the few cultures who considers knowing the gender beforehand to be a real possibility.
5. Are you Excited?
Yes!
6. How Did You Find Out? Tell Me the Story!
In early November, we thought something may be up, so we took a test. It showed negative, so we thought little of the signs we were seeing. After a little research, we learned that the signs we saw could be explained easily by all the lifestyle changes we had recently undergone, so a week later we decided that we would take the second test (they come in twos) the next day to make sure.
The next morning we took the test and Emily went to fix breakfast while Dave stood in the bathroom to watch for the results. Dave was speechless when Emily came back, so she looked. Sure enough, it was positive. There is nothing in the world with which to compare that moment.
Still confused (the information we had gathered had really convinced us we were not pregnant) we decided to go to the doctor for a real test. Dave left a message at the seminary clinic, which was due to open in an hour, and sat down to read while Emily showered. While she was showering, he got the bright idea to run to the store and get her flowers.
While at the flower aisle in the Kroger, he got a call from the clinic, telling him that home pregnancy tests are just as accurate as the ones at the Doctor's Office, and that there are never false positives. They talked a bit about what to do and who to call, and then hung up. He doesn't remember how he responded when an unaware Kroger employee immediately asked him how he was doing.
After stocking up on flowers and pre-natal vitamins, he went home, gave her the flowers, and told her. We cried and prayed together for a while, and then began making doctor's appointments. We told our parents and some very close friends, and asked them not to tell anyone until we went to the doctor one time. Then Dave revealed to Emily that he had also secured the night off work and was taking her into Morton's for dinner.
7. What was the Sonogram like?
It was like nothing else in the world. You can see its little arms wiggle just like a baby's and hear its heart chug along like a railroad engine. It helped us understand why Pro-Like groups try to give free sonograms to women- you would have to be very hard hearted to call it a parasite or anything non-human after seeing it. We just saw it yesterday and it was definitely a life-changing day.
-----------
We hope you can share in our joy while walking through this with us. We may have all the financial glory of an out-of-work Preacher working as a waiter, but we feel like the richest people in the world. God has been very, very good to us.
In addition to this, Dave had asked friends to pray during the engagement that God would give them a legacy of many children and generations after them who loved and feared God. While we were trying to control things and sort of delay that blessing, we do see the pregnancy as an act of God answering prayer. This does encourage us with the thought of what the Lord may do through our children. We are now praying that God will answer our prayers fully and cause this child to love Him greatly.
2. How Is Emily?
Emily is, for the most part, well. We have our fill of the regular sickness, but nothing is out of the ordinary. We also welcome your prayers on Emily's health and a safe pregnancy.
3. Do You Want a Boy or Girl?
Emily has no real preference for either, and we both agree that we want sons and daughters. Dave also notes, "I would like to have a boy first, so that I could teach him how to protect his younger bothers and sisters, but I would also rather have a little version of Emily running around than a little version of me." So we really don't care, as long as we get some of each.
3.5 Do You Want to Know Which it Is?
Yes. As Soon As Possible.
4. Have You Picked Out Any Names?
We have a few in mind, but nothing concrete. There are also many good names in each of our families. Our goal is to pick a name that we both like to say, has strong meaning, and has good cultural associations. Dave believes that his job is to name them something strong and then cause that name to come true for them. He recalls his own parents naming him David and then treating him as their beloved (the meaning of David) son.
We aren't sure, but we are thinking of keeping the name a secret and then naming the baby officially after it is born. This may sound strange, but we are one of the few cultures that doesn't do this. Then again, we're also one of the few cultures who considers knowing the gender beforehand to be a real possibility.
5. Are you Excited?
Yes!
6. How Did You Find Out? Tell Me the Story!
In early November, we thought something may be up, so we took a test. It showed negative, so we thought little of the signs we were seeing. After a little research, we learned that the signs we saw could be explained easily by all the lifestyle changes we had recently undergone, so a week later we decided that we would take the second test (they come in twos) the next day to make sure.
The next morning we took the test and Emily went to fix breakfast while Dave stood in the bathroom to watch for the results. Dave was speechless when Emily came back, so she looked. Sure enough, it was positive. There is nothing in the world with which to compare that moment.
Still confused (the information we had gathered had really convinced us we were not pregnant) we decided to go to the doctor for a real test. Dave left a message at the seminary clinic, which was due to open in an hour, and sat down to read while Emily showered. While she was showering, he got the bright idea to run to the store and get her flowers.
While at the flower aisle in the Kroger, he got a call from the clinic, telling him that home pregnancy tests are just as accurate as the ones at the Doctor's Office, and that there are never false positives. They talked a bit about what to do and who to call, and then hung up. He doesn't remember how he responded when an unaware Kroger employee immediately asked him how he was doing.
After stocking up on flowers and pre-natal vitamins, he went home, gave her the flowers, and told her. We cried and prayed together for a while, and then began making doctor's appointments. We told our parents and some very close friends, and asked them not to tell anyone until we went to the doctor one time. Then Dave revealed to Emily that he had also secured the night off work and was taking her into Morton's for dinner.
7. What was the Sonogram like?
It was like nothing else in the world. You can see its little arms wiggle just like a baby's and hear its heart chug along like a railroad engine. It helped us understand why Pro-Like groups try to give free sonograms to women- you would have to be very hard hearted to call it a parasite or anything non-human after seeing it. We just saw it yesterday and it was definitely a life-changing day.
-----------
We hope you can share in our joy while walking through this with us. We may have all the financial glory of an out-of-work Preacher working as a waiter, but we feel like the richest people in the world. God has been very, very good to us.
