The Background: A Precursor to Madeline’s Birth Story
2016-2017 was an insane time for the Storm family. We started 2016 living in our home just outside of DC. We had wanted to be close to my family in New Jersey but didn’t think it was a possibility because of my husband’s career in DC. But, sometimes things work out! He thankfully got an okay for him to work mostly from home so we put our house up for sale, sold it, and started the process of relocating to New Jersey in May. We were so sad to leave this home that we started our family in. It was the first house we brought our children back to and filled with so many memories of them learning to walk, eating their first real food, starting potty-training, holding our first family holiday parties and so many more memories than I can honestly count. But, we knew that life was leading us in a different direction and with the blessing from my husbands company, we followed it.
When we initially bought this house outside of DC in 2013, we bought it quickly. The market was crazy and it felt like every house we found was sold by the time we got back in the car. We didn’t spend a lot of time looking around because of this and it is something that always irked my husband. So, this time around, we knew we were going to spend a LOT of time looking. I knew the area of NJ we were heading to, because I’d spent most of my high school years there, but I knew my husband wanted to really think about this next big purchase for the Storm family. The solution: storage units for all of our stuff and then move in with my parents! I figured it would be a terrible decision or great decision (it was great, they’re awesome).
We were about a week or two into this arrangement when Matt’s job delivered some unfortunate news. They needed
him down by DC, in person, and working 12 hour shifts straight through the night. What can you do? He cared about his job and this company, it was never even a question. So, every other week we would pack up as a family of 4, my parents would watch our dogs, we would travel down to DC, and basically live in hotels there. It wasn’t easy with two young ones under two, but we made the best of it, as we always try and do, and focused on all the fun the kids could have.
Life had just started to settle down again, we were in NJ more, but then Matt got some more news, this time on the Air Force front. Now, he was going to have to be on military orders in Delaware. By now, we were ready for our own space, but all the craziness of these jobs had really put a damper on our house search. The house next to my parents went up for sale, and we were able to move in and rent it. This gave us the space we needed and the support that we were very grateful for with having my parents next door.
In the summer of 2016, I convinced my husband that maybe we should try for our 3rd. I wanted to try for my girl! Something felt right about this time right now. Before we started trying I knew that I had to be okay if we ended up with another boy, and I was. Three boys would be fun. So, once I knew that I was in the right headspace for another pregnancy, I went off the depo shot (definitely not my favorite of the methods I’ve tried) and we started trying. If you ask him he’ll say we weren’t ‘trying’ but we pulled the goalie, so yes, we were trying.
Only, this time it didn’t happen right away. Because we never officially announced to anyone that we were trying, and not getting pregnant, I was in a weird place. Even with my husband, since in his head we weren't 'trying' I had no real concerns I could raise to him. Plus, I had people in my life who were truly having difficult and heart wrenching obstacles with fertility so mine didn’t feel noteworthy. But, after getting pregnant ON birth control with Isaac, on the first try with Logan, and now having a month after month go by with no need for a pregnancy test, even though I’d still take them, I felt a tinge of concern. Maybe Isaac and Logan where just lucky pregnancies? Maybe I was only meant to have two? Maybe something was truly wrong with my body now and I couldn’t have any more?
In December of 2016 I got some unusual blood work back that hinted that my thyroid was off. I quickly learned that you probably won’t get pregnant if your thyroid is even just barely off. This made sense since I had been running almost 6 miles daily and not loosing weight. They put me on medications for my hypothyroid in January 2017. By February I just had a feeling I was pregnant. I would literally take a pregnancy test every single day January-February. My husband and I went out to celebrate an early Valentine’s day, and I just knew this was going to be our last date night out for a while.
The next morning my happy little pregnancy test came back positive! I knew it! I was over the moon. We told my parents right away and it was so fun to call and tell them. It was still early, but I knew I wanted to announce early. I’ll answer why in another blog entry, but the short version is that it was just so important for me at the time for everyone to know that I had a beautiful life growing inside me, even if that later meant sharing devastating news (which thankfully we didn’t have to). This little baby mattered, existed, and their life had meaning even in the beginning stages. We announced to large portion of our extended family at our son’s joint birthday party the next month, and then waited for our 7-week ultrasound to announce to the social media world.
We captioned the announcement “What’s one more?” but in reality, that one more was everything to me. We did a silly and cute announcement in our eyes, but now, after seeing peoples true struggles, I recognize how insensitive this could have been taken. That ‘one more’ means everything. Life without our ‘one more’ would not be as full and beautiful and I am so thankful we were able to have that 'one more'.
At our 13-week ultrasound my husband and I went with our two sons. The tech looked at me and asked me if I wanted to know. Know what? My excitement could barely be contained. I envy couples that can wait to find out the sex. I can't. I am not wired that way. I am a planner. I have nursery colors to plan, names to pick, and things to monogram. I said, "Yes! Of course!" She told us it was a girl! I was in disbelief. I asked her again if she was sure. She responded by first looking at our sons, looked back at me, and told me she wasn't going to lie to me like that. I kept questioning her because I just couldn't fathom it, to the point where she asked me if I had a mic on me.
I was so excited! We ran straight to Target so that I could get supplies for our cute announcement board. And, we finally got to share the news with everyone that the Storm house was finally going to get our precious girl.
If I've learned anything, it's to be happy in all of your moments. Even the hard ones. Life has continued to deal us unique situations, one after the other, but our family is resilient. No matter where life keeps taking us, we have each other and that is truly all we need and all that matters.
My next blog post is going to be Madeline's pregnancy and birth story: You're not in Labor... This one is hard for me to share. It brought my husband and I closer for many different reasons, mostly because it's the most vulnerable I've ever had to be in front of him.
