-- WE --
Tied the knot on 17 May 2012 in the Washington DC LDS Temple and are enjoying the newlywed life. Since getting married we've lived in Virginia, Connecticut, South Carolina, and now Washington state. The PNW is a new experience for us east coast kids, but we're loving every bit of it here. We love Vietnamese food, finding unique restaurants, music, taking day trips, serious cooking, DIY-ing, up cycling thrift store finds, day dreaming about running away to Europe, a clean kitchen, visiting art museums, being outdoors, learning new uses for vinegar, dachshunds, and generally enjoying life.
We began trying to conceive in May 2012. In December 2012, I started diagnostic tests and appointments (earlier than most people concerned with infertility do) based on the understanding that I had Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome, which could affect fertility. I received a referral to a fertility specialist who, after running more tests, concluded that I in fact did not have PCOS. I've been diagnosed with a mild Bicornuate Uterus as well, which was repaired in early March 2013. After several labs and ultrasounds, my diagnosis was unexplained infertility. In April 2013 we began to move forward with medications and injections, and actually found out at the end of April that the treatments were successful. However at six weeks (early May), we lost the baby, and I had a D&C a week later. We took a (some-what forced) break because of some training Joey had over the summer in New England, with the goal to start treatments again when we returned in the fall. However, after an appointment with our infertility specialist during which he told me he was unwilling to treat me, we found out in September that we had conceived on our own anyways. We feel that Preseed played a very major role in making this happen. You can read more about that story here, and our infertility experience here. For the most part the majority of the pregnancy went well until I developed preeclampsia at 35 weeks, just a week after we moved from South Carolina to Washington. Baby boy and I held on as long as we could but the preeclampsia became too severe and I was induced at 38 weeks. Labor and delivery was difficult but our sweet Curran Joseph made it through and has been such a joy to have in our family. His birth story is here.
Together we've learned about the procedures, practices, acronyms, and costs associated with infertility, as well as the trial and heartache. Though it was difficult and we didn't always succeed, we tried our best to hold on to our faith, wait for our miracle, and look for the blessings around us in the mean time. Then we learned about coping with the challenges that come with being pregnant after infertility, and continued to advocate for and strengthen those who still struggle with infertility. Now we're in that marathon called parenting and while its a challenge sometimes, we're loving every minute of it and adapting to the many changes parenthood brings.
Want to Send Us Some Love?
contact us at [meg.fleshman@gmail.com]
