Northeast Bloggers Network: Blog of the Week: Some of the Best Things in Life are mistakes

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Blog of the Week: Some of the Best Things in Life are mistakes

This week's blogger of the week is Amy who write over at the blog Some of the Best Things in Life Are Mistakes! Meet Amy:

I am a 38 year old stay at home mom and part time blogger. I was a teacher for 12 years and have spent the last 3 school years home with my children. I met my husband Aaron when we were in high school back in 1990. I was assigned to tutor him in Geometry and the rest is history! Years later, We got married in St. Lucia on the beach! I have three beautiful children. My daughter Sydney is 8, my son Lucas is 2 and my baby girl Ella is 1year old. I am a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in May 2012. I had surgery and radiation treatments and I am currently cancer free!

Wondering about Amy's blog title? Here's the story behind it:

My sweet Ella Grace is the reason why I gave my blog the title, "Some of the Best Things in Life are Mistakes." Getting pregnant with Ella was a mistake. I know some of you cringed when you read that, but it is true. She wasn't planned and was a complete and total surprise, a shocker!! She was the best mistake I ever made!!

Some people have "ooops" pregnancies or unplanned pregnancies but my pregnancy with Ella was nothing short of a miracle. After having my son Lucas, I had a tube tying procedure as a permanent form of birth control. It was advertised as being 99.9% effective. Well, we were the .1%. The procedure failed.

I had difficult pregnancies. No, difficult isn't a strong enough word- atrocious, terrible, horrendous. I had a condition called Hyperemesis Graviderum. It is very rare and most people haven't heard of it until recently when Princess Kate was diagnosed with it. It is a severe form of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. I lost 20% of my body weight and fought dehydration the entire time. I was in and out of the hospital dozens of times during my pregnancies. So after having Lucas we decided that I would have my tubes tied. My body could not go through that again.

God had other plans. Needless to say, I was in shock when I discovered that I was pregnant 7 months after having my tubes tied. My son Lucas was just 9 months old. I was depressed as well as shocked. I cried for days. I could not imagine being pregnant again so soon after having my son. How would I take care of a baby while vomiting all day. In my misery, I prayed for a miscarriage. I didn't know what to do.

God was in control! I trusted Him and the pregnancy continued. My husband Aaron was so supportive and knew that this baby was a blessing. It was more difficult than the other two pregnancies. I lost so much weight that my baby stopped gaining weight. The doctors decided to induce her at 36 weeks so that she would have a chance to grow.

Ella Grace was such a sweet little baby. She was a peanut leaving the hospital at just 5 pounds. I looked at her and knew that every bit of the suffering was worth it. The mistake was a blessing.

Little did I know holding that little baby that she would save my life. I did not know that I had breast cancer. I was 37 years old and had no breast cancer in my family history but I had breast cancer. At this young age, I would not have had a mammogram for many years and I would not have had another breast exam for at least a year. Six weeks after having Ella I went to my OBGYN for my postpartum checkup and the lump was discovered. It was discovered that early because of Ella!

The cancer was removed, a full hysterectomy performed and radiation administered. I am cancer free. The Lord knew back in the Summer of 2011 when I got pregnant that this baby would save my life. I spent that summer wondering why the Lord would allow me to be pregnant and it took a year but the Lord answered me loud and clear. I learned that I need to trust God in all situations no matter how difficult they may be. Ella is a constant reminder that God loves us and that He is in control.