In the Beginning

We always knew we wanted to have children.  When we got married in 2010, we were 25 and 22 years old.  Since we were young we enjoyed the freedom to pursue career goals (earning a Master's degree, becoming a manager), enjoy being married, and increase our savings before trying to get pregnant.  We did add Mia to our family in 2012 and she was an excellent first baby.  

In the spring of 2012 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.  At the time, I knew that it was a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease but did not fully understand the impact it could have on our future - especially related to our ability to create a family.  Within a few months of diagnosis I was in remission and back to my normal activities, controlling my symptoms with oral medicine.

So we kept working, saving, and dreaming about "someday" when we would have a baby to love forever.  In the fall of 2014, after I graduated with my Master's degree, we decided we were ready for "someday" to arrive.  And soon I was pregnant!  Unfortunately, that pregnancy ended in early miscarriage.  We were heartbroken, but optimistic that we could try again soon.  However, soon after the miscarriage, I began to have a UC flare that worsened over several weeks.  I ended up spending almost 3 weeks in the hospital and starting infusions to treat my UC symptoms.  It took a few months to feel like I was back in remission and in control of my body.  At this point, I still didn't consider UC to be an influincing factor in our family's story.  

Finally, in June of 2015 we discovered we were expecting again!  I was surprised, but thrilled (and a little wary because of our previous experience).  Fortunately, I had summer break to relax, rest, and make lots of lists related to baby prep.  And by the start of the 2015-2016 school year I was in my second trimester and could share the good news with everyone.  We were expecting a baby in February of 2016!