I've always liked the saying "The Lord works in mysterious ways." It is always so true, and I love when I make the realization that God has worked on something.

Mom and I were talking last night about this whole journey last night, so I thought I would share, as some of you may not realize how full circle God has brought me with all this.

I never really wanted to have kids. I didn't hate kids, I just wasn't into them like so many women are. I've always been much more into dogs. I couldn't picture stopping my life for another human being that would depend on me. I wanted to just get married and spend life doing fun things with my husband, and maybe being the "cool aunt" when my brother's and other friends had families.

Almost four years ago, I had to have surgery because I had a severe case of endometriosis. It had messed up my reproductive organs pretty well, and the doctor had to remove one ovary and fallopian tube. He told me that my chance of getting pregnant was not the greatest with one ovary left, and that the endometriosis could come back and of course damage that one as well, which would decrease my chances even more. One thing he did say was that IF I wanted the best chance of having children, I needed to do it within 5 years of that surgery.

At the time, I was single. I wasn't even dating anyone. The thought of trying to meet someone, get to know him, fall in love, realize he was "Mr. Right", marry him, and find time to make a baby, all in the next 5 years - seemed like a pretty daunting task. I really felt okay about it though, because I wasn't dying to ever have kids anyway, so I thought this was just God telling me that I probably wouldn't be able to anyway. No biggie...

Well Ronnie and I actually started dating not long after my surgery - that was actually the event that really brought us closer. He knew my risks of not having children, but apparently loved me enough anyway that he was ready to deal with it if it became an issue someday. We married a little over a year ago and decided to basically trust God with our family planning, since we didn't really know what would happen. We chose not to actively try to have kids, but also not to actively prevent. Neither one of us wanted a baby at the time but we didn't want to "test fate" by using birth control when my clock was probably ticking away! Plus, it was a big step of faith for me personally, as I still wasn't sure I ever wanted kids, so leaving myself open to that opportunity was pretty scary. I just hoped and prayed that IF it happened, God would change my heart and mind into the mindset of a loving mother, and that I would be able to see it as a blessing and not a curse.

And that's exactly what happened. We were surprised in January by a positive pregnancy test. When the doctor confirmed that all was healthy and we were ready to roll with a baby in utero, I was amazed. Something flipped inside me and it didn't take long for a new chamber in my heart to grow and fill with love for our child. I've been constantly blessed that the love has continued to grow, and now Skyler is already a member of our family that I cannot imagine living without - and she is not even officially here yet! I thank God so often for giving us this gift, and this true miracle.

So, things have come full circle. The surgery that I thought was the sign that I couldn't have children, became probably the saving grace that allowed me to have children, and it also brought me together with the man who is now the father of my child and future children. Isn't it amazing how the Lord works?