That is a strange blog title

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.  In that picture above, 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.

Ella Grace and me on her 3rd Birthday (March 2015)