*this is a heavy pregnancy related post after infertility post including my experiences over the last few weeks and a video. If you’re not feeling it today, check out my other IF related posts*

It’s here and I can’t believe it. The fabled Third Trimester begins on Saturday (or last Saturday depending on how you calculate these things). I am in awe of Shelby’s transformation over these last 6/7 months. I’m actually living with a full on pregnant lady!

These last few weeks have been an experience that I never thought I’d be able to witness. We even have the beginnings of a damn good looking nursery, even if it’s only paint, a rug, faux wood blinds, a curtain rod and valance that matches our bedding. I still can’t get over it. There’s nursery in my house!

Last night was one of the most amazing pregnancy related experiences I’ve been fortunate enough to witness. Shelby’s belly was full on MOVING with the force of Baby G’s kicks and rolls. With my hand resting on her belly, I could have sworn I felt a knee, foot and baby head, or butt, or SOMETHING. It was wonderful, exciting, special, and intimate all at the same time. Dang, I think I got something in my eye just thinking about it.

I knew pregnancy was a possible side effect of IVF w/ ICSI, but I never thought I’d be able to types these words today. Shelby’s baby shower is planned for September 12th, and we’ve decided to do something special for it. A common thread amongst pregnant IF bloggers, and one that I 100% agree with, has been about how our pregnancy experiences, showers, and conversations with the non-IF crowd can seem to minimize our pregnancy after IF. They can almost seem superficial. Too, well, crass and unappealing, even unappetizing and frivolous. We’ve been no exception to this feeling over the past months. Yes, we’re pregnant. No, it’s not the same. Sorry, it just isn’t.

To carry this thought home, Shelby(and I) has decided to come out of the IF closet at her baby shower. We feel that approaching it with the same non-IF laissez-faire attitude would lesson, almost cheapen, how much we’ve gone though. Yes, every baby is special, but man, this baby is really special to us. We owe it to Baby G.  The point of coming out of the IF closest is to not dwell on our 5 years of heartache, and how much we sacrificed to create sir-kicks-a-lot, but to honor him and the fact that a baby shower is a reality for us.

Coming out of the closet does not mean we’ll be going into procedures, diagnoses (or lack thereof), “what’s wrong with us”, or everything we’ve done in the last 5 years. If people are truly and genuinely curious, we’ll schedule lunch or dinner, but the baby shower won’t be the place for 20 questions. It will simply be a place to share Baby G’s story to those that love him. It will be a place to share with the world how he’s just not any other baby. He’s our baby.

This coming out is going to be done in the form of a photo book that Shelby and I put together in iPhoto. Simply put, this is G’s story that we’ll read to him, share with others, and keep forever.

I’ve converted it to a slide show that I’d like to share with my readers.

You, dear reader, have been a huge channel of support.

An inspiration to write and share.

Without this blog, and the support of the community, I still think we’d be in the IF closet. Thank you for making this photo journey possible.

I’d love if you take the next 6 minutes to experience our baby story. (crap, I think I got something in my eye, again. *sniff*)

Given that this is a book converted to a slide show, please play it in high quality, full screen so the text is readable and forgive the blank pages at the beginning  (they are flaps in the photo book). (Each slide represents a page in our book)