Week 5:<\/em> \u00a0Baby is the size of a peppercorn. Labs are drawn, Heparin injections begun. Tony had an odd desire to give me my injections, and I gladly agreed. \u00a0He ended up being way better at it then me. \u00a0It’s one thing to inject someone else- it’s a whole new ball game to inject yourself. \u00a0 Moving day arrived. \u00a0Driving across the country to our new home, far away from my doctor, leaving my health insurance benefits, and the comfort of our old home and all of its familiarity behind. \u00a0 I am hopeful: \u00a0hcG results at 5 weeks: 1,022! \u00a0(My previous pregnancies never made it to 200.) But I am also terrified. \u00a0Every trip to the bathroom I search for any evidence of spotting. \u00a0I breathe a sigh of relief and say a prayer of thanks each time that I find nothing. We arrive in Kansas City late that night- me barely being able to keep my eyes open. \u00a0A 9 hour solo car trip (Tony was driving the second car) without coffee? \u00a0Yikes. It wasn’t pretty, but we made it. \u00a0We celebrated by picking up a local pizza and eating it right out of the box on camper chairs that we brought with us. \u00a0 The next day we unpack our new house on what is the hottest day during the hottest weeks that Kansas City would see in the summer of 2017. \u00a0Tony does ALL of the heavy lifting and I unpack indoors. \u00a0We keep busy, settling into our new home and hoping for the best. \u00a0At 5 weeks, 4 days I decide to take that second pregnancy test exactly one week later from the first one. \u00a0It was another digital Clearblue test with week predictors. \u00a0Last week it said 2-3 weeks, so this week it should say 3+, right? \u00a0It wasn’t my first pee of the day, but the doubtful part of me said to take it anyways. \u00a0 My heart sank. \u00a0It still read 2-3 weeks. \u00a0Was this the first sign that the baby wasn’t growing? \u00a0I was a mess. \u00a0Solution? Go buy more Clearblue digital with week predictors and take it again in a few days. \u00a0The problem? \u00a0After running to CVS, Walgreens and Target and finally doing a google search I learned that they don’t sell those types of tests in the U.S. \u00a0They have been outlawed due to the fact that too many women were getting confused that the weeks meant weeks pregnant versus weeks past ovulation. \u00a0The only place to find them was on ebay, for about $30\/test and shipping from the UK. \u00a0I felt incredible anxious as I learned this on my drive home. \u00a0I took some deep breaths at a stop light and looked up. \u00a0 The car directly in front of me had a license plate frame that read “IRELAND” with an Irish flag. \u00a0Coincidence? \u00a0I don’t think so. \u00a0I thought of this baby’s story. \u00a0The impossible amount of stress that we faced around the time that we conceived, the fact that I vowed to never get on a plane if I ever conceived again- and that this baby had been on not one, but four flights already, \u00a0the monumental inconvenience of not having health insurance at this time, and the fact that we found out, unexpectedly in Ireland. \u00a0How could this story end with another early miscarriage? \u00a0In that moment, I felt reassured.<\/p>\n Week 6:<\/em> \u00a0Baby is the size of a Maine blueberry. \u00a0We both start work. \u00a0By 6 weeks + 1 day, I have officially made it further than I had the last two times. \u00a0Could this be the one? \u00a0Still I’m so doubtful. \u00a0No real symptoms to report. \u00a0I’m tired, but I am also living without caffiene. \u00a0My boobs are slightly tender at times, but not the screaming “don’t touch me” sore that I have heard so much about. \u00a0Nausea? Maybe once or twice per week? \u00a0 At 6 weeks + 4 days my mom and sister came to visit. \u00a0Within hours, they had figured out that I was pregnant. \u00a0There were tears of JOY, and talk of HOPE. \u00a0They celebrated the fact that I had never made it this far. \u00a0As far as not having symptoms? \u00a0My mom reassured me that she had such easy pregnancies that she felt guilty compared to her friends who had severe morning sickness, fatigue and other symptoms. \u00a0She told me it was totally normal, and very genetic that I have such a mild beginning to my pregnancy. \u00a0 By the end of their visit, I remember having these waves of “crazy kate” wash over me. \u00a0I felt rage out of no where, and for no reason. \u00a0I felt full of emotion and teary the next moment. \u00a0Mood swings? Check. \u00a0During this week I still prayed that I would start throwing up, to reassure myself that things were okay. \u00a0God laughed, and continued to only bless me with intense hunger.<\/p>\n Week 7:<\/em> \u00a0Baby is the size of a wee raspberry. \u00a0Our insurance nightmare comes to an end. \u00a0Tony’s internship at the V.A. allowed us to not only have access to federal health benefits, but gave us so many options, and the reassurance that benefits would begin as early as his next pay cycle. \u00a0Hallelujah! I did not have to go the COBRA route which not only cost a lot, but my health insurance plan from South Bend proved to not have any providers in-network in the Kansas City area. \u00a0 I would have paid $600\/month for COBRA and still paid out of pocket fees for services. \u00a0Thank you federal employee benefits!! \u00a0I’m feeling okay this week- \u00a0hopeful that I made it past the dreaded 6 week mark. \u00a0I schedule an appointment with a practice in town who delivers at my new hospital, and pray that they will do an early ultrasound on my first visit.<\/p>\n Week 8:<\/em> \u00a0Baby is the size of a wild strawberry.\u00a0 I begin working night shift again. \u00a0 I work Monday night, with the\u00a0HOPE that I will get to see our baby the next day. \u00a0On Tuesday, August 8th, Tony takes a half day from work and meets me at the OB appointment. \u00a0My doctor is 100% okay with doing an ultrasound that day. \u00a0Praise God. \u00a0After an exam, blood pressure and weight check, we are escorted back into the sonogram room. \u00a0I’m instructed to lie back, and prepare for cold gel on my belly. \u00a0I hold Tony’s hand and realize that my heart is pounding. \u00a0 I’ve been here before. \u00a0At 6 weeks with our first, they found an empty uterus. \u00a0I had already lost whatever part of baby was in there the day before and I remember seeing this empty screen. With the second, I never made it into the sonogram room because I started bleeding so early. \u00a0Then there were all of the follicle studies. \u00a0All of these were transvaginal sonograms, looking far into the uterus to see the tiniest follicles. \u00a0 This one? A traditional gel on your belly sono. \u00a0I asked the tech if it would work this early, and she said that we would always try this first, and if we didn’t see anything then we could switch to vaginal.<\/p>\n Before I could think anymore about it, I looked up, beginning to see speckles of gray tissue on the screen. Suddenly there it was: \u00a0a little black sack with a tiny white thing inside. \u00a0And the tiny white thing? It had a little head, and an arm, and the most beautiful beating heart. \u00a0I started bawling. \u00a0What was the heart rate? 163. \u00a0One hundred and sixty-three perfect beats per minute. \u00a0This was our little fighter. \u00a0Our little Irish surprise baby who beat all odds and hung in there with us. \u00a0I felt so blessed. \u00a0 \u00a0I was on cloud 9. \u00a0 We sit down with our doctor and talk about future appointments, where I want to deliver and get handed a folder of many brochures full of genetic testing information. \u00a0I admit that I wasn’t able to focus on\u00a0a whole lot of this. \u00a0I can’t believe it. \u00a0Our little one is okay! Our little one is thriving! \u00a0My body is actually doing what it is designed by God to do this time. \u00a0I’m told that my next appointment will be at 12 weeks for a doppler heart rate check. \u00a0“Okay!” I say.<\/p>\n The next day: \u00a0I wake up in a panic! 4 more weeks until my next appointment? How could I possibly wait that long? What if I go the next month thinking that things are okay when they might not be? \u00a0What if I find out at my 12 week appointment that our baby is no longer thriving? I pray, and I meditate, I begin yoga and hold onto that beautiful sound in my head: the sound of our baby’s little heart beating. \u00a0I can wait 4 weeks.<\/p>\n Week 9<\/em>: \u00a0Baby is the size of a southern pecan. \u00a0 Revisiting last week’s dilemma, I concluded that there is NO way that I can wait until 12 weeks to know if baby is okay. \u00a0I call the office and they agree to let me come in at 10 weeks + 3 days for a doppler heart rate check. \u00a0I’m relieved. \u00a0I only have a little over a week to go. \u00a0I have somewhat adjusted to working night shift again, but some of the bad things about it come flooding back. Waking up at 1pm and not being able to go back to sleep? Check. \u00a0Having to get up many times to pee once your head does hit the pillow in the morning? Check. \u00a0That nauseating feeling you get after 2am while you are at work? Check. \u00a0The mood swings and overly emotional reactions that you have to just about anything? Check. \u00a0Oh, and that feeling of being hung over all of the time? Double check. \u00a0But what is interesting about this time around working nights is that these are also all pregnancy symptoms. \u00a0Poor Tony. \u00a0I tried my hardest to not give into the tired, cranky emotional person that I felt I was becoming. \u00a0 One evening after sleeping as much as I could, we went on a walk around the neighborhood. \u00a0I remember feeling like walking was difficult. \u00a0 Walking up a hill was overwhelmingly hard. \u00a0I felt tired down to my bones on this walk. \u00a0And then I got home and had my first pregnancy migraine. \u00a0I never get migraines. \u00a0 Pregnancy? Or night shift? Who knows.<\/p>\n Week 10:<\/em> \u00a0Baby is the size of a Kumquat. \u00a0I had to google just how big and also what exactly a kumquat even was. \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0Friday August 25th arrives, and I find myself in the doctor’s office waiting to hear the heart beat via doppler. \u00a0Before we even got started, the nurse practitioner told me that I might not be able to hear the heartbeat because I was so early. \u00a0And I couldn’t. \u00a0 After 30 seconds she gave up and told me that I would be able to have an ultrasound as soon as the room was free. \u00a0Okay. \u00a0I can wait. \u00a0I went back out into the waiting room and prayed, texting a select few people to pray as well. \u00a0I felt an odd sense of calm wash over me. \u00a0This baby was fine. \u00a0I would get to see that in a matter of moments. \u00a0But looking back, I’m not sure that it was a sense of calm so much as it was a sense of numbness. \u00a0This wasn’t happening again. \u00a0 Our baby is going to be OK. \u00a0 30 minutes later, and I’m finally in the ultrasound room. \u00a0 I see the baby, but it isn’t moving much, and I don’t notice the heart beating until the tech says to me, “there? do you see the heart beating?” \u00a0And then I can. \u00a0And then I hear that beautiful noise of my baby’s heart beating. \u00a0 The heartbeat? 173. \u00a0 Still strong. \u00a0Still fighting. \u00a0Our little Irish fighter babe. \u00a0 I’m so tired that I don’t seem relieved and the tech comments on this. \u00a0“Where is your smile?” she says to me. \u00a0 My smile? It’s in there… way deep in there under a furious amount of worry and fear. \u00a0 Still I am so grateful for another ultrasound proving that things were okay.<\/p>\n Also during this week, my best friend sends me some weeks blocks to commemorate each week as it passes! \u00a0I place the ultrasound picture next to these blocks, and next to a little picture frame where I have written “grateful for each day.” \u00a0And I am. \u00a0I work up the courage to finally work some light exercise in to my routine, although the fatigue makes it very hard to find motivation. \u00a0I begin the light exercise with walking on the elliptical at a high resistance setting.<\/p>\n Week 11:<\/em> \u00a0Baby is the size of a brussel sprout. The bump is really starting to appear. I embrace it, but decided that it’s time to evaluate my nutrition a bit. \u00a0I’ve been eating a lot of “protein pancakes” and other carbs that I have avoided for the last couple of years. \u00a0I needed more veggies in my life. Cravings? Or is it just my “IFG” (that’s inner fat girl) coming out? But the Irish baby loves Thai Peanut Chicken (also comes on a pizza) and peaches + cottage cheese, and eggs & bacon every day! This week I began to elliptical more. I’ve neglected workouts for months and just want to feel healthy!<\/p>\n Week 12:<\/em> Baby is the size of a ripe apricot. 12 weeks! I can hardly believe that I made it to week 12! Per my old and new doctor’s recommendation, I was to stop my twice daily Heparin injections and slowly wean off my Progesterone. I was excited but nervous to do both. \u00a0Tony had been giving me my shots twice each day and let me tell you… my abdomen was bruised. We couldn’t figure out why some injections bruised more than others, but one thing was for sure… my non-medical husband was better at them than I was.\u00a0 I get to hear baby’s heartbeat (168 bpm) again at my appointment and decide to have the Harmony test drawn.\u00a0 It is a simple blood draw that serves as an early detection of the three biggest trisomy abnormalities and the overall risk of having something chromosomally wrong.\u00a0\u00a0It also has the perk of revealing the gender before the 20 week ultrasound.\u00a0 I was in.\u00a0 Within a few days, the office called and told me that my results were negative for chromosomal abnormalities and the gender was waiting for me to pick up in an envelope as requested! I also treated myself to this onesie that I originally saw on Instagram and excitedly found it at Target!<\/p>\n Week 13<\/em>:\u00a0(baby is the size of a “hot\u00a0jalapeno”) I picked up the envelope from the doctor’s office\u00a0that contained the verdict whether we were having a girl or a boy.\u00a0 Tony probably could have waited until delivery day to find out, but I felt like I needed as much information as possible to be able to bond with this baby.\u00a0 I had such an underlying fear of it all being a dream that I would wake up from.\u00a0\u00a0 The envelope sat on my kitchen table for a week until we figured out exactly how we wanted to find out.\u00a0 We decided on a confetti cannon which my friend would order from Etsy and ship it to us!<\/p>\n Onto the 2nd trimester and gender reveal we go!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After a loss, there is no point throughout your pregnancy that you feel “safe.”\u00a0 Sure, that milestone of making it further than you ever did before is a big one.\u00a0 Making it to 12 weeks feels amazing.\u00a0 \u00a0Making it out of the first trimester and watching your bump grow is unreal.\u00a0 But no matter how much joy you feel one day, the next day might be filled with dread and doubt.\u00a0 I hesitated announcing our pregnancy at all because I know how painful it was for me to see countless pregnancy announcements while I was struggling to make sense of my own journey.\u00a0 \u00a0But I shared this blog for a reason- to help others on a similar path to mine.\u00a0 For those of you who are still struggling to conceive after loss, or struggling to conceive for the first time, I am not writing here to tell you that “it’s all about the journey” or to “take heart because your rainbow is on its way.”\u00a0 I had someone tell me that it was “all about the journey” when I felt completely frustrated with ttc, and I wanted to slap her.\u00a0 \u00a0I knew how much she hated being on that journey until she was on the other side of it, baby growing in her belly- and I was far from enjoying myself in that year after two miscarriages trying to achieve pregnancy again.\u00a0 And still, I do not feel safe.\u00a0 \u00a0Being a NICU nurse, I know hundreds of things that can go wrong during pregnancy and during childbirth.\u00a0 \u00a0Its been 7 years of actual hands on clinical experience that has made me aware of these unpleasant realities.\u00a0 I can only hope and pray that this little one is actually on her way to heal our hearts, and that we will get to meet her and take her home with us.\u00a0 Until I know for sure, I thought I would share the thoughts of a person who is hopeful and simultaneously fearful, so that if you’re in my shoes you know that you are not alone. Week 4: \u00a0We find out in Ireland at 4 weeks 4 days. \u00a0Disbelief. \u00a0Joy. \u00a0Relief. \u00a0Fear. \u00a0Hope. Uncertainty. \u00a0You name it, I felt it. On those winding roads in Ireland, I experienced more car sickness than I normally experience, but overall, I felt great. \u00a0 We landed back in the U.S. at 4 weeks 6 days. \u00a0I called my doctor and heard the plan, as well as a big congratulations. \u00a0I was to get labs drawn the next morning and begin Heparin injections after picking them up from the pharmacy.\u00a0 I re-download the app that I had downloaded twice before and then deleted, telling me how big my baby was and how far along I was each day. Week 5: \u00a0Baby is the size of a peppercorn. Labs are drawn, Heparin injections begun. Tony had an odd desire to give me my injections, and I gladly agreed. \u00a0He ended up being way better at it then me. \u00a0It’s one thing to inject someone else- it’s a whole new ball game to inject yourself. \u00a0 Moving day arrived. \u00a0Driving across the country to our new home, far away from my doctor, leaving my health insurance benefits, and the comfort of our old home and all of its familiarity behind. \u00a0 I am hopeful: \u00a0hcG results at 5 weeks: 1,022! \u00a0(My previous pregnancies never made it to 200.) But I am also terrified. \u00a0Every trip to the bathroom I search for any evidence of spotting. \u00a0I breathe a sigh of relief and say a prayer of thanks each time that I find nothing. We arrive in Kansas City late that night- me barely being able to keep my eyes open. \u00a0A 9 hour solo car trip (Tony was driving the second car) without coffee? \u00a0Yikes. It wasn’t pretty, but we made it. \u00a0We celebrated by picking up a local pizza and eating it right out of the box on camper chairs that we brought with us. \u00a0 The next day we unpack our new house on what is the hottest day during the hottest weeks that Kansas City would see in the summer of 2017. \u00a0Tony does ALL of the heavy lifting and I unpack indoors. \u00a0We keep busy, settling into our new home and hoping for the best. \u00a0At 5 weeks, 4 days I decide to take that second pregnancy test exactly one week later from the first one. \u00a0It was another digital Clearblue test with week predictors. \u00a0Last week it said 2-3 weeks, so this week it should say 3+, right? \u00a0It wasn’t my first pee of the day, but the doubtful part of me said to take it anyways. \u00a0 My heart sank. \u00a0It still read 2-3 weeks. \u00a0Was this the first sign that the baby wasn’t growing? \u00a0I was a mess. \u00a0Solution? Go buy more Clearblue digital with week predictors and take it again in a few days. \u00a0The problem? \u00a0After running to CVS, Walgreens and Target and finally doing a google search I learned that they don’t sell those types of tests in the U.S. \u00a0They have been outlawed due to the fact that too many women were getting confused that the weeks meant weeks pregnant versus weeks past ovulation. \u00a0The only place to find them was on ebay, for about $30\/test and shipping from the UK. \u00a0I felt incredible anxious as I learned this on my drive home. \u00a0I took some deep breaths at a stop light and looked up. \u00a0 The car directly in front of me had a license plate frame that read “IRELAND” with an Irish flag. \u00a0Coincidence? \u00a0I don’t think so. \u00a0I thought of this baby’s story. \u00a0The impossible amount of stress that we faced around the time that we conceived, the fact that I vowed to never get on a plane if I ever conceived again- and that this baby had been on not one, but four flights already, \u00a0the monumental inconvenience of not having health insurance at this time, and the fact that we found out, unexpectedly in Ireland. \u00a0How could this story end with another early miscarriage? \u00a0In that moment, I felt reassured. Week 6: \u00a0Baby is the size of a Maine blueberry. \u00a0We both start work. \u00a0By 6 weeks + 1 day, I have officially made it further than I had the last two times. \u00a0Could this be the one? \u00a0Still I’m so doubtful. \u00a0No real symptoms to report. \u00a0I’m tired, but I am also living without caffiene. \u00a0My boobs are slightly tender at times, but not the screaming “don’t touch me” sore that I have heard so much about. \u00a0Nausea? Maybe once or twice per week? \u00a0 At 6 weeks + 4 days my mom and sister came to visit. \u00a0Within hours, they had figured out that I was pregnant. \u00a0There were tears of JOY, and talk of HOPE. \u00a0They celebrated the fact that I had never made it this far. \u00a0As far as not having symptoms? \u00a0My mom reassured me that she had such easy pregnancies that she felt guilty compared to her friends who had severe morning sickness, fatigue and other symptoms. \u00a0She told me it was totally normal, and very genetic that I have such a mild beginning to my pregnancy. \u00a0 By the end of their visit, I remember having these waves of “crazy kate” wash over me. \u00a0I felt rage out of no where, and for no reason. \u00a0I felt full of emotion and teary the next moment. \u00a0Mood swings? Check. \u00a0During this week I still prayed that I would start throwing up, to reassure myself that things were okay. \u00a0God laughed, and continued to only bless me with intense hunger. Week 7: \u00a0Baby is the size of a wee raspberry. \u00a0Our insurance nightmare comes to an end. \u00a0Tony’s internship at the V.A. allowed us to not only have access to federal health benefits, but gave us so many options, and the reassurance that benefits would begin as early as his next pay cycle. \u00a0Hallelujah! I did not have to go the COBRA route which not only cost a lot, but my health insurance plan from South Bend proved to not have any providers in-network in the Kansas City area. \u00a0 I would have paid $600\/month for COBRA and still paid out of pocket fees for services. \u00a0Thank you federal employee benefits!! \u00a0I’m feeling okay this week- \u00a0hopeful that I made it past the dreaded 6 week mark. \u00a0I schedule an appointment with a practice in town who delivers at my new hospital, and pray that they will do an early ultrasound on my first visit. Week 8: \u00a0Baby is the size of a wild strawberry.\u00a0 I begin working night shift again. \u00a0 I work Monday night, with the\u00a0HOPE that I will get to see our baby the next day. \u00a0On Tuesday, August 8th, Tony takes a half day from work and meets me at the OB appointment. \u00a0My doctor is 100% okay with doing an ultrasound that day. \u00a0Praise God. \u00a0After an exam, blood pressure and weight check, we are escorted back into the sonogram room. \u00a0I’m instructed to lie back, and prepare for cold gel on my belly. \u00a0I hold Tony’s hand and realize that my heart is pounding. \u00a0 I’ve been here before. \u00a0At 6 weeks with our first, they found an empty uterus. \u00a0I had already lost whatever part of baby was in there the day before and I remember seeing this empty screen. With the second, I never made it into the sonogram room because I started bleeding so early. \u00a0Then there were all of the follicle studies. \u00a0All of these were transvaginal sonograms, looking far into the uterus to see the tiniest follicles. \u00a0 This one? A traditional gel on your belly sono. \u00a0I asked the tech if it would work this early, and she said that we would always try this first, and if we didn’t see anything then we could switch to vaginal. Before I could think anymore about it, I looked up, beginning to see speckles of gray tissue on the screen. Suddenly there it was: \u00a0a little black sack with a tiny white thing inside. \u00a0And the tiny white thing? It had a little head, and an arm, and the most beautiful beating heart. \u00a0I started bawling. \u00a0What was the heart rate? 163. \u00a0One hundred and sixty-three perfect beats per minute. \u00a0This was our little fighter. \u00a0Our little Irish surprise baby who beat all odds and hung in there with us. \u00a0I felt so blessed. \u00a0 \u00a0I was on cloud 9. \u00a0 We sit down with our doctor and talk about future appointments, where I want to deliver and get handed a folder of many brochures full of genetic testing information. \u00a0I admit that I wasn’t able to focus on\u00a0a whole lot of this. \u00a0I can’t believe it. \u00a0Our little one is okay! Our little one is thriving! \u00a0My body is actually doing what it is designed by God to do this time. \u00a0I’m told that my next appointment will be at 12 weeks for a doppler heart rate check. \u00a0“Okay!” I say. The next day: \u00a0I wake up in a panic! 4 more weeks until my next appointment? How could I possibly wait that long? What if I go the next month thinking that things are okay when they might not be? \u00a0What if I find out at my 12 week appointment that our baby is no longer thriving? I pray, and I meditate, I begin yoga and hold onto that beautiful sound in my head: the sound of our baby’s little heart beating. \u00a0I can wait 4 weeks. Week 9: \u00a0Baby is the size of a southern pecan. \u00a0 Revisiting last week’s dilemma, I concluded that there is NO way that I can wait until 12 weeks to know if baby is okay. \u00a0I call the office and they agree to let me come in at 10 weeks + 3 days for a doppler heart rate…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-journey-to-parenthood"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8oEBX-g1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=993"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1128,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/993\/revisions\/1128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_5999.jpg?resize=300%2C225\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_6295.jpg?resize=227%2C300\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_6660.jpg?resize=300%2C300\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hopemeetsjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_6687.jpg?resize=225%2C300\")