5 lost babies. then a glimmer of hope, the arrival of their son, fischer. on fathers day they hoped and prayed once again as Courtney and Jason implanted their last two frozen embryos. And then the beautiful, yet arduous, journey began to unfold once again… the journey to Brooks and Emmie.

…

23 medications, twice daily shots into the stomach, three shots total daily for nearly 20 weeks, bi-weekly IVIG infusions at home, weekly ultrasounds and blood draws multiple times a week. This is not a story for the faint of heart, this is a story of perseverance, a story of triumph, faith and incredible hope. It’s a story that is difficult for anyone to witness, let alone go through, yet so many are. Infertility is something we often hear and talk about, but the transparency of the weight it bears isn’t. I can barely comprehend it, myself.

…

When courtney asked me to follow along on a small piece of this journey, documenting some of their everyday throughout the pregnancy, I was beyond honored. I had no idea, however, how much it would change me. I sat frozen with pieced-out video clips and a handful of pictures wondering how I could ever do their story justice, how I could honor this journey with such a minuscule glimpse of the incessant sacrifices of both body and mind. But as I began weaving it together, somehow it transformed into more than just a story of infertility. I realized through everything their son, Fischer, was at the frontline of it all. He was included, loved and welcomed and the story of infertility somehow transformed into a story of family and their journey… together. The most beautiful story of all.

This week we highlight infertility awareness, and it’s a beautiful reminder especially during such a difficult month for so many – the month of mother’s day. But there are so many others who struggle in their own ways with motherhood. Whether through divorce, abuse, disease, cancer, depression, the impact of false social standards, broken families, of keeping up, of the constant swim upstream… we honor and think of you, too. You are seen and known and loved and most importantly, you are not alone. If courtney’s difficult journey inspires one mother struggling to keep moving, to show them there can be rainbows worth fighting for, that grace does exist and to not give up on faith, then together we have moved mountains. And that, my friends, is everything.

Hair and makeup for courtney’s maternity and newborn sessions, featured in the video, by Amelia Rose Beauty and Anna Dutko.

For infertility support, you may find Resolve helpful during your journey.