Becoming parents has been our dream and plan from the day we said “I do,” and even leading up to that day. For years, we have made plans for our future family, discussed baby names, and imagined the joyful day we would find out we were expecting. Like many couples, we often spoke in terms of “when we have kids,” never imagining that becoming parents would be anything but a natural next step in our lives together. Unfortunately, our journey to parenthood has been far more challenging than we ever expected. Approximately four years ago, I (Alyssa) was diagnosed with a complete septate uterus, cervical septum, and longitudinal vaginal septum. This rare congenital uterine malformation created a complete septum through the center of my reproductive system. After receiving conflicting diagnoses and discouraging prognoses, we found our current fertility specialist, who recommended surgery to correct the uterine and vaginal septums and reduce the risk of future miscarriage. Despite my anxiety and worries surrounding surgery our wonderful doctor successfully completed my surgery to remove my uterine and vaginal septums. I was projected to heal within six weeks, although it took a couple of months before I received full medical clearance, and we eagerly started trying to conceive. Having undergone surgery to improve our chances of carrying a pregnancy, we never imagined that years later, we would still be waiting to see our first positive pregnancy test. After years of trying, testing, countless appointments, undergoing diagnostics such as blood draws, saline sonograms, hysterosalpingograms, and semen analyses, we have been officially diagnosed with “unexplained infertility.” While we are grateful that no major cause has been identified, this diagnosis has been incredibly difficult. Having no clear explanation for why we cannot conceive often leaves us feeling confused, discouraged, and heartbroken. This season of our lives has deepened our appreciation for the people around us–our community involving church, family, and friends. It has strengthened our marriage in ways we never expected. We have learned how to support one another through disappointment, how to remain hopeful, how to hold space for grief, and how to lean on our community when the process feels too heavy. We have been reminded that we are not walking through this alone. At the beginning of this year, we officially started fertility treatments–specifically IUI. We knew the odds of success were modest, but like every hopeful couple, we believed it might work for us. After four unsuccessful IUI cycles we found ourselves facing the next step: IVF. We have completed an IVF consultation and financial review with our clinic, but unfortunately IVF is not within our financial reach at this time, particularly with no insurance coverage available. Over the past several years, we have faced significant unexpected expenses, including medical costs related to surgery and fertility treatment, major home repairs, veterinary care for our beloved dog, and the replacement of a vehicle for reliable transportation. While we have explored financing options, taking on tens of thousands of dollars in additional debt would jeopardize the financial stability we hope to provide for our future child. While IVF once felt very overwhelming and far in the distance, we now feel a sense of peace about pursuing it. We simply never imagined that the barrier standing in our way would be financial. We have spent years preparing our hearts for a child. Now the greatest obstacle is not our willingness or commitment, but simply the financial ability to pursue treatments recommended by our physicians. Without insurance coverage, IVF is not currently possible for us unless God clearly opens a door. We are not asking for a shortcut–we are asking for a chance to continue the path we have already been walking for years. We want to be parents not because our lives are incomplete, but because we feel we have so much love to give and long to raise a child together. We often imagine the ordinary moments of parenthood that so many people take for granted—reading bedtime stories, cheering from the sidelines at games, helping with homework, celebrating holidays and birthdays, and watching our child discover who they are and their own individual passions. Those everyday moments are the life we have dreamed of building together. It isn’t simply about having a baby; it is about starting our own family, and raising a child together. We are remaining hopeful, day by day, that this desire we have to be parents will be fulfilled. We are unsure of how our story will unfold, but we trust that God is guiding that path, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to meet our future baby.