That Mother Lode

My Joy will be here in less than 2 months. I still haven't felt a burst of energy or the urge to get the house together. My friend came over yesterday to work on the baby's room, so I was kinda pushed into nesting. My mom helped me with the baby's laundry. There's still a lot to do, but we've made good progress. Cloth diapers on the drying rack

As a kid growing up in the 80s, one of the worst insults hurled on the playground was "test tube baby". We didn't actually know what it meant, but we just knew it was something bad. Now, I understand exactly what it means, and it's no longer viewed negatively, at least not by me. I am carrying a "test tube baby", and I'm doing it with pride and great joy.  This week, I watched  Joy: The Birth of IVF on Netflix . It's about the UK team that first tested and successfully launched IVF. There were many scientists, medical professionals, and couples who participated in the trials inspite of the backlash from the church, relatives, and the community at large. Nevertheless, they persisted. Thanks to their efforts, I am able to fulfill my dream of being a mother on my own terms.  I am grateful for the women who went ahead of me, whether they planned for a baby with IVF or they had an unplanned pregnancy. I am grateful for the women who are mothers to childre...

  I remember a conversation with my former PCP in 2016 when I first explored the idea of freezing my eggs. At that time, I decided not to do it. She shared her own story about becoming a mother of twins later in life. She told me that we think there's a straight line to what we want, but our paths could take many unexpected turns to get us to the destination. Dr. B was the best medical professional I ever met, and her words still help me today. I gleaned so many nuggets of wisdom in the past that I didn't know would influence me so much in the present. God put me in places to receive the seeds that I needed, and I'm seeing them grow.  No one is ever prepared to become a parent, no matter how many kids you babysit or how many books you read. However, I believe I am more prepared than many because of life experiences, planning, and formal training. Life experiences Being alive for 43 years, I've had a myriad of experiences, good and bad. I have won, lost, loved, broken up...