New Beginnings

A belated Happy 2011 to everyone!

The tree and "all things Christmas" have been packed away for another year, and we are now looking forward to all of the exciting things 2011 has in store!

First of all, an update on my dear expectant friend "Maria" whom I was so concerned about going into premature labor months and months ago. I am THRILLED to report that her little princess decided to hold tight and is still snuggled in nice and cozy! She is now 36 weeks along (well out of the danger zone!), and scheduled for a C-section later this month, assuming labor doesn't begin sooner. We are all thanking God for an uneventful past couple of months, and are eagerly awaiting this little one's arrival!

I'm also elated to report that my Snowsister has had a lovely past couple of weeks (with the exception of some nausea and fatigue, which I consider GREAT things!). She is scheduled for another ultrasound next week, and will then be graduating from her RE to OB! {Insert happy dance here}

When I embarked on this embryo adoption journey 6 months ago, I consumed myself with blogs on infertility, infant loss, etc. And I have been overwhelmed with stories of bravery, resilience, and strength. I am truly humbled to be included in a sisterhood of such amazing women.

Lately, however, I've found myself taking a slightly different route and have been devouring all things open adoption. Adoption is such an incredibly selfless act (and I do not mean this in any type of egocentric way), but also appears to be a somewhat complex road to travel at times, depending on the individual circumstances.

Closed vs Open. If Open, to what extent or degree. Who to tell. When to tell. How much to tell them. There are so many different factors and individuals to consider, not the least of which is the child or children involved.

I will say that I am at complete peace with our choice to maintain an open relationship with our donor family. Although some may not understand or necessarily agree, I've done as much research as I could on the alternative, and with some minor exceptions, open adoption seems to be the overwhelming choice in providing the greatest benefit to everyone involved. Yet once again, I struggle to find my place as an "embryo donor mother", as opposed to a "birth/first mother".

This is such new and unchartered territory, which translates to it being exciting, but also quite daunting. I have much to learn, much to discover. And this is only the beggining.

However, I realize that I am incredibly blessed to have such an amazing woman to be walking with me on this journey.

I see how much support she consistently provides to this huge network of women, offering words of encouragement, reassurance, compassion, and wisdom, and I realize that as lucky as they all are to have her as a resource (and in many cases, a friend), I am even more fortunate.

Because this child (and God willing ~ these children), are going to have the most amazing mother in the world.