For this, I am thankful...

Happy Thanksgiving.

It seems like forever ago when our efforts to have a baby were futile. We were engaged in 1999 and I immediately went off birth control. I was hitting my early 30's and we decided the commitment was already there so if Baby came before wedding, so what?

Then it was years later and there was no baby - the wedding had come and gone. After research and hesitation we began the process of insemination. And that included the pills, and blood work and early, early mornings in the fertility center. A couple of months later and there was still no baby. So we moved on to shots, and pills and early, early mornings doing blood work at the clinic and still no baby. I remember Thanksgiving Day of 2001 and eagerly awaiting the phone call from the fertility center with the news - was I or wasn't I?

I tried to distract myself the night before learning how Mom made her homemade pie crust. I catalogued the steps to making homemade stuffing and custard pie. I hosted dinner that year and went into the center at 6:30 a.m. for my blood work. The roads were empty and my thoughts were full of hope. And then we waited. And waited. And the call finally came around 1:00 p.m. and the results, again, were negative. And I remember the tears and the hugs on my Mom's shoulder. I was tired. And the strength it took to shake it off and feel thankful that day was overwhelming. Still, I counted my blessings and continued on.

It was 3 months and 1 surgery later before I would conceive my precious girl, only to have her brother conceived NATURALLY almost 2 years later to the date - and with the miracle of God, we have two healthy children, born on the same day, 2 years apart. And now, almost 6 years later, I am forever thankful!