My motherhood journey - not what I expected!

Hello everyone, I know that I have been silent in the past couple of weeks - but with Christmas and New Year's, I have decided to spend more time with my family. If this year has taught me anything is that family is everything and that all the rest is extra. I have started to draft numerous posts and will be sharing them with you in the next weeks - although, I am considering starting a new blog - TO BE CONTINUED! Until then, I pray that you all enjoyed time with family and friends. For those of you who were unable to see family, like us, know that you were and are being prayed for. This year was challenging on so many levels - but writing became my escape. I hope my posts were enjoyed and that you were able to share them with those facing infertility and adoption. I hope this year, amidst the pandemic, brought you some joy and peace. Those who have lost or are losing someone to Covid - you are in my heart and prayers. Let us remember that we are closer to the end of this pandemic ...

  Hello everyone,   I hope this post finds you safe and healthy! Please wear your masks, practice social distance and wash your hands. Do your part to stop the spread of Covid-19.   At our first adoption class, we found out about “Adoptive Families”. As a disclaimer, this post is not sponsored by “Adoptive Families”. They have no idea I am writing about them – I just want to share a great online resource about adoption.   “Adoptive Families” is an online magazine ( https://www.adoptivefamilies.com ). A yearly subscription is $20 per year. Being subscribed allows you to get access to articles, resources, books and helpful tools regarding adoption.   The resources found on this website prepare you from the moment you start thinking about adoption up until you adopt. It has proved to be an excellent tool for me and I enjoy all of its perks. If I have a particular question I can’t answer or want to know about some books to purchase, I go on their website and I get w...

Hello everyone, I hope this post finds you safe and healthy. Remember to do your part in stopping the spread of Covid-19. I was at Walmart, this was pre-pandemic, with my husband and the kids. We were at the self-serve register paying for our items. A lady, an employee assisting with the self-serve registers, approached our kids and said how adorable they were. We replied we were very blessed and then, it happened: a very inappropriate question! She looked me straight in the eyes and asked: "Are they yours? Like yours yours?"  Don't worry, it was not the first time I got this question yet it still caught me off guard. I looked at her, smiled and answered: "What do you mean by that?" This has become my go-to answer. I have learned through many awkward moments like these that when you answer this way, it not only catches them off guard, but allows me to find out where that question actually comes from. In this case, this lady was an adoptee. Unfortunately, she had...

Hello everyone, I hope this post finds you safe and healthy!  I was never the kid who had a cast or had to have her tonsils removed. Hospitals and surgeries were things that only happened to older people. I never thought I would have surgery...then, I did. This is my endometriosis surgery story. For those of you who have endometriosis, you know the pain that comes with all that inflammation. I never thought I had it because I did not have the usual symptoms. I did not have painful periods that kept me from doing my daily activities. My bleeding patterns were fairly normal. My cycles looked beautiful. I knew I had a hormonal imbalance, but that being taken care of with supplementation. Yet, conceiving was not happening. I had the physical parts, the cycles and the mucus and yet - nothing.  When we finally went to see a fertility surgeon, I remember him telling me that he was sure that he would find nothing. I smiled and said: I bet you may find more than you expect! And I deliv...

Hello everyone,  I hope this post finds you safe and healthy! Remember to do your part in stopping the spread of Covid-19. There are some things that I would not wish on anyone - even my worst enemy! Today, I am tackling one of those things: being the only infertile woman in the family! Yup, we are going there!! I did not know this would be my fate. Somehow, a video surfaced and it gutted me when I saw it. It was a New Year's Eve at my in-laws. I believe it was our second year of marriage... and someone was going around asking us what we wished for the new year. I smiled and said - babies... little did I know that my infertility journey was to take an ugly turn after that... When you can't conceive, it feels like everyone around can easily get pregnant. Anywhere you go, there is a pregnant woman cuddling her bump - ugh, so annoying, right? Here you are, trying to run your errands and all you see is these pregnant women... you get home and have a good cry and then, it's over...

Hello everyone, I hope that when you read this post, you are all safe and keeping healthy! Remember to do your part and stop the spread of Covid-19.  Adoption has its ups and downs. Although the ups do make up for the downs - most of the time -, the downs need to be addressed. There are five hard moments during the adoption process, as evidenced by my title. They are: 1) Coming to terms with your infertility This is the biggest hurdle to get over. It's one that requires you not to give up on becoming a parent but accepting that a biological child is no longer a viable option for your family. I always knew I wanted to adopt, but coming to terms with the fact that I could never conceive was a tough pill to swallow. Acceptance must come from both or else, the adoption process will be more tedious and painful. It is important to grieve the infertility and treat the adoption has a miracle cure to your infertility. Although, yes - there are women who become pregnant while adopting - but ...

Hello everyone, I hope this post finds you all healthy and safe. Remember to do your part in stopping the spread of Covid-19. To all those on the frontlines - we pray for you. To all who are currently infected - we pray for you. To all who have lost someone to Covid (in some cases, whole families) - we pray for you. Someone I know is currently on the waiting game - the waiting to be matched with a birthmom. I have played that game three times and each time was a bit of everything - exciting, frightening, uncertain... For our daughter, it was a matter of weeks, and for our sons, it was a matter of months (approximately six months). Looking back, it was not such a long time to wait, but when you are going through it, it can become a very daunting experience.  Here are a few tips\suggestions to help you get through it: 1) STOP LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE Yes, this is very important. As tempting as it may be, don't attach yourself to your phone. Trust me, if you miss that call, they will lea...

Hello everyone, I am so sorry for the very long absence - we had a staycation together with another Covid scare - this time, a positive one. My husband and I are waiting until Friday of this week to see if we develop any symptoms - so far, so good. If you or someone you know is dealing with Covid, hang in there and know you are in our prayers. Please wear your masks, wash your hands and social distance - we are closer to the end than we were back in March, but we still need to be vigilant! Anyways, I have been thinking about what to write during that chaos and this post idea came to mind. In fact, it is something that many worry about when thinking of adoption. Most fear that they will look at the baby and think: Oh - I don't feel anything for this child... And yes, it is something we also went through but this is just part of the drill and experience of adoption. What helped me with the whole bonding issue was something that was said during our adoption classes. Obviously, it was ...