Taking a break

I have loved writing on my blog over the last few years. It has been cathartic, therapeutic and a release. But, to be honest, I feel a little disingenuous writing on the topic of infertility right now (nor do I have the time I used to). I am still and always will be infertile. But, I am a mom now and it just feels wrong to be harping on all of the injustices, frustrations and bull crap that comes with not having a child and wanting one so very much. To everyone who has read my blog or book over the years, thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope that you've been able to smile, laugh or give me a "hell yeah, sister!" fist pump in solidarity of being pregnancy virgins. I am actually working on my first novel/chic lit that will have infertility as a central theme. For those of you still trying to bring a child into your lives through medical intervention, the traditional method or adoption, don't ever give up hope. We are living proof that persistence and devotion works. I love my son as though he came from my uterus, and in that sense, perhaps I am no longer infertile.

You are a mom

Last night while on a much-needed date with my husband, I said that I was excited about my first "official" Mother's Day coming up. He looked at me and said, "You have always been a mother." Be still, my heart. He is right. And, of course, I've been thinking about that comment all day. Once you make the decision that you are ready to have a child, whether biological or adopted, you become a mom, even if you don't really realize it. It doesn't matter if your body won't help you or if your adoption takes five times longer than it should. Making the realization that you want a child, automatically puts your brain in mommy mode. For many of us, especially the infertiles who are going through extraordinary measures to conceive, sacrifices are made for our children long before we become pregnant or bring our kids home. We stop drinking, take pre-natal vitamins, we go into debt, we wait and wait and wait. We are patient beyond our wildest dreams. As we recognize National Infertility Awareness Week this week, know that you are not along, you still have hope and that you are a mom.

Ummmm... really?!?!?!?!

So, apparently "Snooki" can get pregnant but I (and millions of other of women) can't. I weep, my fellow infertiles. I weep.

Apparently, we should be out partying like it's 1999 five days a week(yes, I am showing my age), drinking Long Island Ice Teas by the fishbowl, wearing too tight mini skirts with furry boots, tanning ourselves a lovely Carotene hue and buying truckloads of bumpits. See, we've been doing it all wrong this entire time - cutting out caffeine, doing yoga, going to bed at 10pm, and injecting ourselves full of hormones.

Every once in a while, some character like her finds herself without (and sometimes with) a condom or birth control and "poof!", she's a mommy-to-be. It boggles the mind and starts to make you call into question other seemingly unfair realities of life like why chocolate lava cake isn't fat free and why we didn't come up with the idea for Spanx even though we cut off our control top panty hose to wear with our prom dress in 1991 (just jealous of the brilliance of Ms. Blakely; she is quite awesome and it's so cool that a woman of my era has made the billionaire list).

The only funny thing from this news was last week's skit on SNL. I thought it was priceless, and Mr. Hamm ain't so bad on the eyes, either.

Snooki, a mom... perhaps a forebearer to the apolcalypse - or at least a very scary spring and summer as we see what maternity clothing (or lack thereof) she wears. I can only imagine what this poor kiddo will be named. Maybe "The Conception" or Baby Wow?

Full disclosure: I did spend about 10 minutes researching my Snooki intel on several fine entertainment Web sites.

Year of the Dragon

Just read an article saying that more Chinese couples are trying to get pregnant right now so that they can have a child in the Year of the Dragon. In fact, they are even undergoing fertility treatments so that they have an even better chance to conceive.

Wow - that's pushing it in my opinion. Can't imagine choosing to go on follistims, estrogen or the worst, testosterone, just to have a child within a 12-month period. Oh, wait a minute, I did do that - it's just that it was because I wanted a baby as soon as possible, not to have one within a certain time of year.

I also can't imagine shelling out the big bucks to get pregnant unless it was my only option (which it was - and yet still didn't work).

The dragon is the creme de la creme of Chinese zodiac symbols. It's lucky to be born in that year and the child has a better chance of success and be powerful.

Of course, I was born in the year of the rat, so I don't think I have much leverage. Perhaps if you're born in the rodent's year, you are more likely not to ever conceive. Two years ago was the year of the rabbit, and I've got to believe those are some people who can easily multiply.

We are a family of three!

After seven years of trying to get pregnant and 1,291 days of waiting to adopt our little boy from Vietnam, on Christmas Day 2011, we became a family of three.

We were in Vietnam for five weeks waiting for this miracle to happen. We had some pretty bleak and desperate moments in our journey to bring a child into our lives, but I can adamantly say, he was well worth the wait.

Although we are incredibly blessed and I feel adoption was how our family was supposed to be made whole, infertility will always be part of who I am. Granted, it is now safely on the backburner and I never expect it to be front and center again.

And, because I have a very adorable and active 4-year old at home, my blogging about infertility will be quite limited from now on. I plan to continue to blog about infertility when I have time or a good topic comes to mind that I just can't resist giving my two cents worth. In the meantime, please peruse former blog entries - most of them are pretty evergreen.