Birthday Reflections

Today is my 32nd birthday.

First of all, HOW did I get to be 32?!?

Okay, moving past that and accepting the new age!

I can't even complain about adjusting to a new number. I really can't complain about a thing. This is the happiest birthday ever.

I think back to two years ago today. It was such a dark time. One week before my 30th birthday, I learned that my first pregnancy, which we had tried and tried for, had ended at 9 weeks. Our little apple seed no longer had a heartbeat. I was devastated. I had a D&C on Nov 3 and put on a brave face three nights later for the 30th birthday bash my sweet husband had planned weeks earlier. It was a great party, and he knew I needed a distraction, but my heart hurt. Little did I know there would be even darker days to come, but at the time, I thought nothing could sting more. I spent days where I'd go to work, come home and go directly to bed. It just wasn't fair.

One year later, I had suffered a second miscarriage during the summer, had spent a few months physically healing and was back to trying to concieve. I was surrounded by friends having babies and I couldn't believe I still wasn't one of them. I was hopeful that the third time would be the charm, but I just didn't know how much longer I could handle the struggle. I felt like life was moving on without us.

As another year has gone by, much of it has been spent trying to conceive, dealing with our third miscarriage and searching our hearts for what the plan was for us and our family. Until, of course, that fateful day when we got a call that a birthmother had picked us and there was a baby that was going to be ours! We planned, we prayed, we lived on pins and needles, but we didn't know for sure she was ours until the day we brought her home from the hospital. And now she's been here with us for 10 incredible weeks and our hearts have grown by leaps and bounds. She is truly our miracle.

I have to reflect upon my third baby, as his or her due date was this week. I had prayed that my 32nd birthday might be spent in the hospital or just barely home with a newborn. Instead, I am home with my 2 and a half month old! Wonders never cease and God works in amazing ways!

I know I've spent a lot of weeks and months, a lot of time and tears, of the last three years of my life focused on how we would have a child. It is all-consuming. But I've made it to the other side, albeit through a path I would never have expected, but I know that all this is in God's time for us all. I am thankful. I am happy. And I am a 32-year-old mom.