IRL (In Real Life)

I first began connecting with strangers on the Internet about seven years ago. We had decided it was time to begin adding a child to our family. Ever the planner, I wanted to have our first child born in May. The perfect month to maximize my leave as a teacher. I'd have the entire summer plus I'd take off a full year, have another summer and then go back when our child was 15 months old. So I set out to find information on natural family planning and discovered a website and forum called fertility friend. I joined a TTC (trying to conceive) group and was amazed to become the first in the group with a BFP (big fat positive)!! My new friend Shel was just a few weeks behind me. We were due in June. Success!!! Shel and I also joined a due date group and we went through all the ups and downs of pregnancy together. That was a group of 8. The TTC group gained and lost a few members, but averaged about 15 women. I ended up almost losing the baby early on, was defined as high risk, had a surgery to sustain my ability to carry her and was on bed rest for 5 long months. My borrowed lap top and my friends got me through. And seven years later we are all still in touch! The groups changed venues several times as boards added fees or drama or allowed public access and we needed a private space. Instead of checking in several times a day, it's now more like monthly. But these women have been with me, and I with them, through many births and losses and IVF treatments and just the ups and downs of parenthood. We have celebrated together the gift of each child and being called a mother. We have talked about a get together, but we completely span the country from coast to coast and Canada. I was so excited to get a message that my longest running pal, Shel, would be passing through my town on her way home from vacation. We arranged to meet at the Children's museum yesterday.






It was SO good to finally get that hug! Our kids all hit it off and had grand adventures around the museum for three hours. We'll get together again later this summer. We have decided to make a trip down south to their turf and check out their kids museums together!

**note- I got my May baby, born 3 weeks early. But I never did go back to work. God had a BIG surprise for us and by that planned return date I was the mom of 2!