"Adopting a child is never a second choice, it's just a choice. It doesn't matter in what order you have this epiphany, I just hope you have it because it really is beautiful. " -@notafictionalmom So when did I have mine? What was my; 'moment of sudden and great revelation or realization'? I can't pinpoint it entirely to one specific moment, but the day we were politely escorted into that blindingly bright, white room (you know the one that feels like you've stepped onto a commercial set while being asked what date your last period...

So you have already faced months of infertility, maybe even years. You feel exhausted, and the thought of financing another dollar to help create your family seems extremely overwhelming. Believe me, I feel you, and I’ve been there! My husband and I felt the exact same way when we finally made the decision to adopt. That’s why I wanted to share a few tips on how you can get started saving for adoption. But first, let me give you a little bit of our back story. We adopted our sweet baby boy Duke nine months...

Even though I'm not on the other side of infertility, I still like to regularly check in with myself about what I've been learning, how I'm feeling, and what I can be better at. I feel like when I do this, it brings meaning to all of the pain, tears, and anger. It makes me feel like something is coming out of this even if it's not a baby…yet! After six years, two failed IVF transfers, a miscarriage, and countless one-lined pregnancy tests, it's hard to find the good. It's hard to see why all...

“As someone rejoices over a new chapter in their life, I mourn over a loss in mine. It's twisted and confuses my mind because it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense to me how someone else's joy is my deepest sorrow. It doesn't make sense that I go through all of the stages of grief when no one has actually died. For some reason after everything I have put myself through trying to conceive, I still find a glimmer of hope each month. But that hope is lost when I am disappointed again. It’s a...

I always dreamed of being a mom. I imagined being done having babies by the time I was 25. I got married by age 19 and bought a house in the same year—everything was going to plan. I wanted three kids, that being my lucky number since my basketball years. Married in February of 2007, we waited a bit and then decided to start trying to get pregnant. I was always told as a teen that I never had normal menstrual cycles because I ran too much. I love to run. Fast forward to October...

I’ve always been bossy, or as I like to call it, helpful. From as early on as I can remember, I have always had the answers. I knew what everyone should be doing, when, where, and how, and I was not afraid to let people know. I was a doer and a go-getter. In my day job, part of my job description was to get things done quickly and efficiently. There was always a solution, and I was always able to find it. So when I didn’t get pregnant after 6 months of trying, while...