A "MOTHERHOOD" SEVEN

Cris took a different "take" on the popular "Seven Unique Things About You" meme. She chose to answer it from a "Motherhood" point of view... That sounded fun, so I took up the challenge.

Aidan as a baby

1. I first met my four adopted children in person, but I met my firstborn biological child via a photograph!

2. Aidan was only 27 weeks gestation when he was born.....He spent a month in NICU.

3. Each of my adopted children arrived home in 9 months....except for Ilya at 8 mos - he was "early".

4. The first words said about Lydia were: "Look at those thighs!" (And don't I love to tease her about that!)

5. Of all my children the one who most reminds me of my dad is Sergei. My mom agrees.

6. Aidan was born by c-section and I was determined that Lydia would be v-bac. However, she showed some signs of the fetal hydrops which challenged, Aidan, so she had to be born by c-section anyway. For some reason this nearly broke my heart at the time.....but afterward, even when we hoped for more bio-children, I suddenly didn't care at all! Would have gladly had a third c-section. I put it down to the comment by someone at church, looking at Lydia's head, who asked in horror, "You didn't give birth to her naturally did you!!!" At that point I realized that - yes; the circumference of her head would have made her birth difficult at best, in any case.

7. One day in 1994, I prayed fervently for God to give us another child. I wrote about it in my prayer journal. When I didn't get pregnant I felt that He had told me, "No." Only last year did I run across that old prayer journal and realize that - the day I prayed amidst tears and pleading was the day of Sergei's birth. Little did I know how very affirmatively God was answering my prayer after all!