My Parents are On Board!!!

So, my parents had been traveling out of the country for a month, and they got back to the U.S. on Friday. They flew into NY, and stayed at their apartment in the city for the weekend (they currently live in TN). My sister, my dog, and I drove down to spend the weekend with them. This gave me a great opportunity to talk to them face-to-face about this whole baby thing. I started to get serious about it while they were away, so while I've mostly-jokingly mentioned having a baby on my own "someday" in the past, I've never been serious enough about it to actually have a serious conversation with them about it. I was kinda nervous about it, but my prediction was that they'd 1) not be totally surprised, due to me having briefly mentioned it in the past and also due to them knowing I'd always wanted to have kids, and 2) to be supportive.

Well, I was right!!! At first I wasn't sure, because when I first brought it up there was very little conversation about it, but then by the end of the weekend, multiple conversations had been had and comments had been made - all in a positive way! I'd told my sister on our way down to NY, and she was supportive, and said that M&D might need some time to adjust to the idea. So, I let it simmer for a while, and eventually it was talked about and supported. Yay!

My parents have said they'll help me out financially - which I don't really want to accept, but I realize realistically I'll probably have to, at least for a while. And, that they'll also help me out physically. My second biggest worry - finances being first - was the support system I know I'll need. I've been reading Mikki's book, "Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman's Guide", and one thing that's really struck me - and stuck with me - is that you really need to have multiple people to support you and help you. You need the proverbial "village" to help raise your child. And I'm worried about that, first because my parents currently live in Tennessee, my sister lives near me but has some issues with depression and can't necessarily commit to helping, and... I don't have too many friends. At least not locally. I have some friends scattered throughout the east coast, but my closest friend isn't local. So I'm worried about the physical help and support piece.

But, my parents have been talking about moving up to the Boston area (where my sister and I both live) for a year or two, and I was hoping me getting serious about having a baby would be the impetus to getting them to actually make the move. Well, I I think it is! We started to talk about where they'd want to live, what type and size of house they'd buy up here, etc. And I think they're going to come visit at the end of August to start looking around at what's out there for sale! They probably won't move up here until next spring or summer - when I'm hoping to already be pregnant! - but at least they're starting the process.

I couldn't be happier about how the weekend went - it was fun in general, and it was so good to see my parents and spend time with them after barely talking with them for a month while they were traveling - but especially with how my predictions for how they'd react to my news came true. :)

I have a physical tomorrow, and I'm planning to ask my doctor for some OB/RE recommendations. I figure it can't hurt to get started with finding the right person or people to work with, right? I want to have a plan in place, and I can't do that without getting questions answered and making sure I have a good person to work with to get started on said plan! But, to start off, I want to start trying to get pregnant in January. A new year, both calendar-wise and my-life wise as my birthday is in January, and a start to a new chapter of my life!

But can I just tell you something that kind of scares me? How very, very QUICKLY I went from thinking to being ready to GET GOING??? Wasn't I supposed to be a thinker for at least 3-6 months? Or does the time between now and January count towards that? It just kind of seems like going to an OB/RE means I've moved towards "tryer", and that has happened really quickly - which is really scary! Did I skip a step? Am I missing something? I became a serious thinker only about 2 weeks ago. But I really have no doubts. I guess maybe they'll show up later - like when I'm already pregnant and it's too late! But I just know this is what I want. For the past several years (maybe even 5 or 10??) I've pretty much jokingly mentioned having a baby on my own, but without reading a book, joining SMC, reading a listserve, etc. - all things I've done in the past 2 weeks! - ...(although I do vaguely remember being on a sperm bank website, I think)... do all of those years count as "thinking" time?

One more quick thing... At work the other day (I'm a child life specialist - www.childlife.org) an absolutely adorable 3-year-old little girl said to her parents, "Wow, she's a really good mommy!" after I'd set her up with some bubbles and coloring to help pass the time while she was waiting to see the doctor. It just melted my heart! And made me realize that I want to be a REAL mommy so damn badly!!!

Oh, and I found out a few things about my mom's fertility and stuff that might be helpful/important, if this kind of thing is hereditary...

*She got pregnant VERY easily 3 times - and with only one tube, as she lost one to an ectopic pregnancy due to a faulty IUD before I was born - although she got pregnant (with her viable pregnancies) at about 23, 27, and 30.

*She started menopause at about 54 - on the late side, I think.

*She was very nauseous early in her pregnancies, but never threw up!

*I think there was something else, but I can't remember what it was now... I'll fill you in later if I think of it!

I'm SOOOO excited to be on the path to mommyhood!!!