Baby Gifts from Cyberfriends

I am feeling so lucky and blessed. Not only do I have beautiful K carrying two healthy boys who are growing big and strong, but I also have so many wonderful friends and family. Some of my friends I know in real life while while others I only know through blogs and messages boards. Most of the women I know in cyberspace have been touched by infertility, preeclampsia, and/or baby loss. These are the women who completely "get it" because they've lived through it and somehow managed to survive the nightmare. These women can lift and warm my soul in ways that others can't.

Last week I received a couple of packages in the mail from women I haven't had the privilege of meeting. One of the gifts was a Moby wrap and came from a fellow blogger, Meg at On the Wrong Side of the Statistics. When I asked for advice about baby carriers sweet Meg shared her love for the Moby wrap and offered to mail me an extra, brand-new Moby wrap that she had received for a shower gift. I was so touched by this random act of kindness. Meg has suffered who own share of heartache and loss on her journey and is now blessed with a beautiful son. I feel so lucky to be on the receiving end of Meg's generosity and can't wait to carry my boys in the carrier when they arrive. Thank you so much Meg for your kindness!

The other gifts came from a fellow preeclampsia survivor and IVF vet, JC. I met JC on IVFC while I was cycling in July '07 and have "known" her ever since. When Myles died JC and her dear husband sent us a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I was deeply touched by JC's willingness to reach out to me in a time of deep and utter despair. Although we had been chatting on-line for several months, we were virtual strangers. I won't forget this amazing act of kindness. I may not know J in real life, but I have been touched by her warm, caring personality. Through the miracle of IVF J has been blessed with 4 beautiful boys (her oldest are twins) and she sent me two gifts that she couldn't live without. One is a book called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins by Marc Weissbluth and a cd of baby lullabies by Nicollette Larson (which are peaceful, melodic sounds). I hope that both of these items work as well for us with our boys as they did for JC and her boys! Thank you so much JC--you are such a kind soul!

Pay It Forward

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a fellow blogger, Dora at ISO the Golden Egg, who wanted to do something kind for someone who was having a rough week. Dora had received a nice gift from another blogger when she was feeling down and out, so she wanted to pay it forward. I had just posted about my not so happy birthday and how much I was missing Myles. Dora read my update on Lost and Found and thought I was the perfect person to cheer up. Dora contacted me and told me of her desire to send me a pay it forward gift. I was so touched and brought to tears by the kindness and generosity of a woman who at the time was for all practical purposes a complete "stranger". Now I call her a friend. Dora and I share a common bond, infertility, and unfortunately we know each other's pain. It's easy for us "infertiles" to read posts by one of our own and truly feel the heartache that resonates from their words.

I anxiously awaited the arrival of my special gift and was so excited when it arrived on Thursday. The beautiful bracelet (pictured above) with it's appropriate message was specifically selected by Dora for me. Wow, what an amazing gift! A hand-made bracelet made by Second Sister that says "Expect Miracles". Throughout my almost 4 year struggle with infertility I've gathered up hope only to be crushed over and over again. The death of my son, Myles, almost 8 months ago left me feeling hopeless. Although I've managed to find some hope through my grief journey, it's still very difficult most days to remain optimistic and to think that any future miracle will happen for me. This bracelet came at a time when I need to stay positive and expect miracles.

Thank you Dora for being an amazing, compassionate, empathetic, and generous woman. To keep your generosity going I plan to pay it forward to someone in the blog world this week!