Tick Tock

The day FMO was born, I declared, "That was horrible, and I am never doing that again." Although I appreciated many "magical" aspects of being pregnant with FMO, there were numerous discomforts I was not inclined to revisit. Labor and delivery, though fairly typical, uneventful, and reasonable by average standards, was not an experience I mentally filed under Repeatable.

I was very contented to have my singular, adored child. When it became clear that FMO had communication challenges, that became the main focus of our lives, and primarily still is. If there were moments over the years I had notions of expanding our family, they were brief and fleeting at best. We were far too preoccupied with pursuing appropriate services, and more often than not we were engaged in mentally and emotionally exhausting battles with schools.

Since FMO has been enrolled in his current school program, life in general has only improved more and more. I am so grateful for the immensely supportive staff. FMO has been able to flourish academically and make great strides socially in this environment. His progress overall is uplifting and inspiring. I feel like our lives went from nightmarishly stressful to relatively simplified, relaxed, and easy. We have had more time and energy to focus on enjoyable pursuits. We spent more quality time with family and friends. I have been crafting many projects, and I am gearing up to start a small handmade clothing company. MAO has put in many laborious hours in the yard, working on his orchard and garden. He became a licensed boat captain last year, and he recently bought a boat to start his sport-fishing charter business, fulfilling his lifelong dream.

About a year ago, I started to feel strongly it would be good for FMO to have a sibling. When I turned 34, I heard that proverbial clock start to tick quite loudly. Our decision to "go for it" is a testament to how well things have been going for FMO. I didn't forget how I felt almost eight years ago, I just love him so much that I was willing to endure another nine months of varying levels of discomfort, and countless more months of mild to severe sleep deprivation. In about a month, FMO will have a baby sister. Parenthood has been nothing short an interesting ride so far, and I am excited to see the ways this new development will change our lives.