[momm2be]

I always knew I wanted to be a mother.

I first thought about adoption when I was 30, and single. With all the publicity back then about China, I was sure I was going there. At that time, single women had to be 35 yrs, but could start the application at 33.5 (18 months until travel). I decided I had a few years to get myself where I needed to be. I knew I wanted a blended family - thought I would like to be pregnant, but saw adoption as my way to giving back to the planet what I have received.

Decided if at 33.5 with no husband prospects I would move forward on my own. I enrolled in grad school, buckled down at work, got that promotion, doctorate and house in a great neighborhood.

Low in behold the month after I finished grad school, I was told I was post menopausal -- somehow with all the stress of the above activities I didn't notice I shot through the peri - part and went straight to post - producing absolutely no estrogen. My chance of getting to a live birth with all the advanced science was placed around <1 % chance of success. I would need an egg donor, and since I was single would also need a sperm donor. Basically needed to find a fertilized egg and cultivate my body to maintain it. ---What the???

There just seemed no sense to that -- why don't I just get a fertilized egg at a point all ready for kindergarten.

So here comes DD. I thank China for changing its requirements for singles. If they had not put forth the limits on single parent adoption of would not have found Nat.

Laugh now, but when I started Russia was supposedly fast.. which I thought I needed being single and expecting all countries to follow with moratoriums and changes for singles. Lucky I got in and out when I did. Perfect child for me in the same time a pregnancy might have been.

Funny how life takes you. Now with DD home, I have found that special someone, and who knows where we will go from here.