How did we get here?

Through my teenage years and into my early twenties I was fairly sure that I would never have children. This was due in no small part to the arrival, just before my 14th birthday, of my little brother. While, as little brothers go, he actually wasn't that bad, the death of my stepfather eight months later and my grandmother's subsequent spiral into ill health meant that way too much of his care landed at my feet.

Finally escaping the family home at the ripe old age of 21, I was immediately consumed with graduate school and a demanding career. It was several years before I came up for air and began to question the direction my life was taking. Over the next few years I made changes in my life and career. There were no more 12 hour work days running on office snacks and caffeine and I escaped the cubicle jungle for good. Unfortunately, one necessary component of the family I'd begun dreaming about never materialized. While I dated on and off--even resorting to both online and offline dating services--I still had absolutely no luck finding a long-term partner.

Approaching 30, I began to realize that drastic measures may be required. I had two options, as I saw it. I could either "settle" on a less-than-perfect partner and lower my standards or I could decide to go it alone, as an increasing number of women were starting to do. I looked into both options. If I did decide to become a single parent there were a variety of methods available, including adoption and artificial insemination.

My decision was based on timing. I knew from my mother's experience--she was almost 40 when she had my brother--that I did not want to have a child after 35. Therefore, I needed to prioritize my options accordingly. While I would much prefer to have a child with a partner--even one who wasn't my "soul mate"--I couldn't wait forever if I wanted a biological child. And after much soul searching, I realized that I did. I decided to put adoption on the back burner for the time being. While I was open to the idea, I realized it wasn't my first choice.

I began to approach relationships with a much more open mind. I dated several men who I would have immediately turned down in my twenties and concentrated instead on the attributes that I thought would make a good husband and father. Two years later I was no closer to finding a partner and instead had discovered that homely men who aren't good in bed can lie and cheat just as well as good-looking men who are. It was time to explore option number two.

Needless to say, I would not be here today if Plan B had not worked much better than Plan A. On Friday, October 13th, 2006 I underwent my second IUI attempt at a local fertility clinic. IUI stands for Inter-Uterine Insemination and involves a nurse and a very long, narrow tube. It takes about a minute and is much easier and less messy than "the old fashioned" way. It's also relatively cheap compared to the much more involved IVF treatments that you hear about on the news.

On Sunday, October 29th I went in for my official test. When the receptionist asked me how I was, I replied, "Knocked up, I think!" And I was.

Now i'm just waiting for Augusta Jane . . .