Living Our Miracle: Weekend in Tennessee

This past weekend we ventured on our first road trip. We went to Tennessee for the weekend for my cousin’s wedding. We stayed on my family’s farm, where my aunt lives. Our little one did great. Although he hates his car seat and screams much of the time he is in it, he actually slept most of the way. Once coaxed to sleep, he stayed asleep. We had a short, but very nice weekend visiting with family. My parents had flown into town from Florida for the weekend and I was excited for them to visit with our little one. He was so mellow on Friday and Saturday that when he started crying on Sunday, my aunt said she was glad he could cry.

Visiting the family farm was very special. Our little one is named Leland after my granddaddy (my dad’s father) who owned the farm and built the house that is currently on the farm. My granddaddy was a great man. Unfortunately, he died before I was born. Had I been a boy (and they really though I was) I would have been named Robert Leland after my granddaddy. Interestingly, my husband is named Robert. My husband is a Jr., so my father-in-law is also Robert. Our donor father is also Robert and they have a son Robby. There are a lot of Roberts in the mix, so we decided to name our little one Leland, which is the name my granddaddy was actually known by. Even though I never knew my granddaddy, I have enjoyed stories from my dad, my aunt, and even my older sisters. I know he was a very special man. I am so thankful to my granddaddy for raising my dad. Only a remarkable man could raise a man as wonderful, kind, hard-working, and strong as my dad. I was so excited to find out we were having a boy, so we could use the name Leland.

Events like weddings and visiting with family we don’t see often make having our little one so much sweeter. These were the events in the past that made infertility sting even more. Not only does Leland bring us so much joy on his own, but he helps us find even more joy in other areas of life. This weekend I found out my younger cousin (also a Robert) and his girlfriend are unexpectedly expecting. In the past this would have been tough to hear. But now, I welcomed the news with joy and excitement. Even better, my joy for them seemed to be just what they needed. Those closer to them were focused on the unexpected aspect of the pregnancy. My focus on the joy of the pregnancy and my sharing how wonderful being a mom is with his girlfriend was wonderful for them. They really need someone to celebrate the wonderfulness of a baby even if it was unplanned.

We did have one nasty run in with one of my older cousins. She’s in her late forties and not a very pleasant person. Within minutes of seeing her (and we don’t see her but every few years and this portion of my family does not know about the embryo adoption) she asked if Leland was planned. My first though was, we’ve been married five years, and he sure wasn’t an accident. So I said yes he was planned. She then made a nasty comment that my husband and I can just plan everything; we can just have a baby anytime we want one. I was shocked. I muttered something to the effect that we had actually had a lot of difficulty having him and that it had taken some time. I then walked away to visit with other family. Some people really shock me.

On Sunday, we went to church in the very small unincorporated township where my dad and aunt grew up. It was nice to introduce Leland to members of the community who had known my granddaddy Leland. Overall it was a wonderful weekend. I hated saying bye to my parents, but they will be back to Georgia in a month for Leland’s baptism.

Here are some pictures from the weekend: