Monday, November 16, 2009

moving on

i received an email this morning from a pregnant deadbaby mama.

when my ivfs failed early this year, i was left with medications i would never again use. some i sent to a very dear friend who is still trying to figure out what the fuck her next move is, and the rest i sent to this mama. she's 20 weeks pregnant with a girl, and the birthday of her lost boy was earlier this month. i'm really so happy for her.

i can't believe how OK i am with leaving all that reproductive bullshit behind me. it's been a long, hard, miserable road. i am thrilled with my alive children and can appreciate paige for all that i've learned from her. i am heartbroken that she's not here, but she's changed me so much and i am so grateful to have had her. i can't change the fact that she's dead, but i can change my life.

i know that my leftover medications were just a small part of the whole process for this mama, but when i read that email, i felt so happy inside that because of paige, i helped her get pregnant. it was a little tiny bit of help, but so what?

i feel so very far out from having a dead baby, two years plus. no other babies to come, just the rest of my life. on to the next phase. the three will begin full-day kindergarten next september and i will...figure out what i'm going to do with myself as more than just a mother of alive triplets and a dead baby. it's thrilling, really.

i haven't had a bad day in such a long time. i'm thankful that i can think of paige and mostly feel heavy gratitude. i really feel that a lot of it has to do with KNOWING and ACCEPTING that i don't want to have any more children; i am done. i know how many children i will ever have, i know that three are alive and one is dead. i know i love them all.

is this it?

6 comments:

Sue said...

You sound wonderful, Charmy. In a wonderful place. And, really, what a gift you've given.

Our three initial injectible cycles (the third resulted in the boys) were using donated meds. When we made it to the second trimester, we thought, "wow, we're going to have a lot of people to thank, these kids are going to have very long names because of these wonderful people.

It really made a difference. I didn't even realize how much until recently. And if one of these recent cycles had worked, we would have donated leftovers, too. There is still a chance of that, I suppose, but, you know.

Thank you, Charmy. And, really, I'm so glad you've reached this place.

xo

k@lakly said...

It's a good place to be, the place where you are happy. What a fantastic thing you and Paige were able to do for her. And it just goes to show that a life, no matter how brief, really does leave a legacy and that tiny life can matter in the biggest ways, ways you may never have known or imagined.
xxoo

Aunt Becky said...

Charmy, I'm so glad you're my friend. I know that sounds so corny and stupid and go ahead and mock me (no, do it) but I am.

Anonymous said...

I am glad you are in a good spot right now. You deserve to be.

c. said...

Sounds like a wonderful place to be. After all the bullshit of the past 2 years, Charmy, you deserve some happiness, some peace.

Have you heard that Rascall Flatts song called Moving On? I'm not exactly a country music fan (nor do you strike me as one) but go google it. I think you may like it. Or not. Whatever :o)

XO.

Debbie said...

I echo everyone else. You sound wonderful and like you are in a truly great place right now.

(BTW, it's good to see an update from you.)