Today is our son’s fourth birthday. Before he was born, I had been dreaming of a little girl who would inherit my eyes and my husband’s legs. Instead, we were blessed with a miracle child who has filled my heart with things I didn’t even know I could dream of: hope, purpose, breathtaking devotion, laughter and love. With Aaron’s birth, my husband and I became a family. With Aaron’s birth, I learned about the power of friendship and love. With Aaron’s birth, I became something I didn’t think I’d ever be…a mom.

I’ve never been able to write about the day Aaron was born. Each time I try to put pen to paper, I become a blubbering idiot. Today isn’t any different.

At 5:25 on a Tuesday morning, Aaron arrived in this world. As nurses cleared his airways and we waited for his first breath, I collapsed in Amy’s arms and together we wept. We cried with relief and with joy. When we started our surrogacy journey a year earlier, we didn’t know where we’d end up. We didn’t have a road map; we simply had a great determination and profound friendship.

While the doctor and nurse attended to Aaron, I remember Amy gently pushing tear-soaked hair from my face and whispering in my ear, “Your baby is here. You’re a mom.”

When he was two weeks old I wrote in a letter to a friend…”Each time I look into his eyes, feel his breath against my neck or hold him nuzzled into the crook of my arm, I’m overcome with gratitude and disbelief. He is truly amazing…”

Those feelings continue today.

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