Welcome to the 29th installation of Journeys To Motherhood! We hope you all have had a loving and beautiful Thanksgiving, as we now head into the high winds of the Christmas and Hanukkah season!

I am SO looking forward to this Christmas, as my little one will be just shy of two years. She is quite aware of everything around her, and has already been saying her “wows” whenever we’ve walked passed anything Christmas! I still realize and remember, however, that this season can be quite difficult, even devastating, for the reproductively challenged woman.

I know this personally, from going through nine heartbreaking holiday seasons, feeling emptiness in my heart and soul. But I got through it, and I NOW have such excitement and joy as I look forward to this upcoming Christmas! Please know that YOU will find that in your life as well, even if it may not be this year. If motherhood dwells within your heart, be persistent and NEVER give up on your dream. NEVER. It will happen…one way or another. I promise you that.

On this show we delve into Part 2 of Tracy Jo Devereaux’s magnificent story. I hope you had a chance to check out Part 1, and I hope you’ve also looked at her website. If not, go to our Archives Page and take a moment to listen to the last show, and be sure to go to www.MaceyD.com. As Tracy Jo shares with us today, you will hear about her life transforming, as she finds herself pregnant with quads. She had been hoping that the quads would be home for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case; however, they ARE doing great! And that, of course, is the important thing. Check out her website to see these beautiful babies in their Thanksgiving garb, and their sweet big sister, Macey, who was the first miracle to enter Tracy Jo’s life.

Also covered in her story, are the inevitable changes that infertility inflicts upon one’s marriage, the internal conflicts that Tracy Jo’s husband has been facing, the issue of selective reduction and myriad other aspects of this life surreal. When I personally am having a day that is making me feel weathered and worn, I now think of Tracy Jo. Thoughts of her and what she has had to face, put everything back into perspective for me. And at that moment, I say a little prayer for her and her family, and I always find myself then smiling.

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For those of you that are considering adoption, now is the perfect time to check into it further. November is National Adoption Month, and although we at Journeys To Motherhood celebrate adoption all year long, it’s nice to have a month dedicated to the idea of adoption. As Tina Tyra mentions in her latest newsletter from A Labor of Love, “National Adoption Month is a great time to celebrate, educate and bring out the awareness of adoption.” She also mentions that if you download the lists of famous adoptive parents and adoptees from the internet, you will be surprised how prevalent adoption is. You probably already know this to be true. Almost everyone knows someone who has been touched by adoption.

If you are in Pennsylvania, remember you can also contact the local rep for A Labor of Love, Monica Marks. Though she is Corporate Liaison, she is looking forward to also working with adoptive families whose place of employment may already be adoption-friendly. You can reach her at 412-266-8839.

Adoption has changed my life and given me joy beyond belief. It can do the same for you.

On this, the eve of Thanksgiving, I wanted to give thanks to all of you out there…the listeners, the guests, the industry providers, and the women who are helping other women to achieve motherhood. And please remember to take a moment, if even just in your thoughts and hearts, to give thanks to your birthmoms and surrogates. They are amazing women that give deeply of themselves in ways that no other human beings ever could. Pray for them, especially the birthmoms, and that they are at peace with a decision that had to be one of the hardest ones they will ever make. Yet they are whom we adoptive families have to thank, for changing our lives, by giving us our completed families.

And a special thanks to my dear friend, Sue, for connecting me with the agency that got our baby to us…A Labor of Love Adoptions…and ALSO a congratulations goes out to Sue for the adoption of her second baby…a big, healthy beautiful baby boy named Adam Edward. He is one lucky little boy, and Sue is one lucky mommy.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! And to those of you who are feeling less thankful because you are still longing for YOUR baby, keep the faith and KNOW that your baby is coming to you. Never NEVER give up on your dream.   

On this, our 28th show of Journeys To Motherhood, we have with us a guest that I consider to be a Super Woman in every sense of the word. Tracy Jo Devereaux was kind enough to sit down and take her story, step by amazing step, and re-live even the most difficult moments.

This is Part 1 of her deeply touching (at times heart-wrenching) story of her struggle into motherhood. Her undeniable strength and her solid commitment to her faith got her through unbelievably tragic times. In the midst of calamity, however, a miracle happened …something that could not be explained…other than through the power of prayer. I suggest you have some tissue by your side when listening to this show. It will tug at your heartstrings and leave you astounded.

If any of you happen to remember a print ad for some stereo company a while back, where the guy was sitting in a chair, holding onto the armrests, and his hair was flying back, as his stereo was blowing him away….well….that’s how I felt after speaking with Tracy Jo…only it wasn’t just my hair flying back. If I were to take that visual and apply it to how this story impressed me, the entire chair would have been blown back with me…right through the wall behind me. And that’s no exaggeration.

Though there is a lot of sorrow peppered throughout Part 1 of our story today, there is tremendous joy. And in Part 2, which we will air on November 30th, there are even further events to astonish you in Tracy Jo’s journey! (i.e…the birth of quads, just to wet your whistle!)

If you’d like to follow this story in a visual manner, go to www.maceyd.com. That site was established by Kelly McCausey of Moms Talk Radio, as to assist in Tracy Jo’s efforts to keep family and friends up-to-date with the goings-on of her new family. Tracy Jo is Kelly’s niece, and she talks about how her family has helped her so greatly in her times of need, especially ‘Aunt Kelly’.

So prepare for a story unlike any you’ve ever heard before, as we listen to the voice of one of the ‘Super Women’ that walk among us…Tracy Jo Devereaux.

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On this, our 27th show of Journeys To Motherhood, we celebrate our one year anniversary! We are also celebrating our uterus and learning more about ‘her’, with the help of our guest, Angel Baney.

Angel is an inspirational soul. After going through reproductive assistance, then losing twins in a domestic act of violence, THEN having a difficult time in conceiving again with her new husband…Angel refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer. As I’ve said before, she will NOT be denied motherhood. So she is taking steps down another path now…the path of adoption. She is the quintessential example of determination.

She is strong, resilient and yet effervescent in her journey and her life. I am blessed to know her, and now YOU will be too. You will find her interesting in the work she does as well. Her spa, Centre Ave. Massage and Spa, located in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh, is not only welcoming and relaxing, it is also quite beautiful…a work of art in and of itself. She talks today about the details of Arvigo, what it means and what it can do for you. Raise your glass and join us in a toast, as we celebrate our 1st anniversary…AND our uterus!

Happy Realignment to you all!

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