After seven years of infertility treatments and multiple failed adoptions, Colleen Geyer tells us how her strong faith carried her and her husband through those disappointing years. With the support of familiy, friends and church, they were able to stay positive and know in their hearts that their baby would come to them.

Colleen’s story does have a happy ending with the adoption of her son, Noah, and she shares how they were blessed with a second child, daughter Addison. But she also tells us about the emotional journal she kept during those discouraging years, her feelings of anguish while attending Mother’s Day services at church, and how important it is to voice your feelings of despair if you are experiencing infertility.

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I’ve recently encountered a woman that spoke to me of her continuous fear in going forward with her infertility issues.  She told me that everywhere she turns, every option she looks at, whether it be invitro, surrogacy or adoption, she feels paralyzed with fear.  I had spoken before about this being a situation that takes us out of our comfort zone into places we’ve never imagined going before.  But what ALSO gave her great fear, was finding herself at the end of her life, looking back at never having the courage to move onward so that she could experience motherhood, which she so deeply desired. 

One (of many) affirmations I had to keep repeating to myself when I was going through the battle of infertility was this, (and I shared it with her).  Just remember If you want something you’ve never had, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done.  It is a mantra we can apply to every aspect of life, but it seemed especially apropos in my journey to motherhood….as I found myself continuously doing things I had never done before…ALL of which were out of my comfort zone.  The fact that many of us had to enter into these uncomfortable places, and have come out victoriously, will hopefully give her and others a sense of peace and sisterhood…knowing they aren’t alone. 

Colleen will infect you with her spirit of enthusiasm. She’ll inspire and encourage you, being the quintessential example of the woman who refused to be denied…while keeping her faith intact, a smile on her face and an undying hope in her heart. Listen, and get jazzed about this courage and hope we can ALL have in our lives…this is Part 2 of the story of Colleen Geyer.

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This is our 32nd show of Journeys To Motherhood, and we welcome you with open arms! Today we have a guest that WAS just another trooper in the battlefield of infertility. And yes, I emphasis the word ‘was’. Colleen Geyer was tenacious in her quest for motherhood. She had faced numerous setbacks in the adoption arena, yet she never let it stop her forging onward.

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I would be delighted to have you join me as I guest co-host the Mom’s Morning Show on Blog Talk Radio on Wednesday, January 16th and Wednesday January 23rd!  I always have lots to chat about and the show is an awesome daily event that runs from 10:30am to 11:30am EST.  This is Kelly and Tishia’s show, and I’m thrilled that they’ve asked me to join them!  It’s great fun, and quite easy!  Go to the show page (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/momsradio) at show time and click to listen live.  It will launch a page with the audio and chat room.  Or call in at 646-915-8854 to listen and/or chat with us!  We hope to have you there!

Also, I wanted to respond to a question someone had sent me regarding my recommendation of Shola Oslo’s ebook ‘Endo Remedy’.  I love anything and everything I’ve ever received from Shola, and I WOULD highly recommend her ebooks (though I can’t say I’ve been through them all), as I would ALSO recommend The Whole Person Fertility Program by Niravi Payne.  I must have had a brain cloud when I didn’t mention them on my brief list of books as great gift ideas!  But, I suppose we are always needing to buy gifts for our loved ones throughout the year for many reasons….or for no reason at all!…so, those are more for you to consider.  Thank you kindly for the comments and postings you’ve sent my way.  Please keep them coming.  Love to you all! 

Once again, a Happy New Year to you all!  I hope, as we’ve almost come to a close of the first week of 2008, that your year is looking up with promise and hope and much love!  I have heard from TWO MORE women that listen to our show, that are on our poetic prayer chain list, that have found their ways to their babies!!  I will give more details on our next show, as both of them want to take a little time to ‘be sure’ that all is going well, and remains ‘in place’, if you will.  But I am SO excited and happy to have heard about these surprising and amazing ‘little’ miracles!  What a great way to start off the New Year!  As one of these women e-mailed me, “Keep reminding your listeners that they MUST press on.  When it comes to infertility, persistence is the key.  If I was able to hang in there for 12 years…others can do it as well. It is the hardest thing in the world to do, but it will be worth it.”  Just wanted to drop you this note of encouragement.  As we celebrate each other’s fulfillment in our journeys to motherhood, we will find ourselves celebrating our OWN fulfillment before we know it!

On this, our 31st show, we want to wish you the happiest of new years! We are hopeful that 2008 brings you all that you are wishing for, but most especially your baby. The new year always holds hope and promise. Embrace it, and remember to keep your head high. This could be YOUR year.

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We are happy to present to you the 30th installation of Journeys To Motherhood. In the midst of this very busy holiday season, we take a moment to remember the guests of this past year who have been gracious enough to share their most personal of stories. We have been so blessed by so many lovely women, and this show is a tribute to them.

Plus, I have included one of the most recent ’success’ stories, which has happened to one of the women on our poetic prayer chain! Her name is Addison, and her story is the quintessential Christmas story for reproductively challenged women.

It’s fabulous to hear of a miracle as it’s actually ‘happening’, especially when it’s happening to one of our listeners whom we’ve been praying for! The baby will be here December 20th! (what a Christmas gift!) But the route in which this baby has come into Addison’s life, is one that isn’t traveled often.

It reminds us that we never know from where, nor from WHOM, our baby is coming. And this story will also remind us that miracles DO happen! Addison wasn’t going to have a Christmas tree nor a Christmas dinner, no celebration, nothing. NOW she is preparing for the Christmas of her life!

If this wasn’t ‘your’ year yet…there’s a good chance 2008 WILL be ‘your’ year! Keep that in mind when those difficult moments arise. Holidays are rough, but you will be fine. Never give up. Press on. For nothing in the world can take the place of persistence when pursuing your dream.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!…and especially inner peace, joy and happiness as the New Year approaches!

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First of all, I want to say that I have been very blessed with a plethora of authors sending me copies of their books to read, and I thank you all very much.  Due to the multi-faceted life I seem to be leading these days, I’ve been very slow to complete the reading of some of these books. I usually wait until I’m able to give each one a block of my undivided attention with each reading session, in the order in which I receive them.  From the many books I’ve been sent, I wanted to mention the following: 

The first book is one that I’ve actually just begun, but it is a BEAUTIFUL book that is written in a lovely fashion.  It is very spiritual in nature, and there are many scripture references given. The book is entitled Hannah’s Hope, and the author is Jennifer Saake. As you may know, in 1 Samuel, chapters 1 and 2 of the Bible, you will meet Hannah, a barren woman who experiences deep grief and great anguish. She was suffering from the heartache of empty arms. This book is an inspiration for all who have also suffered, or ARE suffering, from the empty arms syndrome.  It is also a great buy for those you may know of that are on your gift list that you want to uplift and encourage. Hannah’s Hope has been called “a soothing balm for your aching heart”…and that is quite true.  At the end of each chapter, there is a “Burden Bearers” section that gives wonderful words of advice for those also bearing the burden of their loved one’s infertility, who don’t know what to do or say.  This is such valuable information, as what our loved ones say to us during this very difficult time, can make our situations even worse…OR they can help be more supportive in ways and words that they may never have thought of before.  People need to be instructed, as they have NO idea what their reproductively challenged loved one is going through.  You will love this book, and you can order it through the website, which is www.hannahshopebook.com.,  where you can preview Chapter 1. You can also purchase Hannah’s Hope through Amazon.com or through Christian Book Distributors.

For those of you looking for something more on the comedic side, something that looks at infertility and laughs at it in the face, then you will want to check out InVitro Fertility Goddess.  Written by Austrailian author, Jodi Panayotov, it is a book written in a worldly sense, sometimes a bit over-the-top in its humor, which gives the reader some good chuckles, at a time when a good laugh is hard to come by. It is written in a diary style, therefore foregoing conventional composition at times, which may take a moment to get used to.  But once you do, you will get the feel for Jodi’s unique style. And there are times that I can completely relate to the humorous content, and as I was reading, I’d think to myself, “Gee! I thought only I MYSELF had those feelings!”… once again, confirming that we all who go through this infertility ride, at times have very similar experiences and thoughts, and this contributes to our sisterhood. You can order InVitro Fertility Goddess from the website, which is www.invitrofertilitygoddess.com.

I am hoping to have the above-mentioned authors on my show in 2008. I will keep you posted on the scheduling of that.  But I also want to remind you of another book, who’s author has already been on Journeys To Motherhood.  Her name is Patricia Dischler, and her book is Because I Loved You: A Birthmother’s View Of Open Adoption.  I loved this book, and it is a great read for everyone.  If you know of anyone on your gift list that is in a confusing place, finding themselves pregnant and considering their options, it is a truly inspirational piece of work that will help that person see the benefits and the beauty in loving their child enough to give him or her up.  But, as I’ve said, ANYONE would enjoy this amazing story, and its outcome is something to sit back and ponder…as Patricia shows how HER decision of open adoption actually opened her life up to greater joy than she could have ever imagined.  You can order Because I Loved You by going to www.patriciadischler.com.

These are just a few ideas for you to consider for people that you might find hard to buy for…especially if they can relate to a struggle obtaining motherhood.  While there is still time left before Christmas, these are treasured little pieces of literary works that you’ll be happy to give, and your recepient will be happy to receive.  (Or why not give as a New Year’s gift?…giving hope and encouragement for the new year to come?)  In the meantime, good luck with the rest of your holiday shopping!  

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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