Welcome Baby Keaton.

This past weekend Robby and I had the opportunity to attend an adoption party. I was thrilled when my college friend Travis and his beautiful wife Felicia adopted a little boy. I now that they have been waiting for a child for what I'm sure seems like an eternity. They are going to be wonderful parents.

Driving to the party allowed me the opportunity to reflect upon motherhood. In particular, I started to remember how I felt when I learned that we were expecting him. After all, Robby is truly a little miracle.

I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2001. The doctors initially told me that I wasn't going to be able to conceive. Later, I learned that conception might be possible, but that my cervix and uterus would be too weak to carry a child. I went through the treatments to eradicate the cancer, and I put my childbearing dreams out of mind.

Time passed, and Scott and I married. My desire to have a child grew. We considered adoption. Scott and I both knew that we wanted to be parents. We expected the journey to parenthood to be long.

Much to our surprise, I found out that I was pregnant. We were hesitant to spread our good news for fear of miscarrying. I was thrilled, but we were also terrified.

My pregnancy was not easy. My body had trouble supporting the growing baby, and my cervix had to be tied shut to support the weight. I was put on bed rest for the last trimester due to a fetal infection. The baby was in distress and his heart rate was dangerously high. I was miserable on bed rest. I was uncomfortable and I was nervous about the baby's health.

We are grateful that Robby was born healthy. My body eventually recovered from the stress of the pregnancy, although it took my kidneys several years to return to normal. I would love to have another child, but I am not sure that I would be able to care for Robby while on bed rest for such a long time again.

Family's come in all shapes and sizes. Scott and I do not love Robby more or less because he is biologically connected to us. My brother is adopted but I rarely think of this. He is merely my brother, not my "adopted brother." This is the way it has always been.

To celebrate this special occasion, I made Keaton a quilt. I rarely give away quilts that I make because of the time investment that they require. Perhaps because my brother is adopted, or perhaps it was because I knew how anticipated Keaton's arrival had been for my friend. Whatever the reason, I knew that a purchased gift just wouldn't do.

Robby was excited about going to the "welcome baby party." He watched me work on the quilt and we talked about the baby. Unfortunately, Robby continued to refer to the quilt as the "ouch shit blanket." Apparently I need to watch my tongue when I am quilting without my thimble.

I would say that he was excited to go to the party to meet the baby. Truth be told, he was chatting about having cake at the "big party." My friend and the baby were merely accessories to his cake eating venture. Robby was eager to give the new parents his "ouch shit blanket."

Congratulations to Travis and Felicia. They are truly an amazing couple. Little Keaton is lucky to have them for parents. He was born to be their little boy. I believe that this was destiny. You cannot mask a parent's love.