This post is Part Four of a true story. A story about Adam and I getting pregnant before marriage and how it has made our life together complicated, painful, wonderful and FULL of surprises. A story of how love can grow in even the most unlikely situations. If you haven’t already, you can read Part One here, Part Two here and Part Three here.

I think I left off right after Addison was born on April 27th, 2001.  Adam and I were living with my parents at the time, so we didn’t have a typical nursery for her.  Our room was big, so we just made her a sweet little mini-nursery in there.

Honestly, I didn’t really mind.  I never daydreamed about my wedding or what my firstborn child’s room would look like. I never even thought about getting married and having children.  It NEVER crossed my mind.  I guess I just never thought that far ahead.  In fact, not thinking ahead was a recurring theme in my life.  Let’s just examine that for a moment shall we?

I have always been a smart, capable, average girl.  Looking back I was pretty ignorant.  I never applied myself in school.  I didn’t prioritize anything.  I was just…well….average.  I didn’t excel at anything in particular because I didn’t try hard enough.  I did just enough to get by without my parents giving me the disappointed lecture. I  was ok with being a C+ student.  Of course my parents tried to explain how the decisions that I made were going to affect me.  I just literally let it go in one ear and out the other.  All I cared about was hanging out with my friends and flirting with boys.  And somehow I managed to graduate high school with a 2.9 GPA.  Oh so underwhelming.

And oh yes I was a catch let me tell you.  And I am sure it was a joy raising me.  Sorry mom and dad.

So after years and years of “la-dee-da-tra-la-la…I am the only person on this planet”  I found myself SOMEONE’S MOM.  Looking back, my parent’s were probably wondering if I would step up to the plate.  In fact, I know they were.  I guess I just had one of those Aha! moments.  I have had more than one of those moments since then, but maybe it was the first time I realized that I had to grow up.  I no longer had the luxury of making decisions that only screwed up my own life.  Now if I made a stupid choice or a bad decision it affected my child.

I had never felt that way before.  I had never thought of anyone before myself.  I think that was good in some ways because it helped me to become the Type A control freak person I am today.  But it also made things harder for Adam and I.  Of course I didn’t realize it at the time, but while I was trying to figure out how to be a mom to Addison, I was neglecting my relationship with her father.

But guess what ya’ll?  He asked me to marry him anyway.  On Mother’s Day in 2001 he planned a picnic on a beautiful hill at my grandmother’s farm.  He drove Addison and I up the hill and surprised me with an engagement ring.  We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

I will be back soon to air out the next portion of our dirty laundry.  Until then, I am off to go and wash some actual real life dirty laundry.  Thank you for reading and for more Fro’ me to you Thursday visit Kristen over at We are THAT family.

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