"A-den, a-den!" she demanded, with a glint in her eye.
"Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday to you..." I continued. And even though her birthday had already passed, there I was teary-eyed yet laughing, leaning over the crib singing to her over and over however many times she asked, switching to a different name each time just to make her giggle, just to please her. We'd already been through "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "B-I-N-G-O" substituting the names of the entire cast of little characters at daycare. Oh, I knew she was stalling to avoid going to bed, but I didn't care. Connecting my eyes to hers, her eyes staring back at mine expectantly, smiling and happy, I was relishing the joy, the deliciousness of loving my child my way with my own small voice. --read more >>

My son was born when I was 22 years old. He was conceived during one freezing winter in Lake Tahoe, CA.

When I discovered I was pregnant, my immediate reaction was that I was too young to have a baby and that I should have an abortion. When I spoke with Ethan, my boyfriend at the time and father-to-be, he did not share my concerns and thought having a baby was a great idea. Looking in a mirror, admiring my new, baby-full appearance, I considered what he said and immediately fell in love with our unborn child.--read more >>