My Boys

Mwanza

Henry

Diego

Jonathan

Isn't sponsorship one of the greatest emotional experiences of your life?! I have 2 biological children, and with both pregnancies, I anxiously awaited my baby boys to arrive... Both times I had a girl! In fact, when I was pregnant with my second child, I was so intent on having a boy (since I already had a girl). I had 3 sonograms to determine the sex of the baby. The first two sonograms revealed NOTHING... except a completely healthy fetus. However, I was still determined to know what I would be having next that I returned a week later for a 3rd sonogram. It was on that visit that the technician told me I was having a girl. The doctor came in to talk to me about what I should continue to do to keep the baby healthy and growing. As the doctor left the room, I slipped into the dressing room area to gather my things. I sat down on the bench, and proceded to cry. I couldn't leave the room and let the people in the office see me with tears and disappointment, so I stayed in the room for another 15 minutes. I got out a good cry, wiped my tears, and left the office.

A few months later, while recovering in the hospital from a c-section, I told my husband, "Whatever I say, do NOT let me have another baby. This recovery thing sucks!" I padded slowly through the hallways of the hospital maternity ward, holding my tummy in an attempt to make it hurt less. I was walking with my best friend of almost 20 years who never had children. I told her that I wanted a boy, but I was NEVER going to go through this again. She said that she couldn't even imagine what the pain must be like, but she could see it in my face.

Now, I have the most precious little girls. My oldest will be 5 years old on August 5th, and my youngest was born on my birthday 2 1/2 years ago. They have both been more than I ever expected in a child, and YES, it was all worth it to have them here. I wouldn't want either of them to be boys now, and thinking back it sounds crazy that I took it so hard. I love having my two little girls. Since I never had a sister, it is interesting to see the relationship between the two of them.

After the youngest, Morgan, was born, I did go through a period of time when I wanted to try "one more time" for a boy. Then, I found that the bond that had grown between Henry and me was almost as strong as the bond with my own children. So, I added more children to our family through sponsorship. I don't feel that strong need to have a biological boy any more... In fact, I have a hunch that the need that was in me to have a boy was put there in my heart for me to do something else with. It was not for me to try to conceive a boy but for me to conceive of helping many boys all over the world to have a better life.

Compared to my biological children who cost thousands of dollars a year, I can help each one of my boys for only $264 a year!!!