Spring has been very busy and I can’t believe that Parker will be turning ONE very soon. I took my last 2 weeks of maternity leave in March but didn’t accomplish all of the things I had planned as I was sick for 4 weeks with congestion, coughing, and fatigue. We did manage to host a St. Patrick’s playdate for Tucker’s classmates and a few neighbors. We also ventured to the Houston Rodeo during Spring Break.

Sheriff Tucker ready for Rodeo day at school

In early April, we went on our first Flowers family vacation including Parker. We spent a night at a wonderful resort in Austin where I had earned a free night with Omni hotels. As Easter approached, Tucker was blessed with 4 egg hunts and Parker met the bunny for the first time. After Tucker’s first egg hunt at preschool, he started saying “Happy Easter” to me every night at bedtime. And we are still saying it now! Tucker knows that Easter is over but it has become a fun ritual for us.

We traveled again in early May for two very special graduations trips. My niece, Caroline, graduated from LSU Vet School. And our former nanny, Shannon, graduated from Stephen F. Austin with her elementary education degree. Tucker and Parker were extremely well-behaved throughout both ceremonies!

Another graduation in May occurred when our new labradoodle puppy, Lucy, graduated from “boarding school.” She learned a lot and I’m enjoying her new manners in our busy household. Also, Tucker finished his 2-year-old class at Interfaith Child Development Center and we were gifted with a beautiful portfolio of artwork and photographs that his teacher made for him.

Tucker is thriving with imaginary play and loves to hear/tell fairytales and stories. He stayed awake in the car until 10pm as we drove to Baton Rouge and kept me awake as we retold stories. He got a stuffed penguin one of our 5 pit stops so I modified the 3 Little Pigs into the 3 girls penguins and the big bad polar bear. When Parker is upset these days, Tucker immediately launches into singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to comfort his baby brother. In May, Tucker started going to Gymnastics and I love that he smiles and waves at me during every transition throughout the class. This month Tucker and I also had our first outing without Parker and spent a very special day together at the Houston Children’s Museum.

Parker started crawling at 10 months. Now he is trying to stand and walking with push toys. He has entered the normal stage of stranger/separation anxiety. I feel so blessed that we’ve had our nanny, Ana, all year and Parker is definitely attached to her. He also loves to blow raspberries, chatter consonant sounds, and be ticked. Once a year, the Houston Fertility Institute has a big party for all of their families. We enjoyed attending this year and participating in the superhero theme.

Last year I wrote a love letter to any parents who have ever lost a baby. And this year, I am writing a thank you letter to two physicians who were instrumental in helping me achieve the dream of motherhood.

In March of 2012, I went to see Dr. Michael Marlow who has been my family physician for over a decade. He is a very kind and thoughtful doctor. Dr. Marlow really takes the time to talk, listen, and connect with his patients. When I spoke to him about my serious depression, he offered to write me a prescription. Many physicians would have stopped there and been on to the next person. However, Dr. Marlow took the time to find out the cause of my despair and then encouraged me to become a mother on my own. I said that I was having a hard time giving up on my dream of a husband and a family. And he replied “You’re not giving up the dream. You’re just making yourself a package deal.” At the time, I had other friends encouraging me to become a single mother and receiving this same advice from a man whom I like and respect was very powerful. I never filled that prescription and instead made an appointment with a fertility doctor.

Which leads me to the second amazing physician, Dr. Jason Griffith. Dr. Griffith truly is responsible for the sage advice, support, and stellar medical treatment which resulted in the attainment of my motherhood dream. Dr. Griffith is warm and supportive through disappoints and genuinely delighted and excited by success. He clearly loves his work, evidenced by his desire for former patients to come by the clinic to visit with their “big bellies” and with the new babies. And I’ve known Dr. Griffith to return my phone call at 7 p.m. or answer an email over the weekend. He truly cares.

After I lost 4 embryos, Dr. Griffith met with me and said “if you were my sister, this is what I would tell her to do next…” By following his advice, I became pregnant with Tucker in 2013.

After losing one more embryo in 2015, I met with Dr. Griffith again to discuss my options for a sibling. I told him that I was interested in adopting an embryo. Dr. Griffith knew of a couple who had been patients of his and wanted to give away their remaining embryos. And I subsequently became pregnant with Parker. I feel that after knowing me for three years, Dr. Griffith did an excellent job of matching me with this precious baby boy who needed a mother.

Happy Valentines Day from the Flowers.

All you need is love. (And sometimes a great doctor!)

Spring Highlights & Graduations

My 2017 Valentines Letter