Tanya
[If you came directly to this post, please read here first for a little background on the project]
Tanya, like Jami, was among the first to volunteer for this project. She was patient, and when I finally asked to interview her in December of 2015, she and Micah invited me to their home for a Sunday morning visit. And I got to meet Melvie!
{Click the first image to open slideshow and read Tanya’s story}
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- Tanya and Micah had been married for four years in 2013 when they decided to have a baby. Until that point they had been content just being young, married, and having the time and freedom to be spontaneous. They were happy with their families, work, hobbies, and each other.
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- They didn’t have any plans to become parents any time soon – and probably not ever.
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- There had been one instance before when she thought she might be pregnant, and that would have been okay, since they were married and had purchased their home about a year earlier, but in all honesty, at the time, they were relieved that it was a false alarm.
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- Then it happened. Tanya got, in her own words, “crazy baby fever” and the decision was made.
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- As you would think would be the case with a couple who had been sure they were not having children, once they changed their minds, they planned the details carefully.
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- Tanya works in the public school system, so they wanted to match her summer vacation time with maternity leave as closely as possible.
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- Melvie Anna Hudson entered the world and changed their lives and home forever on March 18, 2014.
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- Although Melvie was not an easy baby for the first few months, and caused them to wonder if they had gotten in over their heads, she eventually settled down and they settled into a comfortable rhythm of parenthood.
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- When I asked them if there was anything in their day-to-day life that had NOT changed since having a baby, they couldn’t name one single thing. Dinner time is earlier, so Melvie can get to bed early. Working harder and longer hours ceased in favor of more time at home with her. Spontaneous plans are a thing of the past. Money is spent more carefully. Everything has changed, everything is different when you have another little person to put first.
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- But that different life is also fuller. More full of fun and laughter – sometimes crying and screaming – but definitely more full of love.
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- Tanya grew up with one sibling, and Micah is one of four children. I wasn’t going to ask if they planned to have more babies, but they volunteered the answer without my asking: their family is complete with Melvie. They are “one and done” and don’t plan to give her any brothers or sisters.
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- I believe them, but Melvie is living proof that this procreation thing can be quite tricky sometimes….you might think you never want kids, until one day the fever hits…..
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- Sometimes you don’t need a detailed answer to the question “Why?” You just understand that there wasn’t a strong enough argument to the question “Why not!?” 🙂