About Me

Dancing, age 4

I was raised in a small town in Ohio (USA).  I was a really good kid all the way through school, except I often got in trouble because I would not shut up.  I am a tad out-going...  I was President of my 4-H Club, took (and taught) dancing until I was 18, and did about 20 community theatre performances  I loved to sing and dance on stage.  I took piano lessons, was a Camp Counselor, and loved to be with friends.  I had a lot of friends and we'd often be found on Friday nights at the bowling alley or eating ice cream and cheating at playing euchre. We were a good group of small-town kids.

High School Graduation, Age 18

I graduated with a 3.9GPA in June 1997...do not do that math to figure out how old I am...  In the fall of 1997, I went off to college (only an hour away from home) to change the world...and got my first C.  Yes, the world shifted.  I also began dating Hubby 3 weeks into college.  I graduated in 2001 with a BA in Psychology.  We planned to move south, where Hubby is from, but the job market was terrible at the time.  I went on a job interview, more for practice, and ended up getting a good job in my hometown in Ohio.  Hubby moved up here and found a job soon after.

Wedding Day! June 14, 2003

 On September 14, 2002 (our 5th dating anniversary), Hubby proposed and we were married on June 14, 2003.  I was in the middle of a Master's Degree in Education, so we decided to not try for children until that was completed in August 2007.

By the spring of 2010, I had gotten over my pride and fear that something may be wrong with me and decided to go to the doctor.  In August, after many tests, I got the phone call at work stating that I had PCOS and Metabolic Syndrome and Hubby had a zero sperm count.  That was one of the most difficult days of my life.

This blog is about our journey down life's road being married, running a Youth Center full of 32 wild children, making my way through the unchartered un-talked-about world of IVF, and how I cope - sometimes through tears, sometimes through laughter, but always through our love for each other.

Mom & Me at a cousin's wedding

Besides IVF, we have a lot going on in our lives.  Family and faith are very important to me.  My Dad passed away in 2006 and I am very close to my Mom.  Hubby is in Seminary to be a Methodist preacher.  He also does some consulting for a local bank.  Hubby and I also own and operate a photography business that get busier all the time.  We love working with clients and creating great pics of life's memories for them.  I love working with the 32 at-risk children that attend my after-school and summer-long youth program.  I may also have a slight obsession with Ohio State University Football, Facebook, scrapbooking, and Will Ferrell. Notice I did not admit obsession.

The Childless Mom

 Follow my blog to read my crazy rants about IVF.  I try to use humor to deal with life most of the time.  I figure it's either laugh or cry and we've all done enough crying.  Please leave comments on my posts.  I love reading what everyone thinks about my crazy rants!  If you need to send me more of a private message about my experience or just ask a question, my email is joey_lei (at) hotmail (dot) com.  I'd love to hear from you or help you with my insight along this crazy path!

 -The Childless Mom