morgan_dhu | Introducing Wilhelmina

The delightful and adorable Wilhelmina was born September 30th of this year. I don't think there is a word in English yet for my relationship to her.

You see, our friend SJ has been wanting to have a child for a good many years. In reality, she is the parent of a 10-year old boy as well, but because SJ lives in the US, where the parental rights of the parent in a same-sex couple who did not actually give birth to the child are not recognised, she has been denied access to her son ever since she and her son's other parent separated.

About two and a half years ago, SJ asked my partner if he would be willing to be a sperm donor, and offered both of us the option of having an on-going presence in the child's life. We talked about it, worked out an set of guidelines that was acceptable to all of us, and started what we called our biology experiment.

We couldn't try as regularly and consistently as one is supposed to, because SJ lives in the US and we're in Canada, and she wasn't able to come up every month, and often couldn't stay the two or three days that would have been optimum, but eventually, it worked, and, as I said, Wilhelmina was born two and a half weeks ago.

SJ is doing well, and hopes to visit before the end of the month so we can meet Wila, and I am so looking forward to seeing both of them. I've already heard Wila murmuring and compaining over the phone (she's quite a vocal little person, not that I'm surprised considering what I know of her genetic background)and I'm in love already. (Well, duh.)

So, my friends, if you will, please raise a toast to Wilhelmina, who has just embarked on this bizarre adventure known as life on Earth, and wish her a journey rich in love, joy and wonder.