My kids
Samuel Dean Malakowski. Samuel was Harmony's choice. She really wanted a biblical name for our son, and something that could be shortened without having to a cutsie name. Dean was my father's first name. It wasn't a requirement to name Sam after my father, but Samuel Dean does have a nice ring to it.
Evelyn Rose Malakowski. Evelyn was a group choice. We stuggled for a while to come up with a name we would both like. Evelyn, like Samuel, can be shortened without having to become a cutsie name. Rose is a name I've been in love with for a very long time and Evelyn Rose also rolls off the tongue.
Malakowski is my family name, or surname. According to my research Malakowski is a common Polish name which means "Son of Malak." Interestingly enough, we can trace our family directly to the Malak's in Holland. Historical records show that the original Malakowski, Jan Malakowski, came to American from Russia. Because of this there is a family debate as to whether we are Russian or Polish.
Harmony and I were married in 1996. At first I wasn't convinced that we wanted kids, but after less than a year we agreed that we would not try for kids, but would practice the rythem method of birth control. If we got pregnant than so be it. I believe it was around 2003 or 2004 when we agreed that we would like to have kids. We tried for a while but eventually decided to pursue adoption.
One of the things they talked about free classes offered through the state was making sure that we were going to adopt with the kids welfare as our first priority. The state chose adoptive parents based upon the kids needs, not the parents desires. As a part of this we needed to make sure that we were not choosing adoption as a substitute for a child of our own. One of the problems that can come up with couples who have trouble having kids is that they eventually get pregnant after they adopt and then the first child becomes second priority to their "real child".
So we decided to visit a doctor specifically to find out why we were having troubles and make sure we had exhausted all options before continuing on the adoption road. Harmony was diagnosed with PCOS, or Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome. Simply put, her ovaries produce eggs, but instead of releasing them, they form cysts. This results in a wide range of side effects. Inability to get pregnant, lack of periods, difficulty losing weight, excessive facial hair, diabetes, heart disease. PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in American women, and the least accurately diagnosed. Today they no more about it and our current doctor is questioning the original diagnosis and retesting.
After this initial diagnosis we visited a specialist who recommended a drug that forced Harmony to have a ovulate and have a period. Three months as increasing doses. After this we would be down to the more expensive options such as invetro or suregates. We decided we would give it the three months of drug therapy and if we were not pregnant, give up and go back to adoption. Three months later Sam was conceived. He truly is our miracle child. January 12, 2006, Samuel Dean Malakowski came into our life.
About a year and a half later we decided that with the PCOS diagnosis, if we wanted more than one child we needed to make it happen soon. Again we had problems with regular periods and decided to visit a specialist again. We were once again on a regimented drug routine designed to force Harmony to ovulate and have regular periods. We were given 3 months before this option would be exhausted. This time it only took us 2 months or confirmtion that Harmony was pregnant.
This time though we chose the sex of our baby. For those that don't know, there are two different types of sperm. Those that carry the X chromosome, that when combined with an egg produces a girl. And those that carry the Y chromosome, that leads to a boy. The Y chromosome, according to popular myth, is a sprinter. It swims faster than the X, but dies quicker. The X chromosome is a marathon runner, swimming slower but lasting longer.
So, by having sex a few days before a predicted ovulation it is conceivably possible that the Y sperm will have mostly died by the time the egg is released, leaving just X sperm to fertilize the egg. We had been tracking our cycle, and accuratel predicted Harmony's ovulation that particular month. Thus my brag that I chose to have a girl for our second child. You be the judge of the science.
I had always wanted my own "Daddy's little girl" and now my desire came true. Two wonderful kids, a little less than 2 years apart. One boy and one girl. One miracle and one prayer come true.
Evelyn Rose Malakowski. Evelyn was a group choice. We stuggled for a while to come up with a name we would both like. Evelyn, like Samuel, can be shortened without having to become a cutsie name. Rose is a name I've been in love with for a very long time and Evelyn Rose also rolls off the tongue.
Malakowski is my family name, or surname. According to my research Malakowski is a common Polish name which means "Son of Malak." Interestingly enough, we can trace our family directly to the Malak's in Holland. Historical records show that the original Malakowski, Jan Malakowski, came to American from Russia. Because of this there is a family debate as to whether we are Russian or Polish.
Harmony and I were married in 1996. At first I wasn't convinced that we wanted kids, but after less than a year we agreed that we would not try for kids, but would practice the rythem method of birth control. If we got pregnant than so be it. I believe it was around 2003 or 2004 when we agreed that we would like to have kids. We tried for a while but eventually decided to pursue adoption.
One of the things they talked about free classes offered through the state was making sure that we were going to adopt with the kids welfare as our first priority. The state chose adoptive parents based upon the kids needs, not the parents desires. As a part of this we needed to make sure that we were not choosing adoption as a substitute for a child of our own. One of the problems that can come up with couples who have trouble having kids is that they eventually get pregnant after they adopt and then the first child becomes second priority to their "real child".
So we decided to visit a doctor specifically to find out why we were having troubles and make sure we had exhausted all options before continuing on the adoption road. Harmony was diagnosed with PCOS, or Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome. Simply put, her ovaries produce eggs, but instead of releasing them, they form cysts. This results in a wide range of side effects. Inability to get pregnant, lack of periods, difficulty losing weight, excessive facial hair, diabetes, heart disease. PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in American women, and the least accurately diagnosed. Today they no more about it and our current doctor is questioning the original diagnosis and retesting.
After this initial diagnosis we visited a specialist who recommended a drug that forced Harmony to have a ovulate and have a period. Three months as increasing doses. After this we would be down to the more expensive options such as invetro or suregates. We decided we would give it the three months of drug therapy and if we were not pregnant, give up and go back to adoption. Three months later Sam was conceived. He truly is our miracle child. January 12, 2006, Samuel Dean Malakowski came into our life.
About a year and a half later we decided that with the PCOS diagnosis, if we wanted more than one child we needed to make it happen soon. Again we had problems with regular periods and decided to visit a specialist again. We were once again on a regimented drug routine designed to force Harmony to ovulate and have regular periods. We were given 3 months before this option would be exhausted. This time it only took us 2 months or confirmtion that Harmony was pregnant.
This time though we chose the sex of our baby. For those that don't know, there are two different types of sperm. Those that carry the X chromosome, that when combined with an egg produces a girl. And those that carry the Y chromosome, that leads to a boy. The Y chromosome, according to popular myth, is a sprinter. It swims faster than the X, but dies quicker. The X chromosome is a marathon runner, swimming slower but lasting longer.
So, by having sex a few days before a predicted ovulation it is conceivably possible that the Y sperm will have mostly died by the time the egg is released, leaving just X sperm to fertilize the egg. We had been tracking our cycle, and accuratel predicted Harmony's ovulation that particular month. Thus my brag that I chose to have a girl for our second child. You be the judge of the science.
I had always wanted my own "Daddy's little girl" and now my desire came true. Two wonderful kids, a little less than 2 years apart. One boy and one girl. One miracle and one prayer come true.
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