Renee Chou: Forever grateful

Editor's note: Renee Chou, WRAL-TV morning anchor, starts writing monthly for Go Ask Mom today.

As we enter into the season of gratitude, I can’t help but think how grateful I am to be a mom.

Yes, I know it sounds extremely corny, cliche and unoriginal. But that gratefulness stems from the most challenging time in my life when I thought that maybe I wasn’t ever going to BE a mom.

One in 8 couples trying to conceive struggles with infertility. My husband Mike and I were one of the “one.” As other couples around us seemingly got pregnant instantly with their first, second or even third child -- all we wanted was to have one of our own. We were diagnosed with “undiagnosed infertility,” meaning doctors could not determine a specific reason as to why we weren’t getting pregnant.

I remember the battery of tests, injections and medications as we went through two IUI (intrauterine insemination) procedures and two IVF (in vitro fertilization) cycles. None worked.

I remember congratulating friends, co-workers and acquaintances when they announced their pregnancies, and then having to find somewhere else to go because I couldn’t hold back the tears.

I remember the extreme sadness, the ache in my heart of wanting a child and wondering why it was not happening for us, and if that was what was meant to be.

Three and a half years of struggle, prayers and tears. Emotionally and financially spent, we decided to take a break from all the treatments. We even started inquiring into adoption agencies. And then in September 2013, we learned we were pregnant. On May 9, 2014, our miracle baby, Elsa, was born.

I remember it all like it was yesterday. And those who’ve gone down this convoluted and frustrating path to parenthood know -- enduring years of heartache adds another layer of appreciation and gratitude for the present.

And my present centers around a happy, vibrant, smart and sweet daughter who’s now three and a half years old.

I marvel at her curious intellect, her creative imagination and her spunky personality. I love that our fine dining options these days are McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A. I love how when we’re headed out she says, “We’re going on an adventure!” Because yes, every day is an adventure with her. I even love how her toys and books have taken over our house! (OK, maybe not that part -- the mess does drive me crazy and I long for a clean and orderly house-- but then I remember who’s behind the mess!)

I want to remember all those moments of being a mom, the way I remember all those moments of my struggle to become a mom. I can’t believe how quickly time is going by. And that is why I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with Go Ask Mom. To truly be in the present, to document it and to not take this parenting thing for granted.

Recently, Elsa said to her daddy: “YOU are grateful!”

We asked her, “Do you know what that means?”

She responded: “It means you are GREAT!”

Nah — we just have a great kid. And for that, we are forever grateful.

Renee Chou, WRAL-TV morning anchor, is the mother of one. Starting this week, you can find her monthly on Go Ask Mom and all of the time on her Facebook page.