OK, so first of all, Kristin and I had a baby the day before Thanksgiving, 2024. Rather, she had the baby and I made comedic quips. Spectators rated my performance a 7.3.
Kristin’s performance? A perfect 10. But that started way before arrival day. She started working on this three years before. Diet, exercise, supplements…in the second half of our 30s, we couldn’t get it done. Maybe we waited too long.
Then we turned to the pros. Try this, try that, take a little of this and add it to that at the right time. No luck. Then take these horrible drugs ($). Fly to Colorado Springs at the last minute to see a specialist ($$). A month later, do the drugs + Colorado thing again ($$$). Still nothing? Ok, take those drugs again and go to Tampa.
We never made it to Tampa. The drugs didn’t work.
A Coming-Around Story
I failed to mention that at the beginning of this journey we were 36. Neither of us had a strong conviction about children. Then one day Kristin attacked…er…approached me in earnest, hat in hand: she wanted to be a mom. Her case was compelling and tight—possibly AI generated.
After a few minutes, I agreed. She was born to be a mom and it was written all over her–I just hadn’t been smart enough to see or understand it.
After the Tampa Trip that Never Happened
I’m a dude. I’m not a robot, but I’m a dude—treat this mechanically, step by step, and see what happens. Can’t control the future. Channel Marcus Aurelius. I’d recently quit my job to start Luff Sheets, among other things, and the financial pressure was eye-watering.
In contrast…Kristin’s a chick (if I can be a “dude,” she can be a “chick”). Every escalation in strategy, tactics, and effort came with subsequent, compounding despair. Questioning. Doubt.
Then Kristin made a new friend named Maddie. I don’t know if you’re the spiritual type, but we are. Maddie is, too. Maddie is a Christian, and a much better one than me. And probably in the same ballpark as Kristin.
Maddie, as a new friend, somewhat self-consciously informed Kristin of a strange recent occurrence: a lady at church said she would meet someone having fertility issues, and that God had a plan.
And so, the peace that passes understanding descended on Kristin as it raised her up. Despair and doubt dissolved. Faith and confidence bloomed. Other hands have this.
An Angry Dinner
It was 6 weeks later. Wednesday. I’m in the hole—my basement office. Kristin texts: “I’m gonna run grab hibachi for dinner.” Me: “roger.” 45 minutes later I emerge, the house weirdly silent, and Kristin’s half done with her hibachi. I’m…perplexed, leading to irritated, leading to confused. This was off rhythm.
And so we eat. The Office is piddling along in the background. I make a great Jim-looking-at-the-camera face, by the way. I’m taking my sweet time. Kristin is acting weirder than a football bat.
Finally, it's fortune cookie time, baby. I crunch into that thing like a great white, but there was no crunch to be had.
“Ugh this thing is stale as crap,” I whinge. Kristin is frantic.
“What is your fortune??” she pleads.
I couldn’t even read it out loud. Instead, we just jumped up and attempted to squeeze all the air out of each other. It said “Your wife is with child.” She’d gotten them years ago, optimistic we’d have a chance to use them sooner. But at that moment, it was pretty good stale, too.
Today
Gavin is approaching 10 months old. He’s a beautiful disaster. He’s all the cliches. But mostly, he’s happy and healthy and might even have a shot at my charm. We are grateful. Kristin is indeed top 1% mommy material and I might keep her around after all.
We still sell bed sheets, too. If anything, we're even more crazy about helping kids out there get their first bed. We'll say it again: 1.5 million kids in the U.S. do not have beds.
Every set we sell helps a real kid in need get their first bed faster. We work with organizations that build and deliver them as our way of giving back. In fact, it’s really the only reason we do this. We donate a set for every set sold. It costs us a lot, and we make less than no money at this point because we haven’t scaled.
But one day we will, and we want to help kids as we do it. Join us.
On Fertility
Our story isn’t nearly as traumatizing as some. There are women out there desperate for children who would do anything for the same peace that imbued Kristin. That peace is available for free. Send this along to someone who needs it.
