Section Branding
Header Content
StoryCorps Atlanta: Motherhood, from one generation to the next
Primary Content
Miranda Lynch: When did you find out you were pregnant with me?
Sheri Anderson: So I kind of had a sneaking suspicion. I just felt a little bit different and I knew it was a possibility, we had sort of been trying, and then we stopped trying, and then all of a sudden —
Miranda Lynch: Yeah, that's when it happens, right?
Sheri Anderson: Yeah. I had these weird little symptoms. And your dad worked at a wine company ... and there was this big Christmas party coming up that night, and I didn't know if it was safe for me to drink wine. So I had, like, a formal gown on and we were, like, ready to walk out the door, and I thought I should take a pregnancy test just to see if it might possibly show up positive. I took the test and it turned, the second line, it turned positive and I was so excited. And then we went to the party and I had to keep excusing myself to go to the bathroom. And I didn't drink and everybody at the table guessed.
Miranda Lynch: Did you tell Dad?
Sheri Anderson: Yes. Yes. Yeah, I told him immediately. But everybody, we — because we were sitting with friends and they immediately were like, "You're not drinking and you keep going to the bathroom. Are you pregnant?"
Miranda Lynch: And you were like, "Yes!"
Sheri Anderson: Yes, but it was funny because I was 30, which is these days —
Miranda Lynch: No you weren't, you were 29.
Sheri Anderson: Well, 29 and a bit. And at the time, you know, back then, that was kind of — most people didn't wait that long to have a baby. Now it's — 29 is even sometimes considered young, but definitely a normal time to have a baby. But I remember telling my parents, because this was December the 6th, that I did the positive test, and then I went the next week to my doctor and got it confirmed. Now that I look back on it, I'm thinking, why did we tell people so early? But we were so excited. So for Christmas we got everybody sweatshirts.
Miranda Lynch: That's one of my favorite home videos.
Sheri Anderson: That said "World's Best Mom" or grandpa, grandma, all those things. And we were just so proud and excited. But I remember my mom's reaction was, "We thought you were infertile." [laughs].
Miranda Lynch: "Sheri, we thought you were barren!" [laughs] because it's on video.
Sheri Anderson: Is that what she said, "barren?"
Miranda Lynch: Yeah.
Sheri Anderson: That's even better.
Miranda Lynch: How do you feel about the fact that I have decided to not have children after a lifetime of wanting children?
Sheri Anderson: I guess my main emotion is — or it's not even an emotion; my main feeling is of just, um, agreement? I — It makes me sad to think that I will never have grandkids if you continue to decide that, it makes me a little bit sad to think I wouldn't have grandkids, but the reality of having a baby now and knowing that that child is going to be in the world, making their way for the next 80, 90 years is a scary thought. And so I totally understand your decision process and I get it. So you know, really it's just that understanding.
Miranda Lynch: Well, I appreciate that. I was scared to tell you. [laughs]
Sheri Anderson: I think at this point, you know, partly because you're an adult and you're — you're killing it as an adult, I probably react more calmly to anything that you tell me, but at this point, I think you've learned that you can tell me what's on your mind, and I'm going to support you.
This story was produced locally for GPB by Chase McGee and recorded in partnership with StoryCorps Atlanta.
Secondary Content
Bottom Content
![GPB](/sites/default/files/styles/three_two_702x468/public/2020-06/gpb.jpg?h=f5007b8c&itok=I2YtKsVu)