I have super supportive friends. In fact, I have super supportive friends who just happen to be supermodels. The super-est of them all is Cheryl Tiegs. Yes, THAT Cheryl Tiegs. The woman who is frequently described as the first American supermodel. She was the cover girl for Sports Illustrated and TIME and every other magazine that mattered. And then there is that iconic "Pink Bikini" poster ... which pretty much summed up the 70s.
I've known her as long as I can remember (but she's only known me for a few years). We met at a 'girls night out' organized by a mutual friend. Cheryl and I ended up sitting next to each other that evening, and I tried to act nonchalant as I stared at those high cheekbones and her bright, blue eyes. I figured it was too soon in our relationship to share with her my long-time girl crush ... so I simply settled for an email address exchange.
Over the years, we would talk about going to yoga (although we never did). And as many busy women do, we kept up on each other lives by frequently checking Facebook. But once my baby was born ... we knew we had to get together. After all, she needed to see that baby face -- and although my son was young -- I felt he was ready to go on a date with a supermodel.
Despite the fact that one of us is still not on solid foods, we decided to dine at The Palm steakhouse in Beverly Hills. And let's just say it was love at first sight. Cheryl was cooing and Brady was drooling (and I suspect he is not the first guy to drool all over her).
Much like her steak, Cheryl has very rare qualities. One of them is making anyone feel instantly comfortable. Babies are no exception. Brady was more than happy to snuggle up right next to her in our booth. Mommy? Mommy who?? And just when my boy began getting rambunctious, Cheryl had another trick up her sleeve ... well, actually, it was a little tiger inside her purse. A small, bright yellow tiger with a wobbly bobble-head. Much like my friend, the toy was older, but didn't show any real signs of age. And Brady was fascinated.
Cheryl said the tiger was once a treasured toy of her son, Zack (who is now a handsome young man attending grad school). I don't remember seeing any pictures of Cheryl when she was pregnant, so I had to ask how old she was when she had her first child. Imagine my surprise when she told me she was 40-something. Really?? The reporter in me had to throw out the obvious follow up question: "Did you get pregnant on your own?" (Which is a question anyone who has ever been 'fertility challenged' is obsessed with). "No," Cheryl responded lightheartedly, "IVF."
And there you had it. Cheryl Tiegs and I are just alike. Both of us are moms of IVF babies. It's something I never knew about this woman whose face is so familiar. And our stories are actually quite similar (except for the fact that one of us is a supermodel).
By the time the check came, I found my friend even more fascinating than I did before (and Baby Brady couldn't take his eyes off her). And as for that little tiger that had become the other object of my son's affection? Cheryl had brought it along as a gift for him.
So, I guess you could say Cheryl Tiegs and I are both 'tiger moms' of boys who wouldn't be here if we had not been fierce about tracking down the best fertility specialists. It's a thought that makes me super happy ... and I know my supermodel friend would agree.
And if you find yourself 'in the hunt' for a baby, make sure you, too, are surrounded by super supportive friends. They don't necessarily need to be supermodels (but it does helps if they have a nice smile).
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
