It Took 8 Deployments, 3 Pregnancies, and $43,700 in IVF Treatments for Kristin and Joe to Have Their Baby

Orientul Mijlociu

The crib and changing table are still in the baby’s room, empty and untouched since Lieutenant Commander Kristin Bowen and her husband, Lieutenant Joe Turnbull, assembled them more than a year ago. Inside the closet that she painted pink, a collection of yellow and blue dresses remain on hangers organized by wooden placards: 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months . Tiny shoes overflow a bin on the shelf above. Striped, floral, and polka-dotted headbands with bows dangle over hooks on the wall.