When Oak Ogilvie walks through the school gates for the first time today, it will be an extra special moment for her parents.
Oak, 5, is the first of three children Aaron and Kayleigh did not expect to have – as Kayleigh was told that she would be highly unlikely to conceive naturally.
She suffers from severe endometriosis – a disease of the uterus – and was due to attend an appointment to discuss freezing her eggs when she discovered she was pregnant.
And against the odds, twins Koa and Ola were born three years later – also conceived naturally.
So it will be an emotional moment when Oak arrives for her first day at Mill of Mains Primary School – and another milestone this year for Kayleigh and Aaron who married in May after nine years together.
Kayleigh, 27, said: “It will be a wee bit more special, definitely.
“I’m so proud of Oak.
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“She’s a great wee girl, and always the centre of attention.”
Kayleigh and Aaron, 28, will be there to take Oak to her classroom for the first time, with the twins.
But entwined with the excitement and pride will be mixed emotions.
“It’s sad but not sad,” Kayleigh said. “It means she’s growing up. It’s a weird feeling.”
Having attended Happy Days Nursery since she was a baby, Oak is well versed with being in an educational setting and has even had homework – which she has embraced eagerly.
Kayleigh was diagnosed in her teens with endometriosis, which causes tissue similar to the uterus lining to grow outside the uterus and can cause severe pain especially during periods.
Endometriosis reduces the chances of pregnancy, even when IVF is used.
Kayleigh said: “I got my periods really young, before I was 10 and I always had really bad periods.
“A few times I ended up in hospital.”
An ultrasound scan diagnosed endometriosis.
Kayleigh said: “They said I was really unlikely to conceive but that IVF would be an option in the future.
“I was still 14 or 15 at this time, so I was still young, but I assumed that was it.”
Pregnancy test happy shock
At an age where having children was far from her mind, Kayleigh learned to deal with the pain the best she could and got on with her life.
Then she met Aaron. They were from different schools but knew each other from socialising around Dundee as they were similar ages.
Soon they became a couple – then eventually a family much to their surprise.
Kayleigh said: “I fell pregnant with Oak when I was 21.”
She was due to attend a gynaecology appointment where options for her future including freezing her eggs and IVF were to be discussed.
“I had to take a pregnancy test before I went and it came up positive. That was a shock!
“But I was happy. I felt like I was still young but not too young.”
For almost the first two years of Oak’s life, the couple lived apart, Kayleigh and Oak with her mum and Aaron with his.
But just before Oak’s second birthday they moved as family into Kayleigh’s mum’s old house in Whitfield, where they remain.
And shortly after, twins Koa and Ola arrived – their names inspired by that of their big sister.
Kayleigh said: “Oak was a name I’ve always liked.
“When we found out I was pregnant again we assumed it would just be one so we decided on an anagram of Oak’s name. Then we found out we would have to come up with another name!
“We didn’t realise until after that Oak is also an anagram of Kayleigh and Aaron Ogilvie.”
The unexpected conception of the twins further delayed marriage plans for Kayleigh and Aaron, already put on hold by Covid.
But Oak’s parents finally became Mr and Mrs Ogilvie in May.
Kayleigh said: “The kids were all there; it was such a great day.”
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