Merry Christmas!!!  Patrick and I hosted Christmas at our house this year.  We worked hard to update our two guest rooms for Patrick’s parents and brother and brother-in-law  to come stay with us.  My parents joined us for Christmas Eve and Christmas.  Time flew by and I can’t believe we are almost to the New Year!  Besides lots of cooking and story sharing, we were able to share our fertility struggle with our families and it felt so good to be able to be open and transparent about the topic.  The only thing missing was anyone having gone through the same thing who could commiserate.

It was hard to see our mantle full of stockings and none were for a baby:).  I found so many little things reminding me of the absence of a baby in our lives and sometimes it even took my breath away from the sadness I felt.  I know that in time we will have our family, but it isn’t always easy to be patient.  This year, in particular, it wasn’t easy.

We have an estimated 41 days until our IVF cycle begins.  I plan on using this time to take care of myself.  I am going to kick my sugar and coffee habit and get back into my workout routine.  Most importantly, I am going to practice managing my stress in healthy ways.  By the time I get to Feb 5th, I will be in a better place to start this journey.  I can’t wait to meet baby David!!!