As most of you are aware, I’m one of the main contributors over at PAIL (Pregnant and/or Parenting through Adoption/Infertility/Loss), and we are currently celebrating our 1 year anniversary of being at our PAIL Bloggers location. For the June Monthly Theme Post, we asked people to weigh in on their journeys and give us a snapshot of what was going on in their lives for the past few years during the month of June.
Without further ado, here is my brief review!
June 2009 (4 yrs ago): I had just started my family blog because I was planning on talking my husband into TTC soon, and I wanted to be able to share our new bambino journey with faraway family and friends. Our 1 year wedding anniversary was July 19, 2009 – and we decided that day to give it a shot! Little did we know that a baby was nowhere near.
June 2010 (3 years ago): We had just moved into the new house we had bought, and we were nearly one year into TTC. We had already done the OB workup after just 6 months TTC since I wasn’t ovulating, had been diagnosed with possible PCOS, and at this point we were on our 3rd clomid cycle (all 4 clomid cycles failed that we tried). I was temping and charting and peeing on things and taking pills and pretty incredulous that we were even at this point. Everyone I knew had accidental pregnancies galore – it had never even occurred to me that we might have problems! We spent the next 6 months trying TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) – so lots of acupuncture, herbs, and diet changes. I definitely got healthier and my cycles started to get a little bit more regular, but I never got pregnant until we made the leap to a RE.
June 2011 (2 years ago): After making the leap to a RE in the winter of 2010-2011 (the closest one was 6 hours away), we were incredibly grateful and stunned to be expecting a baby after our first injectibles + IUI cycle! We spent that year in a state of disbelief that after nearly 2 years of trying, there was actually a baby growing my ute. Holy hell. 🙂
June 2012 (1 year ago) – Our first summer as a family of 3, and we spent it (and the rest of the year) hanging out and introducing Stella to all of the fun life has to offer. 🙂
June 2013 – We officially have a full blown toddler in the house, and I spend my days trying to (a) keep up with her, and (b) manage the physical and emotional drain that is a (highly appreciated) surprise #2 pregnancy. Well, not surprise as in we weren’t trying, but surprise as in we didn’t actually think trying on our own would DO anything.
It’s crazy to read back over it like this and see how much changed in the past four years. When you’re in the midst of ALI hell, every day drags on, but now — wow. Life is so different! I know that my journey was easier than some and harder than others, but I am SO grateful for where we are today. Thank you God!
Beautiful post, Josey! And to think life is going to get even sweeter 🙂
It’s been crazy to look back on the last few years! When you’re in the middle of Bad Times it’s hard to think things will ever get better.
This post reminded me I need more pictures of Hubby and me and us as a family 🙂
What a difference a few years can make. It really is mind boggling sometimes!
I love your brown(?) and white dress in the pic at your cousin’s wedding! You look amazing. I can’t wait to hear more about Stella growing up and how you and Charlie do with two little ones. I’ve been thinking girl this whole time, but now I’m thinking boy.
Thanks! I used to wear that dress all the time. 🙂 Might have to pull it back out of the closet! (because yes, everything in my closet has been there for years)
Agh! Yes!!! Yes to all of this! I love seeing the changes over the past four years in your sweet little family! It’s absolute perfection!
What a journey! You guys are such a cute couple! Its so nice to see how far you have come!
It’s really cool to see all that has happened in your life over the past 4 years. Such an amazing amount! Wishing you many more years filled with bliss and lots of adventure.
Such a beautiful post!
I loved seeing all your photos and flashbacks to the past throughout your journey. It is an incredible story friend! I am so happy for how it turned out! Your fam is gorgeous! I expect no less from peanut. Hey! What are we calling him/her? 🙂
I have no idea! I’ve been thinking it, but I’m stumped.
This is how I wrote mine too and it was so eye opening. Of course I knew the end of the story, but wow, to break it down in years, really gives some perspectives!
Thanks to all of the PAIL leaders for your hard work and dedication. I really enjoy everything you all do!
Thanks! It’s a ton of work and we’ve been slowing down a bit lately with lots of busy lives to lead, but we’re proud of what we do there. 🙂
Wow, it is amazing to see how much has happened to you and Charlie over these past few years. I am so so happy that you are where you are now. What beautiful photos. You two really are a gorgeous, extremely photogenic couple… and now Stella too of course! 🙂
What a wonderful look back at all you’ve been through and where you are now. I love all of the pictures of your family. You guys are all so beautiful!!
So nice to see how your family has grown over the years! Can’t wait to see it keep expanding 🙂
So is pic #3 a 14’er? It looks really familiar. 🙂 crazy how many hikes and rounds of golf you can get in while trying and trying and trying!
Yep! That’s Handes peak we’re on top of – we jeeped over to American Basin & camped out and hiked it the next day. Super fun! I do miss all the hiking and golfing we used to do. 🙁
So fun to see all of these pictures! So many genuine smiles.
You are a beautiful person Josey and you have a beautiful family. I’m so glad your story is ending in success!
[…] o s e y @ My Cheap Version of Therapy, “Looking Back“– No wonder the ALI journey is hard to understand from the outside. Looking back over […]
Great journey and sweet family! Thanks for sharing!
[…] all day, every day, and was really just trying to hold it together. I did write a post entitled Looking Back for the PAIL Blogiversary that looked at the changes in my life over the past 4-5 Junes that is […]