Friday Faves... I'm baaacckkk!

I’m slowly delving back into my blog and I can’t lie, I’m pretty pumped about having the excitement to write again!  My last Friday Favorites post was way back on November 7th so it's been wayy too long since I've played this game!  The break that I took was definitely needed and may continue to some extent, but I feel refreshed and ready to be back!  So, without further ado…

Favorite Moment:

I’m going to count Sunday as the beginning of the week because we went to see the Newsies in Chicago and it’s definitely worth mentioning!  If you follow me on Instagram then you saw some of these pics already! Joe grew up watching musicals with his family and the Newsies is one of their favorites so when his mom found out it was coming to Chicago, we had to see it.  We got to see their last performance and it was absolutely amazing.  We had every single family member together, all 19 of us, siblings, spouses, and kids and it was wonderful.

Favorite Recipe:

It’s been below zero here the last week or so and we finally got some measurable snow this week so warm comfort food has been on the menu often.  One of our favorites is borderline pie, it’s spicy and will definitely break you into a sweat!  I omit the olives because I can't stand them.

Favorite Pin:

how fabulous and cozy does this look? LOVE the chunky afghan!

  

Favorite House Update:

We are finally going to see drywall going up today!  With Joe working 6 days a week 10+ hour days, we have made very little progress on the house.  We finally had it inspected and we were able to move forward with insulation.  Now that it’s below freezing and we have some snow, Joe’s work should calm down a bit and he should be able to spend a lot more time on the house.  We did hit a snag during the inspection and found out that our guest bedroom windows do not meet code to be considered “egress” (basically being able to fit through in an emergency), this is really unfortunate because we will have to replace two very expensive, and already painted (so non-exchangeable) windows.  It’s been a huge headache, but we’ve opted for casement windows (the entire pane opens) rather than the double-hung windows for those two rooms.  Super frustrating to say the least!  We did also finally get our driveway cored out and gravel put down so we have made some positive strides in the right direction despite the window issue.  We also bought all of our tile for the house, I'm so in love with all of it, but especially the kitchen back splash and the guest bathroom flooring!

 

tile to look like hardwood in the guest bath & the kitchen backsplash!!

Favorite Thing I’m looking forward to:

I haven’t had a thing on my calendar since Sunday and it looks to be clear until January 20^th!  I’m going to embrace these next couple weeks being quiet and I’m not planning on committing to anything at all.  After the chaos and craziness of Christmas, I’m glad to have nowhere to go and nothing to do!  Although it was a blast, it was definitely exhausting.  I’m also going to enjoy these next dozen days or so before our consultation with our new RE on January 20^th.  I feel like this 2 month break was exactly what we needed & I'm ready to get back in the game.  No pressure, no stress, we got to enjoy our mini-vacation, and the holiday’s without the added pressure of infertility treatment.  I am excited to see what suggestions and treatment plans our new office might have for us.  My two requests will be immune system testing and possibly a fresh transfer for PGS (chromosomal abnormality) testing.  

  I apologize for the lengthy updates, but it’s been awhile since I’ve said much about what’s going on in our lives so there you have it!  Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! 

changing my thinking

It’s not the future that you’re afraid of. It’s repeating the past that makes you anxious.

I was perusing Pinterest the other day when I came across this quote. I read it a couple times and pretty much had an epiphany of sorts. It’s not really a thought that I’ve never had before, I’ve said many times that the more failures that we have had, the harder it is for me to expect anything but that and that thought is definitely an extension of this quote. But I reflected on this quote a few times now since I pinned it and realized that it’s undeniably true for me and it’s undeniably a problem; my past with infertility is certainly effecting my thoughts about my future.

One thing I decided to do different this year than I have in years past is NOT set goals for the year. I picked a word, and that word is “determined”. You might have read about it in my 2014 year in review post, and you’ll read about it often throughout my posts for the rest of the year as I try to live each day, whether big or small, by this word. So part of living up to my word is making some changes in my thinking. Much easier said than done. Cognitive changes are not easy, but it only takes 21 days to form a habit and if I can change my thinking for just 3 weeks, then I’ll have changed it for good. I’ll start by taking baby steps. I’ll change this one thought, “it’s not the future that you’re afraid of. It’s the past that makes you anxious” and I’m going to start today.

Today is 15 days before my consultation with our new RE and I’d really like to have this thought changed before my next cycle of treatment. I don’t want to go into it thinking, “Well, everything else has been negative so this probably will be too”, I’m a firm believer in positive thinking + positive vibes=positive outcomes and by thinking they way I have been in the past, I’m not living up to what I believe. I need to recommit to some of my convictions that I’ve clearly abandoned these last few cycles. I completely blame infertility for that abandonment and I need to take the bull by the horns again and regain my control over it.

Before 3 failed IVF cycles in a row, I was more of a warrior, a fighter, and could laugh infertility in the face. Now I feel as though those 3 failed cycles have completely tainted my optimism and my positivity. I shamefully let it take more control of my thoughts that I ever thought I would and being the self-proclaimed advocate for infertility awareness and education, I need to get back to that formula that I once deeply believed in and lived by. I need to get back to my naïve self that I was when we were just starting treatment and thought the very first attempt would work, little did I know what we would have to go through, but that was the attitude that I want back. It’s the attitude that is so hard to hold on to when you’re fighting this battle, it’s the attitude that we all start out with and it can be changed so easily, it can be taken from right under your nose and before you know it, you doubt everything.

I am determined to get back to the old me, and I will get back to the old me, and I will do it before our next treatment cycle. There, I said it (or wrote it), and now I am holding myself accountable to it. I will no longer think of the past and the failure that came along with it, I won’t let it cause anxiety about my future. Instead I will focus solely on the future and what is in store for us. I will not expect failure, I will expect success. Even if it causes more heartache and more of a letdown, it will be worth it.

Let's Start 2015 Off Right... With $150 Cash Giveaway!

Happy New Year blogland!  I hope everyone had a safe and fabulous NYE!  We ate a fabulous Italian dinner and overindulged in Prosecco and it was an absolute blast!  We danced and kissed and laughed and it was one of the best ringing in of a new year I've had in a long time!

Today is the 1st page of a 365 page book, and what better way to start off the new year than winning $150 cash money!?  We teamed up to give one lucky winner $150!  Just click on the Rafflecopter link below to enter!  Good luck & Happy New Year!

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