This blog posting is a little harder to write than ones in the past. I feel like writing about strength and waiting, hormones and cycles, stories and verses comes easier than this next topic – sadness. Writing about sadness feels so sticky to me that I nearly want to skip it. Putting it down in words, written out for everyone to read, seems scary. But in the promise of being honest in all parts of this journey, I shall share.

Infertility has a range of emotions that comes with it – many that you have seen in past blogs: Worry, frustration, pain (physical and mental), joy, sorrow, excitement, celebration … and now, sadness. To those that haven’t experienced the sadness I am talking about, may be confused with how “sadness” differs from “sorrow” or “grief”, but it just does. The kind of sadness I am talking about feels like a big blanket that just wraps around you. It doesn’t make you feel incapacitated or hits you violently – it is just there, like a gentle linger of pain. It becomes a sixth sense. Sometimes this sadness feels like you can taste it, feel it, touch it. The awareness of the sadness makes you want to cry, out of pure sympathy for yourself that you feel so … sad.

Let me explain.

This past week (Saturday to Saturday) I was able to sneak away with my husband’s family to Mexico, an annual family trip that is one of the highlights of my year. This year, Josh’s parents, his younger brother and his wife and their two kids, Scarlett (2 ½) and Kinsley (11 months) were there as always. This being my 9^th year down there with them, I knew what to expect. Food. Sun. Pool time. Spa trips. More food. I adore our Mexico trips. But this time, I was hit with something I didn’t expect.

Sadness.

Thursday morning was when I became aware of the blanket that was wrapping around me. As I sat in the pool in the morning, I looked around at all of the families playing and splashing around me. I watched as a mom rubbed her little boy with sunscreen and as a dad wrestled arm floaties onto his little girl. (He forgot to dip them in water first and was really struggling.) I watched as grandparents took pictures and tired mom’s swatted away their 9 year olds attempt to splash them. I watched as a mom floated by with her tiny baby whispering words in Spanish to him as he giggled. And I felt sad.

I realized that it’s been a long time since I have been surrounded with families for such a long span of time. I can do our churches kids ministry program for 4-5 hours straight, or spend time with nieces and friends kids for a half day. But I had no idea being around kids and full families for 8 days straight would break my heart as much as it did.

The blanket tightened.

I suddenly felt hot from the inside. My heart started to cry. I had a dramatic moment in my head as I watched this mom float past that screamed “HOW MUCH DID YOU WANT THAT BABY? How hard did you try? Did it come easy? Was he planned? Did your heart break before you had him? Do you realize how lucky you are?” (Just typing those words are making my eyes fills with tears.) The sadness moved up my neck. I saw joy all around me and felt so … empty. I spent lunch in our suite, hoping that some quiet reflection and Spanish Ellen would cheer me up. (It didn’t).

Later  that afternoon, I walked over to the spa with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. I didn’t want to let on that I felt so sad. I practiced saying it out loud in my room before I left, just saying “I feel sad today” and couldn’t get it out without crying. I was still processing the sadness. We relaxed in the hot tub, chatted in the sauna, sweated in the steam room. Finally we wrapped ourselves in plush robes and grabbed cool washcloths soaked in aromatic scents and laid down in the quiet relaxation room. As I placed the washcloth over my face, I started to cry. Knowing now was NOT the time, I tried to stop, which only made the silent tears worse. I was terrified someone would try to talk to me. I wasn’t ready yet to share my sadness.

I kept thinking “Chelsea, you are being so silly! You are in Mexico, at a spa, about to go get a 50 minute massage that you aren’t paying for surrounded by people you love – WHY ARE YOU SO SAD. Get your act together.”

And that’s when I realized, it was okay to be sad.

Infertility comes with a constant battle for strength. We quote verses about God strengthening us. We pin fancy quotes with bolded words and convince ourselves it WILL happen! It’s GOD’s time! We can DO this! We Instagram encouraging words and double tap others as a way to say “Hang in there!” We brush away the sadness so we can stay strong. We avoid tears because sometimes it scares us to think they may never stop. But it was in that moment when I realized, it’s okay to be sad right now.

It’s okay to want a family. It’s okay to be sad that I can’t watch Josh try to smush air floaties on our kids arms and don’t have grubby chubby baby hands reaching for me, their mom. It’s okay to be sad that we haven’t been able to make Josh’s or my parent’s grandparents to our kids yet. It’s okay to be sad that my body isn’t working like it supposed to. It’s okay to be sad when acknowledging this gigantic gaping hole in my heart.

It was in that moment I felt like God unwrapped my blanket of sadness, stepped into it with me and closed us both back up in it.

Our names were called (Jessi? Moniqua? Laurrrrie?) and I regained composure quickly enough to pad my way to the next, dark relaxation room. Our massage therapists quickly grabbed us from there and ushered us into our private rooms. As I laid face down, my head poking out of the face rest, eyes looking at the ground, I kept saying to myself “it’s okay to be sad.” The more I said it in my head, the more I cried. I spent the first 20 minutes of the massage watching my tears drop *plink* *plink* *plink* *plink* and hit the floor underneath me. I knew God was in my sadness blanket with me and wanted me to acknowledge the emotions that are so real.

Most days are good days. In fact, I felt a little better that night after my cathartic cry. The rest of the week was wonderful and I am feeling stronger again. But I don’t forget the sadness. I don’t forget the way it tastes. It seems like it’s just a breath away. I am learning that being sad is okay – I am typically someone who will withdrawal when I am sad. I get quieter, more serious. So if I seem “normal” and bubbly, you can assume it’s a good day and not an act. I don’t have the strength when I am sad to fake happy.

So now you know. I get sad. I cry. I hurt for what I don’t have. Yes, I know God is in control and I have never felt alone or abandoned. On sad days, my strength comes from simply knowing He is with me in my sadness.

I am about 1 ½ weeks into my birth control pill pack, which may have something to do with the wave-like emotions I have felt lately. We have our last IVF Consult appointment tomorrow morning at 8 am. There we will give our final blood samples, sign our paperwork, prepay for the cycle, obtain our prescriptions and make all of our appointments for the next 8 weeks. It is SUCH an exciting time. Part of me feels sad that I know what to expect, that this won’t all be new. There was such anticipation with each picture that was taken, each embryo that was introduced, every meal that was brought over. It seems a little more dulled now, knowing what the outcome can and may be, and I keep praying against apprehension so that I can savor the joy in this miraculous experience again.

I have 13 days left of work. My shots start in 21 days. I am excited, I really am. I am also just a little bit scared.

Continued prayers are always appreciated.

1 day until I start taking my birth control pills. 15 business days left of work. 12 days until we obtain our new meds, finish blood work, and sign all the exciting papers. 32 days till I pull back on a tiny syringe and start my shots. Approximately 51 days till I go into my egg retrieval surgery. AH! This is coming up fast! And slow. 51 days!? I finished my other prescription earlier this week without any significant issues and am glad to have that behind me.

Is anyone sick and tired of talking about infertility, IVF, waiting and wanting yet? I AM! I seriously sit down in front of the computer and feel like a broken record. It’s been almost a year since I started this blog and I feel like I could copy and paste last year’s postings for this year’s postings and call it a day.

WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING ME GOD!?

I have learned that when ready, God is waiting to use our testimony to change lives.

I continue to grow as a person, as a wife, as a friend. I have learned about patience, endurance, strength and grief. I have gained courage to tell our story as one that hopefully spotlights Christ, even though the story is not finished yet. I don’t think I would have chosen this life for us, but now that it’s here, I willingly and joyfully embrace it, excited to see where God will bring us next.

Early today I laid on a table as an Esthetician painfully ripped out leg hairs from their little follicle homes on my thighs. As I winced, she started up with pleasant conversation to distract from the feeling of the firey tingle.

“So, do you have any kids?”

(Whatever happened to “What do you do for a living?” or “How was your week?”)

“No, no kid. (awkward pause). I actually struggle with infertility.”

At this point I am sure I widened my eyes in a “I’m sorry I just spit that out” sort of way. But instead, was enthusiastically embraced with a “Ohmygosh! I struggled with that too!”

Ah, the sweet relief in not having “infertility” be a unmentionable word.

She carried on to tell me about her and her husband’s struggles to have their 2 kids, their multiple miscarriages and their recent decision to stop trying for a third. It was refreshing to hear someone talk so enthusiastically about a battle that I face and to do so with such positivity.

“You WILL get pregnant in May. You will. I just know it. Don’t even think that you won’t. Oh I am so excited for you.” (RIPPPPPPP – KELLY CLARKSON!)

We had the chance to talk about what keeps me going (Faith. Support.) and even though she didn’t acknowledge that we shared the common denominator of Christ, she hugged me at the end and I loved walking away knowing that even though that could been an awkward polite conversation with someone who had no idea what to say, it wasn’t. And I was even able to share a little bit about what keeps me strong and how trials really do bring joy. Unexpected blessings. Deepened faith.

Infertility is becoming talked about more and more and embraced with an empathetic compassion that I appreciate. More and more people are reaching out to a TTC community and sharing their struggles with people, some even blogging about it (gasp!). The support and love I have felt as a result of that has been incredible.

So, as we continue to wait for the next step, I will take this time to embrace the testimony God is creating in us. I love hearing that many of you are sharing our story and this blog with those you know who are struggling with infertility as well. Thanks for passing along your kind words and for continuing with us in this journey. Like I said in the beginning, I feel like a broken record, so when you remind me you are still tagging along, it’s reassuring knowing you still care.

I have to laugh at how many TTC Acronyms we have. I have gotten a few texts recently about people asking “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?” in response to a posting or Instagram response. So in closing, here are some of the most commonly used acronyms – enjoy learning my language! : )

• 2WW: Two-week wait (hopefully you guys know this one by now!
• AF: Aunt Flow, that lovely visitor
• BD: Baby dance (bluntly put, having sex)
• BFN: Big fat negative (pregnancy test result)
• BFP: Big fat positive (pregnancy test result)
• CB: Cycle buddy (someone who is sharing the same cycle as you, working towards a BFP!)
• CD: Cycle day
• CM: Cervical mucus  (This is so gross to even blog about, but its so commonly used in the TTC world that I had to include it!)
• DH: Dear Husband (darling husband, depending on when – dumb husband. KIDDING! I love you Josh.)
• DPO: Days past ovulation
• EW: Eggwhite (re: consistency of cervical mucus – gross, again I know, but …)
• FMU: First morning urine (what you are supposed to use to test for a pregnancy test)
• HPT: Home pregnancy test
• IF: Infertility
• IUI: Intrauterine Insemination
• IVF: In Vitro Fertilization (I really hope you know this one by now too!)
• OPK: Ovulation predictor kit (this helps women measure specifically when they are going to ovulate … so they can BD!)
• PCOS: Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• TTC: Trying to conceive

Now … to put it into a fake Message Board post that literally, I swear I have seen before – “Ugh, I am on CD20 and yesterday I had EWCM but I didn’t get a positive on my OPK. We will still BD and hopefully my DH and I don’t go crazy during the 2WW! AF better not show her ugly face. I will NOT take a HPT before 14DPO because I don’t want to get my hopes up. Anyone else in the wait and want to be CB?”

And that, my friends, is my language. : ) Thanks for reading along and hope you have a great weekend!

Nailpolish. Notecards. Real Coke (the soda that is). Starbucks. Josh’s jokes.  Bookstores. Writing utensils. Coffee mugs. Fuzzy socks. Gilmore Girls. My dog.

All things that I love.

Waiting. Glass half-empty people.  Waiting. Not having a baby. Waiting. Medicine that makes me feel icky. Waiting. People that don’t acknowledge your kindness in traffic. Waiting. Breaking a tea bag and flooding your cup with grounds. Waiting.

All things I don’t love.

I started a medication on Saturday that is the first step in prepping for this IVF cycle. YAHOO! It’s been annoying but manageable. I have been on it in the past and my side effects have been similar to those experiences – a headache, some nausea (mainly in the morning), and tiredness. I am 3/10 pills in and know what to expect so I am not too worried – this too shall pass – but am excited for the 10^th day to be here too.

In the meantime, I had some bloodwork done last Thursday to test my hormone levels and make sure my baselines were all within appropriate ranges in order to start the medicine – which clearly they were. A HUGE praise!  We meet with our IVF consultant team at the end of March (whoa, that’s THIS month!) and are excited for that too. So, guess what … we’re waiting!!!

So here I am, bored in my waiting period, continuing to be inpatient with what is to come.  Then suddenly – *ding* – the inbox of my email chimes and I catch the Proverbs 31 Ministries devotional Subject line for the day – There is Purpose in the Wait. I had to laugh. Yes, got it God. Thank you. But I loved the message inside enough to regurgitate for you today. (That’s an attractive word.)

1. Even though we are anointed and appointed we may still have to wait. Throughout the Bible we see long, drawn out waiting periods for a destiny to be reached. Why do I think that my life story needs to be any different? I believe in my heart I have been called to a role of a mother – like David was called to the role of a King – but still, the wait may be required. And I have to be okay with that.
2. If we allow it, our waiting will bring us to an intimate knowledge of God that we would not otherwise have. The message points out that some of David’s most beautiful psalms were written while he was in the wilderness, waiting on God. Likewise, I feel that this has been the time of the most spiritual growth and inspiration for me. Yes, it’s tough – but in the times of waiting, you learn so quickly that you have to fully lean into Him in order to make the ache go away. We just have to allow ourselves the ability to give it to Him.
3. God does not ignore the cries of His children. Ah, how often have we cried and begged and cried some more, pleading with God to intervene and help us. And even though the outcomes and circumstances are different than what we envisioned, God still has never let us down. I have never felt ignored or abandoned – if anything, more than ever, I feel His ache for us.
4. Our waiting has a purpose for someone other than ourselves. This one was a great point for me to read – that It’s not all about us. The devotion shared this thought: “Just think of how rich our lives are today because of the wait David endured. We have the comfort, compassion, hope, and healing of the Psalms.” Wow, what a beautiful take away that Josh and my period of waiting may have a purpose for someone else. A humbling thought in acknowledging that and makes me excited to give this time back to God to use.

We all know that waiting is less difficult when we allow God to intervene in our period of waiting. I fully expect Him to continue to move and act, even when time seems to go by slowly and the future is unknown.

I would have been just passing into my 2nd trimester this week had I not miscarried. The time that has passed has healed some of the wounds, as have the prayers and petitions of many for us. I know my babies are in the arms of Jesus, but I still can’t help but look down at my stomach sometimes and wonder what it would be like if things had gone differently.  My baby would have eyelids forming this week and would be starting to twitch its arms and legs. It would be about the size of an egg and almost 3 inches long – fully moving out of the embryo stage to the fetus stage. I wish I could be part of that celebration in watching it grow into a little person.

I so adore everyone who is routinely checking in on me/us and echoing the continuation of prayers for us. I greatly appreciate this and it means so much. Your cards, encouraging words, emails and texts always make me smile. Love love love!

So hang in there with us as we chug towards this next journey and adventure! We pray that our waiting has a purpose for someone other than ourselves … and that God continues to work in your lives in your period of Wait!

On a side note – Catherine or Lindsay!? Who will it be!? And what will I do on Monday nights when the Bachelor is done. *Sigh*   And I ran across this funny Infertility comic the other day and had to share …

Have a great week!