Retrieval Day: aka Leggo My Eggos

Yeah, I've been holding on to that title for the last week or so :)

 The longer title was "Leggo My Eggos so I can get Preggo".

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Today (this morning) is retrieval day! Hoping for an easy surgical procedure, with some good results at the end, and in the coming days! Send us some positive vibes, thoughts, prayers, juju...whatever you've got and are willing to send our way, we'll take!

And before I go, I wanted to share the text of this article that my friend shared online yesterday.

"An Open Letter to the TTC Sisterhood

If you’re reading this because it’s addressed to you, I’m sorry.

I’m sorry that even though you make it your mission to stay positive and grateful, you wake up every day with an ache in your heart that never seems to go away.

I’m sorry that people can be so unrelenting and naïve about your struggle with infertility.

“When are you having kids?”

“You just need to relax, and it’ll happen!”

“Have you tried tracking your cycle?”

“You should really just adopt.”

“Maybe your body is trying to tell you something.”

I’m sorry that when people are so unrelenting and naïve, you have to calm the lump in your throat before it turns into sobs, the anger in your heart before it turns into rage, and answer with dignity and grace when it feels like all you can muster is something far less becoming.

I’m sorry that you have to walk by that unfinished “guest room” every day and be reminded it was supposed to be a nursery a long time ago.

I’m sorry your relationship has been tested to the limits by everything you’ve had to endure together.

I’m sorry opening every baby shower invitation brings tears to your eyes when it should bring happiness to your heart.

I’m sorry you’ve been unable to make your parents grandparents when you know they’d be the best grandparents ever. I’m sorry you feel guilty because of it.

I’m sorry you have to watch the world go on around you when it feels like your whole world is falling apart.

I’m sorry that the emotional burden is not the only one you carry.

I’m sorry you have to put yourself into debt just to create the family you’ve always dreamed you’d have.

I’m sorry a diaper commercial can make you cry because you’ve held it together just long enough to get through the day without anyone knowing the sadness you carry.

I’m sorry you feel like your body has failed you.

I’m sorry you feel like you’re in this struggle alone.

But you’re not. I’m here with you.

The truth is, you don’t need me to tell you all the reasons why I’m sorry to be a part of this TTC sisterhood — you live it every day. You carry the same heartache and torment that I do. Right now, maybe what you need are all the reasons why I’m notsorry.

I’m not sorry you have learned to love yourself for your strength and courage. This journey is not easy, but you still get up every morning and find your inner strength even when it feels like there is none left.

I’m not sorry you have learned to be vulnerable with those whom you love. Sharing a private struggle like infertility can be terrifying, but vulnerability is not a weakness; it is heroic.

I’m not sorry this struggle will make you an even better mom someday. You have learned patience and compassion and gained a gentleness that can only be created through a heartache like this one.

I’m not sorry that your pain has helped you to find a voice to help others when they feel alone.

I’m not sorry that you’ve found the real meaning of friendship by learning to let some relationships go while growing others that are more fulfilling.

I’m not sorry you have learned how to really be there for your partner when they need you. I’m not sorry you’ve learned to let this heartache bring you closer instead of letting it tear you apart.

I’m not sorry you have had to learn how to put yourself first, placing your own needs before the needs of others.

I’m not sorry you have had to learn how to put all of your faith into something that carries no certainty, no guarantees but have learned to appreciate that there’s always a chance — always.

I’m not sorry that your infertility struggle has forced you to be grateful for all you do have in this life, and I’m not sorry that it’s taught you to appreciate the small things.

I’m not sorry that we’re all in this together.

Hundreds or even thousands of miles apart, we are all living the same story. So even if it’s just for today or even just in this moment, try not to be sorry you are a part of our sisterhood. We are some of the strongest women I know, and we’re all in this together."

~.~.~

Thank you to each one of you who has shown me support through our journey. Thank you for those of you who have reached out to me privately to send positive messages, reach out and share how my story has touched you and made you feel less alone. Thank you for the ladies who have gone through this before me, and been my support network along the way, and for those going through it alongside me. The support I've gotten here has helped make me feel strong enough to get through this, and have faith. Faith in friendship among strangers, faith in medical professionals, and faith in the future.

I'm filled with so much faith, love and hope today.

Weekending Highlights

Happy Monday! It's somehow already the middle of August (whaaaaaatttt??) and it's also been hot as balls here in VA. Like real feel temps around 115. No thank you.

Despite the heat, the weekend had some highlights:

~finished the book I was reading; and played with Cooper a bit downstairs since we've been less active than usual

~MG brought home pizza on the way home from work on Friday since I wasn't up to go out

~We started watching Stranger Things on Netflix in between watching Olympics at night. It's good...and also weird...but I kind of love that it takes place in the 80s. 

~Had another early morning doc appt (4th morning in a row) Saturday morning

~Had some breakfast and then went to Bed Bath and Beyond for some stuff. Picked up a bathroom cabinet organizer in the process and organized the cabinet and all of the drawers in our bathroom. Hey, if you can't work out and it's too hot outside to do anything, you may as well organize, right??

~gave myself a mani with Essie's blanc again (love it)

~since it was hotter than Hades out, spent most of the rest of the day inside reading, playing with Coop, watching Olympics, and Stranger Things. And MG made watermelon slushies for us, too--they were SO good!

~Got ready to meet up with our friends for dinner, and decided to bust out my romper

~took my last night of stim shots! (and a celebratory selfie!)

~Met up with our friends for dinner. We haven't seen them since before we went to Greece so we got caught up on that, and everything else that's been going on. 2 hours passed by so fast, and we would have stayed longer but the restaurant was super hot and we were all sweating at the table, so we called it a night.

~Woke up early for my 5th morning in a row at the doc. Unfortunately when we got there, all of the nurses were waiting outside because their key fobs hadn't worked on the door. My appointment was at 7am, I got there at 645, and the fobs finally worked after 7. 

~Ran errands, and picked up a rug for our living room area. Cooper was a fan immediately. Within 2 minutes of unrolling it....

(we are actually going to take it back since it doesn't go with our living room stuff which is a bummer because I actually really liked the pattern)

~had a momentary freak out about my meds (thinking I didn't have enough) for the night. Was calmed down by a good, new friend who had my back :)

~MG grilled up some jalapeño monterrey jack burgers for dinner and some corn on the cob which were amazing 

~watched a couple more episodes of Stranger Things

~took my last shot!!!! before bed

This morning I'm back at the doc's for blood work (again). My retrieval surgery is scheduled for Tuesday morning, so if you could send me some prayers for everything to go well, and that we get some happy, healthy eggs out of it, I'd appreciate it!

Hoping you're surviving the heat wherever you are!

What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday {#53}

Happy What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday! Are you ready to share what's hap-"pinning" with you lately?

Reading ...
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty. It's one of the only books of hers (minus her current one) that I hadn't read, so when I saw my best friend had it on her Kindle list when I raided her books, I downloaded it. I'm about 3/4 through and am enjoying it so far--curious to see everything come to a head and how it all works out!

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Watching ...
The Olympics!! Swimming, gymnastics, beach and indoor volleyball have all caught my attention. I wish the big events didn't go so late into the night as they get me all hyped up and then I can't fall asleep (or I'm already asleep when they're happening). I like seeing the medal count every morning too!

Cooking...
Monday I used that pesto MG and I got at Costco and cooked it with salmon and parmesan cheese, with a side of orzo pesto and broccoli. It was delicious! (Do you want the recipe? It was really easy and delicious!)

Looking forward to ... 

Being done with shots. Admittedly, my IVF protocol seems to involve less shots than some others, but even now 8 days in, I'm ready to be done and get these eggs fertilized! Hopefully in the next few days!

that container is now full...working on filling up the next one

Wishing...
My mom a happy birthday tomorrow!! It's been a tough year, but hoping that this next year brings with it lots of happiness! I love you so much!!!

Enjoying ...
Bachelor in Paradise and all of it's ensuing drama. Josh Murray is a d-bag, I'm not a fan. And what's the hype over Amanda? Her voice drives me nuts! I'm hoping Nick finds love...I no longer despise him. And Chad is still a raging psychopath.

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Dreaming...

about the week we spent down the shore with the family. Somehow it flew by (it always does), but it was a lot of fun. Plus the tan I got from it is pretty nice too :)

Loving....
all of the positive messages and support I've been getting from friends during our IVF cycle. Going through this is tough emotionally, financially, mentally...not to mention physically. But having friends and family send encouragement daily or check on you, just makes you feel like you can get through it. And dammit, I'm proud of myself for making it to this point in the process!

Wanting ... 
to be back in the low humidity warmth of Greece! I can't believe that it was a month ago already that we were starting our cruise. It feels like it was only a week or so ago!

Wearing ...
my new Cobian flip flops I got at the shore. I LOVE this brand of flip flops (the most comfortable ones I've ever worn). This pair needs a little bit of breaking in, unlike my other pair, but I still love them! 

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Grateful For...
friends going through the same process as me (or ones that I can text and ask a bunch of questions of). Obviously, I wish that none of us had to do this, but if we do, I'm thankful to have these people by my side. It's really helped keep me sane, and keep my fears and worries at bay.

Sorry that so much of this revolves around our current IVF cycle, but this is my reality right now. Hoping that it leads to a very happy ending!

Now it's your turn to link up with Jessi and I and share what's hap-"pinning" with you!

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Books for Days!

I've whipped through another 4 books since the last time I posted, and it just so happens to be Stephanie's link up, so I'm gonna share my most recent reads with ya!

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

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The Goodreads summary is really long, so I'll tell you that this book is about two sisters in their 30's, still dealing with the aftermath of the loss of their brother earlier in their lives. One sister is married with a kid, and the other sister is a school teacher, wanting a family. The book follows their relationship, and their own journeys.

I love Emily Giffin books. I will say that this one was ok for me. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I ended the book feeling like not that much actually happened. I'll say I liked this story better than One and Only. I'd give this book 3 stars....maybe 3.5.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

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The Goodreads synopsis is:
"For the Posts, a two-week trip to the Balearic island of Mallorca with their extended family and friends is a celebration: Franny and Jim are observing their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and their daughter, Sylvia, has graduated from high school. The sunlit island, its mountains and beaches, its tapas and tennis courts, also promise an escape from the tensions simmering at home in Manhattan. But all does not go according to plan: over the course of the vacation, secrets come to light, old and new humiliations are experienced, childhood rivalries resurface, and ancient wounds are exacerbated."

I read this one thinking it would be fun to read while on vacation. It was probably my least favorite book that I've read this summer. The characters in the book aren't very likable. They all seem kind of spoiled and bratty. The only really redeeming part was the ending and the "moral of the story" if you will. 
Would I recommend this book? Maybe if you didn't have any other books to read, and you didn't pay for it. I originally rated it as 3 stars on Goodreads, mainly because of how it tied up at the end. But overall, the book was 2.5 stars for me.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

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Part of the Goodreads Synopsis:
"After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.... "

The rest of the story unfolds in some interesting ways.

I'd had this book on my to-read list for a while, and thanks to Christy for letting me borrow it, I was able to finally read it, and before the movie comes out!

I'll say the book started off very slowly in the beginning with some tedious descriptions about lighthouses, etc. But, once the story picks up, it was hard for me to put it down. It was definitely worth the read. I'm interested to see it on the big screen!

I give this one 4 stars only because of the slow start in the beginning. The book was beautifully written overall.

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

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The Goodreads Synopsis:

"Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever."

I love Jojo Moyes and I was excited to read another one of her books. I love the wide range of things that she writes about too, and this book was no exception. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book and watch the relationship unfold. It was a perfect read while I was at the beach!

I rated this book 4 stars.

That's what I've been reading lately! I'm reading another Liane Moriarty book now, hoping to read her new book, and maybe pack one more in before the school year starts! Any books that are must-reads?

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Weekending Highlights

This weekend was pretty low key for us, but still had some fun highlights!

My weekend highlights included:

~Driving back from the beach on Friday morning after packing up and saying good bye to everyone

~Picked up my Cooper pup from my mom's house on our way back home. Oh the tail wiggles!!!

~Unpacked and started the multiple loads of laundry

~Went out to dinner at Bonefish since we had a coupon, and Bonefish is delicious. We went a little overboard and got a side of the truffle mac and cheese (freaking delicious) alongside my bang bang shrimp tacos and MG's tuna bowl.

~Watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics with MG, while texting back and forth with Brittany :)

~Had an early morning doc appointment on Saturday which went well!

~Ran to Costco to grab a few things (including a monster watermelon for $4); discovered some amazing tasting pesto sauce (bought it), and some cheese raviolis (bought them too). 

(if you have a Costco, and you come across this pesto, get it! It's SO good!)

 ~Started feeling a sinus headache/migraine on the way home. I've been recovering from a slight cold/allergies from last week and this may have been a part of that.

~Took a headache-induced nap on the couch and felt better for only about 30 minutes after waking up.

~MG left for a friend's cookout. I told him to go and if I felt better I'd meet up with him later that night. After a shower and some more down time I did feel better so I headed over for a couple of hours. Played flip cup for the first time in a while (without the drinking--didn't want the headache to come back).

~After 2 hours my head started to hurt over my right eye so we left (plus we had to get back to do my shots), and I had a tough time driving back home with the sharp pain over my eye. Luckily we made it back ok.

~Was doubled over in pain on the couch, crying, with how bad the stabbing feeling felt over my eye. MG massaged my temple and above my eye which helped. And then he made me soup and I passed out on the couch for probably 2 hours.

~Luckily after a solid night of sleep, the headache was gone and didn't reemerge the next day. Praise!

~Had bagels at Panera for breakfast and then ran errands for the week (gonna be incorporating that pesto in a salmon recipe!)

~MG and I headed to the Mosaic District for lunch and a movie and stumbled upon a farmer's market/street fair where we both got food from two stands there, and some delicious organic lemonade/lime-ade. 

(his was some kind of rosemary lamb thingy; mine was an avocado and mozzarella crepe with tomato and cilantro)

~We tried out the new movie theater there and saw Star Trek. I've liked them in the past and this one was ok, but it definitely was my least favorite of the Star Trek movies. The middle kind of dragged a bit.

~Stopped by the Target and swooned over the Home section, even though it was decorated for college stuff. Which just made me reminisce about those summer days before college :)

~Came home and took Coop for a long walk around the neighborhood next to us; Cooper definitely was worn out once we got back!

~Ordered Chipotle for dinner because I wanted it. Did I need a better reason than that? :)

~Watched a bunch of the Olympics--I love watching all of the competitions! The ladies gymnastics was awesome last night! #gousa

I'm back at the doc this morning, but no major plans today. Probably more Olympics? :)

Hoping your weekend was awesome, and headache-free!

Final Recap: Aegina Island

Saturday we got off the boat and made our way to the ferry to catch one to Aegina Island. The waiting area here was filled with homeless folks, and others peddling random crap. It was not the most comfortable time and we were happy to board the ferry. It took an hour and we arrived to Aegina and walked to our hotel which was right up the street. We grabbed a light, early lunch with this gorgeous view

After we settled in, we went down to the beach and spent a few hours enjoying the water, and soaking in the sun.

the woman in front of my continued to take her top off and on, in front of her 20+ something year old son. So weird.

When we got back to the room, I started showering and MG had an idea to rent a car. For 40 Euro, we got a manual car for 24 hours--perfect! MG mapped out the way to dinner so we could see the sunset so we set off and just enjoyed the views along the way!

We made our way to Aegina Town (which grows some of the best Pistachios in the world--did you know that? I didn't! The trees are everywhere on the island!) and after wandering up and down the main strip in Aegina Town trying to find a place we wanted to eat at, we finally settled on one that had an amazing view of the sun setting! 

In addition to that, they had a 1/2 liter (yes I said liter) of their house white wine for 4 Euro (which is like $4.50). I won't tell you how much of it I drank (all of it).

They had the most amazing saganaki with an olive tapenade and dill--it was SO GOOD. I had the shrimp and feta in sauce which sounds weird but it's a dish you see all over the island and it was good! 

As our meal was wrapping up, MG asked our waiter the best way to get back to our hotel (on the other side of the island) to which to guy looked at his watch, asked where we were parked, and then told MG "follow me" and off they went! All of a sudden MG shows up table side on the back of our waiter's moped to get the car keys and off they went! Apparently the main road to get out of there was closing in minutes so the guy was trying to help us out. It didn't end up working, but what an interesting time it was (and this is why I had extra time to finish that wine!)

We made it back to the hotel with no problems, parked the car, and then went to a nearby beach bar for a yummy drink under the stars.

The next morning we got up and ate some breakfast at the hotel (minimal) and then went to explore the Temple of Aphaea. It looks similar to the parthenon (only smaller), but the views from up here are incredible!

We then went back to the hotel and packed up our stuff, then left our bags with the front desk and took off for another part of the island that we hadn't seen yet: Perdika! It's a little fishing town along the water but has some gorgeous views, and some beaches to go to. We found a restaurant there that had the best reviews for the island and grabbed lunch. The view wasn't too bad either!

MG had the calamari and I had the saganaki (just like the kind I love at our Greek restaurant at home) and a pizza (I was over the seafood at this point). Our waiter was nice and gave us this home made appetizer that was so good. We're still not sure what was in it, but we're pretending that it was a type of hummus but we're pretty sure he said "fish eggs" at one point. Either way, it was SO good!

After getting stuffed beyond belief for lunch, we got back in the car and made our way back to Aegina Town to wander through the shops a bit more. That's where I found my pretty evil eye necklace! to the hotel, returned the car, and made our way back to the ferry station to head back to Athens.

We took an adventure on the metro which was the cheapest way to get around, by far, but also the toughest, since we were pulling our luggage around behind us the whole time. And the metro here is notorious for pick pockets (our friend DeWayne had gotten pick pocketed before our cruise), so we kept our belongings close. 

We got to our hotel, and were upgrade to the Junior Suite. After freshening up, we headed out for our last Greek meal. We found a little jazz-themed tapas bar and ordered our last Mythos of the trip along with some Greek meatballs, something else (I can't remember) and these insane stuffed mushrooms that were SO good. It was the perfect way to end our Greek eating!

And then we went back to the hotel, showered and packed up so that we would be ready to go when our alarm went off at 2:45am! 

The best part of our 15+ hours back home was our stop in Zurich. Because of MG's status, we had business lounge access on all legs of our flight and the business class lounge in Zurich was INSANE! The food was SO good (and plentiful), I think we had about 3-4 mimosas during our 3 hour layover....AND they had an outdoor deck where you could relax, get some fresh air, and look at the mountains! It was the best 3 hour layover I've ever had and I kind of didn't want to leave :)

On the 9 hour flight back, I made it through 4 movies: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (liked it), Frozen (hadn't seen it before this), How to Be Single (so-so), and Creed (liked it).

And just like that, we were back home. Back to reality. With a ton of memories brought back with us :)