Am I a hypocrite?

Ever since Mark Zuckerberg and countless other friends and celebrities have announced their struggle with miscarriages, pregnancy loss, and infertility I've felt empowered that I shared my story. I didn't announce I was expecting until I was 14 weeks. And I was one of those naive women who thought to myself "I made it to 12 weeks - I'm in the clear now! I can't wait to tell my family and friends." Never did I imagine that what would happen the follow week would a a harsh reality that I would be faced with.  After all I thought it was a simple blood test.

At the time I wasn't sure if I would share the truth about everything my husband and I went through that fateful week in May. But after some time went on we realized after several conversations we couldn't continue on living a lie. We had to be truthful and shed light on the tough decision we made for ourselves but also in the hope that others who might be faced with the same decision that they are not alone.

At the time I was very confident in sharing my story. Both of us received so much support from family and friends that helped us get through that tough time. In hindsight had I not shared that I was expecting, I doubt I would have had the love and support from so many people nor do I think I would have been as willing to share my story so openly. So although some have said to me, "It's too bad you just announced a week or so earlier." I am glad we did. Our little girl was sent lots of love although it wasn't in the human touch form.

Now as I am moving beyond the past and healing more everyday, I wonder to myself will I be as willing to share that we are expecting again. Do I want to be caught again "with my pants down" in the event that something happens again? Would I rather only have a few people know in that event or would I rather once again have my entire social network know and once again shower us with love and support? Will I offend someone who is also struggling with infertility and is jealous we were able to get pregnant again and they are still working on getting that second pink line for the first time?These questions cross my mind daily.

Of course, then I come across articles like this that make me want to cheer these women on. But here I am pondering whether I'll announce at all let alone at 12 weeks or sooner. Am I a hypocrite or what? Right now the jury is still out what I'll do if/when I am blessed with another pregnancy.

Year One in Reflection

Where did the last few months go? I feel like as soon as June hit time as flown by. I actually feel like the last 7 months since I started this blog have been years rather than months since so much has gone on. My husband and I recently celebrated our one year wedding anniversary last month. This was a perfect time to reflect on the things we’ve done together in the last year as well as look back on the challenges we’ve overcome together.

After our wedding we traveled to Disney World and Harry Potter world and realized we are too old for intense roller coasters. We had an enjoyable football season at the temporary playing location for our beloved alma mater. We took advantage of my work trip to Denver and got to experience the Rocky Mountains for the first time. We enjoyed the holidays together as a married couple and then traveled to the other side of the world to Australia. We survived two 12 hours plus plane rides and 24 hour travel days together. We explored three absolutely new cities together in a foreign country. 

Since the turn of the new year we've been on quite the roller coaster ride. We began our fertility journey and got really lucky with success on the first try. I think we all know what happened in May when we said goodbye to our little one without being able to say hello. After that we were able to get away to Florida for a holiday weekend with my family. Once we returned I had a cyst removed from my face that had been bothering me for months but I had been putting off. We also had a lot of work done around our house which kept us on our toes but also set us up for some great pool parties and sunsets this summer. 

Once I was finally cleared to do any activity again I decided to take full advantage of it. We gathered some friends and went to skyzone. I took advantage of being in LA for work and took a trip to Disneyland and rode all the rides. The 2015 All-Star Game was in our city and we did almost every fan event. We went on a scavenger hunt around the city for the All Star Mustaches. We spent a morning exploring All Star Fan Fest. Since the game month coincided with anniversary month we choose to exchange tickets for both the All Star Game and the Home Run Derby. After all the tickets were "paper", right? We also experienced the zip line that went through the entertainment district near the ball park. All Star week was quite the adventure and so exciting to be a part of. 

Now August is here and I can't believe that summer is almost over. Reflecting on the last year as a married couple (which might be my new year in review timeline vs. the new year) and specifically the last few months life has presented us with many challenges. We have been able to overcome those challenges and I think they've only made us stronger together. Yes, this is getting a little sappy but I really cannot imagine life any other way. I wish some of the circumstances had gone a little different but in the end we seem to be happy, healthy, and doing well. Some days are harder than others and some situations continue to challenge us. I know we will continue to carry on and we'll be ready to tackle that next bump in the road whenever we might hit one again. 

Who I am?

I'm from the grand city of Cincinnati and I'm proud of it. I love this city and don't plan on leaving anytime soon! I married my best friend in July 2014 after dating for over 8 years! We had a wedding with 250+ of our closest friends and family and began our journey as husband and wife on our honeymoon.

I personally have feel in love with health and fitness since college. I've adapted to the paleo lifestyle of eating and following CrossFit style workouts for quite some time. Both of these items have made a huge impact on my life and I thank the universe for bringing them into my life. It's changed how I go about my life, created friendships I would never have had before, and given me a rather expensive hobby! Most of my friends know I love CrossFit a lot but I try not to be one of those people who ONLY talk about CrossFit and nothing else. I do have a lot more to me than that!

I work for a large retail chain and love my job. I enjoy being involved in my community and am involved in several organizations around the city giving back to the community. I love to cook and I'm a terrible baker from scratch but I'm getting better! I enjoy doing projects around the house and watching a good movie time to time. I enjoy traveling to new places and have a goal to travel to all 50 US states. 

That's me in a nut shell!