{iPhone Rewind} :: June

Hello Summer! Hello Sun! Hello June!  :)

I had my trusty Starbucks mug for over 8 years. I LOVED that mug because it kept my coffee hot all morning long. It had become pretty beaten up over the last few years, and when the gold started flaking off on a consistent basis, I figured it was finally time to trade it in for a newer model. Isn't it so shiny and pretty? 

My brother-in-law commissioned me to paint a porch sign for Mike's sister for their anniversary. They recently built a back porch and have been working to make it a fun place for outdoor entertaining, so he thought a cute sign would be the perfect addition. I like how it turned out, and I am glad that she really liked it too! 

In my effort to read more, I decided to invest in a Kindle. I had been looking at them for awhile, but then got a sweet gift card from work, so I decided on the Kindle Paperwhite. I love how light and compact it is, and I really like the case I stumbled upon. Welcome to modern-day, Erin ;)

Peabody hit 150,000 miles this month! I got my car the Spring semester of my freshman year at Baylor. It has been a fantastic little car, and I am so thankful that it is now 11 years old and still going strong! 

My birthday balloon has made it 4 months! When it wasn't losing its air right away, I decided I wanted to see how long it would last {The Office warehouse balloon, anyone?}. It finally started to waiver, and it hung on for about a week after this photo before it finally came to rest. Not bad, birthday balloon. Not bad at all :)

My mom introduced us to a new card game. We have enjoyed playing this fun new game; it's always fun to have something different to play when people come over.

This guy. We have seen a lot more of him, and we love it! He is {hopefully} moving closer to us, and has been going to Woodcreek with us as well. I am definitely excited about seeing him more often!!

This little lady turned 8 years old this month! I can't believe how quickly she is starting to age, but despite her old lady features, she still has plenty of her normal puppy spunk. Love this pup!

Ok, so this is gross. Sasha has been shedding like a crazy woman. Like, WAY more than normal. I think it has to do with the fact that it literally got hot overnight, so poor puppy has been desperately trying to shed her winter coat. 

I found a baked donut recipe that I wanted a try, so we bought a mini donut pan. Mike wanted to try the pumpkin recipe on the pan, so we made them together on a Saturday morning. They were good, but not awesome. I am looking forward to trying the original recipe I found.

We attended the wedding of one of Mike's former students. It was absolutely beautiful {reception held at South Fork Ranch}, and we had a fun time with friends and family. We love the photo booths :)

I received a sweet gift from my co-workers for our new home! They know we will be transitioning into a new place soon, and they were very sweet to pull together a gift card for us to "feather our new nest!"

We had a free Saturday, so we decided to go see the new Pixar movie Inside Out {super cute movie}. We missed the show we had planned for, so we bought tickets for the next one and had some time to kill. So we had a little impromptu Starbucks afternoon date. I still love just getting to hang out and talk life with this guy. He's my favorite :)

Embryo Adoption :: Transfer Cycle

Today we officially started our transfer cycle!! After years of praying that my period wouldn't come, it seemed so strange to pray that it would. But pray we did. Because this time, it meant that we could start preparing for a transfer. Which means that we're {hopefully} one step closer to pregnancy!

So today, I started the Estrace regimen, which will increase over the next few weeks leading up to a transfer. On July 2nd, we will go in for a sonogram lining check, to make sure the medication has prepared my body enough for the transfer. We're praying for minimal side effects from the medication, zero interactions with Crohn's/Humira, and a nice, thick lining on July 2nd. 

We also received a sweet email from our donor/genetic family, saying that they were praying for us in our next steps. What an incredible gift from the Lord; not only the generous gift of these tiny ones, but also partnering with a family that is petitioning the throne of God on our behalf. We are just so thankful.

Here we go! :)

Embryo Adoption :: Precious Cargo

After 2.5 long {and often frustrating} months our embryos finally shipped!!!

Our tiny ones shipped via Fed Ex {no joke!}, making the trek across Texas, but were in transit for less than 20 hours. We received word that they arrived safely at our clinic this morning. I definitely burst into tears of joy...we have waited SO long to hear that news! They are literally right down the road from us. Like 4 miles exactly. Is it weird that I want to go visit them??

Now we will begin the process of preparing for a transfer. We are definitely MORE than ready to get this show on the road! :)

Today also happens to be my brother's 28th birthday. He said it was the best birthday present he could ask for; he was so ready for our little ones to be here too! He was even ready to drive to go get them himself. He's going to make a great uncle :)

High Five for Friday!

{one} I haven't done a High Five for Friday! post since February...I didn't realize it had been so long! There hasn't really been much to report; we have been busy, but just the usual busy. Lucky for you, I decided it was time to do a little catch up :)

{two} Mike's new job is going really well! They had hired him with the intention of moving him through a training program for a higher position over the coming months. By God's grace, they have already promoted him, and starting Monday, he will be a Senior Director of Church Partnerships. Because he's awesome. And Jesus is good. We are so thankful for how He has provided for us, and I am so proud of my hubby!

{three} Speaking of Mike's new job...one of the benefits is his new work schedule. He works a little longer hours during the week and only has to work half days on Fridays {so jealous}. Because of that, they talk about how Thursdays are "Friday Jr." So I decided I wanted to adopt that phrasing too. So Thursdays are now deemed Friday Jr, and Fridays are, well, Friday :)  It may seem silly, but it really helps to mentally finish out the week strong. So high five for Fridays {and Friday Jrs!}

{four} Our poor little lawn. After the whole gas leak/front yard debacle, we finally got the driveway fixed and new grass put in. But we're pretty sure they put in dead grass. They keep assuring us that if we water it, it will grow back...but we'll see. Poor sad little lawn.

{five} My parents have been in town all week, which has been fun! They came in last weekend, so we got to spend time with both my mom and dad. My dad had to attend the BSF Institute training for the new Revelation study in Dallas, so he headed off to that, and my mom stayed with us. Even though we have had to go to work every day, it has still been fun to have my mom there when I'm getting ready in the morning, and then to have the evenings to hang out with her. We have also been able to go to lunch together a few days. We will get to spend the rest of this weekend with my dad and brother, so we will have a good dose of family time! 

Embryo Adoption :: Hysteroscopy Round 2

Because our embryos have taken SO long to ship, I had to go in for a repeat hysteroscopy to make sure that my endometriosis had not returned, which would delay a transfer. The first hysteroscopy was done while I was under anesthesia for my surgery, but this one was done in the doctor's office.

For those who have walked the road of infertility, you know that these tests/procedures can be brutal. I survived this one, but it was incredibly painful. Because the doctor is inside your uterus with a camera, it induces cramping. And my uterus doesn't take kindly to cramping. I tried to relax and endure the pain, but I definitely had to let her know how uncomfortable I was, and I came close to passing out. 

I don't say that to scare anyone, but hopefully to prepare them. Some women don't feel a thing. But if you're like me, just be prepared. Take the recommended ibuprofen beforehand {I can't have ibuprofen, so I was stuck with acetaminophen...which for me is not super effective on cramping}, take deep breaths, and just keep reminding yourself that you're doing this for your babies.

The good news is that my uterus is still clear and ready for a transfer! It was definitely the best news we had received in awhile, and I may have cried from just sheer gratitude. I half expected for her to tell me I needed more surgery, simply because everything else has seemed to go wrong in the past 2 months. Today I was reminded that God is still listening to our prayers, still holding our hand through this long process. And I really needed to be reminded of that today.

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I have tried to limit the expression of my frustrations here on this blog. Partly because it doesn't help anything, and partly because I am ashamed of how angry I have allowed myself to become at times. This process has been incredibly frustrating, and we have had to fight for joy, fight for forgiveness, fight for grace. And I'm just confessing right now that I have lost a lot in that fight. I hear the words "oh ye, of little faith" constantly in the back of my head, because I am just so exhausted and unsure of why the Lord is allowing this to be so hard.

But I will keep fighting. While I have my words with the Lord and don't understand His plans sometimes, I don't want these circumstances to change my view of who He is. I may not always feel it, but He is good, despite what's happening right now. He is in control, He does have a good plan, and He will be glorified regardless of the outcome. 

I pray for faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who had no doubt God could deliver them from their pain, and yet refused to stop worshiping the True God, even if He didn't {Daniel 3}. I don't want to doubt the Lord's hand in these frustrating circumstances, and I want to be able to still fall to my knees in worship of Him, even if He chooses not to provide a baby at the end of this process. It is most definitely a fight right now; and I am thankful I do not have to fight it alone.