This one gets personal.
In 2021 we bought a house, got married (finally. Thank you Covid), renovated 1st floor of said house, and began a journey through fertility treatments. It was quite the year to say the least.
In January 2021 we found a cute little cozy house in on the south shore of Long Island. A compromise between what Rick and I each wanted for location.
In April 2021 we finally closed on the house and moved in. We're just a few short blocks from a nature preserve, which I visit almost daily, weather permitting. We really landed in a great neighborhood that welcomed us right in. Everyone looks out for each other. At this point our wedding was scheduled for June 2021, but it was hard to tell what was going on with Covid regulations, so we pushed it back a couple months and booked a farm for August 7.
Those couple extra months to settle in and prep were great, and while we were waiting we decided to begin exploring fertility treatments. I started meds in the beginning of May and had every possible side effect from weight gain to cysts. By August I was afraid my wedding dress wasn't going to fit, but it's ok, it would be worth it.
By September we realized meds alone weren't helping and we began exploring IUI. Also in September construction on the house started. So from late September through to the week before Thanksgiving we were without a kitchen or main bathroom and I was taking meds, getting full check-ups/evaluations, and having regular sonograms and blood tests.
We decided to host Thanksgiving because why not?
December 8 I went in for an IUI procedure. We were super hopeful we'd have a Christmas miracle. On December 22 I took two home tests and both were positive. We were elated and in shock. I called the dr and the next day we confirmed with a blood test that I was pregnant. It was the best Christmas ever.
By NYE I started feeling like something was wrong, but everyone tried to assure me it was just nerves. On January 13 I went for a sonogram and was crushed to learn the pregnancy was ectopic. Our one and only success in the two years we'd been trying turned out to not be viable. (There's only something like a 1.5% chance of having an ectopic pregnancy.)
Two rounds of methotrexate later and my HCG had finally dropped to under 100. Because of the medications we have to be careful not to conceive within 3 months. I have an alert set for April 15 as our new beginning. This time we'll be going full force with IVF.
In the meantime I've been working on simple baby designs for blankets and sweaters to keep my attitude positive. Some people might be superstitious about making things now, but for me it's more about stitching hope. I cried many tears as I crocheted a beautiful rainbow blanket design by @khloekates and by the end I'd made it through the brunt of the storm and felt ready for the future.
Look for baby inspired designs to begin making an appearance here on the site as well as my @1MoreRowDesigns Instagram feed.
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