Gifted

Well my countdown continues to 2011, but until then what better way to pass the time than with bloggy sisters? And COCKTAILS! I met up with a few of my girls this past weekend, Nikki from Our Roller Coaster through Infertility, and Sarang (private blog), AND drum roll please: Lost in Space from No Regrets was in town! It was so cool to have met her, and I'm really grateful she was able to squeeze us in with her other plans. Unfortunately Meg from No Oven for the Bun, who's normally a regular wasn't able to be there but we did our best to pretend like she was.

(Lost in Space, Sarang, "Meg on a Stick", Me, Nikki)

COCKTAILS! and a Monkey Sister toast

After another round of cocktails, we all decided the time was right to throw on a little gift from Nikki, and take pictures with "Meg". How cool is that blogger beanie?!

And though we weren't able to have the real Meg with us that night, I was grateful to have gotten my fix a few weeks before hand. Shortly after introducing me to a fabulous local Chinese restaurant, Meg gave me one of the most thoughtful gifts an infertile could ever dream of: A Follistim Pen.

Used by the skillful hands of a veteran IVFer, she handed me the small blue case that contained to be what I now consider my LUCKY Follistim Pen. This pen helped Meg and T create several little frosties that I know will see the light of day in the not so distant future. It's not only the good juju that comes with this pen, but the generosity and thoughtfulness of her knowing it's one less thing I'll have to purchase when 2011 finally rolls around.

And while I know how fortunate I am to have such amazing women so close by to lean on and have a much needed cocktail with (or three), there are several others I wish I could see on a regular basis too. A few weeks ago I came home from a weekend getaway to a small padded envelope with my name on it...

Inside was a necklace and a card from Murgdan, just to let me know she'd been thinking of me and hoping that time was moving along quickly enough while I wait impatiently for January to come around. Because she remembers how crappy it is to have to wait, and to scrimp and save your way for a shot at becoming a family. That kind of acknowledgement and understanding is invaluable to me. Thank you Murgdan.

The necklace has the word hope, with the written definition on it. It's lovely, and to the point, and I'm wearing it today.

( Sorry the picture is so terrible, I can't find the good one I had taken of it!)

What more can I say? I feel so incredibly lucky to have met all of you, maybe not necessarily in person, but the connection I've made through comments and emails is like nothing I've ever experienced. And I hope you all know how grateful I am for every one of you.

Now go tell one of your bloggy sisters how much they mean to you!

This one time, in Georgia...

I'm going to go ahead and spoil the end of my post for you right now.

My trip was fucking awesome ya'll.

Better than I had any right to expect. Finally meeting four women in person that I have admired and have been given an immeasurable amont of support from was truly amazing. But I find myself regretful for the short amount of time I had with them. To say my trip was a whirlwind would be a gross understatement, but it was absolutely wonderful. And yes of course, I over packed for it.

Last Friday began with me rolling out of bed at 3:30am. I say "rolling out of bed", because using any other phrase would imply that I actually slept that night. I threw myself together and my wonderful husband got me to the airport by 4:30am for my 6:00am flight. Though the travel time was only about four and a half hours I could hardly sit still. Could that have been from the coffee I drank at home and mocha I guzzled at the airport lounge? Possibly, but I like to think it was out of shear anticpation of finally meeting my friends. By the way, that coffee did me no favors. Just ask the two people sitting next to me about the three separate times I had to ask them to get up out of their seats so I could scoot across the row only to wait in line again for the cramped Lavatory. (I had the window seat. DOH!)

After a fair amount of turbulence during our decent into ATL, we landed safely, and once we were given the go ahead I quickly turned on my phone and a flurry of text messages ensued. "Just landed!! WOOO HOOO". Carli and Melissa greeted me near baggage holding a cute little sign with my name on it. Gawd was I glad to see them... Jamie's flight was delayed a bit, but the time flew by as our cheery conversations rambled on. And once her flight landed we were on our way to dinner and then finally on to the house.

Carli was an exemplary hostess, she made us all feel like we really were at home. Her smile and laughter is merely an extension of her colossal heart. Carli thank you again for taking us all in. You have such a beautiful home, and it's obvious how much love and hard work you and Derek have put into it.

Another great thing about their house? THEY HAVE DOGS!!!!

How could you not LOVE these faces?! I came THISCLOSE to packing them up in my carry on.

I give you Dakota and Murphy, respectively.

Saturday morning began with fresh brewed coffee and a loaf of Cinnamon Streusel bread. Then we were off to site see at the Georgia Aquarium. Which is not just any Aquarium, but the worlds largest I'll have you know. On our way, we spotted this office:

A joke only an infertile would get.

Evidently "Cervical" is another word for your back or spine.

At 550,000 square feet (including the tanks) the aquarium did not disappoint.

This is a Wolf Eel. Fierce, huh?

And what's a tourist trap without a tacky souvenir?

We concluded our Down Town Atlanta viewing with a group photo in Centennial Olympic Park.

(Me, Jamie, Melissa, Carli)

Followed by some more adult like behavoir...

Then we went back to the house and drank.

Okay, it was actually more like this:

After a long day of walking and laughing and talking we headed to the house to make homemade pizza's. (Which by the way, came out PHENOMENAL.) That evening was probably my most favorite part of the trip. This was were we sat around and talked and learned more about each other than just the common affliction that initially brought us all together. Jamie (pictured above) is funny and clever and incredibly sincere. Melissa is kind and thoughtful and the perfect amount of silly. I really could go on and on about the intricate details that make me feel like I've known these women my entire life, but I sort of want to keep that between us. In short, they are more remarkable than I could ever describe and I feel so grateful to call them my friends.

A couple bottles of wine, a box of chocolates, a chick flick and an array of nutty Yo.utube Video's later we all settled in for bed. And before I knew it, it was Sunday morning and time for me to pack up. My ride to the airport would be arriving shortly after 10am. But this ride wasn't just some old airport shuttle, it was a friendly face. Yet another I had only ever seen online. While I have loyaly read her countless brilliant posts, and shared a few emails; meeting her in person was quite an honor. Murgdan arrived at the house promptly at 10:30. After I said my goodbye's and hugged my friends, we headed south to grab a little brunch before I had to be at the airport, and she to a shower. As we headed down Highway 85, we breezily chatted about all the fascinating infertile topics you might suspect while I lost count of the number of Waffle House signs I saw hovering above nearly every exit. And yes, she is just as funny and smart in person as you'd imagine.

Murgdan on the left, me on the right.

(this was not at a Waffle House, btw)

I know this post was extremely long and if you made this far, I owe you one. I really could write a thousand more words about this trip, and it still would not do these ladies justice. Which is the main reason it has taken me almost A WEEK to post it - I swear I've rewritten it a gajillion times. (And this is what she came up with?!) I also struggled with what the title of this post should be, my other option was "The Blogger Went Down to Georgia", but I decided on this one, which I have to give Carli credit for. She said it in one of our many emails regarding this trip.

I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your support over the last few months and even years. I wish I could spend at least a weekend with each one of you. I continue to be awestruck by the countless number of outstanding women I've met here.

And now it's time for me to apologize for my lack of commenting... Things have been REALLY crazy lately so my commenting has been uber lousy - and I'm sorry for that. I've been checking up on most of you, but not had the time to leave a note. Please know I plan to get back on track VERY soon!!!

Georgia On My Mind

In a little over a week from now I'll be heading to Atlanta for a weekend of fun with a few incredible ladies that I've only ever spoken to online.

In September of 2008, at just over a year of trying, I made my first attempt in searching for other women who weren't pregnant after a year either and stumbled upon an online forum with a “trying to conceive over a year” board. Little did I know that this group would become my saving grace in the treacherous early stages of IF. Where everything is scary, and you feel really alone, and you don’t even know enough to know that you don’t know about the path you are about to embark on.

Carli, Des, Ellie, Jamie, Lau, Katie, Kerri, and Melissa, (I listed you in Alphabetical order because you’re all equally amazing) my cheerleaders, my rocks, my virtual tissue passers, I don’t know how to thank you all for your unwavering support. They were with me even before we started testing. I don’t think she knows this but Kerri was the one who got me to make my blog public once she shared the link to hers. Shortly after I told her about mine I began getting random comments from bloggers I'd never heard of, and suddenly I was catapulted into the IF Blogosphere. And thank G-d for that!

I’m thrilled to say that four of ladies I listed are either mothers or are soon to be, and they continue to be my inspirations that I will get there “someday, someway”. Since they are either new full time Mommies now or too far along to travel, I’m sorry to say not everyone can join us… Ellie, Lau, Katie, and Kerri, you will be sorely missed, but I hope I can meet you in person someday. Maybe in like five years everyone can meet up at Disneyland or something... (Ellie, I know you especially would be down for that!)

We’ve all taken very different paths DI, IUI, IVF, Pregnancy, Motherhood, Adoption, and a few of us are in other unique transitions. Much like with many of you in the blogosphere, regardless of each person’s status I feel a tremendous bond, and hope that things will blossom to a lifetime friendship. (And I secretly hope we’re all here bitching about out of state College tuition and Menopause in 10, 20 and even 30 years)

Anyhoo, one of the ladies I listed above is opening her home up for the few of us who can make it. So this trip is basically only costing us a plane ticket. I can tell you in all honesty, that I wouldn’t be able to make this trip otherwise. So thank you – you know who you are…

I'm sure to most of you I must seem like the cliche Social Butterfly considering how much I blather on about having met a few local bloggers, which is funny because I am normally not a very social person AT ALL. I hate going to parties, or dinners where I know I'm going to be forced to meet and socialize with new people. And "Mingling" is pretty much my worst nightmare... But there is something about meeting other people who've dealt with IF, an unspoken kinship and understanding that makes each encounter a breeze. It also makes me feel incredibly grateful to have been introduced to such an immense support system. I don't even want to think about where I'd be without the support and encouragement I've gotten from all of you!

So wish me luck on my trip. Not for the going to meet virtual strangers part, but that the Transderm Scōp patch I just got from my doctor actually works. It's supposed to prevent Vertigo and motion sickness (which I have unwillingly acquired in my old age - I'll be 31 Saturday. Boo.) Cause there's nothing like violent turbulence and vomiting to start off a good conversation with the actual stranger sitting next to you on a four and a half hour flight.