Hello 2009! Happy New Year Everyone!

Shannon began taking down the Christmas decorations this morning. I always feel sad when that process begins. I love Christmas and we had a great one last year as we do every year.

I was going to post all of our blessings for last year, but Shannon beat me to it. Our focus on having a baby I think let us forget what a wonderful year it really was and I know in my heart 2009 is going to be even better.

I am looking forward to what 2009 has to bring to us and I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Thoughts from 08 and hopes for 09

As we get ready to celebrate 2009 I have to think about all the things about 08 that I am grateful for. Looking back I tend to think about all the bad things from 08 and the good things seem to blend into the background.

Things I am grateful for from 2008:
1. My wonderful husband- dealing with infertility has brought us closer together.
2. My wonderful family- I have great parents, my mom has been there for me in all my tears throughout the past year. I have a great and supportive mother in law and two sister in laws, as well as fun and loving nieces and nephews, as well as my great nieces and nephews. Oh how I am loving watch them grow up, Autumn (who is 9) amazes me every time I see her.
3. Holding my nieces son, Neves, one hour after he was born, watching her go through her pregnancy was hard for me, but I had nothing by tears of joy when I held him.
4. Our beautiful new home, we finally have room to grow and entertain- and we were able to rent our other home quickly.
5. Wonderful vacations, we went to Mexico and Universal Studios and had a blast!
6. Watching our business continue to grow slowly but surely, its taught me a lot.
7. This may sound strange, but in a way I am grateful for having to struggle with infertility (though I was gladly get off this train) but it has taught me patience, faith, and made me realize what it truly important in life.
8. Still being employed, with health insurance (that covers some infertility treatments) being able to buy food without thinking about it, being able to treat myself to a new shirt or new pair of shoes. Having a new car that I love that is dependable and safe. I used to get upset because I couldn't buy a $500 pair of shoes that I wanted, but now I am just grateful that I can buy the $50 pair of shoes.
9. Our wonderful doctors, Dr. Littman and Dr. Roth- who have become very special to me- they do everything in their power to help us achieve our dream of becoming parents. I am also grateful that we have the medical advances available to help battle infertility.

So I though I would take a minute to reflect on the years past and my hopes for the new year. I hate the word resolution, because it sets you up to fail, so I try to think about it as goals for 09. The most important thing about abouts goals is that they are attainable and that you set a time limit that you will achieve your goal.

Goals for 09:
1. Eat healthier and work out more- walk the dog, do cardio 2 times per week
2. Get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby
3. Continue to grow our business
4. Continue to do well at my job
5. Spend more time with family, I need to plan a trip to see my parents
6. Vacation more (may be put on hold if pregnant) but try to take advantage of some great dream trips with World Ventures.
7. Continue to love John and make our relationship even stronger
8. Learning to accept life as it comes, not looking to far into the future

Overall 08 has been a growing and learning year for me, I feel like I am learning something new everyday, my patience and my faith has been tested and I am learning how to deal with that. I will keep my faith in God that our lives will be blessed with a baby and many other wonderful experiences.

Cheers to a happy and healthy new year! I will you all great success and prosperity in 2009!

The Meaning of 333...

Hi, Folks. John here. I was having a spell of waking up night after night at 3:33 am. This kept happening night after night. One day I had to write a check and the sequence came up 333. After a few days of this it started to drive me nuts and I had to try and find a meaning.

I started to Google the meaning of 333. The first site I came across posted several Bible verses that had the chapter and verse 3:33. As I read on I found many references to the meaning as God is with you and also the number represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. Was this God's way of telling me he knows our pain and that he was with us?

It made me feel good as I read this. Maybe it meant God would would give us what we were longing for...a baby. Or he wanted us to do something. Maybe help those with infertility issues. Or he was just letting us he know he was there for us.

As I read on I came across an entry from a gentleman discussing how he was waking up at 3:33 on a regular basis as well. He then proceeded to tell a story about how a woman he knew said she had a dream about him and his wife having triplets. His wife wasn't pregnant at the time, but a month later she was. They didn't know what they were having yet, but it was interesting. Was God telling me we were having triplets? If 333 means God is with us then I certainly hope he is if we were going to have triplets.

The gentleman's post continued with stating his birthday, which happened to be mine as well. A posting after his talked about the same scenario and a another gentleman was waking up at 3:33, but the thing that got me was he shared the same birthday too.

I read all this just before we had our first IUI procedure. We have had two IUI's now and both times I was thinking we were going to have triplets. Of course if God was making up for lost time we most certainly would know we were blessed, but we would definitely have our hands full with triplets.

Well as you may have read in previous posts neither of our IUI procedures at this point have worked. So, no triplets yet. But I recently began to think of a new meaning.

Although, I always know God is with us maybe 333 equals 9. With next year being 2009maybe we will have a baby next year. And with all the references to my birthday maybe it will be born the same day.

I am looking forward to next year and all it has to bring and I know God is on our side.