Things are getting easier

First and foremost, I'm done with breastfeeding and pumping. It was the right thing to do. I weaned myself by spreading out my pumping sessions and once I was going like 9 hours between sessions I stopped cold turkey last week. I was REALLY worried about getting mastitis again, but although my boobs hurt I am doing ok and they're gradually feeling better.

I already feel like I have so much of my life back. We can put some formula in my bag and hit the road whenever we feel like it without trying to pump before I leave and pack up the stupid pump to pump wherever we are. It is SO FREEING and I feel really good about the decision.

We think O recently started teething. Poor baby.

Anyway, Saturday, July 9th, marked 1 year since the IUI. I remember it like it was yesterday, and yet, it feels like a lifetime ago. Weird.

I remember what I was wearing, what I did when I got home, everything. I had a really good feeling about the IUI from the start. But I know we were so, so lucky that our first IUI worked. So many other couples are not so lucky. Some people do as many as 7 IUIs before moving to IVF. I can't imagine that kind of heartbreak. I still feel a bit bitter towards "fertiles" and I'll probably hold onto that. It's almost like those who deal with IF are part of a tiny secret club that has something in common that the rest of the world couldn't possibly understand.

Summer in Maine is great. I'm so in love with our apartment and have been kayaking in the pond in our backyard every chance I get. It is HEAVENLY out there.

But although I am quite content in the here and now, I feel like it's the sum of our experiences that form who we are, and it's a bit hard to realize Baltimore is really behind us. I look back on the years I spent teaching and kind of miss that part of myself. Our old neighborhood, the farmer's market, our favorite restaurants. The harbor, water taxi, Federal Hill.

It's only been a few months and it already feels a little hazy. It's a bit sad to reminisce. We have so many memories from the different places we've lived: on campus at UMaine, our first apartment in Old Town, the adventure moving to Baltimore and our loft apartment on Paca Street, our first house, and now this apartment in Scarborough. It just proves that you never know where life will bring you. Every step along the way leads you to new people and new experiences.

Our babies are amazing. I love them so much and they are more fun every day. Although every stage has it's challenges, I'm focusing on enjoying the PRESENT. <3