Life Abundant Blog

living life abundantly in spite of PCOS

I’m Still Standing: Infertility: A Decade of Waiting, Miracles, Loss, and Hope

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When I was told at the age of 23 that I was in pre-menopause, I felt like my world crashed down around me. My husband and I had only been married a year plus a few months when I first started to experience symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and infertility. We were told that the longer we’d wait to try to conceive, the less likely it would happen because my labs were very abnormal for a 23-year-old. Pre-menopausal. At 23 years old.

Read More > Infertility: A Decade of Waiting, Miracles, Loss, and Hope

Photo by Seth Macey on Unsplash

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For the Love of… {January-March 2018}

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About five years ago (or maybe seven), I had a mini-series on this blog that was all about my monthly favorites. And by mini-series, I mean I lasted all of three months. It’s just not a subject I was committed to at the time, and yet I read everyone else’s all the time (and still do). In an effort to better mother this little corner of the internet that means so much to me, I’m going to attempt to restore this series in 2018 (see what I did there?).

Yes, this For the Love series is an act of restoration on my blog. Also, I would love for you to share your loves/favorites with me as well. I want this to be open communication between us. I love learning about new products, recipes, etc. that other people deem as “favorites”.

Also, I’ve decided that I’m going to share these every quarter instead of monthly. I figure that’s a more tangible goal. 😉

So here we go! These are my favorites for the first quarter of 2018.

[Read more…]

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March 2018: Restoration in Nurturing {Puppy Adoption}

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Restoration

The act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment

Restitution of something taken away or lost

Something that is restored, as by renovating

Read the whole restoration series here –> My Word for 2018: Restoration

Those of you who follow me on Instagram and watch my Stories may remember seeing my conversation about having puppy fever, and how we probably weren’t going to act on it until after our June beach vacation. I was “looking” though, and made sure I was signed up with some local rescue groups so I could be kept up-to-date with pups coming through the rescues.

On March 17, I received a call from a lady who had rescued a puppy from traffic. She found him dodging cars and immediately saved him, even though she was unable to keep him (she already owned an elderly dog with a lot of health needs so a puppy was not an option for her at this time). She took him home, bathed him, and contacted a dog rescue to see if they could help her find a home for him. They gave her my phone number because they knew I was looking for a scruffy little wiry-haired puppy. I asked her a lot of questions about him and his demeanor, behavior trends, health status, etc. just so I could get a good idea on whether he’d be a good fit for my family. She sent me pictures of him and I absolutely fell in love. His ears and little beard stole my heart.

On March 18, my family drove to her house and this puppy greeted us with so much joy and love, and we just knew he was meant to come home with us.

So he did.

And we named him Waldo.

[Read more…]

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To My Daughter On Her 8th Birthday

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Dear Zoey,

Today, you turn 8. Every day I watch you grow and change. You’ve gone from infant to baby, to toddler, to preschooler, to elementary school-ager, and now you’re a big girl who independently reads, wakes up in the morning to her own alarm, and picks out her own clothes. Not only are you growing physically and independently, but spiritually and in maturity as well. Since your salvation and baptism two years ago, I’ve had the honor of watching you absorb the Word of God, ask meaningful questions during Small Group class, pray for others in your own words, and say over and over again: “momma, we should help that man” or “I just feel so bad for that person”. You’re a missionary in the making and I LOVE it.

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I’m Still Standing: Five Things I Tell My Child As I Walk Her Through Grief

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I’ve had a lot of conversations with my daughter Zoey about infertility and loss. These conversations span years, but the last seven months have been the most difficult. Many conversations are filled with tears. Whether at bedtime before prayers, or on the couch because something on TV triggered her, or even at church… we’ve talked a lot. Today on Still Standing, I’m sharing five things that I tell her as I walk her through grief.

Read> Five Things I Tell My Child As I Walk Her Through Grief

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When the Due Date After a Miscarriage Comes and Goes

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Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

Yesterday was my due date.

This week, I should be meeting my miracle baby. I should have spent the last couple of weeks preparing for labor, although I’m sure it would have been impatiently. I should have been looking over my hospital bag, re-checking the carseat installation, preparing freezer meals, getting a massage and a chiropractic adjustment, drinking tons of red raspberry leaf tea, and making sure all of my essential oils are in stock.

Instead, I’m contemplating whether I should sell the last of my remaining baby items.

[Read more…]

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My Infertility Story on Amateur Nester

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Today, I’m honored to share an interview I had with Lisa over at Amateur Nester. Lisa has collected some beautiful and heart-wrenching stories from the infertility community and has started to share them on her blog. Reading these interviews breaks my heart, but it is also a beautiful reminder that none of us are alone in our journeys. There are other couples who get it and women who are walking in our same shoes.

Please check out my interview with Lisa here: My Infertility Story on Amateur Nester

Be sure to follow along and read the other interviews she has collected. If you have ever felt alone in your infertility journey, these stories will help you.

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February 2018: Restoration in my Home {Part 2 – Bathroom Renovation Complete}

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Restoration

The act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment

Restitution of something taken away or lost

Something that is RESTORED, as by RENOVATING

Read Part 1 here > January 2018: Restoration in my Home

I can’t even begin to explain how wonderful it feels to restore my master bathroom into something new, fresh, CLEAN, mold-free, and not reminiscent of my miscarriage. This bathroom renovation is an act of restoration not only in my home but deep in my soul. It’s hard to explain, but I think I did a fairly decent job in Part 1, so if you haven’t read that yet, head on over and then come back here. Many of you have followed along on Instagram and I have absolutely loved sharing the progress made each day. It brings tears to my eyes to see how far this bathroom came, and to know that I can walk in and not feel disgusted.

So without further adieu, here are the before and after photos of our master bathroom renovation, and at the end, I’ll list everything that had to be done to make this dream a reality:

[Read more…]

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I’m Still Standing: When Infertility And Miscarriage Hurt The Child Left Behind

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In case you didn’t see my announcement on Facebook and Instagram, I’m now writing monthly over on Still Standing Magazine about infertility and miscarriage. Stepping out to write for Still Standing was an act of bravery for me. I’ve been a long-time reader of Still Standing, and when they put out a need for some additional writers, I swallowed my fear and applied.

Today, my first post is live. I would love if you would head on over there, read it, and maybe leave a comment if you feel led to do so.

Read> When Infertility And Miscarriage Hurt The Child Left Behind

Image used with permission by Samantha C. Photography

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January 2018: Restoration in my Home

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Restoration

The act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment

Restitution of something taken away or lost

Something that is RESTORED, as by RENOVATING

My first post in this restoration series for 2018 is all about something very tangible… it’s anxiety-inducing, exciting, and overwhelming. There are so many emotions surrounding this event because it is something we’ve been talking about doing for years, and just never pulled the plug. We’ve spent hours on Pinterest and have watched way too much Fixer Upper to get to this point.

Our house is 28 years old and we’ve lived in it for nine years. Both bathrooms leave something to be desired, but the master bathroom is hardly what anyone would consider a master bathroom. It’s small, and the way it was originally configured was very inconvenient. It’s been prone to mold, feels cramped, and is definitely showing its age. Over time we’ve painted it a few times, changed out the shower curtain, and switched out the fixtures, but we’ve developed a major need to renovate it. We have decided that it’s beyond cosmetic updates at this point…

We are demolishing and restoring it.

[Read more…]

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