Happy Blogiversary to Me!

It's hard to believe it's already been a year since I started this little blog.  When I set out to start it, I wasn't really sure what it would become.  I'm happy to say I'm proud of it and look forward to adding even more posts about hope, happiness and Jazzy! 

           

Doesn't Spring Just Make You Happy?       Hope                         Jazzy's Favorites

A big reason I started this blog was to share about my struggles with losing my baby and the ensuing infertility.  It's been wonderful therapy!  It's also made me be more reflective about my struggles.  I wanted to create a blog that was very honest and open and would hopefully help out other people dealing with the same struggles.  I've had many people reach out to me who are in or have been through similar situations.  Had I not put this blog out there, I would never have connected with these people.  And I'm truly grateful to have made these connections.  

            

Just Don't Think About It          Wait For Me!         2 Years, 1 Month and 2 Days

Keeping a strong focus on hope has helped me stay positive throughout this past year.  Focusing on hope in my blog posts has forced me to look for the silver linings in life and keep moving forward.

       

The Reset Button                    Fake It Til You Make It               Kindness 

On a lighter note, it's also been fun to keep track of all the diy projects Adam and I have worked on over this past year.  When I look back, I realize we've kept busy making our house a home.  It's nice to have a running record of all our projects.

         

Office Nook Transformation     Kitchen Window Revamp    Bathroom Shelf Reveal 

And, of course, there's Jazzy.  She's the real star of the blog.  I find myself re-reading old posts about Jazzy for entertainment.  She's such a doll and I'm so lucky I get to be her mom.  

      

Little Known Facts About Jazzy       Live Like a Dog                 Jazzy Goes to School 

Thanks to all my family, friends and random strangers who have taken the time to read my blog!  Hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing!    

Infertility Can Be Lonely

One of the things that has surprised me most about dealing with a miscarriage and infertility is how lonely it can seem.  I have felt many feelings over the past three years and loneliness is one that I felt often.  I felt like I couldn't talk about what happened to me because it would just make people sad.  I felt like I had to deal with this horrible situation on my own.  And I had no clue how to deal with it.  

I was incredibly lucky to have two co-workers reach out to me right after I lost my baby.  I wasn't particularly close to them, but they stepped up.  They made themselves available to me and shared their stories with me.  I will be forever grateful to them.  They took away some of my loneliness.   

Before dealing with it myself, I knew of very few people that had to deal with miscarriages or infertility. Since talking about my infertility struggles with my family and friends and starting this blog, I can hardly keep track of all the women who have come forward with their own struggles with me.  I can only hope that one day I am able to offer someone the same comfort others have given me.   

Why are people so hesitant to bring up miscarriages and infertility?  I think people can be unsure of how to bring up such a sensitive topic.  They are afraid of upsetting women who are already dealing with a hardship.  As long as people are thoughtful about when and where they bring up the topic and do so in a loving, caring way, I think it can only offer support.  

I recently read this powerful blog post that speaks to this same topic.  I found myself agreeing aloud with everything it said.  And then there's this post that also had me nodding my head in agreement.  That's one good thing about this digital world we all live in.  It can help us put ideas out there and allow people to connect who are in similar situations.

So my hope with this blog post is to help open up conversations around these subjects.  There are so many women out there who I know feel alone.  We should all look for ways to help each other feel less alone, no matter what struggle they are facing.  

        

Source

Big Plans for a Little Space

Adam and I have decided to renovate our little half bathroom.  When we were looking for a house to buy, we didn't even consider to look for a house with a half bathroom on the main living level.  It just so happens that the house we ended up buying has a half bathroom.  It has come in super handy and is great when we have company.  

However, it is in need of a little refresh.  We started off by fixing the toilet.  Well, to be fair, Adam fixed the toilet.  I watched and offered moral support.  After replacing the flapper, it now flushes without having to hold the handle down forever.  This makes me far happier than anything toilet-related ever should.  

Now, we are onto replacing the sink.  The sink that is in there now is fine, but it's really big for the space. Plus, it's just not our style.  So, we threw around the idea of a pedestal sink, which we are still considering.  But then we also saw some options with more storage at Lowe's.  

They both have smaller base cabinets that would fit our small bathroom a bit better while also offering a bit of storage.  We'll have to continue to mull over which sink to choose.  

We're also mulling over which paint color to choose.  We've gotten several gray samples, but have yet to find one we like.  We'd also like to add some wainscoting to the wall and paint the baseboards, window casing and door white.

Big changes are coming for this little space and I'm excited to see how it all turns out!