2012 in Review

2012 is over and I can't say I'm sad to see it go. I did this same format to remember 2011 and in 2010 I recapped the year slightly different. 2012 was not an easy year for us, but there were some really great times as well. We traveled to Mexico and Maine and made some great changes to our house.

1. What did you do in 2012 you never did before?

Visited Mexico

Did a big remodeling project on the house

Saw Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds live...finally!

Went to hot yoga classes

Starting quilting

Visited the beach in Maine

Joined a book club and made a bunch of great new friends with a group of woman also dealing with infertility

Attended an orientation session for an adoption agency and starting talking about adoption as a possibility for building our family

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I think I did pretty well with the resolutions I made last year.
I tried to:

 Be better to my husband and not take my stress out on him-Success!

Continue to practice yoga and meditation-Success! I did more than expected and branched to do more vinyasa and hot yoga.

No take other people's pregnancies personal- Yeah, I'm still working on that one.

Smile more-I tried but am not sure how successful I was. I definitely smile a lot at work because I work with young children. Otherwise, I would probably make them cry. 

Be more present day to day-I could probably carry this goal over to next year as I'm not great about living in the moment. It's so hard when you're constantly looking towards the future. 

Exercise regularly and consistently- Not the biggest success, that's why I made it a goal to work on. 

Plan more meals and eat out less- We were definitely better about this one. We go through phases where we don't feel like planning meals, but usually we are good. 

For 2013:

Help my husband more in the kitchen. He does 99% of the cooking and dishes so I want to try to be more helpful in that way. 

Continue to practice yoga and meditation.

Not take other people's pregnancies personal (let's try that one again.)

Be a great Aunt to my little nephew Ben who is due in February.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not this year. My sister is due in February.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

W's grandmother passed away in October, but I wasn't very close to her. 

5. What countries did you visit?

Mexico

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?

Better treatment from one of my bosses at work, more openness about our struggles to friends and family.

7. What dates from 2012 will be etched upon your memory, and why?

January 2012- IVF #2 at new clinic and first chemical pregnancy

April- Vacation to Mexico

May 2012- IVF #3 and chemical pregnancy #2

June 8th- Three years at my current job

7/31- First meeting with Dr. Br.averman

August- Finding out my sister was pregnant and an amazing vacation to Maine

October 10- Our third wedding anniversary

December- Trip to NYC

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Continuing on this journey despite all of our setbacks

Strengthening my marriage

9. What was your biggest failure?

More failed fertility treatments, not focusing enough on work with everything else going on

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

There was some concern regarding my thyroid at the beginning of the year but it ended up being nothing. I got a pretty nasty stomach bug right after retrieval for one of my IVF cycles, and OHSS twice (not severe). All in all, everything was pretty minor though.  

11. What was the best thing you bought?

iPad, all the items for our remodeled bathroom (especially radiant heat), new leather sectional , the materials for a raised flower bed

12. Where did most of your money go?

Fertility treatments, house projects, vacation, student loans, mortgage, co-pays and medications

13. What did you get really excited about?

Two vacations (one to Mexico and one to Maine), our newly remodeled bathroom, completing my first quilt. 

14. What songs will always remind you of 2011?

Anything off the Babel album by Mumford and Sons, Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye, Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People, Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men, Mercy by Dave Matthews Band, Money by David Grey, I Won't Give up by Jason Mraz, and Miracle by Matisyahu

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

Happier or Sadder: Unfortunately, I think a little bit sadder. This year was really tough for us. 

Thinner or Fatter: Probably about the same, maybe a tiny bit fatter although I'm trying to change that.

Richer or poorer: Richer. This was our first full year as DINK's. 

16. What do you wish you'd done more of:

Loving myself regardless of everything else, exercising consistently, relaxing and living life in the moment, focusing on my job even during the tough times. 

17. What do you wish you had done less of:

Worrying, stressing over things that were out of my control. 

18. How did you spend Christmas?

We went to my in-law's house for Christmas Eve and my mom, step dad, and brother were there. Our friends with their daughter were there as well. On Christmas morning we went to my mom and step dad's for breakfast, later had my in-laws over to exchange gifts and admire our new couch, and then we had Christmas dinner at W's aunt's house. 

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Intervention (until they took it off Netflix), Grey's Anatomy, Weeds, Dirty Jobs, The Office (old episodes), Parks and Recreation

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

The Light Between Oceans

The Language of Flowers

The Time Keeper

The Help

The Hunger Games

21. What was your favorite music from this year?

Anything off of the Mumford and Sons album Babel

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

The Lorax, The Hunger Games, Argo, Happy

23. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

Went out for a fancy dinner at an Italian restaurant with W and then rented a scary movie and cuddled up on the couch to watch it. I turned 29, my last year in my 20's! We had dinner the next night at my parent's house with my in-laws. W split an iPad with me for my birthday. 

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Loving myself more regardless of everything going on, and having more success with fertility treatments. 

25. What kept you sane?

My husband and the friends I met through yoga. 

26. Tell us valuable life lessons you learned in 2011:

The tough times help me to better appreciate the good times.
 Regardless of what is going on I still need to be professional and give my job the priority it deserves. I'm able to teach myself something and be really successful at it.
I can support my sister in her pregnancy even though I wish it was me. 

Looking back on 2012, it was a really hard year for us. We had two early miscarriages, multiple failed cycles, and I had some tough times with work. I love the idea of a new year and a fresh start. I hope everyone had a great New Year's!