Have you read this book, You Are My I Love You? I can’t get through it without crying. Olivia thinks I’m crazy, since I cry at 10% of her books I read to her.
This Saturday, two years ago, I underwent my fifth and final embryo transfer. Every IVF transfer day (heck, even for every IUI, Chris and I took pictures right before the doctor took us back. But for this last transfer, the only pictures I have are from before we even walked in the clinic, taken at the beach house in Galveston before we left for Houston.
I’m not going to lie, I wish we would have taken some pictures in the clinic, as I talked about in her first transferversary post. You know, because I’m such a sentimental person. I love my pictures. But we have none because I was shaking and my blood pressure was sky-high and I felt like I was going to throw up because it was our last shot and I had never been that terrified in my life. So there’s no other pictures.
But I have this one and that kind of makes up for it.
And now here we are, two years out from that day in Texas, and Olivia, or Seaweed as she was nicknamed, is 16 months and walking and opinionated and has lashes that most women would kill for and makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world. What a difference two years makes, right?
I haven’t decided if my photography with her sucks because a) my house has terrible natural light, b) she never stops moving now for a decent picture, or c) both a and b and I don’t care anymore. Any of the possibilities are pretty depressing, but this was the best picture I could get.
We didn’t do anything special. Actually, nothing at all except to talk about it. Unless you want to count the cake we baked with her on Sunday. But that’s ok. Because life is gloriously ordinary now and I’m perfectly ok with it.
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She is so beautiful. I really love the pictures of her with the embryo pics…science is amazing!
Gloriously Ordinary…I can relate and agree to that sentiment.
Author
Science is definitely amazing. It’s so crazy how one of those teeny embryos is… her.
When my four year old was 2 I couldn’t take a good picture because she didn’t stop moving. I hear you.
Good luck.
Author
Ha ha!
I love the two photos! I never thought about taking a picture with the embryo photo but I am totally doing this with my daughter!
Author
You do! Being that I’m a photo-fiend, I had to keep the tradition.
Yay! I got chills reading your post about your lost transfer and seeing your adorable baby girl! So very happy for you!
Author
Thank you!
I didn’t take any pictures either 🙁 We transferred on Feb. 21st. Crazy since they are so close in age but of course Bowen had to be evicted..haha I do clearly remember you posting the picture from Galveston though because that’s not far from where we live and of course because we used the same facility. I must get this book!
Author
I know, so funny! And I have to laugh because I forgot you went there too! And you do need that book. It makes me cry every time.
I love this so much! We didn’t take pictures for our IUI with Abbie or this last transfer. Both times, we were so exhausted and just done with the whole process. But I’m thankful for whatever we did take or keep. And I’m so glad that this time around I have a picture of our girl as an embryo!
Also, that picture has great natural light so I don’t know what you are talking about! It’s crazy how much I’ve learned about lighting since Abbie was born. I still don’t care much about photography, but I know how to get my girl in some light 🙂
Author
Yes! That’s exactly it. And eh, I’m not liking the light, but seriously. Girl was NOT having any more pictures.
Happy transferversary. So glad you had a chance to celebrate.
Author
Thanks, friend.
What a beautiful post… I love that picture of the two of you on transfer day. And this — “Because life is gloriously ordinary now and I’m perfectly ok with it.” Here’s to gloriously ordinary and your beautiful Olivia who came to you like magic after so much heartache, at just the right time.
Author
Gah. Thank you so much.
I’m the designated weeper in our house too, so I completely get tearing up at that book (and just your tiny excerpt got me a bit misty). Love how the story of your transferversary turned out – gloriously ordinary for the win!
Author
Ha ha! Oh I know. That book is terrible. The quote I used for her first one, Wherever You Go, My Love Will Find You makes me sob harder. 😉
I was actually thinking that it was a great picture! Happy transferversary.
Author
Thank you!
Heart. Melted.
Author
Gah! <3
On a practical note, I read this tip that more than one light source can make photos less sharp. Weird, right? It seems like more light would be better, but I’ve noticed better results if I turn off the lights and rely on the window (assuming you’ve got some light coming in that way). But, really, your photos are good, and she’s probably always in motion anyway. 🙂
Author
That’s really interesting. I mean, when I try to do photos in her glider, with the window shades open and the light on, I think it does mess with the lighting. I’ll have to keep that in mind!