Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas!
Love, The McVicker family!
family
Giveaway Winner & Family Reprieve
So, since there was only one entry for my Godspell Giveaway, then there can only be one winner! Congratulations Emily from a Blanket 2 Keep. I really hope you enjoy the show! Don’t forget to try out Toloache when you’re in the area. It’s a fabulous restaurant! 
Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone and while you may be still eating left over turkey or busy gloating about Black Friday deals and steals, you may also be still fuming from family drama. Your family are the ones who are supposed to support you in every way. But sometimes they have the power to get under your skin and cause you more stress especially when it comes to your infertility ~ something they most likely know very little about. This can make your holiday experience (a time that is already full of emotion and stress) even more stressful and upsetting. Well, hopefully you have a family reprieve (at least for a short while) until the next big holidays come. Until then, enjoy my past posts about family support.
Family Support
Facing the In-Laws
Surviving the In-Laws
The Lurky Turkey
So the holidays are nearly upon us. And as family (and their children perhaps) gather next week, you are most likely slinking inside with avoidance. I remember all too well the dread of holidays while suffering through infertility; foreseeing the happy, adorable children of your family members and crying inside, dodging the predictable questions people will ask like, “So, when are you going to have a baby?” over and over again and not knowing how to respond. Well, don’t be the Lurky Turkey in the room! You can avoid and smile or be your own advocate and seek support. I definitely suggest the latter. You may be surprised at how supportive your family can be. (This will be one of many posts that will hopefully inspire you and support you through this time of year.)
I am linking to an article from Attain Fertility about surviving the holidays. Happy Friday!
Holiday Craziness: Coping with Infertility
*If you would like another way to de-stress during the holidays, why not enjoy a spiritually uplifting night out to see Godspell on Broadway. If you’re not in the NY area, perhaps you know someone who is! It would make a great gift! I’m giving away tickets to see the show!
Meet Molly!
Meet Molly Wohlk! She is from WI and blogs at Adventures of an Infertile Nanny and tweets under @infertilenanny. Read on for her inspiring story!
1. How long did you struggle through infertility?
My husband and I struggled with infertility for 3 years and 8 months before we finally conceived our miracle.
2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?
We started TTC in Sept of 2007 with high hopes. After charting for the first few months I realized TTC for us wasn’t going to be a breeze. According to my BBT I wasn’t always ovulating and when I did my cycles were way too long. At 9 months of TTC we decided to talk to our first FS (fertility specialist). Our first Dr. promptly started us on 50 mg of Clomid (CD 5-9) and diagnosed me with unexplained infertility. On our 3rd cycle of Clomid we finally conceived. We miscarried at 5 weeks. We were devastated to say the least and took 6 months off of TTC. After being unsuccessful by ourselves we went back to our Dr. and decided to try another 3 months of Clomid (same dose/days). We failed all three cycles. Distraught and disappointed we took another break. After once again being unsuccessful on our own we decided to switch to a new Dr. to try to get some answers. After talking to our second (new) FS she was shocked to find out we never ran any tests to determine why we were having so many issues. She ordered blood tests for me and a sperm analysis for Mr. Awesome (my husband). Mr. Awesome passed his test with flying colors but I failed mine horribly. We found out I had low progesterone and LPD. She started me on 50 mg of Clomid (CD 3-7) only to discover that my progesterone wasn’t rising enough. She upped my dose to 100 mg (CD 3-7) and we found that raised my progesterone significantly. I also started going to acupuncture once a week (I highly recommend this). When I was on my 5th cycle of 100 mg Clomid I started to blog. Although everything was going great we were still unsuccessful after 6 months of clomid. My Dr. recommended a HSG. Unfortunately our insurance wouldn’t cover it so we decided to take a break and concentrate on our finances. That was in January of this year. We started Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover to get our debt under control and after lots of talking we decided to save for adoption or IUI (after my HSG). I continued to use OPKs but after not getting good results for months, I decided to take a break from everything in April. On May 21st 2011 we found out we were pregnant with our miracle. We are currently 25 weeks pregnant with a very wiggly and healthy baby we affectionately call 
Bean. Bean is due on Mr. Awesome and my 10 year (dating) anniversary, January 26, 2012.
3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting? And 4.) What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, support through family, friends & on-line, etc.)?
I really don’t think we could have survived almost four years of infertility without the support of our family and friends. And I know I couldn’t have survived without blogging. Blogging for me was such a great way to vent and talk about what I was going through and to connect with women/families who were going through the same thing as me. Acupuncture was another great stress relief.
5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be?
My advice for anyone still dealing with infertility is this: hang in there and don’t give up hope, miracles happen. And as much as you hate to hear it (I know this made me want to stab people) try to relax. The month we conceived we were completely med free, no OPKs were used, and we were just enjoying life. This baby was conceived on gin/juice and romance novels while my husband and I were laughing and enjoying each others company.
“I’m not telling you it is going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it” -unknown
“You were given this life because you were strong enough to live it” -unknown
Thanks so much Molly! Check out her blog to follow her journey into motherhood!
Meet Alison!
Today, meet Alison! She blogs at A Baby I Pray. Read on for her inspiring story!
1. How long did you struggle through infertility?
My husband had a vasectomy reversal in December 2006 and were told we should be pregnant by January 2007. Needless to say that didn’t happen. Prior to Charlie’s surgery I went through the gamut of testing to make sure there was nothing barring me from conceiving. We started the IVF process in 2007 and had Luke on IVF cycle #5 in April of 2011. I consider 2006 the start of our timeline when we started TTC.
2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?
My husband had two surgeries – reversal and sperm harvest, four fresh IVF cycles, one FET cycle, one chemical pregnancy (from FET). Pregnancy #1 with fresh cycle #2 ended in miscarriage at 10w, D&C #1 July 2009. Pregnancy #2 with fresh cycle #3 ended in miscarriage – belighted ovum discovered at 7w u/s, D&C #2 November 2009. Genetic testing completed with D&C #2 revealed pregnancy #2 was a baby girl with trisomy #18 – “normal” chromosomal abnormality.Charlie & I both went through a battery of genetic testing to ensure there was nothing causing the repeat miscarriages, took some time off from December 2009 -June 2010, started fresh cycle #4 in July 2010. With fresh cycle #2 our clinic was closed and we were transferred to a clinic out of state and almost 2hrs away MID CYCLE!! Ugh!! That was frustrating and scary and infuriating. As it turned out we LOVED our new clinic and could do all the monitoring locally – the only travel we did was for egg retrieval and transfer (and acupuncture pre and post transfer). Our last cycle protocol was different than we had tried in the past and we had to pay 100% out of pocket. We found out I was pregnant on a HPT I just couldn’t wait to take and it came out positive, and did the next day and the next until my beta on August 26th. We found out we had a healthy baby boy just before Christmas and Luke Alan VanDerburgh was born April 27, 2011 at 8:24 p.m. YYYAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting?
Just as we were starting the IVF process I was unexpectedly laid off from work. School budget cuts eliminated my position as the Director of School Nutrition in the school district I was working for – it was a blessing in disguise because the only thing I needed to focus on was the IVF process. We decided as a couple that I would not look for employment during this time. Also as a couple we did some marriage counselling to help us work through the struggles of the process. I also worked individually with a therapist to help me relieve stress of the process. Through the first cycle I started my blog to help journal the process and try to connect with others going through the same thing – no one in my personal life could really understand infertility let alone the IVF process. My husband and I also worked with our pastor and relied on our faith to deepen our relationship with each other and our higher power – also it helped to let go of the need for control you want to have throughout this process.
4. What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, support through family, friends & on-line, etc.)?
Oh my goodness, I feel like I have tried everything, lol 
As I stated above, Charlie & I worked together and individually with therapists (a HUGE help), I have struggled with depression and anxiety throughout my 20′s. I wanted more than medication so I took a class (for lack of a better term) on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Way Through Depression & Anxiety – this was AMAZING and I would recommend it to anyone regardless of history of depression/anxiety. Through that class I learned how to practice meditation and still practice to this day.I went to polarity therapy and worked with an ayurvedic practitioner for health and well-being and herbal support. I sought out an acupuncture practice that worked with infertility patients – this was/is amazing and if you find a practitioner who really studied and understands infertility it is invaluable. I took yoga from an instructor that was also a polarity therapist – focused more on the mind-body-spirit relationships/connection rather than fitness only and I loved every minute of it! I found family was only so helpful as some aren’t, nor really want to be educated about reproduction much less infertility.I found that my blog was a way to keep those family members who really were interested in the process but didn’t “want to intrude” by asking me how things were going or just to keep them involved without calling me daily, my friends were AMAZING and I am so glad I had each of them surrounding me with love through this. I did join ivillage’s IVF group but I found it really ramped up my anxiety – sometimes there is just too much info/opinions out there. I don’t feel the group was negative in any way just that it wasn’t a good fit for me personally. And other IVF world bloggers were an AMAZING support, reading other success stories or other stories/experiences that were mirroring mine were tremendously helpful.
5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be?
1) Be kind to yourself and your spouse. 2) Therapy is a tremendous tool – use it and open your mind. 3) OPEN YOUR MIND!! What you traditionally thought you’d never try might just be something you enjoy or find helpful to your well being. 4) Faith in a higher power will help you surrender the need to control every treatment, procedure, result, etc. – faith in a higher power through whatever religion or combination of religions you choose! I am a christian by upbringing (and choice) but also feel a very strong connection to Buddhism – I take what I connect with from whatever religion and work it into my life. 5) Ask for help from whomever you feel may be able to help you – financially, emotionally, spiritually – friends, family, community.
Thank you Alison!
Alison is on Facebook as Alison Wilder VanDerburgh and you can also follow her blog to follow her journey!
Live for the moment…appreciate the day!
I’m recycling this post from last year. I hope you all have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
When my best friend celebrated her first Mother’s (to-be) Day, I had just decided to start trying and with high hopes, I was full of excitement, naive to the fate that lied ahead for my husband and I. The following year, my best friend was celebrating her very first Mother’s Day and I was incredibly upset because I had just received negative results for my very first IVF. And while I had a nice day with my mother and mother-in-law, I couldn’t shake the frustration and utter pain in my heart. I was wondering when it would be my turn and if I would ever be able to celebrate this day as a mother myself.
Later that year (and 2 IVF cycles later), I was finally pregnant. But, just before finding out about this blessed event, a life changing event had already taken place–my mom had died. So, the following Mother’s Day was indeed bitter sweet. It was my very first one as a mom but it was also my very first one without my mom. And while I was filled with incredible joy, I was also overwhelmed with grief. I only wish I had payed a little more attention and showed a little more appreciation to my mom the year before. It bothers me now so much that I was so consumed with my own dismay, I let the moment right in front of me slip away. That year, the last year with my mom, there are moments that I took for granted, moments that I will never get back.
So, my advice for this Mother’s Day is this: Live for the moment and appreciate the day. You may not be a mom yet, but you most likely have your mom, your aunt(s), and maybe even your grandmother(s) to love and be grateful for. Be joyful for all of the women who have been ‘motherly’ to you. And celebrate yourself for all those you are ‘motherly’ to (nieces, nephews, furbabies, students, patients, etc.); you mean a LOT to them. Acknowledge that and smile. Perhaps next year, you will finally celebrate this upcoming holiday with a baby (or two)!
Family Gatherings during the Holidays
Well, today I will be with family making our traditional Christmas cookies and tonight I will be seeing cousins at a holiday party and it prompted me to recycle my posts about family since this is a time for gathering, giving and well, lots of questions and comments as well. Happy Saturday!
Family Support
Facing the In-Laws
Survivng the In-Laws
I’m Thankful
This season, I am paused for a moment to think about what I am thankful for….
I am thankful for my loving husband who stood by my side and endured infertility right along with me. We are stronger, more appreciative people and parents because of it. I am thankful for the gift of my 3 incredible miracles. I was one of the lucky ones who was able to have not one, but two uneventful pregnancies that brought me my precious children and I will never take that for granted. I am thankful for my insurance coverage through my husband’s work, for without it, we would not have been able to afford IVF and our lives would be quite different at the moment. I am thankful for all the doctors, nurses, and embryologists that worked tirelessly on getting me through my IVF cycles, trying to achieve the best results. And…I’m thankful for my infertility. Yes, you read that right. I am thankful for my infertility because without experiencing it, I would not have the same family I have today and for that, I am forever grateful.
If you’ve stopped by from ICLW! Thanks!! I am also thankful for you and ALL my readers. You’re the reason I write this blog! Happy Thanksgiving!
Meet Kristi!
It’s Success Story Sunday again! If you or someone you know has been successful and you’d like to share your story, please go here for more details on how you can be an inspiration! This week, we have Kristi who blogs at Our Miracle In The Making…A Great Joy is Coming. Read on for her heart breaking yet very inspiring story.
1. How long did you struggle through infertility?
We started trying about 8 months after we were married…So back in February of 2005.….and did not get our first BFP until July 2009.….We lost our first pregnancy rather quickly….I just associated it with my OHSS that developed along with a blood clot in my lung and heart issue that developed….I just figured it was due to all the complications going on with my body….We were just happy to finally get pregnant and know it was possible.
After recovering from the blood clot and finally getting my heart in order, our RE and the High Risk Dr. advised us to take 6 months off to let my body heal…..We intended to do that but because of my clot they decided no BCP for my future and to be honest we had tried for so long with treatment and no success that we never figured we would get pregnant on our own so we did not use any contraception ….I guess getting pregnant through IVF turned on a switch because we found out we were pregnant naturally on September 2009.…Definitely not the 6 month break they wanted but we were so Excited we thought this was our MIRACLE….Right away they started me on Lovenox and PIO….I was also taking Baby Aspirin….All the medications to prevent clots/miscarriage….We heard the first heart beat….and even got to see our little bean grow on a weekly basis…..Then came the day we were finally released from our RE….and two days later I had set up a appt with our regular OB/GYN…..That Thursday I went by myself because we had just seen our healthy bean on Tuesday and everything was fine….Well when the US tech did the internal US there was no heartbeat ….Instantly I went into shock…How could this be happening? Everything was fine on Tuesday….At 8 ½ wks we lost our second baby….I then had a D&E the next day …We did genetic testing and it came back Normal Female.
After this blow two weeks later we discovered that our awesome Insurance would be changing plans in Jan 2010 and that our RE would no longer be in network….We still had two Ice Babies in Indy to use so the plan was FET in Dec 2009.…The FET went smoothly….this time we did some testing for RPL and our results yielded that I had a clotting disorder called MTHFR and slightly elevated NK cells but my RE said that it was borderline so nothing to worry about and that our miscarriages were just bad luck….Boy if I knew what I know now I could have saved myself lots of heartache and time…..We proceeded with the cycle but this time started the Lovenox and PIO before the cycle started….and once again in Dec 2009 we became pregnant but once again had another loss this time only made it to 6wks pregnant….Now I wanted answers 3 losses in a row is no longer a bad luck scenario there must be something wrong….It was back to square one as our insurance company was changing and I could no longer see my current RE but to be honest he had no other suggestions for me so I wanted to switch Dr.‘s anyways.
We once again probably should have been using contraception but we weren’t and I got pregnant right off the bat 3 days before my birthday in Jan 2010.…This time I just went to my regular OB/GYN for prenatal care and we once again seen a heartbeat but this time it wasn’t a very strong one….She figured it would end in miscarriage but said there was still a chance…The following week we got an US and still the heartbeat was there but not strong….She then started me on Prednisone guessing that perhaps my immune system was trying to end the pregnancy….Another week went by and our little bean was still holding on but this time the heartbeat was even fainter….and by the next week it had stopped….Another D&E was performed and another test yielded a Normal Female….My regular OB/GYN suggested that it must be an immune issue and that I needed to find a RE that treated immune related pregnancy loss.
We interviewed with a few Dr.’s in the Chicago area. Two of them were just regular RE’s and to be honest they didn’t offer much for immune tx’s they just wanted me to IVF again to fill their pockets…I mean hello getting pregnant is not the issue anymore…..Our last and final Dr. was with Dr. Kwak Kim in Vernon Hills IL….I had read about her in the book by Dr. Alan Beer “Is your body baby friendly” She was his partner for years before he moved out to California and for those of you who have had repeat miscarriages this book is a must and full of valuable information….My first visit with Dr. Kwak was full of blood work and a US…followed with a short meeting with her herself….When all the results came back we would have an in depth meeting to discuss problems and plans….My first visit with her was March of 2010. We then came back 1 month later and discussed issues/plans and went through another IVF with another RE in Peoria IL due to timing of the medications before pregnancy and became pregnant again in June 2010 and I am currently 20 Weeks Pregnant!!!!!
2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?
I kind of went through that in my above paragraph but I will highlight what meds were used for each cycle…..As far as surgeries/treatments I had two D&E’s….
two egg retrievals….3 embryo x-fers….hysterosalpingogram….hysteroscopy
multiple US….multiple blood draws….IVIG infusions…Intralipid infusions….countless medications/shots.
First IVF: Baby Aspirin, Lupron, Menopur, Bravelle, HCG Trigger Shot, and Progesterone Suppositories, and Estrace
Second Pregnancy: Lovenox once a day, Baby Aspirin 1xday, Folbic Tabs, Progesterone Suppositories
Third Cycle FET: Lovenox once a day, Baby Aspirin, Folbic Tabs, and Progesterone In Oil, and Estrace
Fourth Pregnancy: Lovenox once a day, Baby Aspirin, Folbic Tabs, Progesterone Supplements, and Prednisone
Current Pregnancy: Dr. Kwak had a master plan along with my new RE….Pre IVF I took lots of supplements and vitamins to prepare my body for mature healthy eggs…Since I have PCOS this can be somewhat tricky to not overstim…Also I had to change my diet to a Diabetic Diet…..and I was on Lupron/BCP’s ……Follistim..Menopur….PIO… Baby Aspirin…Lovenox… Prednisone…and doing Intralipid tx every two weeks….Dr. Kwak had discovered that I had another clotting disorder called Factor 13 and also issues with blood flow to my uterus and would need weekly monitoring and adjustments in my Lovenox dose accordingly….and my elevated NK cells that were not an issue according to my old RE were now madly out of control due to each time you have a miscarriage your body becomes stronger and stronger and your immune system kills the pregnancy off faster and faster…Now my levels weren’t borderline but out of control….IVIG would be the first treatment of choice but since it was denied by my insurance company I had to try using Intralipids which according to my current RE were just as effective…However Dr. Kwak does not use Intralipids but agreed to monitor my NK cells after each infusion and throughout the pregnancy…I would also undergo weekly testing of my Progesterone/Estrogen….Every other day HCG blood draws until they reached 20,000.…Weekly US to check my blood flow….and Monthly blood draws to check several other things….and Intralipid infusions every two weeks….Early on in Pregnancy we had some issues with Beta’s not rising as they should but once my PIO was bumped up things began to run smoothly….and then after a few Intralipid infusions Dr. Kwak noticed that they were helping a little but not fully and recommended strongly that we do IVIG….Well at 2000 a time and it is usually needed every two weeks how would we ever afford this? I ended up contacting the Drug Manufacturer and they had an assistance program but to qualify you had to have no insurance….I of course had insurance they just wouldn’t cover it so they told me to just submit the paperwork and they would see what they could do….Also asked me to attach a personal letter explaining all we have been through and where we were at in Pregnancy…Well it worked they found a pharmacy that was willing to donate the drug to us as long as we agreed to continue to appeal our insurance company….After my first treatment my NK cells went down dramatically…..and even though I have a ton of appts…I am currently being managed by a Reproductive Immunologist, Perinatologists, Regular OB/GYN, and a Cardiologist…I usually have at least two to three Dr. appointments each week….do a ton of treatments….shots…and different medications/testing but without my team I wouldn’t be 20Weeks Pregnant.
My suggestion for anyone with multiple pregnancy losses would be to see a Reproductive Immunologist…Even though a lot of RE’s are trying to treat immune issues, an Immunologist knows way more and will monitor several things throughout the entire pregnancy and make hormone/medication adjustments according to what needs to be corrected…I can honestly say without Dr. Kwak we would never be where we are today!!!!
3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting?To be honest in the beginning it was frustrating and it seemed like forever until we would become pregnant…..But even more devastating was going through all the losses and feeling hopeless…I guess as an Infertile you think once I’m pregnant it will all work out….you don’t even think about issues like Recurrent Miscarriage….So that was a big blow for me and my husband….Yes it has made us stronger as a couple but at times it caused great frustration and emotional pain on both ends….But my husband refers to me as Rocky….Even though I would keep getting knocked down I would always get up and Fight again and again no matter how bruised and scarred I had become…We did decide as a couple that in order to get through this last IVF that we would need to see the Infertility Counselor at our RE’s office….she helped us get through the IVF process and also helped us get through the doubt we were having in our first trimester…This made a huge difference.
4. What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, support through family, friends & on-line, etc.)?In the beginning we just kept things between us….but then as everything progressed and more medical intervention was needed we confided in close friends and family….and with this last IVF I decided to start blogging and that has been a major outlet for me….both to be able to help people, inspire them, and also receive advice/words of wisdom from people who have been in my shoes before….I also love spending time with my husband…friends…family…and animals…and decorating. I joined a support group at our local hospital and that helped me to be able to confide in what we were going through with fellow Infertiles.
5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be ?
That it is definitely not an easy or simple road….it is like a roller-coaster many ups and downs….loops and swirls…but if you stick with it and keep on fighting it will be worth it in the end….and this is easier said than done but try to find time to do normal activities that you enjoy outside of treatments….don’t put your life on hold.
18 weeks
Thanks so much for sharing Kristi! We wish you all the best in your pregnancy!
If you want to follow her journey into motherhood, go to her blog!
Meet Cheryl!
It’s Success Story Sunday and I need more stories to keep the inspiration going! Please go here for more details if you or someone you know has been successful! Today, meet Cheryl (aka @chasingamiracle)! She blogs at Chasing a Miracle and just had her baby girl! Read on for her uplifting story!
1. How long did you struggle through infertility?
we had thought it would be as easy as stopping to take the pill. We tried for 1 year on our own and 1 year with fertility treatments. While it seemed like a lifetime to us, we know now that we were / are one of the lucky ones, that 2 years is nothing compared to some.
2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?
we went through 4 iui’s, 3 full ivf & 1 FET, my blog documents / journals each day of the 2 of the full IVF cycles and the FET. While some go through treatments over long periods of time my husband and i decided to continue month by month until the end of 2009. It was the hardest journey of my life, we went to hell and back – there were times when i thought i couldnt go on and times when i thought it wasnt worth such pain. But in the end when i look back i know that it was worth it, and that i wouldn’t change what we went through for the world.
3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting?
tears lots and lots of tears. i couldnt have done it without the support network i have on line, as well as without some very good friends and family. having somewhere where everyone understood what i was going through really helped, there was always good advice & simply people who understood your kind of pain. http://chasingamiracle.com/2009/12/a-final-note-but-not-the-final-words/
4. What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, support through family, friends & on-line, etc.)?
Blogging. writing down each day just how i felt really helped. When i was mad, happy, excited, sad, angry, overwhelmed – i just wrote it down. Having people comment and offer me their experiences helped as well.
5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be?
Dont listen to people who havent been where you are, they dont know what its like and i feel their sympathy is invalid – their advice never good, just frustrating and hurtful a lot of the time. My best advice is to simply have hope and faith, look for humour no matter how hard the road, and to remember that no matter what, you are strong and you can do this, and that there are so many people out there who know what you’re going through, and can help you every step of the way.
Thanks so much Cheryl! Congratulations on your baby girl!!
To follow Cheryl’s journey through motherhood, check out her blog.
