A final note, but not the final words…

100 days ago i began to write, 100 days ago i thought i would just be writing for myself, writing to express my emotions and writing to release some of my fears from my heart…

As the days went by and the time ticked on and as the words emerged, i never imagined that 100 days later i would have made over 100 new friends, i never imagined that i would have so many new people in my life who care SO much for me that they would stay awake just to see my news.  I never imagined that there were so many people out there who could care so much about a stranger.

thank youWhen you least expect it you will meet a stranger that will change your life forever…

I dont know what you look like, i dont know alot of your names, i dont know what you do and i dont know anything about your lives, your past nor your present, but i do know that you are my friends.  I know that now matter what happens, you care, and i know that no matter what happens, you will be there for me, and i know that no matter what happens i will always know where to find you – and for that, thank you….

I have said this before to other people, but today, today i mean it from the deep depths of my heart, there will never be enough words to say what i need to say, never enough for you to know jsut what you mean to me, never enough to express how i really feel.

For the times when you stayed awake to see my news – thank you.  For the times when you waited, your hearts beating as fast as mine – thank you.  For the times when you simply gave me a *HUG* a *MWAH* a :p and even a :D – thank you. Thank you for the past 100 days, for your support, for cheering me along when i needed it most, for praying for me when i thought i had lost God, for crossing your fingers and toes for me, thank you. And thank you for the comments that always made me cry…

I wish there was another word for thank you, because i still need to say thank you for just being you, and for just being there for me when i thought i was alone. Without you, without the experiences i have faced over the past 100 days, i would surely not know where i was headed, what to expect, and i would surely not be as at peace with my situation as i am today.

I will not lie, i am scared, i dont know where i am headed, there are no final answers as i had hoped… But i know that i have friends, friends that no matter what happens, no matter where my journey continues to, no matter what my life throws at me next, you will always be there reading and writing comments, helping me through the challenges.

The worst year of my life is now over, and again i say – i wouldnt change it for the earth.

I sit here and i welcome in 2010 with open arms knowing that i have strangers in my life who will be with me holding my hand chasing my miracle each and every day with me.

Once again from the bottom of my heart – thank you.

Love always Cheryl, the mother that may never be…

Day One Hundred of 100 – Is this where the real story begins?

Limbo Land Day Five

To my dearest little miracle,

georgeI thought that day 100 would bring me answers, i thought that i would begin the new year knowing just where i stood, and what my plan for 2010 would bring me.  I thought that day 100 would bring me a solid answer to end my journey.

But like many other days on this topsy turvy journey, i say – i was wrong.

There are no answers just yet, not today, not tomorrow, and not even the day after that, just waiting, hoping, praying, believing that you are inside of me growing.

Last night i cried, i cried for you my little miracle and i cried for me.  I cried because i dont know how to live without chasing you, and i cried because i am not sure if this is the end or if this is the beginning…

I cried to God and i asked out loud for peace and happiness, i asked why i cant stop thinking about you, and i asked why day 100 couldnt have brought me the answers i so desperately desired…

As i lay there crying, i turned to your father, i asked him why i couldnt just turn the switch off, why i couldnt go back to being who i was before i was chasing you, why there are never solid answers, and why even in a positive situation, there is still so much turmoil and heartache.  Your father turned to me and said the most sincere thing i have ever heard him say, he told me that God had turned the switch on, and right now, at this point in time, God wanted that switch to stay on.

Your father then rolled over, and in the dead of the night said to me, this is not the end, this is the start of a new journey, its is not over, it is just a new beginning, a new day, a new year, and a new story to be told…

So my little miracle, this is not the end, this is the beginning, and tomorrow marks day one of the rest of my journey Chasing a Miracle, searching for you, hoping and believing that you are in me growing, gaining strength, just waiting to meet us.

Never forget my child, that i will forever chase you, as you will always be in my heart. If i never get the chance to meet you, i promise i will never forget the journey, nor the people i have meet along the way.  And as i have said many times before, know that your father and i love you more than anything on this earth and no matter what happened, no matter what challenges were thrown our way, we faced this journey chasing a miracle searching for you.

Love from a mother that may never be.

What we call the end is also the begining.  The end is where we start from. TS Elliot

Day Ninety Nine of 100 – The Real Limbo Land

Limbo Land Day Four

F102387To my dearest little miracle,

I am sorry, i am so very sorry. I thought i knew, i thought i was so sure that this was it, that this was the end, i thought it was over… I really thought i knew, i thought you wernt there… I thought this was the end for a while, i was ready to give up, but my little one i may be wrong, i may have taken you for granted.

How could i be so wrong, how could i not know? And how could i have been ready to give up? I am just so confused, so scared, so much in limbo land…

I want to have hope, i want to believe that this is it, that you are in me growing, alive and just waiting to meet me, but i finally got used to this being over, and now i am scared that if i hope, if i hold on to that little chance that this is my miracle, that you are here, i am scared that it wont be.  And if you are not, if i have ruined this chance because of my need to run and my need to push myself physically, because of my need to to all the things i was never meant to do, if i have broken this chance through stupidity – i know i will fall apart, and i am scared that i wont be able to pick my self up once more.

I love you my little one, and i promise that i will allow myself just a little bit of hope and faith for you. And my precious one i must confess to you that the other morning on my walk i dared God to show me a miracle.  Maybe this is God, proving to me that it is time for my miracle, and while day 99 nor day 100 of my search for you may not bring me certainty, it will bring me hope.  And in the end my love, this was a journey of hope, faith, and love…

Love from a mother that may never be

Hope, faith and love.  Without these three where would we be?

Day Ninety Eight of 100 – I have forgotten…

Limbo Land Day Three

How can i say it is over?

How can i say that i am am giving up?

How can i say that this is it?

I dont know.  But i know in my heart that i cant do this anymore.  Yesterday three words came out of my husbands mouth that i never expected him to say. “i am over it” and when he said those words all i could think was, so am i, so am i.

I want a child more than words will ever say, i want to be a mother, and i want to experience what i may never experience, but after four failed IUI’s, after another four failed IVF rounds, my heart is broken, and i just cant take this pain anymore.  I need time for myself because i have forgotten who i am, i have forgotten what i like, what it feels like to be carefree, and i have forgotten why i am alive, and what i am living for.

I have forgotten how to live without being so obsessed with TTC, IUI’s or IVF, i have forgotten what it is like not to worry or have false hope, and i have forgotten how to live without a plan.

I have forgotten how to have sex without worrying about if it is the right time, or if the sperm is good quality, i have forgotten what it is like to be spontaneous and not feel like i have to stick my legs up in the air, wait for 15 minutes, dont do this, do that, turn this was, or that way…

I have forgotten how much i love to exercise, to run, to just escape in a pool of sweat, making myself work so hard it hurts, spending an hour listening to MY favorite songs, i have forgotten how much i love having just one hour for myself in my own little world.

I have forgotten what it is to live a life without a plan, without watching every penny, without worrying what is happening next month or next week, i have forgotten how to just live, to say yes to a night out with the girls, or to say yes to a holiday in 4 months.

I have forgotten what it is like to say yes to a glass of wine with dinner, to say yes to the soft cheese, and to say yes to playing a game a football with the family.

I have forgotten what it is like to have spintaious, concern and thought free fun…

I HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW TO LIVE.

And in forgetting how to live, i have forgotten who i really am.

I keep wondering what i do now, i keep thinking i cannot give up, that i am weak for not going on.  But i cant right now, i need to find me, i need to live a life.

For if i dont stop, if i dont find myself once more, i will lose everything i have, and every part of who i was, and who i am, and if i am not who i am  – how can i possibly be a mother?

Life is what you make of it. Always has been, always will be. Grandma Moses

Day Ninety Seven of 100 – I am going to tell you a story…

Limbo Land Day Two – It is over, i have lost my last IVF battle.  A blood test will still be taken on day 98, but it is over, it is finally over, and now i tell you a story, something kept inside for what feels like an eternity now.

Once upon a time there was a woman, or maybe she was just a girl with a problem that she wished she could fix on her own.

Long ago, before her battle began, she had a feeling, a feeling that she kept a secret, a feeling, an emotion, a sign, it was something inside, something deep down, something that said not to do what she wanted to do…

She wanted to believe and she wanted to have faith, to accept and to follow that feeling she had inside, but she didnt want to leave this be, she didnt want to follow her instinct just yet.

Part of the girl now lives in regret, she wishes she had followed her gut, her feeling, her faith… But deep down she knows that this was what it was meant to be, and deep down at the centre of her being, she is happy that she did what she did.  Glad that she is where she is right now, glad that she meet the people she meet along the way.

The problem is now she sits and wonders what would have happened if she had followed that instinct, would she have what she wanted all along? Or would she still be where she is now?  She sits there and wishes she could have lived both realities, and chosen the one she liked better – but she knows that is not the way it works, she knows that she has made her choice and she knows that now she must live with it.

Once upon a time there was a woman, or was she just a girl? A scared girl with a problem she wished she could fix on her own.  She wanted to believe and she wanted to have faith, and she wanted to follow the feeling she had inside, but she didnt, and now 97 days later she realised that this problem wasnt a problem that was meant to be fixed, the feeling wansnt a feeling that was meant to be followed.  It was simply a journey, a lesson, an opening that led her to where she is now…

The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination. Don Williams, Jr.

Day Ninety Six of 100 – I never contemplated that before…

Limbo Land Day One – Blood test not available until day 98, but in my heart i know it is over.

I never contemplated a life without children until this morning.

I know this is not the end and i know that there is a plan out there for me somewhere, but honestly i think it is time for me to accept the fact that i may grow up without my own child, without a child with my husband, a life alone…

I dont feel ready to accept this yet, there are other options.  And i know in my heart that this IVF journey, this is not over yet, its just on hold.  But i never really thought about life without children until this morning.

As i was walked along the road in the rain i honestly believe that i went through all the stages of grief but the last, and even right now, at this very moment as i type these words, those emotions are still so real and true to me… And yet at the same time i am so confused inside because i feel like i have no right to grieve, what am i grieving over? I have not lost a child, i have not miscarried, i have told myself this is not the end, but it feels like it is over? Why do i feel like this is the end, why do i feel like it is over?

Where has my hope vanished to?

ScreamI want to cry, i want the pain to come out of me though a scream, through a heartfelt soul bearing scream into oblivion, scream to the heavens, a scream so painful that God hears it, a scream so loud that God feels my hurt, so that the earth moves, and the trees shake and everyone know and feels the pain i feel, so that the world knows its over for me, so that i know it is over for me.

Because once this is over i can learn to live, love and hope once again, i can learn what carefree happiness means once more, i can learn once more to love myself for who i am, who i have become, not what i want, and what i cant have, once this is over i can hope for a better tomorrow, rather than hoping for something i may never have.

I must live for MYSELF, hope for MYSELF, and believe only in MYSELF and the life that i have right here and right now, with the people i have, right here and right now.

I must move on so my tomorrows are happy…

Life begins each morning.  Each morning is the open door to a new world – new vista’s, new aims, new tryings. Leigh Mitchell Hodges

Day Ninety Five of 100 – I dont know anymore

Day twenty eight of the final full IVF cycle in our quest to chase our little miracle… Crinone 8% once daily

To my dearest little miracle,

I dont want to write these words for fear of hurting the people i love most of all in this world, but these words are honest and true, they need to be written, they need to be told if i am to stay sincere to myself.

I cant do this anymore, the pain is to much to bear.  I thought i could go on but i cant, i need time to myself for a while.  Part of me believes that my miracle, that you, are going to come to me naturally when i am not trying so hard to find you.  The other part of me is dying inside.

Your father says its not over yet, and maybe its not, maybe i am giving up to early, maybe i am scared to hope, scared to believe there is a chance.  But this pain, this pain i am in doesnt feel right for a little miracle.

I love you, i really do, but right now, at this point i need to be selfish and claim my life back.  I need to stop this pain, both physical and mental.  I need to find out who i am, be whole once more, stop worrying every second of the day, stop having false hope, stop convincing myself there is a chance when there is not. Just stop.  Stop and breath. Just breath.

They always say “when you least expect it” maybe i have to let go, and maybe in letting go i will find you.  I dont know, and that really scares me, but i have to put my fear aside, i just have to.

No matter how much time i take for myself, i promise i will come back for you my little miracle, i promise you that i will never give up on you, have faith in myself and my dreams, and i promise that you will always be somewhere in my heart, not too far from my mind.

Love always from a mother that may never be.

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. Flavia Weedn

Day Ninety Four Of 100 – Its Christmas time! Its Christmas time!

Day twenty seven of the final full IVF cycle in our quest to chase our little miracle… Crinone 8% once daily

Christmas has come,christmas

That’s another year done…

And while presents under the tree are sweet,

And a celebration together is a nice treat…

For all that you are,

And for all that you’ve been

There will never be enough

Presents, celebrations, nor never enough words to say

THANK YOU

For simply being who you are, and who you have been to me….

MERRY CHRISTMAS, I pray that you and your families have the most wonderful holiday, and may God bless you richly this season… Love from 100daysofivf & Husband

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. Norman Vincent Peale

Day Ninety Three of 100 – Christmas has come..

Day twenty six of the final full IVF cycle in our quest to chase our little miracle… Crinone 8% once daily

Christmas has come, in seven days the year will be done, and in 6 days i will know where 2010 is destined to take me…

This is my 28th christmas eve, and it sometimes amazes me that at this time of year, i always seem to think back on years past and remember what i was doing.

I dont remember a lot from my past but i do remember the Christmas’s my family and i celebrated in Paris, and even then it is quite hazy.  There is one christmas i treasure with all my heart but i remember it only because i have this silly photo of my sister and i in these silly princes costumes my mother made for us.6

I remember that christmas because it was the year our mother made so many costumes for us, and my sister and i played for years and years with the dress ups, and we always had so much fun creating characters, and showing our mother little skits that we had come up with, ok ok skits that my sister had come up with and had made me her little actor that she got to ‘direct’

I would have been about 7 or 8 and i remember i also got a little something extra that year.  My mother made me a cape.  I just loved that cape, it was navy blue on the outside and red on the inside.  It was the same one that my favorite cartoon character wore, i have no idea what that cartoon was called but i remember that it was a woman in a cape that swung from building to building saving the world.

That year i also had begun having nightmares.  Specifically one about a crocodile chasing me in the forest, but i couldnt run.

One night not long after christmas i got one of these nightmares again, my mother of course came running to my room to calm me down, only this time she brought my cape.  she wrapped the cape around me and told me that i was this cartoon character and that i could fight the crocodile and that i didnt have to be scared because i was a super hero now that i had my cape on.

And right now i am sitting here with tear steaming down my face, memories coming flooding back, and i am wish so hard, so hard, that i had remembered this story when my mother was still alive, so that i could have said thank you.

Thank yo for watching those stupid shows my sister made me do, thank you for spending hours making a silly cape just so i could sleep at night, thank you for staying with me and stroking my hair until i feel to sleep, telling me that i was a strong super hero, thank you for taking the time to think of something that would help me sleep, and most of all thank you for giving me memories that i now treasure with all my heart.

If it is one thing i have leart in my life, it is that christmas is for memories, so this year, no matter the situation, no matter the heart ache you have faced, no matter the physical or emotional pain you are in, no matter what the future holds, stop, just stop and breath and remember that tonight is the eve of when Christ was born, and no matter how old or young you are, Christ is watching out for you making sure that these years are the years you will remember and have memories to cherish for the rest of your lifetime.

I pray that you and your families have the most joyous and memorable christmas. Rremember that 2010 is going to be a great year, so put away your woes, raise your glasses and toast to the best last week of the worst year.

Merry Christmas.

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Day Ninety Two of 100 – Questions on a Wordless Wednesday

Day twenty five of the final full IVF cycle in our quest to chase our little miracle… Crinone 8% once daily

Wordless Wednesdays 23.12.09

“Being religious means asking passionately the question of the meaning of our existence and being willing to receive answers, even if the answers hurt.” Paul Tillich