My life these days...

My life these days has consisted of a whole lot of this:

coupled with a whole lot of this:

this:

and this:

* Pictures 1 and 2-Acupuncture: 2x/week and BBT (basal body temperature) charting: every morning.

* Picture 3-Herbs: 2x/day (morning and night).  I prefer my herbs dissolved in a (small) cup of boiling water.

* Picture 4-Juicing: 1-2x/day (at least 16 oz./day).  The picture above was this morning's juice, which included cucumber, orange, celery, carrotts and an herb called purslane.

* Pictures 5 and 6-Smoothies: at will (somtimes I will juice in the morning and then have a smoothie at night).  The first smoothie picture included avocado, raspberries, yogurt, coconut oil and an herb called bu zhong yi qi tang.  The second smoothie picture included blueberries, 1/2 banana, 1 scoop chocolate whey protein, coconut oil and purslane (this one is my favorite)!

As mentioned in an earlier post, this is my first un-medicated month of fertility drugs since December, 2011.  No birth control pill, no clomid, no follistim, no lupron, no endometrium, no progesterone in oil... nothing... other than a whole slew of natural fruits, juices and herbs.  I do believe that juicing in the morning has given me more energy as I start my day (this coming from someone who rarely ate breakfast!).  Adding lots of fruits and vegetables to my diet (both in whole and juice form), I'm sure can only help as well...  We'll see what the herbs do... My acupuncturist is focusing this month on elongating my period (so no looking forward to this, but if it helps me to eventually conceive a baby (sooner than later of course!) - then bring it on AF!).  A lot of what goes into the herb ingredients (apparently my herb concoction includes anywhere from 8-16 different herbs each week) is dependent upon my BBT chart.  I truly believe though, that it's my acupuncture sessions that have kept me going week after week.  I've come to really enjoy my sessions and I find myself falling asleep - I mean, I'm out like a light - not waking until the session is over.  It's uber-relaxing and I absolutely love it!

I pray that all of the steps I'm taking, things I'm juicing, drinking and eating will somehow miraculously be exactly what I've needed all along for baby E to finally become a part of our lives.  Every.single.day is a hurdle for me - it's difficlut going through life day after day with this heartbreaking and painstaking dream that for, whatever reason, has yet to become a reality (and for whatever reason, a dream that tends to come true for what seems like everyone else that I know on this planet - yes, I'm still bitter... and I know, I need to cut it out!).  I pray daily for the strength to just get through one more day, to try and not be so bitter when someone I know/love tells me they're pregnant, to believe, to have hope and to have faith that my dream will come true, too.  

Come on baby E... stop being so stubborn!!

xoxo,

Aubrey Blair