Our Infertility Journey- An Update

I have had so many people email me asking where we are in the IVF process so I figured I would update you guys. First of all, THANK YOU for all the support. I have been overwhelmed with support from the blog community! Honestly, my "blog friends" have provided more support than people I know IRL. Sometimes people think that reaching out to you to ask where you are in the process or how you're doing is "nosey" but it truly is comforting when people contact me about it. After all, that's why I opened up in the first place, so that people would ask questions and spread awareness.

So an update: we have done all of our pre-IVF testing and now it's just a waiting game. We had tons of blood work done to make sure we didn't have rubella, varicella, hepatitis, HIV, etc. We had genetic testing done to rule out some autosomal recessive disorders that our future children could inherit. I had a saline ultrasound done to look at my uterus, which is beautiful and a perfectly hospitable environment for our little babes! I had a "mock embryo transfer" where they make sure the embryo will transfer smoothly when they actually have one to transfer.

What most people don't realize is how incredibly complicated IVF is. It takes months of preparation, schedules and monitoring, ultrasounds and blood draws. I start birth control pills tomorrow so that they can monitor my cycle and make my endometrial lining thin before starting injections. Who would have thought that you have to take birth control to have a baby?! Oh the irony.

On March 25th we go back to our doctor for one last appointment before beginning injections. At this appointment he will verify the dosage of the injectable medications and make sure we are good to go. We will also take our "shot class" at this appointment, where my husband will learn how to give me shots. Then on April 10th I will begin injections every day. I am weirdly excited for this day because it means we are one step closer.

The "Big Day" aka egg retrieval day will be the very beginning of May. There is no date set in stone because it all depends on how your body and ovaries respond to the injections. I will be having ultrasounds almost every day after beginning shots to monitor my ovaries and when they are fully stimulated, we will go for that procedure. During the procedure I will be sedated and asleep, thank God!

What is causing me the most anxiety at this point? 2 things. The first is my biggest fear… that no eggs will fertilize. I am terrified of that. Not common, especially with a fertility center and lab as good as the one we are going to, but it is still a possibility. The second, how am I going to miss work that much for ultrasounds, last minute doctor's appointments, and bed rest after the procedures? I will be giving work less than a 24-hour notice on most occasions. They have been so understanding and supportive but it's still hard regardless of what job you have, especially when you just started working a month ago.

Through it all I am trying to remain hopeful and positive, clinging to my faith and His promises. The verse that is on repeat in my head is 1 Samuel 1:27, "For this child we have prayed." We have prayed daily for years and will continue to pray! Will you pray with us? For my nerves, for our doctors and embryologists, for our future babies.

If you or someone you know is struggling with infertility, I'd love to talk! Or if you have any questions about the IVF process feel free to shoot me an email at davisduoblog@gmail.com

Dealing With Infertility

I never intended for this blog to become an "infertility blog" and I hope that in a few months it no longer will be. However, I started blogging to document events going on in my life… my wedding, PA school, etc. and infertility is a big part of my life right now so not blogging about it would be ignoring a part of my life that consumes my mind 24/7. I guess it's the same as mommy bloggers blogging about their precious babes right? I hope to be that type of blogger one day but for now this is real life… not "social media picture perfect" life.

Today I'm talking about the "5 Stages of Dealing With Infertility" [in my opinion]. By no means will you find this published in any reproductive endocrinology book, but having trudged through the trenches of infertility lately, these are just my thoughts on all the different feelings us infertility warriors go through on a daily basis.

Stage 1: Excitement

This is obviously before you know you will be going through hell [aka infertility] in the near future. The thrill of starting a family, getting pregnant and becoming a mom. What could possibly be better?! Talking non-stop with your husband about the future with your little babe… what the nursery will look like, how you will announce the news to your families, what you will name him/her, etc.

Stage 2: Stress

After months of no success, seeing only 1 pink line, the stress sets in. What am I doing wrong? Why is it so easy for everyone else, what is wrong with us? When should we seek treatment and where should we go first?

Stage 3: Heartache

The diagnosis of infertility brings pure heartache and torture, the lowest of lows. It sent me into a dark place that only the Lord could have brought me out of. How many people are going to announce their pregnancies on Facebook today? That should be us. This is so unfair.

Stage 4: Anger

At the people complaining about being pregnant, how uncomfortable they are and how they would give anything for a margarita. Well I would give anything to NOT be able to drink a margarita for 9 months! Anger at the never-ending posts of "if only I had 2 minutes to myself without having to take care of my children", "counting down the minutes until my child goes to bed", "waking up at night to feed my newborn is hell". I try to remind myself that these women are not being malicious and in no way are they trying to hurt my feelings. Maybe only day I will be complaining about these mundane tasks too but today those words just put a dagger right into my heart.

Stage 5: Hopeful

After coming to terms with the situation, it's time to put my complete trust in the Lord. I am so hopeful for the future and I truly believe that He wouldn't have given me such a strong desire to be a mom if He didn't plan on blessing me with a child. No matter how long this road is, we will not stop walking!

"If God is doing this to me, it must be the best thing for me." -George Muller

Linking up with Jess and Annie!

What Not To Say To Someone Struggling With Infertility

I'm sure you have all seen some variation of this post but since I'm in the thick of dealing with infertility, I just have to let you guys in on some of the ridiculous things that have been said to me lately. As humans we feel compelled to give advice when people are struggling, especially living in the South. And I know that people have good intentions when giving unsolicited advice, but most of the time I am left scratching my head and wondering where their common sense is. Moral of the story: think before you speak. Especially when giving advice if you haven't personally gone through it.

Without further ado: 10 Things NOT To Say To Someone Struggling With Infertility

1. "When you stop trying you will get pregnant"

Really? Thanks for the genius advice.

2. "You can have mine"

Just no. That does not make me feel better. Stop being ungrateful for your healthy, precious children. 

3. "Be thankful you get to sleep all night"

I would kill to be woken up every hour by a precious newborn baby.

4. "At least you didn't have a miscarriage"

Yes, I am thankful that I have not experienced that heartache and I pray to God that I never have to. With that being said, infertility and miscarriage are both incredibly heartbreaking journeys that are completely different and should never be compared. Infertility is mourning the loss of a baby you have never even had. Read this article... it says it all

5. "We dealt with infertility too... It took us 3 months to get pregnant"

Bless your heart.

6. "You are young, you still have plenty of time!"

So because I am "young" means that it isn't as hard as it would be if I were 5 years older? Yes I am thankful that we are tackling infertility while I am "young" but that doesn't fix the heartbreak.

7. "[insert really inappropriate advice on how to have sex here]"

Yep. I will let you imagine the advice we have been given. You just have to laugh at this point. Thank you, but I'm prettttty sure we know what we're doing.

8. "Just relax, go on a trip and it will happen!"

Just went to Antigua for a week, probably the most relaxing place I've ever been… still not preggo.

9. "I can't imagine dealing with infertility… I sneeze and get pregnant!"

You could have left out the second half of that comment. People seem to think that you will pity how easily they get pregnant #seriously #eyerollingemoji

10. "You can always adopt"

Yes I can, but I have dreamt of being pregnant since I was 5 years old. I want a child with my blue eyes and my husband's perfect nose. Maybe one day God will tell me to adopt, but that is not where our hearts are right now.

This post is not meant to point fingers. I am in a good place now so I can look back and chuckle at these things. Sometimes all you can do is laugh! TTC sisters, what am I leaving out?! Linking up with Jess and Annie

Addicted to Hope

It has taken me so long to hit "publish" on this post. It is terrifying to make this personal issue so public but if my story provides hope to one person, it will be worth it.

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Hope (n): a desire of some good, accompanied with an expectation of obtaining it or belief that it is obtainable

Today I'm getting personal and discussing a common yet rarely talked about horror: infertility. For the past 4+ years we have literally been addicted to hope. Hopeful that one day our house will be filled with babies and toys and bottles and diapers. Hope is what has kept us going. It all started when we were dating and we were told that we would have trouble getting pregnant. Being that we picked our future children's names the first year we were dating, this news was a huge punch in the gut. 

Fast forward four years to 2015 when we decided it was time for babies. What an exciting time! Once we made this decision, it was all-encompassing. It's all we thought about. Knowing that we would most likely not get pregnant easily, this became a time filled with anxiety for me. I am a Type-A control freak  by nature and this is literally the first thing in my life that I have had absolutely zero control over. After telling God my "ideal timeline" and hearing Him laugh at me, I decided it was time to fully release this situation into His hands. This is what I should have done a long time ago. Lesson learned, God.

After lots of doctor's appointments and disappointment and second opinions we were referred to one of the best fertility clinics in the state to begin the process of IVF. If you have been following along this blog for any time at all, you know that I am super passionate about women's health and infertility issues. Well surprise! That's because I knew we would most likely be in this position one day.

Bless my amazing husband for keeping me sane through this overwhelming time. I am naturally an anxious person and frequently let negative thoughts flood my mind. Just a few of my daily thoughts include: "What if IVF doesn't work?", "How the heck will we pay for this?", "How am I going to make it to all of these doctor's appointments 2 hours away after just beginning a new job?", "Am I really going to be able to give myself shots daily for weeks?", "What if this is God's way of telling us that He doesn't want us to have children?". My husband is quick to re-direct my focus and provide encouragement. We make such a great team and the thought of seeing him as a dad is what keeps me going.

One thing I have learned throughout this process is that infertility does not discriminate. It doesn't care about age, race, socioeconomic status, health, etc. Did I ever imagine that I'd be going through IVF in my 20's with no health problems? Absolutely not. However, do I believe that God has a reason for taking us down this path? Absolutely. I do not think infertility is from the Lord, for He says, "I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants…" in Genesis 22:17. However, I do believe that He uses trials such as infertility to teach us to trust in Him and His timing.

This struggle is going to make me so much more thankful for my future pregnancies and babies. I am going to embrace morning sickness, stretch marks, middle of the night feedings, and dirty diapers. Am I scared? Shitless. But am I hopeful? Immensely. All of our doctors and nurses are amazing and I truly believe we are in great hands.

So, why am I sharing our story? For 3 reasons:

1) If I can provide hope to just one person, it is worth it. I have read countless blogs over the past few years that have given me so much encouragement when trudging through these lonely waters known as infertility. So many strong, positive women telling their stories have helped me when I feel like no one else understands. I want to end the stigma behind infertility. Why are we ashamed to tell our stories?! We should be encouraging one another and lifting each other up in prayer. This is part of my story and I believe God wants me to use it spread His word. [Jenica] [Amanda] [Ashley] [Natalie] [Rebekah] [Lauren] [Eleni]

2) I want people to understand that just because a couple is young and healthy does not mean that they will get pregnant the second they decide they are ready. How many times have I been asked in the last year when we are going to have kids? I honestly cannot even count. Please, stop asking couples when they are going to have a baby. There is a good chance they are trying, and if they aren't, well it's none of your business anyway! In no way am I pointing fingers because I used to ask the same question until I realized firsthand that this seemingly innocent question can cause serious heartache. If someone feels like sharing this information with you, they will. But until then, don't ask.

3) To ask for prayers. I fully believe in the power of prayer. Though I feel somewhat selfish and silly asking for prayers when we are healthy and there are other people suffering from chronic illnesses and losing family members, I also believe that no prayer is too small for our God.

"You don't understand now what I am doing, but someday you will." -John 13:7

"He has made everything beautiful in His time." -Ecclesiastes 3:11

A letter to my 17-year-old self

Dear 17-year-old self,

This is the year that you will have your heart broken into a million pieces. You will fall in love with a guy that doesn't deserve you. You will make excuses for him and his bad choices. You will cry yourself to sleep every night for months. You will blame yourself for not being pretty enough, fun enough, good enough. It will take a long time to heal this hole in your heart. But! God planned this heartbreak to teach you many lessons.

This is the year that you will learn that family is irreplaceable. Your precious mom will sleep with you and rub your back for weeks while you cry yourself to sleep. She will be there to simply listen when in reality she should be telling you to WAKE. UP. and get over this jerk! Your sisters will become your best friends, finally!

While you are suffering through this heartbreak and wondering how you will make it to tomorrow, God is preparing your heart for your future husband. Hold on, 17-year-old self, because next year you will meet your future husband! I know it sounds too good to be true! When you two meet, it will be the perfect timing. He will turn your world upside down! You will have your guard up and have a hard time letting him in due to the way you've been treated in the past, but he is so worthy of your whole heart. He will cherish you, respect you, and mend your precious heart.

In the midst of this heartbreak, your parents will break your heart even more. They will blindside you with the news that they are getting divorced. No warning, no fights, no big fall-outs. They've just grown apart. You will immediately jump into "middle child mode" and try to make sure that everyone is ok. You will comfort your mom, go house hunting with her, and never leave her side for fear that she will feel alone. You will take care of your baby sister and try to provide her with a sense of stability and normalcy. You will neglect yourself in order to take care of everyone around you.

This year will test your faith, your strength, your friendships. But you will come out stronger in the end.

This year God will teach you that you are worthy. You are a Princess of the King and you deserve to be treated like one. He will teach you to trust Him. He already has your whole life planned, so why are you worrying? He will teach you that a relationship with Him is the only relationship that will not let you down. Remember that.

17-year-old self, the best is yet to come.

Linking up with Annie

Jessica from The Newly: Marriage guest series!

I am thrilled to have Jessica from The Newly guest posting today for part 3 of the marriage series! I fell in love with her blog a long time ago and just LOVE watching her family grow! Have you ever seen a more gorgeous pregnant lady? I mean, absolutely flawless! And her sweet son, I die. [he is going to be a heartbreaker one day] I loved reading her words of wisdom about marriage and I know you will too!

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Hi there, Davis Duo readers! My name is Jessica, and I blog about everything from marriage to motherhood over on my little slice of the internet at The Newly. 

I'm so thrilled to be guest posting for Owen's marriage series today. My husband and I were college sweethearts, and have been happily married for almost 4 years now. We have a son who is almost 2, and a baby girl due in May. I guess you could say that, at this point, we've learned a bit about marriage. And today, I'm happy to share what I know:)

Compromise
If I had learned this one a little earlier on, I think the first year of our marriage would have gone even more smoothly than it did. Looking back on it now, I can honestly say that most of our battles then (and even now) are a result of one of us being hard-headed, and refusing to concede a point. Or compromise. In marriage, compromising is key. Be willing to sacrifice at times for the good of your spouse, and in return, he or she will more than likely return the favor.

Always Speak Good
I've seen far too many couples go down the path of speaking ill of their spouse in front of others. This is never a good idea. It's one thing to express your frustration to friends, get advice, vent, etc. But it's never wise to tear down your spouse or belittle him or her in front of others. Try to always speak well of your partner. This will fortify your relationship and show others how dedicated you are to one another.

Pick Your Battles
Just like compromising, this is one that I wish I would have learned a bit sooner. And I am still learning when it comes to this one. I tend to be very particular about little nit-picky things. Like the way towels are folded. The way food is put away in the pantry. The way the bed is made. That's just me. My husband is not like that, and when he attempts to help me by completing these tasks, I have learned that it is NOT helpful for me to rag on the way he does them. He feels like I am nagging, thinks I am never satisfied, and feels like his work isn't good enough. Which is not my goal at all. These kinds of battles are not worth a fight. So, swallow your pride over the little things - refold those towels when he's not looking, straighten the pantry when you can, and remake the bed if you need to - but save the disagreements for something of importance. Which leads me to...

Speak Up
If you're really upset about something, talk about it. Don't keep it in. Communication is key to a healthy relationship. When it breaks down, so does the marriage. So, if something is really bothering you, tell your husband/wife. It doesn't do either of you any good to keep feelings and emotions bottled up.

Be Your Spouse's Number One Fan
There's one person you should always support. Your spouse. He or she should always know that they have someone in their corner. Someone to rely on. Someone to do life with. Sometimes, it may feel like it's just you two against the world. Life can be hard. We all have our challenges. But, it's pretty sweet to know that you always have someone at home cheering you on, right?

There are lots of other little lessons I'm sure I could share about marriage. And definitely about motherhood:) But I'll stop here before this turns into a book. If you're interested in seeing a bit more about the things I like to chat about every day, be sure to pop over and visit me on my blog. And Owen, thank you so much for having me! I'm so honored to be part of your marriage series!

Lisa from Lisa loves John: Marriage guest series!

I am honored to have Lisa from Lisa loves John guest posting today about her marriage! Lisa's blog was one of the first that I started following and I adore her cute personality, living vicariously through all her traveling adventures, her DIY's, and all her yummy recipes. I wish she didn't live across the country so we could be real-life friends! I am positive we would be instant friends due to our love for our pups, the outdoors, and food! I hope you enjoy her post as much as I did!

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Hi there! I’m Lisa, and I blog over at Lisa loves John where I share about my life redeemed by Grace, adventures with my hubby, favorite recipes, and simple DIYs. 

Stop by and say hello, I’d love to get to know you!! 

 John and I will be celebrating our 4^th wedding anniversary in about 3 months (which is crazy to think about considering I feel like our wedding was just yesterday)!  It’s fun to look back at our first year of marriage and see all of the ways that we have grown as a couple.  John and I are both highly motivated people, and with that can come the occasional fireworks when we don’t see eye-to-eye, but we have worked on slowing down, thinking things through, and responding in love. 

Here are 5 tips that have helped us grow closer as a couple.



1.  Intentions before feelings

It is important to communicate to your spouse about things that are bothering you, but if you’re anything like me, this can come out in a terrible amount of un-thought-through word vomit (someone please tell me that I’m not alone?). 

Instead of immediately blurting out what is bothering you, perhaps begin your conversation by detailing your intentions (before detailing your feelings).  For example, “my intention of this is…”.  Framing the conversation this way will help you figure out why what you are communicating matters to you… and who knows, maybe once you think it through, you will determine that it really doesn’t matter to you after all!

2.  The third “person”

I can be a fairly stubborn (I prefer determined…) person, and although that attribute is helpful in many areas of life, relationships aren’t always one of them.  One thing that has helped me keep perspective when John and I are working through something is thinking of the third “person.”  

Instead of thinking of what is best for me (or thinking of what is best for John), we try to think about what is best for our marriage.  It really helps reframe the discussion in terms that aren’t you vs. me… since it is ultimately about our marriage.

3.  Daily relationship maintenance

Since John and I both work (and frequently long hours), we often come home from work exhausted from the day, and the truth is that we don’t have much energy left to give to each other.  I don’t know about you, but sometimes it is just easier to come home and do something mindless (watch a show, read blogs, etc.).  

To prevent this from getting the best of us, John and I instituted daily “relationship maintenance” for at least 20 minutes every night.  It’s a time that we spend together completely engaged (no Instagram or television), and catch up on what’s going on.  Setting a daily time (even though it’s short) has really helped us to recharge with one another.

4.  Listen (and that’s it)

I’m a solutions kinda girl.  If someone comes to me with a problem, my instinct is to listen, come up with a plan, solve the issue, and then move on.  But sometimes, my husband isn’t coming to me for my (albeit uber fabulous) advice. He’s just looking to talk and be listened to.  

Although my instinct is to “solve”, I’ve learned that it is incredibly important for our emotional intimacy to not try to solve John’s problems… and instead, just listen and empathize.  And stop there.

5.  Pray together

Without a doubt, this has been the best thing for John and me and our marriage.  Praying together out loud can be uncomfortable at first, but it is a great way to grow in your marriage while keeping Christ at the center.  When I hear John’s heart before the Lord, it really softens the feelings that I am having, and helps reframe my priorities.  

John and I also read "Jesus Calling" together in the mornings… the devotionals are super short (maybe 1 minute to read), and that one minute together is a great way to start our day aligned.

These are just a few things that have helped John and I over the past few years; obviously all personalities and marriages are different, but these are the things that have helped us grow closer together. 

Thoughts for Thursday: Home

I have always been a homebody. Like, even when on vacation I would feel homesick and want to go home. It's kind of a joke in my family now… they all make fun of me for always wanting to be at home. Home is my happy place. And "home" took on a whole new meaning when I got married.

My husband and I decided not to live together until we were married so we timed it so that our new house would be finished right before the wedding. Well our wedding night was my very first time sleeping in our new home [he had been there a few weeks already]. The day after our wedding I woke up and felt an unsettling feeling. Where am I? This is not my home. I feel so homesick.

We went across town to my mom's house to get the last of my things and permanently "move me" into our new house and those feelings got 10x worse. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I will likely never spend the night at my parents' house again, being that we now live in the same town. Confession: I burst into tears as we drove away from my mom's house. I know, I know, embarrassing right? It was the day after my wedding and I am crying to my husband of 12 hours because I am officially leaving my "real home". But this was a huge change for me!

I texted my cousin and told her how ridiculous I was feeling and her response: "I felt the exact same way when I got married but pretty soon Garrett will feel like your home and you will only get homesick for him." Her words couldn't have been more true. I have realized that home is truly where your heart is. I could live in a cardboard box and as long as Garrett is there with me, it would feel like home. And that is how I know that he is my person. He is my home.

Linking up with Annie

Meghan from Champagne & Suburbs: Marriage guest series!

I am SUPER excited to start my guest-post series today with my real life AND blogger friend, sweet Meghan over at Champagne and Suburbs! Her post is real and honest, which is why I love her! I texted her after reading and told her it made me tear up… it's not often that you read posts that are so relatable and honest. Thank you, Meghan, for spilling your heart out! You are a true gem!
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Good morning, y'all! I'm Meghan over at Champagne and Suburbs and I hope you are having a great week!   I was honored and excited when Owen asked me to write a guest post regarding my marriage.  But then I got a little nervous, because I wanted to be honest and let's be real, the truth can be scary to put on a public forum.  So, here goes nothing!

  When DG proposed to me, we had been together for about 2 years, which was exactly how long I wanted to be in a relationship with someone before committing to marriage.  By the time we got married, we were together for about 3 and a half years.  One of the reasons I felt confident in our marriage was the fact that we lived together for the majority of our relationship.  I know that is something that is sometimes frowned upon, but I knew I had to live with someone before I could commit to marrying them.  I mean, what if he just stood in front of the fridge with the door open trying to decide on what he is going to eat for too long?  What if he was too sloppy or worse, too clean?  (I'm a clutterer and a hoarder.  The first plane ticket I ever had is still in my wallet with my first ticket to a Broadway show.  I know...).  So I needed to know if I could live with him before I committed, so I felt like we had that part under control.     One of the biggest parts of our first year of marriage has been the most controversial.  My in-laws are not thrilled about our marriage.  We haven't spoken to DG's father since he walked out of our wedding reception during dinner without saying good bye.  His mother told me every single thing we did during our wedding weekend that upset her in a two hour conversation.  His sister did not take a single picture of me at the wedding or reception.  And y'all, it hurts.  Still stings.  And for long time, it was a source of anxiety for me.  And I didn't know how to talk to DG about it.  How do you tell someone that their family hurts your feelings daily?  And that no matter what you do, you think about it a lot?  Seems silly, right?  But the good news is I actually do tell him this often because I cannot hide my feelings.  He is understanding and supportive, but for a while we weren't sure how to move forward.  We realized that cannot control their feelings and we realized that we have to make ourselves happy.  It is important that we do that for our mental sanity individually but also as a couple.     If you do not know DG or me, our relationship could come across as... dysfunctional.  But that's why it works.  The one thing I have always needed is someone to put me in my place.  I am strong-willed, opinionated, and loud, and DG will shut me down when I'm wrong.  There are not many people who can do that, and that is one of the biggest reasons why I knew we would work.  On the opposite side, DG needs to be checked too.  We're both passionate and like being right, which makes for interesting conversations at times.  However, it is what works for us, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  

  Lastly, I figured that marriage would not be that different.  We had been together for a while and were used to living together.  However, marriage is way different in the best possible way.  I can't really put my finger on and I can't quite explain it, but marriage has been wayyyy better than I expected.  I want to go on record and say it is not easy to live with someone else and it is not easy to have to talk about your feelings and your needs, but in the end it is worth it to have someone listen to you and care.  

  So that's it.  It's a quick snapshot of our first year of marriage.   Stop by my blog and say hi sometime!  And Owen, thanks for having me!    

5 years...

5 years ago I moved to Chapel Hill, NC to start college at UNC. Since I was old enough to talk I dreamed of going to school here. Little did I know how much more than just a great education I would leave with...

My family spent the whole morning moving me into my dorm. That afternoon at lunch, I got a call from a tall, blonde, extremely handsome baseball player that I had been casually Facebook chatting with over the summer. He asked if he could take me out to dinner that night. I politely declined, making up some lame excuse about having too much to do. Thankfully my mom intervened and forced encouraged me to call him back and agree to go to dinner, because "I needed to meet new people". To be quite honest, I was not in the mood for an awkward first "blind" date with a division I baseball stud that would end up going nowhere. Little did I know...

Sooo he picked me up and took me to our now favorite restaurant. I remember exactly what he was wearing, and how I couldn't take my eyes off of him... literally. He was the best looking guy I had ever seen let alone gone on a date with. I knew for sure that despite how awesome our conversation and instant connection was, that I would never hear from him again.

I got back to my dorm room and called my mom to tell her how amazing it was. She asked if I thought we would hang out again and I said, "I hope." I hung up the phone and already had a message from him: "I had such a great time tonight. Can I take you to dinner and a movie tomorrow night?" I felt like 100 butterflies were fluttering around in my heart! Of course he could take me out again tomorrow!!!

1,826 days later and he still treats me like a princess. I am not quite sure how I got so lucky, but I definitely believe that God wanted me to attend UNC for more than just the education. I left baby blue Heaven with a degree and a husband.

 

Our first 2 pictures together... we look like babies!

Wedding Weekend Part IV: my favorite details!

It's been a while since I've done a wedding post! I've decided to write about a few of my favorite "details" from our wedding day. I'm not a detail-oriented person at all, but these few things from our wedding were things I knew I wanted to do from the day we got engaged!

[1]

We decided to nix the idea of a traditional wedding cake because to be quite honest, I don't think I've ever had a wedding cake that knocked me off my socks. Instead, we had our favorite desserts made by people we love. Garrett's Nana is his favorite person in the world, and her homemade lemon pie is to. die. for. So, she made mini lemon pies for our reception! And lemon pie may or may not have been the only thing I ate the entire night... woops! My aunt is an amazing cook and she made Hershey chocolate cakes, carrot cakes, and red velvet cakes. I can't tell you how big of a hit our dessert bar was! I had SO MANY people say they were the best desserts they have ever had. And the fact that it incorporated our family into the wedding made it even better!

[2]

I knew I didn't want to do the traditional guest book either. I've never seen one that was "cute" and what's the point in having a book with people's names in it stashed away in the attic!? So, we decided to incorporate a little bit of baseball since it played such a huge part in our relationship and our lives. And I am SO glad we did this! It turned out so cute and we have the baseballs displayed in a fancy bowl in our dining room now. Such a fun and unique way to remember who came to our wedding.

[3]

Koozies are a must-have for weddings these days! We wanted to add some sort of UNC touch to our wedding and this is how we did it. I love how they turned out and we have gotten so much use out of them since the wedding!

[4]

My bouquet was wrapped in my grandmother's old linen handkerchief. She died when I was 10 and I miss her every single day. What made it even more special is that the handkerchief had her monogram on it! 

[5]

Garrett and I are HUGE s'mores lovers. Being that we had a winter wedding, we thought it would be awesome to have a s'mores bar at our reception. We served it as a "late night snack" and it was a huge hit! 

Linking up with Amanda today! What are your Friday favorites?!

Five on Friday: 5 honeymoon tips!

My honeymoon was the best week of my life... hands down. Can't we have a honeymoon every year?? That would be amazing. We chose the Iberostar Grand in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Here are the 5 things I would tell any engaged couple when planning their honeymoon:

[ONE]

Go somewhere that someone you know has been before. We knew we didn't want to go somewhere that everyone we knew had been, but we also wanted to know first-hand that where we were going was pretty, clean, etc. I posted a comment on Facebook asking for suggestions of resorts/places and got a million responses. It was super helpful and I researched a lot of the resorts before we made our decision. Pictures on the internet are always edited and don't usually acurately portray the resort [for the most part] so knowing that someone has actually been to your honeymoon location and approved can ease your mind and make you confident in your decision. It was super important to us that the food was good, resort and rooms clean, staff nice and helpful, and beach gorgeous. A friend went to this same resort for her honeymoon and assured us that we would be impressed, and we were!

[TWO]

Go the week after your wedding! I know this can be super hard with schedules and the busyness of everyday life, but it is so important that you spend time with your now husband to unwind, spend good quality time, and set the foundation for the rest of your marriage. Even if it's just for 2 days, DO IT! Postponing a honeymoon was not an option for us, so we planned entirely around my school schedule to ensure that we could have a week honeymoon [which is why we had to get married 3 days after Christmas]. It was so much fun to re-live the weekend together and cherish a week of no school, work, emails, stress and just enjoy each other.

[THREE]

Pack an outfit in your carry on bags! Don't you agree that the absolute worst trip to lose your luggage on would be your honeymoon? Yep. That happened to us. Thankfully my brilliant husband suggested that we pack a bathing suit in our carry ons, just in case. Otherwise, we would have been stuck in our room the whole first day. Or he would have ;) Luckily [for me] they lost his luggage and not mine! We had to cancel our dinner reservations and order room service the first night because dress pants were required for men, and he had no clothes! We were super bummed but thankfully his bag came late that night. Moral of the story: be prepared with carry-ons.

[FOUR]

Put your phone down. Luckily we couldn't use our phones in Mexico so I wasn't tempted, but I encourage you to cut it off, put it in your bag, and DON'T look at it until you get home. This is the one week that you can feel guilt-free for not responding to emails, family, friends, etc. I am so guilty of using my phone too much in everyday life, but I am thankful I didn't have it on our honeymoon. Our conversations were uninterrupted, engaging, and it was super nice to have dinner every night without a single text or phone call!

[FIVE]

Don't make plans ahead of time. If you are like us, you will just want to relax. We considered going on an excursion but decided we were happy just sitting on the beach. We were so glad that we didn't book the excursion ahead of time or we would have had to go. Just get there and see how you feel! It is ok to do nothing!

My husband's goal of the trip was to get on this huge wooden horse. So after one a few too many drinks, I made sure no one was coming and he gracefully hopped on. We have never laughed so hard.