In celebration of and to help build momentum for the April 7th bookstore launch of Ever Upward, I have been posting a guest post each week. These guest posts are written by my dear friends and biggest supporters of my work. I am so excited to introduce you all to their stories, their voices and their work in the coming weeks.
For the final week before launch we have my very good friend Lindsey over at Awaiting Autumn sharing her light, her courage and her love as she has honestly been in the storm of a lifetime. I feel lucky and blessed to have Lindsey as a friend and to be able to witness her journey thus far. I feel like I have found a sister in her and can’t wait to see what is in store for her growing family.
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Facing the Storm
Much like Justine Brooks Froelker’s journey to owning her childfree life, I am also on a journey ever upward embracing my success after infertility and navigating the waters of pregnancy after loss.
In October 2014, we lost our 1st child at 7 weeks, 1 day due to ectopic pregnancy from an IVF cycle. In January 2015, we became pregnant again from a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycle. I am currently 12 weeks pregnant, but I keep asking myself:
Just because the rainbow is on its way, does that mean the storm is over?
The answer is no.
I am afraid of losing this baby.
Whew. I finally said it.
Ever so blessed, yet still scarred… and scared!
New fears surface each time you pass through one phase of life and into another. Although I am beyond grateful to be expecting this child, it does not erase my anxiety and worry for what could lay ahead.
Hope fuels me. I believe this baby will arrive safely and be placed in my arms, but that doesn’t mean that ride will be smooth and easy. Sometimes, it’s the inner battles that are the hardest of the journey.
I tame my fear by:
- Following my intuition
- Developing and maintaining a self-care practice
- Trusting and believing
Through my struggles, I have learned a series of valuable life lessons. I know how to survive, how to thrive and how to not let my fears overcome me.
Instead of fearing the next storm, I’m facing it. I’m willing to get wet. I allow life to be messy. With a deep breath, I take a step forward into the darkness. I don’t know what will come, but I always know the light brings beauty. For without rain, there would be no rainbows.
As I enter motherhood, all I wish for is the ability to reflect on this bumpy ride with gratitude and appreciation. I am not the same Lindsey I was before we started trying to conceive. I am a better version of myself.
I am an infertility warrior.
I am a baby loss survivor.
I am a courageous Momma.
And I guarantee it will all be worth it.
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Lindsey writes about her journey through infertility, pregnancy loss and into motherhood at
. She lives on the Canadian Prairies with her husband and their 3 fur babies.
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Ever Upward
launches next week in bookstores on April 7th! I am so close to launching with my goal of over 50 reviews. If you have read
, please consider doing a review on
. Just click the Kindle version of the book, then click the customer review link under the title, then click write a review. Thank you so much!!