Sayonara 2013!!

I can't believe that 2013 is over! What a crazy year it has been! I make a shutterfly photo book each year to recap what we did and as I sat this morning making it I just couldn't believe the difference a year can make! Last year we were up till 4 in the morning - drunk as skunks on NYE playing Cards Against Humanity (thanks T-Mac and Jansky for hosting - we had a BLAST!) - and this year we plan to put up the crown in the nursery, make homemade pizza, eat cupcakes and drink sparkling grape juice. Oh and probably be in bed long before the clock strikes midnight. Photo books from prior years are filled with exotic trips to China, Thailand, South Africa and all over Europe. This year - the craziest we got was a Southern road trip - but I wouldn't change a thing. As I sit here writing this and I can feel Baby Wik kicking away in my tummy - I know we are so lucky and so blessed and I just can't wait for what 2014 has in store for us. So with that said - let's do a quick 2013 recap!

We started 2013 off with a cooking class at the chopping block - a local cooking store/learning center by us. It was a blast and of course I was the only one to actually set something on fire…oops!

Up next was Chris' 32nd birthday - old man! We went to Alinea here in Chicago one weekend followed by Next a week later. These two restaurants are a Chicago foodie's heaven. We had such an amazing experience at both - Chef Achatz is simply amazing! I ate a fried shrimp head for the love of God - and it was tasty!

  Chris eating the helium dessert balloon!

 Chef Achatz working his magic on the dessert presentation. Very quiet and reserved - my FIL tried his best to get him talking - he got a smile!

 The dessert presentation - a work of art!

The Hunt at Next! Complete with a flask of quite possibly the strongest whisky I've ever had!

After our first IVF consult, we decided to take a trip to Grand Cayman before our cycle officially began! Best decision ever - we had such an amazing week and it helped up mentally prepare for what was ahead!

2013 was also the year of concerts for us - we actually went to Rhianna, Green Day, O.A.R. (twice!!), Maroon 5, Bon Jovi, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox 20 and Lollapalooza! We had tickets to see Ke$ha and Pitbull and One Direction (yes we are fans hehe!) but we were too tired when those weekends rolled around to actually go!

 Green Day!

 O.A.R. at Northerly Island - our Favorite night of the whole summer - we are accepting applications for a baby sitter for the 2014 concert!

O.A.R. in Indy - we are total roadies! Not sure I've ever been this close - it was amazing!

Our first Lolla!

Sprinkled in to all this fun - in March/April we did our first IVF cycle - it wasn't easy or fun but we did it and it proved to ourselves that we were stronger than we every imagined. Sadly our first cycle was pretty much a bust - 11 eggs - only 1 fertilized and our little embryo decided not to implant. Had that cycle worked we would be due anytime now. I think about that little embryo often and know that Baby Wik will have someone very special watching over him or her.

After our first cycle failed we vowed to make some changes and live life during Cycle #2 and that's just what we did. We went to Cubs games, concerts, and did the shots wherever we had to and it made all the difference! Cycle #2 was harder physically because I did a Luteal Lupron Overlap protocol so I was on shots for nearly 30 days and Lupron did a number on my energy levels - but we didn't let that stop us!

 Quick trip to Chapel Hill to see my Brother in Law graduate with his MBA from UNC! Yay Adam!

 First shot of cycle #2 in the crowd at Ravinia when we saw Goo Goo Dolls & Matchbox 20!

Shots in the Soldier Field first aid room at Bon Jovi!

Oh and there were the Hawks - who won the Cup - AGAIN!! We were out celebrating on Clark Street - such an amazing time!

As I mentioned, IVF Round 2 was mentally easier but physically harder. But every needle stick, dollar, headache, and afternoon/night spent on the couch was so worth it! Here are some of my favorite pics!

 First Follistim shot of Round 2 - let's do this!

 It's trigger time!

 That's supposed to be 18 eggs - but we were backwards - hehe!

 The day we got the call that we were pregnant! We had our Beta in Chicago first thing in the morning then hopped a flight to Vegas!

Really? Still in shock! I didn't POAS until the next morning!

And the rest is history! Here we are 24.5 weeks later anxiously awaiting the clock to turn midnight to officially be in the year of our first born! Only 106 more days - almost to double digits!! After we got our BFP and had some complications I was too nervous to travel on a plane for our annual fall vacation so we took a road trip which I recapped a few weeks ago! Then the last part of the year seemed to fly, we were at Christmas and here we are - ringing in the New Year! 

Sorry for the long winded post - so many great 2013 moments! Thank you all for reading and sharing our life and our story - I wish you all an amazing 2014 - may it be the year that all your hopes and dreams come true!

XOXO

K