Sorry for the Long Post!

....but I thought it was time to share.

As many of you know Cory and I have been trying have children for the past year and a half. We have a fertility specialist we are working with who is great! She feels strongly that my diagnosis is endometriosis, based on family history and physical symptoms. This wasn’t a shock to me! Cory and I are undergoing some of the first treatments for infertility that are pretty basic. Not anything like IVF yet. The success rate for the treatment we are undergoing is about 7.6% for three months. The success rate for a normal couple to conceive is 20- 20.5% each month without any treatment . Our success rate for pregnancy without any treatment would be closer to 1.3 to 4.0% per month (not to say that miracles can’t happen).

Cory and I are just on the beginning on this road and are not sure how much we want to share with family and friends yet. It has more to do with how personal these treatments are and how emotionally invested we are. Think about it as if you frequently miscarried, you would not want tell anyone you were pregnant for a while because of having to tell them that you miscarried and then having to relive the experience over and over again. Just know that the treatments might be taxing on us emotionally and to me physically (and might make me a little crazy, at least crazier than I am). We also are going to be making tough decisions concerning my working options, and more fertility treatments down the road depending on our response (IVF vs. adoption). We are still hopeful that things will work out without these solutions, but we know that that is a possibility and we will just have to decide when we get there. Either way, it the decisions will be made with lots of prayer, fasting and time.

We also wanted to say how much we appreciate everyone’s support so far. We appreciate knowing that we are in your thoughts and prayers. I cannot say how much we feel loved in that way. We were also touched to be remembered on Mother’s day this year. We truly feel that everyone has been helping us in the best way they can.

I could be awkward trying to figure out ways to help someone with infertility, especially if you have never experienced it and if the couple does not want to share too many specifics. Cory and I have found a some helpful information to share with those interested.  

Fact Sheet Series

RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association

www.resolve.org

INFERTILITY AND STRESS

by Alice D. Domar, PhD

One of the many challenges of infertility is hearing the assumptions family and friends make about the relationship between stress and infertility. Wouldn’t it be nice if what you heard on a daily basis was “I am sorry that you have to go through infertility treatment. What can I do to support you?” or “I know it must be painful for you that your best friend is pregnant. Should I go buy her a shower gift for you?” Instead, you more often hear comments such as, “You are obsessed with this baby thing. If you would just stop thinking about it all the time, it would happen.” or “If you weren’t so fat/thin, if you would only exercise/stop exercising, if you would only do things differently from what you are doing, you would get pregnant”. And of course, the all-time favorite, “If you just adopt, you’ll get pregnant.” There does seem to be a universal assumption that infertility is caused by stress. There is also a universal tendency to underestimate the stress that is caused by infertility. The goal of this article is to educate you about the stress and infertility connection both for your own knowledge as well as to give you information for your “well-meaning” family and friends.

How Stressful is Infertility?

In a word: very. Research has shown that women with infertility have the same levels of anxiety and depression as do women with cancer, heart disease and HIV+ status. While this may surprise some, it actually makes sense. Procreation is the strongest instinct in the animal kingdom. You are facing genetic and social pressure to have a baby. You are likely surrounded by friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and a society who conceive easily. Infertility can be very lonely. Infertility can have an impact on literally every area of your life. It can, and usually does, affect the relationship between you and your partner. I have never seen partners respond to infertility in the same way. In most circumstances, the female expresses more distress regarding their infertility, wants to talk about it more often and is ready to move on more quickly (see a doctor, consider high-tech treatment, move onto adoption, etc.) than her male partner. 

Infertility can have an impact on one’s relationships with family and friends. In all likelihood, siblings and friends are getting pregnant. Many of my patients don’t want to go home for holidays because the sight of pregnant siblings is so difficult. They may have difficulty receiving support from their parents who may not understand enough about infertility, may not agree about treatment choices or may be distracted by their own life issues. If your friends are successfully building their families, you may begin to avoid them, thus losing social support during your life crisis. Infertility can also impact one’s job. You may be hesitant or unable to travel for work due to your treatments, you may be late for work due to early morning appointments, and you may need more flexibility for last-minute treatments such as intrauterine inseminations (IUI’s), etc. In addition, many of my patients have found that while they can avoid pregnant friends, relatives, and neighbors, they are unable to avoid pregnant co-workers, which can

make the work environment intolerable. Infertility can also cause a great deal of financial stress. This can translate to the need to work, causing all of the stresses just mentioned to be more magnified.

Finally, infertility can lead to a religious or spiritual crisis. Many patients tell me that this is the first time that God hasn’t answered their prayers. They wonder if they are being punished for previous behaviors or if God thinks they will not be a good parent. In addition, certain religions forbid or discourage some forms of infertility treatment. Thus, when you add up all the previously-mentioned factors, it does make sense that infertility can cause a huge amount of stress. To top it off, it is one of the few diseases where the patient is blamed for her condition, e.g. “If you would just relax, you would get pregnant.” Can you imagine the response if you said something similar to a cancer patient? You would be considered cold, unfeeling and certainly uneducated. But what is the truth about the stress/infertility connection?

Does Stress Cause Infertility?

The answer is, we don’t know. It certainly isn’t a consistent relationship. For example, rape and concentration camp victims conceive. This defeats the theory that stress causes infertility and supports the likelihood that some women are more reproductively sensitive to stress than others. In general, it is highly unlikely that stress independently causes infertility. There has been some research on whether or not anxiety or depression contributes to infertility. This research has shown that women with a history of depression are twice as likely to subsequently experience infertility as women who do not have such a history. Another study showed that depressed women have abnormal production of luteinizing hormone, which is necessary for reproduction. 

A European study found that anxious women took longer to conceive and were more likely to miscarry thannwomen with lower levels of anxiety. The best and most thorough research to date has been

on the relationship between female distress and in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates. There have been 14 published studies that have looked at distress levels in women prior, or at the beginning of, an IVF cycle. These studies have been conducted worldwide. Ten of the studies showed that distress levels are indeed associated with decreased pregnancy rates. The more anxiety or depression the women expressed before undergoing IVF, the less likely they were to get pregnant. In several of the studies, the results were dramatic; for example, in one study, the most depressed women experienced half the pregnancy rates as compared to the least depressed women. Two of the 14 studies had small sample sizes and the results showed trends, i.e. there was a tendency for the distressed women to have lower pregnancy rates but the results fell just short of statistical significance. Two of the studies found no relationship between distress and pregnancy rates. On a whole however, the majority of the research does support the theory that distress is associated with diminished IVF success rates. It is logical then, for IVF success, and the increased possibilities in all infertility situations, to practice stress reduction techniques.

Also some ideas from RESOLVE:

For Family Members:

• Acknowledge infertility as a medical and emotional crisis with a wide variety of losses, disappointments and 'costs': physical, financial, social, marital. Do not attempt to deny or minimize involuntary childlessness either by avoiding the topic or offering empty platitudes like, "Everything will be fine" or "Just relax". Avoid offering unsolicited advice and never interfere by taking sides, blaming, or imposing rigid expectations or limitations.  
• Be sensitive to the pain, stress, and emotional pressure of childlessness or the inability to expand one's family as desired. If it is difficult to know what to say, tell the couple rather than saying nothing. Ask them what you might say or do that would be helpful. Try to frequently convey care and compassion and do not 'forget' the couple over time as the months and years of the infertility struggle drag on. Be cognizant that some junctures in the journey may be more difficult than others such as after a miscarriage, failed in vitro fertilization cycle, or surgery that fails to produce the hoped for results. Remembering the couple with a card, phone call, donation in their names, flowers, or some other kind gesture can make the journey less difficult.
• Be supportive. Do not assume you know what supportive means to your loved one but, instead, ask how you can be supportive: what would they find most helpful and useful? If you are able, consider ways in which you can assist emotionally (listening during a 'good cry') and functionally (offering financial assistance). Offer to simply listen and be ready to listen when called upon.
• Emphasize the importance and value of the couple (and each partner) in the family. Encourage and welcome their involvement as a couple or individually in family events and activities. Once it occurs, infertility becomes a part of the family's history; how a family adapts and copes with the events and stress will be forever part of the family's past. Like any stressor, infertility can strain family functioning or improve it. Families need to be sensitive about the needs of the infertile couple, particularly around child centered family gatherings. It is important that they understand the infertile couple's decision not to come may be important.
• Always keep the lines of communications open. Stress the importance of honesty, candor, tact, and diplomacy in family interactions. It is not a good idea to hide pregnancies 'out of kindness' or not invite the infertile couple to child-centered family events; or keep secrets out of fear of upsetting the couple. Always think about how things are told as much as what is being told: tact, kindness, and privacy can go a long way to soften the blow of difficult news. Open communication also means being able to express concern if there is evidence of significant emotional distress. When expressing concern always offer suggestions for help, such as seeking support and counseling through RESOLVE or an infertility counselor.
• Respect the boundaries the infertile couple sets regarding their infertility. Some couples prefer a high level of privacy about infertility. Other choose a more open approach. When in doubt, ask the couple their preference.

Infertility Etiquette

Chances are, you know someone who is struggling with infertility. More than seven million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. Yet, as a society, we are woefully uninformed about how to best provide emotional support for our loved ones during this painful time.

Infertility is, indeed, a very painful struggle. The pain is similar to the grief over losing a loved one, but it is unique because it is a recurring grief. When a loved one dies, he isn't coming back. There is no hope that he will come back from the dead. You must work through the stages of grief, accept that you will never see this person again, and move on with your life. 

The grief of infertility is not so cut and dry. Infertile people grieve the loss of the baby that they may never know. They grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes. But, each month, there is the hope that maybe that baby will be conceived after all. No matter how hard they try to prepare themselves for bad news, they still hope that this month will be different. Then, the bad news comes again, and the grief washes over the infertile couple anew. This process happens month after month, year after year. It is like having a deep cut that keeps getting opened right when it starts to heal. 

As the couple moves into infertility treatments, the pain increases while the bank account depletes. The tests are invasive and embarrassing to both parties. And for all of this discomfort, you pay a lot of money.

A couple will eventually resolve the infertility problem in one of three ways:

• They will eventually conceive a baby.
• They will stop the infertility treatments and choose to live without children.
• They will find an alternative way to parent, such as by adopting a child or becoming a foster parent.

Reaching a resolution can take years, so your infertile loved ones need your emotional support during this journey. Most people don't know what to say, so they wind up saying the wrong thing, which only makes the journey so much harder for their loved ones. Knowing what not to say is half of the battle to providing support. 

Don't Tell Them to Relax

Everyone knows someone who had trouble conceiving but then finally became pregnant once she "relaxed." Couples who are able to conceive after a few months of "relaxing" are not infertile. By definition, a couple is not diagnosed as "infertile" until they have tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant for a full year. In fact, most infertility specialists will not treat a couple for infertility until they have tried to become pregnant for a year. This year weeds out the people who aren't infertile but just need to "relax." Those that remain are truly infertile. 

Comments such as "just relax" or "try going on a cruise" create even more stress for the infertile couple, particularly the woman. The woman feels like she is doing something wrong when, in fact, there is a good chance that there is a physical problem preventing her from becoming pregnant.

These comments can also reach the point of absurdity. As a couple, my husband and I underwent two surgeries, numerous inseminations, hormone treatments, and four years of poking and prodding by doctors. Yet, people still continued to say things like, "If you just relaxed on a cruise . . ." Infertility is a diagnosable medical problem that must be treated by a doctor, and even with treatment, many couples will NEVER successfully conceive a child. Relaxation itself does not cure medical infertility.

Don't Minimize the Problem

Failure to conceive a baby is a very painful journey. Infertile couples are surrounded by families with children. These couples watch their friends give birth to two or three children, and they watch those children grow while the couple goes home to the silence of an empty house. These couples see all of the joy that a child brings into someone's life, and they feel the emptiness of not being able to experience the same joy. 

Comments like, "Just enjoy being able to sleep late . . . .travel . . etc.," do not offer comfort. Instead, these comments make infertile people feel like you are minimizing their pain. You wouldn't tell somebody whose parent just died to be thankful that he no longer has to buy Father's Day or Mother's Day cards. Losing that one obligation doesn't even begin to compensate for the incredible loss of losing a parent. In the same vein, being able to sleep late or travel does not provide comfort to somebody who desperately wants a child. 

Don't Say There Are Worse Things That Could Happen

Along the same lines, don't tell your friend that there are worse things that she could be going through. Who is the final authority on what is the "worst" thing that could happen to someone? Is it going through a divorce? Watching a loved one die? Getting raped? Losing a job? 

Different people react to different life experiences in different ways. To someone who has trained his whole life for the Olympics, the "worst" thing might be experiencing an injury the week before the event. To someone who has walked away from her career to become a stay-at-home wife for 40 years, watching her husband leave her for a younger woman might be the "worst" thing. And, to a woman whose sole goal in life has been to love and nurture a child, infertility may indeed be the "worst" thing that could happen. 

People wouldn't dream of telling someone whose parent just died, "It could be worse: both of your parents could be dead." Such a comment would be considered cruel rather than comforting. In the same vein, don't tell your friend that she could be going through worse things than infertility. 

Don't Say They Aren't Meant to Be Parents

One of the cruelest things anyone ever said to me is, "Maybe God doesn't intend for you to be a mother." How incredibly insensitive to imply that I would be such a bad mother that God felt the need to divinely sterilize me. If God were in the business of divinely sterilizing women, don't you think he would prevent the pregnancies that end in abortions? Or wouldn't he sterilize the women who wind up neglecting and abusing their children? Even if you aren't religious, the "maybe it's not meant to be" comments are not comforting. Infertility is a medical condition, not a punishment from God or Mother Nature. 

Don't Ask Why They Aren't Trying IVF

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a method in which the woman harvests multiple eggs, which are then combined with the man's sperm in a petri dish. This is the method that can produce multiple births. People frequently ask, "Why don't you just try IVF?" in the same casual tone they would use to ask, "Why don't you try shopping at another store?" 

Don't Complain About Your Pregnancy

This message is for pregnant women-Just being around you is painful for your infertile friends. Seeing your belly grow is a constant reminder of what your infertile friend cannot have. Unless an infertile women plans to spend her life in a cave, she has to find a way to interact with pregnant women. However, there are things you can do as her friend to make it easier. 

The number one rule is DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY. I understand from my friends that, when you are pregnant, your hormones are going crazy and you experience a lot of discomfort, such as queasiness, stretch marks, and fatigue. You have every right to vent about the discomforts to any one else in your life, but don't put your infertile friend in the position of comforting you. 

Your infertile friend would give anything to experience the discomforts you are enduring because those discomforts come from a baby growing inside of you. When I heard a pregnant woman complain about morning sickness, I would think, "I'd gladly throw up for nine straight months if it meant I could have a baby." When a pregnant woman would complain about her weight gain, I would think, "I would cut off my arm if I could be in your shoes." 

I managed to go to baby showers and hospitals to welcome my friends' new babies, but it was hard. Without exception, it was hard. Stay sensitive to your infertile friend's emotions, and give her the leeway that she needs to be happy for you while she cries for herself. If she can't bring herself to hold your new baby, give her time. She isn't rejecting you or your new baby; she is just trying to work her way through her pain to show sincere joy for you. The fact that she is willing to endure such pain in order to celebrate your new baby with you speaks volumes about how much your friendship means to her. 

Don't Treat Them Like They Are Ignorant

For some reason, some people seem to think that infertility causes a person to become unrealistic about the responsibilities of parenthood. I don't follow the logic, but several people told me that I wouldn't ache for a baby so much if I appreciated how much responsibility was involved in parenting.

Let's face it-no one can fully appreciate the responsibilities involved in parenting until they are, themselves, parents. That is true whether you successfully conceived after one month or after 10 years. The length of time you spend waiting for that baby does not factor in to your appreciation of responsibility. If anything, people who have been trying to become pregnant longer have had more time to think about those responsibilities. They have also probably been around lots of babies as their friends started their families. 

Perhaps part of what fuels this perception is that infertile couples have a longer time to "dream" about what being a parent will be like. Like every other couple, we have our fantasies-my child will sleep through the night, would never have a tantrum in public, and will always eat his vegetables. Let us have our fantasies. Those fantasies are some of the few parent-to-be perks that we have-let us have them. You can give us your knowing looks when we discover the truth later. 

Don't Gossip About Your Friend's Condition

Infertility treatments are very private and embarrassing, which is why many couples choose to undergo these treatments in secret. Men especially are very sensitive to letting people know about infertility testing, such as sperm counts. Gossiping about infertility is not usually done in a malicious manner. The gossipers are usually well-meaning people who are only trying to find out more about infertility so they can help their loved ones. 

Regardless of why you are sharing this information with someone else, it hurts and embarrasses your friend to find out that Madge the bank teller knows what your husband's sperm count is and when your next period is expected. Infertility is something that should be kept as private as your friend wants to keep it. Respect your friend's privacy, and don't share any information that your friend hasn't authorized. 

Don't Push Adoption (Yet)

Adoption is a wonderful way for infertile people to become parents. (As an adoptive parent, I can fully vouch for this!!) However, the couple needs to work through many issues before they will be ready to make an adoption decision. Before they can make the decision to love a "stranger's baby," they must first grieve the loss of that baby with Daddy's eyes and Mommy's nose. Adoption social workers recognize the importance of the grieving process. When my husband and I went for our initial adoption interview, we expected the first question to be, "Why do you want to adopt a baby?" Instead, the question was, "Have you grieved the loss of your biological child yet?" Our social worker emphasized how important it is to shut one door before you open another. 

You do, indeed, need to grieve this loss before you are ready to start the adoption process. The adoption process is very long and expensive, and it is not an easy road. So, the couple needs to be very sure that they can let go of the hope of a biological child and that they can love an adopted baby. This takes time, and some couples are never able to reach this point. If your friend cannot love a baby that isn't her "own," then adoption isn't the right decision for her, and it is certainly not what is best for the baby. 

Mentioning adoption in passing can be a comfort to some couples. (The only words that ever offered me comfort were from my sister, who said, "Whether through pregnancy or adoption, you will be a mother one day.") However, "pushing" the issue can frustrate your friend. So, mention the idea in passing if it seems appropriate, and then drop it. When your friend is ready to talk about adoption, she will raise the issue herself. 

So, what can you say to your infertile friends? Unless you say "I am giving you this baby," there is nothing you can say that will erase their pain. So, take that pressure off of yourself. It isn't your job to erase their pain, but there is a lot you can do to lesson the load. Here are a few ideas. 

Let Them Know That You Care

The best thing you can do is let your infertile friends know that you care. Send them cards. Let them cry on your shoulder. If they are religious, let them know you are praying for them. Offer the same support you would offer a friend who has lost a loved one. Just knowing they can count on you to be there for them lightens the load and lets them know that they aren't going through this alone. 

Remember Them on Mother's Day

With all of the activity on Mother's Day, people tend to forget about women who cannot become mothers. Mother's Day is an incredibly painful time for infertile women. You cannot get away from it-There are ads on the TV, posters at the stores, church sermons devoted to celebrating motherhood, and all of the plans for celebrating with your own mother and mother-in-law. 

Mother's Day is an important celebration and one that I relish now that I am a mother. However, it was very painful while I was waiting for my baby. Remember your infertile friends on Mother's Day, and send them a card to let them know you are thinking of them. They will appreciate knowing that you haven't "forgotten" them. 

Support Their Decision to Stop Treatments

No couple can endure infertility treatments forever. At some point, they will stop. This is an agonizing decision to make, and it involves even more grief. Even if the couple chooses to adopt a baby, they must still first grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes. 

Once the couple has made the decision to stop treatments, support their decision. Don't encourage them to try again, and don't discourage them from adopting, if that is their choice. Once the couple has reached resolution (whether to live without children, adopt a child, or become foster parents), they can finally put that chapter of their lives behind them. Don't try to open that chapter again. 

One Final thought...
Please don't try to talk to us about our treatments in large gatherings or at the dinner table! You would not want to talk about your latest colonoscopy during dinner, would you? We don't mind talking in more private settings, but please, not in front of groups (even if they are family)!

Encountered: Funny Animals

Cory and I have recently encountered some interesting looking wildlife on the Nike campus. The first was seen munching on some grass. At first glance it looked like a beaver. Then at second glance it looked like the gigantic rats from The Princess Bride. It was a beaver with a rat tail. Upon googling "varmint with rat tail" I discovered that it is a nutria.

 

 The second looked like this. I know it's just a duck but I kept sticking it's bum in the air. I don't know why I thought is was so funny....

Biking on the Banks Veronia Trail

Cory and I instantly felt at home in Oregon when we found an awesome bike path! The Banks Veronia trail is just about 2o minutes northwest of us. It is a 26 mile (one way) paved bike path that weaves through a forested state park. We went about 12.5 miles up and came 12.5 miles down. I think that at 25 miles that was the longest bike ride I've been on! I can't wait to do the whole thing! the 12.5 miles up was all uphill, so coming back down was sooooooo fun! Not too steep to have to ride on the breaks but steep enough to fly. 

 Here's a little secret. Cory likes to shake his butt at me when he gets in front of me. He also likes to let me lead for most of the time, until at the VERY END he likes to get in front of me so he can be first! What a punk!

Silver Falls

Cory and I spent a weekend exploring Silver Falls, just about and hour and a half south of us. This is a State Park nestled inside a large are of Christmas tree farms! The park has 10 beautiful waterfalls. Most of which you can see by doing a shorter 3 mile hike. Cory and I braved out the 8 mile hike! It seemed a lot easier than the higher elevation and steeper hikes we were use to in Utah!

 

Lower South Falls

South Falls

Middle Fork Falls

Double Falls

Lower North Falls

Let's All Get Ice Cream

This was something I heard a while back at a funeral for a little boy. I thought it was very insightful.

The sister of the boy’s father said this:

“My kids hate getting vaccines. When I take my kids to get vaccines every year I tell them 4 things. 1. I know this is hard. 2 I know how you feel because I have been through this too. 2. I’ll be there right with you. 3. We will get ice cream when we’re done. I know our Savior is saying the same things to us right now.”

Lesson Learned from Trick or Treaters

It’s Halloween and I just received a transfer from the PICU, a little boy just under two, wearing a Spiderman costume. He came despite needing 5 different IV medications at that time (all needing to be on time because he had a medication every hour, some not compatible with others). He wanted so much to ‘trick or treat’ on our unit with the other kids at noon. The hustle and bustle of moving him floor to floor, all the while transporting him with oxygen tubes and a tank, spo2 and cardiac monitors and leads, and multiple IV tubing and pumps exhausted him. By the time he made it to his room at 12:15 he just wanted to sleep. His parents wanted him to trick or treat because they knew very well, despite being the fiercest of fighters I ever knew, that this might be his last chance. And it was.

Unfortunately for me, I was still learning to appreciate each moment and enjoying it instead of being caught up on what’s next. It was extremely important for me to stay on task with the IV meds because the child’s life did depend on it, but I wish I could have done something to help him enjoy his last Halloween better. As a new-ish nurse, I was overwhelmed with the hour long report, the bucket of wound care supplies, the new oxygen device I was learning to use, the tangles of IV tubing to sort through, and a complicated medication schedule 7 pages long I had to get back on schedule. Not to mention the other patient I was taking care of and his medications, etc. There is no use in going back and wishing I did differently, because I did do my best for my skills at the time, but I have learned from it. The memory or the boy in the Spiderman costume will always remind me to take the time to enjoy the now.

This is the lesson, among others, I learned also from a tiny five year old girl, bald as can be, in a fairy costume that same day. She was able to trick or treat, but if I were her, I would have been in bed. She rode around on her little tricycle, fairy wings trailing behind her as she went from nurse station to nurse station, croaking “Trick or Treat!” Barley croaking. This poor little girl was undergoing radiation to her neck and chemotherapy. She had red angry and bleeding burns like a collar around her neck, and her throat was full of mucositis. Imagine one mouth sore, open and erupted all down your throat. Most kids (and adults) can’t even swallow their own spit. But there she was, croaking ‘trick or treat’ and smiley widely and excitedly with each new conquest of candy. Her situation was less than ideal. If she were older she might have thought, ‘why me?” Or, ‘Why can’t I be trick or treating like other kids?’ Or obsessing over how life would be when she was through with this awful trial. Instead she enjoyed what she could, when she could. I will never forget the beauty and strength in that little girl, and will forever be amazed that it belonged to such a tiny person with a bald head.

The Desk Revival

One of the first projects I attacked when moving in to our new apartment in Beaverton was reviving the desk Matt and Sarah gave us! So about 3 days before we were to move Cory and I were visiting at Matt and Sarah's house. The girls were doing the girl thing (sewing) and boys their thing (playing Halo). Right before Cory and I were about to take off the topic of revivals came up. I had been looking for a desk pretty much exactly like the one Sarah used as her sewing desk. She graciously said we could take it! So the next day we took her sewing desk! (Thanks Sarah! I hope you found a new one!) They had painted it brown, and it looked great, but I always wanted a white one! It took me about 2 weeks to finish the desk because I first had to use a paint stripper (which had big warnings for permanent brain damage if you are exposed to it for too long) so I had to do a little bit at a time. I then sanded the whole thing over and over again! Then I put on FOUR coats of primer and two-three coats of paint! It took forever to get the little grooves just right and man I disliked painting the little round legs but I love the desk now!

 I lined the inside of the desks with fun contact paper and found these pretty glass knobs on Amazon.

The finished project! Now I have a desk to work on while Cory games on his! :) And we can be in the same room now! Cory was happy when I was done. But then I brought our coffee table down to the garage. Someday he'll get to park in the garage! :)