Silver Girl

Thank you for all your kind wishes and congratulations. Again, I can't tell you how grateful I am for everyone's prayers on our behalf. This Sunday, a friend at church told me she had put my name in the temple, my bishop fasted for us, and my friends and family let me know we are part of their daily prayers. It is humbling and so overwhelming. THANK YOU!

Today, I visited my OBGYN for a REGULAR check-up. I can't tell you how great it feels to be a "regular" patient. I heard the heartbeat again and it was strong and healthy. It sends chills down my spine. The whole experience feels very surreal. If it weren't for all the lovely pregnancy symptoms, I'd need to pinch myself daily that this dream is finally coming true.

This weekend, we hit the 12-week mark and are breathing easier. While I feel so tremendously lucky and blessed, this almost 4-year journey has taught me so much. It's kind of strange, because I sometimes feel a little guilty that things have worked out for me. I think about all those who are still on their "journey," struggling to find relief to their trial. I think about my friends and family who are in the thick of life's most difficult trials and I wish I could just give them a little bit of my "good luck."

As I enjoy this new phase of life, I never want to forget the lessons I learned. I never want infertility to be just another part of my past. I hope I will always be able to recognize in others the emotional toll of a difficult trial and lend comfort in ways that can help.

Luckily, I am a Maxfield and when you are a Maxfield you are surrounded by tremendous artists who capture life's raw emotions and real-life lessons in beautiful aural and visual ways. If you've read my blog for long, you might remember how much the song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" helped me through the difficult time after the first IVF failure. Because my family is creative and cares, they created some beautiful works of art to capture that experience.

Stuart wrote a beautiful song called Silver Girl. It's really written from his perspective about how difficult it is to feel so helpless when someone around you is hurting. The song is part of Fictionist's most recent EP and you can listen to it on Spotify - check it out.

And if a song weren't enough, my sister-in-law, Caitlin (of Hue and Hum), painted one of my new favorite works of art. It's also called "Silver Girl" and when I look at it, I am reminded of the weight of something difficult and I reminded that people in that same position need a helping hand. I am really grateful for these beautiful reminders that will always remind me of a lesson I learned and that I never want to forget.

If you love Silver Girl as much as I do, you can purchase a print of your very own for just $18.00 on etsy.