Phew! It's the end of another great week. So glad that those of you on the East Coast weren't hurt by that unexpected earthquake. With our baby shower this weekend, I can't help but feel so grateful for this baby that we've been blessed with. When it comes to that time in your life when you're ready for a baby, I know it doesn't come right away for everyone. While we didn't have a terribly long road, Bob and I certainly had some bumps along the way {with an early miscarriage last winter}. So we're ever so grateful that to now be blessed with this little one on the way to call our own. I have what seems like so friends in my life right now who are experiencing the sadness or disappointment of not getting pregnant or also miscarrying, and I try my best to keep reminding them that, just like everything else, it really does work out in the end. Sorry to get all mushy, but it's one of those things so many go through and not everyone talks about. And so, it really reminds me to continue to be thankful for the great things I have in life and to be here able to share it with all of you. Have a great weekend guys… — Joy
Ps. Congrats to #922 Tina P. from Toronto for winning the Club Monaco giveaway!
{photobooth pics on iMac of Joy at 31 weeks. lace tunic/dress was a gift from my mom…similar here, here, and here}
Have a great weekend and fun baby shower and thank you for the lovely, positive message in this post. On this bumpy road it’s important to be thankful and see the good. 🙂
you continue to glow! i appreciate you sharing such positivity. all my best to you!
vv
congrats to you! you look amazing! you don’t have much further to go! your blog always brightens my day! i know you can’t wait for your little one to come!
Dear Joy,
thank you so much for your kind words. My boyfriend and i have been trying for a year now and all around us baby’s are being born (the last 14 months 30! of our friends and family expected and several are expecting their second! one of them even twins) When i read the news that Bob and yourself were expecting i was so happy for you, and a little sad for me but your kind words give me hope. Now i’ll stop feeling sorry for my self and bore you with a strangers sorrows, you look fantastic! and im sure the three of you will be very happy. Lots of love, Kristel (a follower from The Netherlands)
Thanks for sharing! Life is a gift and its not always in our control. I’m expecting my 2nd right now, but recently had a miscarriage too. It definitely is one of those topics that isnt talked about enough. So happy for you and Bob as you await the arrival of this baby Angel. Have a beautiful baby shower!
Not a mushy post at all, it’s always good to reflect every now and then and not take things for granted. I’m sure your honesty and thoughts will ring true for a lot of people. xo
Thanks for talking about it Joy. It is true that so many experience this sadness and I agree that we all need to talk about it more.
Enjoy your shower!
thank you for the lovely and positive note. i too have heard the stories from friends (and it terrifies me). also, it’s baby shower weekend all around! i’m helping host a friend’s tomorrow! (You two are at about the same week actually.) Yay for a giggle+hug filled weekend!
Oh, you look so dreamy and gorgeous. And yes, we need to talk about the losses and the struggles more so that we won’t feel so alone. I also had a miscarriage and now am 35 weeks. I gained so much by sharing my story.
thank you Joy for talking about your miscarriage. I too had a one last year, and then got pregnant again soon after (thankfully!). my daughter is now 2 months old. I think sharing this info with others really helps those who are going through the tough times of a miscarriage, and like you say, it’s something not too many talk about.
As always you look adorable and I can’t wait to see photos of your little mini!
Thank you for sharing your journey to your baby girl. I had a missed miscarriage in January after having a perfect sonogram just weeks before. I was the first of my peers to go through this and I felt so very alone. We are expecting in March after a tearful and frustrating several months…I am so thankful for our rainbow!
It really does always work out, even if it’s not the way you planned. We finally got pregnant after 3 years of waiting and trying and miscarrying and sadness. I have PCOS so we were told I wouldn’t be able to get pregnant and a month later we found out I was pregnant! It truly is such a wonderful blessing and it breaks my heart for those who can’t have babies, I’ve been down that road and it’s horrible. You look fantastic by the way!! Have a fun baby shower!
So precious. You are SO right that it all works out in the end. Your perspective is priceless.
http://bywayofney.blogspot.com/
congratulations again joy, you look so cute. and i was just having a “i can’t believe i’m this happy” moment myself. my husband and i also miscarried last spring and now i’m 18 weeks pregnant. i feel so lucky everyday for my husband and growing family:)
have a lovely weekend.
You look so so beautifull and happy! Lots of kisses from Mozambique
Thanks for sharing your trails to baby. Makes us who go through a loss hopeful and grateful for the future.
Thanks for bringing up the topic of miscarriage. It being so common is really not discussed and I think lots of women are hard on themselves for experiencing it. There are so many images of happy pregnant women, the path to get there can kind of get obscured.
Your honesty here is really touching.
Your posts are always fun and bright, but this one struck me enough to write you. Thanks again.
Thank you for talking about your miscarriage. The more people will talk about fertility struggles and miscarriage, the less alone others will feel when they experience it. You really don’t realize how common it is until it happens.
And congrats on the baby!
When we started trying to make a baby, I got pregnant within weeks and that also ended in an early miscarriage. It was early enough that I didn’t even know I was pregnant yet, so I wasn’t very emotional about it, but it definitely freaked me out for next time because what if it happened again and kept happening?! Luckily a few months later I was pregnant again, and now I have the most bitchin’ part-unicorn 15 month old named Zoey. And sometimes I think “jeez if that first time had worked out, I would have some other kid who would probably be rad, but it wouldn’t be Zoey” and I am glad things worked out the way they did!
Oh yes, and as far as it being common, as the poster above me said – when it happened, my doctor said it happens to every 1 in 6 pregnancies. That’s very common!
Joy you look amazing and fully of happiness! Definitely a blessing. And it definitely seems like more and more people talk about having difficulty and the miscarriages, its crazy! A blessing, definitely 😉 xox!
This made me cry. Thank you for your kind words.
ps
you’re adorable.
I’m so happy that this is happening for you Joy. And such a lovely note.
Have a wonderful weekend, and amazing babyshower!
Wow, Joy, I’m sorry about your miscarriage, I’d no idea!! Well, at least everything’s okay now with your little one finally on the way… 🙂 You look absolutely lovely in that beautiful dress (your mom has great taste! it looks really comfy). I wish you the best for your baby shower! 😀 Have fuuun! 🙂
congratulation!! i totally undersand you i have a miscarriage last year since then i can’t get pregnant, but i know it will come at the right time!! blessings for u and your beautiful family
You look so beautiful! You’re so right about pregnancy, my husband and I had to wait a little longer than most of our friends, and I started thinking something was wrong with me. I felt so incredibly blessed when I found out we were having our son! It definitely makes my heart break when I have friends (or friends of friends) who are going through that or especially miscarriage.
Thanks for sharing, Joy. I never realized how common miscarriages are until I had one and talked to other people about it. Now I’ve heard so many stories of women who have had a miscarriage shortly before getting pregnant again.
I’m one of the lucky ones. The first time I got pregnant I was on my honeymoon in Italy. We had only started trying a week before we got married. I was 39 at the time and was thinking that it would take AT LEAST a year because I was so old. 😉 We found out we lost the baby at our 12 week ultrasound appointment. We went in thinking that we were going to see our baby squirming around for the very first time, but there was no heartbeat. It was devastating.
We started trying again as soon as we could (I’m OLD, remember?) and again, luckily, I was pregnant a short time later.
Today I have an adorable, interesting, and funny one-year-old boy. And I can’t help but think that if I had actually given birth to the baby that was created the first time I was pregnant, I would never have had the amazing opportunity to meet and love my son.
Now I think I’m going to cry. At my desk. At work.
Thanks for reminding all of us to be grateful for every gift that we’re given in life. Enjoy your baby shower! So excited for you. xoxo
Thank you so much for your honesty. It seems lately all I see on the blogs that I follow are beautiful pregnant ladies and adorable babies… I’m happy for them, but there’s always a twinge of sadness for me. My husband and I have tried to start our family for 4 years now, and just had a miscarriage last month after getting pregnant from our 1st try at ivf. It is so healing and reassuring to know that struggles and miscarriages are fairly common, and refreshing to hear women be honest in sharing. Feeling alone is one of the hardest parts of dealing with infertility and loss… and because of your post today I feel a little less alone 🙂 You are right that it will all work out in the end. So happy for you and hopeful for me!
A big congrats to you and your little one! And oh, how I can relate to this post. Our little one is 7 weeks today, and it was a very long road for us. We tried to get pregnant for several years while everyone around us seemed to have no trouble, and I suffered a miscarriage last year that was heart-wrenching. Complicating matters further, I have MS and the longer we went without success, the more I felt like we simply weren’t supposed to have a child. Then one day it just happened, and I ended up carrying a healthy baby boy all the way! In fact, he was almost 10 pounds at birth. Eeek! Despite total exhaustion, I don’t even have the words to articulate how happy and blessed I feel every day. I know now that for whatever reason, THIS is the time we are meant to have this baby. I also know it sounds so cliche, but I have to believe it’s true. I hope anyone experiencing “trouble” doesn’t lose hope. Your baby will choose you at exactly the time he or she is supposed to.
Enjoy every minute of your baby shower! Before you know it you’ll be living on three hours sleep and negotiating washing your hair or your shirt. Word.
What kind, tender words. Prayers to you for a continued healthy pregnancy. You rock!
Congratulations Joy!! Hope you enjoy your baby shower with your favorite people! And I LOVE your blog. It has been a daily source of inspiration! Thank you and enjoy your weekend!
Congratulations! I’ve been following your blog since around your wedding. I planned my wedding just after and found a lot of inspiration on your blog.
Thank you so much for this post. It really hit home for me. It was really comforting to read your words. I agree, things do work out in the end. Although when you are struggling with getting pregnant, it’s easy to lose site of that. Thanks again for your Friday post!
So happy for you, and it’s odd you mention the struggles and sadness that goes along for some with pregnancy…just this week we’ve been dealing with some health issues that relate to that. I’m SO ready to be a Mom, and my husband is SO ready to be a Dad…it always feels like you are the last in the world to get pregnant. We are thinking positive thoughts and are living vicariously through those who are welcoming little ones, like you! Congrats, I’m glad you are in the west coast so that your shower is hurricane free! 😉
This was so wonderful of you to share and so true. You are truly blessed and so grateful which is beautiful to see (read). Enjoy your shower this weekend!
I’m enjoying seeing your pregnancy progress as I’m ten weeks behind you, at 21wks. We fell pregnant pretty much 5 years to the day that we started trying so we’ve been through all kinds of emotions throughout that time. We didn’t think it would ever happen but it did, and it was the most lovely surprise! I’m still in awe at the fact that there is a gorgeous little being growing inside me, a little miracle. All the best Joy. x
your words couldn’t have resonated with me more…so often, the struggles that so many of us endure while trying to get pregnant are not discussed. as such, you feel so alone and hopeless when you are in the throes of those struggles. i have gone through two miscarriages and am just 6 weeks along in my current pregnancy…every day, i just try and stay positive and find hope in the many women (including yourself) who have dealt with similar issues and gone on to have healthy, beautiful babies! thanks for sharing this special time with your readers…i am so happy for you and bob and wish you nothing but the best in these last few weeks! enjoy your shower!
What a great post, Joy. I always look forward to your adorable Friday preggy-photos posts–you will have such a neat series of your belly growing. You sure make being pregnant look absolutely cute and fashionable! You have touched the heart of so many women here, judging by the comments posted today. And what inspiring stories your readers have shared about their experiences as well! Thanks for being lovely & amazing!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks Joy. What a sweet post. We, too, had some bumps along the road and an early miscarriage before getting pregnant with our daughter. She is now 9 months old and is such a blessing in our lives. It’s true that these things don’t seem to be talked about much and when you are the one trying to get pregnant it seems like everyone else in the world is having babies. So happy for you and Bob.
Congratulations. I hope you have a great baby shower. I never knew how common it was until I recently had a miscarriage. It’s easy to feel alone in that experience. At first it was tough as many bloggers I follow were pregnant and reading about their journeys were difficult. But now I find them inspiring. It’s great to share both the joys and the struggles, it makes everyone feel less alone – thanks for doing so.
This is such a beautiful post Joy. I go to your blog regularly to see lovely things, and right now to see how gorgeous you grow. My husband and I had a miscarriage last year, and your words do ring true. I also look after very sick newborn babies with abnormalities who need surgery and other lifesaving interventions. Your blog and lovely photos remind me that for most it works out. That through all this sadness are stories of how wonderful and amazing life can be. It makes us appreciate everything, especially when it does actually happen and you are blessed with that little girl. I am looking forward to that first photo of you and your baby girl, will bring a smile to all who read this blog.
I’m sorry to hear about your miscarriage, Joy – but glad that this one is going safetly! It’s so nice that someone in your position of being a well read and admired blogger is being open about these issues. I see a lot of my friends going through this, and it is so much better when they can talk about it in the open. Best of luck to you and Bob on your little girl!
I just discovered you blog… it’s really cute! Thanks for this post. I had a miscarriage at seven weeks last and was left devasted. Sometimes I just feel so alone and it’s hard to believe that I will ever have a baby of my own. Unlike you I do not know anyone else really going through the same thing as me. Your story gives me hope. Thanks again… and congrats!!!
Joy
Just lost my baby last week. Your beautiful note brought me to tears as it brought me hope. Wishing you and Bob the best
Deb
Wow! Joy, you are so pregnant. Has it really been that long since The Bachelor finale?:)
I am doing a giveaway this week on my blog that you and your readers might be interested in. Check it out. Congrats! xx
http://www.clotheshorsenyc.com/2011/08/monday-giveaway.html
Dear Joy, I usually follow your blog all the time but hadn’t been over to visit in a while after having our own baby girl in April. I totally missed the big announcement, but was so happy to discover today that you are expecting! That baby girl is going to be the most stylish kid on the playground! So excited for you, and looking forward to more baby posts!!! Best wishes! 🙂
P.S. You look great! You definitely have the pregnancy glow!
Oh Joy, you are simply glowing. It is an absolute miracle when a baby is conceived and born safely. Life is utterly precious. Rick and I actually lost our firstborn Cameron full-term at 41 weeks almost four years ago, and everyday we continue to miss him and wish he was here with us. A hole will always remain in our hearts and family, but Cam’s absence does make us cherish our other boys all the more. Will be thinking of you during these last weeks – enjoy this precious time!
Ronnie xo
Thank you so much for this post. It’s just what I needed to hear right now.
Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for your kind comments and Im so glad to hear that its helped some of you know youre not alone. I have emailed back some of your individually, but wanted to say that it honestly seems to be more common than I ever knew or imagined. Knowing that it happens to so many women (while scary) also gave me comfort that I wasnt alone or that their wasnt something wrong with me. Also, it tells you your body is working and that pregnancy is possible. So, that was the one piece of hope I was able to take from that very sad time, so I hope those of you going through it currently keep that in the back of your minds as well even through the sadness.
-Joy
hope you are having a great weekend, Joy! you look amazing and have the best pregnancy clothes! thanks so much for this post!
How you possibly get cuter each week is amazing! I loved every moment of each of my pregnancies. I also had a miscarriage, although it was between my first and second. Though I would have loved to know that little person, I also love the person who came instead, and cannot imagine what my life would be without her. She is creative, and sweet and interesting and the most unique of my children. So there is for sure a silver lining even around our darkest clouds…sometimes they just take longer to shine through, but they are oh so worth the wait.
Congrats again! Thank you for the adorable pictures. Your children will love you for them as well!
Thanks for sharing. I however, yearn to hv kids but hv not found my Mr Right. Hope ya have a great time at the baby shower. May you (and Bob) hv a safe delivery and a healthy baby girl. God bless 🙂
What a beautiful post, Joy. 🙂 You’re going to make a wonderful mom!
lovely sentiments 🙂 whenever I feel life is getting too much I always try to reflect on how lucky I am and feeling grateful that I have amazing family and friends
Joy, you are so wonderful! loved this post. You look fabulous as well!!
thank you for your mushy post Joy and thank you for the reminder xo
thank you for your mushy post Joy and thank you for the reminder xo
thank you for your mushy post Joy and thank you for the reminder xo
thank you for your mushy post Joy and thank you for the reminder xo
thank you for your mushy post Joy and thank you for the reminder xo
thank you for your mushy post Joy and thank you for the reminder xo
thank you for your mushy post Joy and thank you for the reminder xo
thank you for your mushy post Joy and thank you for the reminder xo
thank you for your mushy post Joy and thank you for the reminder xo
You look adorable as usual! And yes being pregnant is such a joy and grateful experience. I just keep getting told to enjoy every moment of it, so i will pass the same words over to you! 🙂
adoption!
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Joy you look fabulous and it seems that mentioning your miscarriage really struck a chord with many women. I’m sorry to hear about the bumps in your road to becoming parents, but wow, look at you now!
I started trying to conceive in my early 30’s, and tried for the next eight years using all the medical help known to man. I never had a live birth. I spent my entire 30’s on the infertility/miscarriage roller coaster. The words “it all works out in the end” are true for many… but not so for many others.
It may work out for some that they have to reframe their life as being child-free, or they may have to come to terms with not having a biological child and decide to foster or to adopt. Honestly the thing I hated to hear most was ‘don’t worry, it will happen’, ‘just relax, have a holiday, stop trying and you’ll fall pregnant’, etc. I know people were wanting to make me feel better, but when you’re suffering recurrent miscarriage or infertility it’s the last thing you want to hear! We think it’s our birthright as women to have children… sometimes it just doesn’t happen.
My husband and I adopted our daughter and in that respect it all did work out in the end, as she’s the light of my life and I can’t imagine being without her. But it was an incredibly long and traumatic journey to be parents which took over a decade.
I really love your blog, I don’t want to take anything away from your lovely post, and I don’t want to come across as being negative. I’m just trying to voice the other side of the story.
🙂
I’m looking forward to seeing your baby shower photos!
Hi Lisa,
Thank you so much for sharing that. Im so glad you found your light at the end of the tunnel 😉
Joy
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Thanks!
Bel
Joy – thank you so much for sharing your experience with us – i had a miscarriage 2 weeks ago & it had never occurred to me just how common it is until it happened to us.
It was the first time my husband & i had tried for a baby, so hopefully we will not have problems trying again when we feel ready, and maybe our story will have a happy ending like yours! 🙂 So pleased and proud for you & Bob – you look truly beautiful! xx good luck with everything xxx
cute baby bump! congrats! i like your blog. you might like baby handprint art seen here: http://clickwowdesigns.com/piggies-and-paws/
Glad you’re happy, you sure look it! So pretty!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing. You made my day and brought a smile to my face and hope to my heart that I too will be able to have a healthy pregnancy after having a miscarriage. much love xxoo
Thank you for that post, Joy.
Since having a miscarriage earlier this summer (my first pregnancy) I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic. Why is it that we’re so reluctant to talk about this very real, very sad experience? I’m lucky, I had my wonderful girlfriends to turn to for support, some of whom have had the same experience, but I still felt a bit… alone. And isolated. It’s not something you necessarily share with acquaintances or co-workers who want to know why you’re so sad all of a sudden.
In my opinion, sharing makes everyone stronger. So, thank you Joy, and all you commenters. You’ve warmed my heart today.