Dear Universe revisited

Those of you who have read my blog for a while might remember a few letters (here, here, and here) I wrote to the universe, asking why I am put in uncomfortable situations with a pregnant co-worker. In the other instances, it was a conversation with said co-worker that made me want to throw a weaponized spork. This time, the co-worker wasn't even there.

Dear Universe,

Yesterday was a fucking weird experience. I had one of those moments, that so many of us have, when we realize that we not only have too much of an infertility/pregnancy education, but we feel the need to educate others. I actually had to defend the one so deserving of my spork in times past. WTF?

When I heard that the waif had been out a lot lately, I inquired as to why. She is pretty far along (6 months maybe?) and I know that the doctor's appointments start to multiply at that point. However, her absences were noticeable enough even for me to notice, and I avoid her most of the time these days. But, when I heard why she has been out so much, some other part of my brain took over.

What I heard was that she is having, "...some kind of problem with her cervix."Some co-workers were a bit snarky about her missing so much work, but I couldn't help but pipe up. After reading stories like that of ADSchill I just know too much and actually stuck up for the waif. "Actually, cervical issues can be really dangerous. Her uterus is what is holding in the baby! So, it's good she's keeping such a close eye on it." The snarkers blinked at me for a second, and I started to hear crickets. They said something about me knowing a lot about pregnancy, and I laughed it off. On what planet would I have ever thought I would be the one to have empathy and fear for that girl?

On planet ALI.

Argh,
HRF
__________________________________

Other notes for the week:
• Sorry I have been out of touch for a week - really busy at work. Trying to catch up on all my blogger buddies

• I know a few of you tagged me in this question meme that has been going around. For the reason above, I haven't been able to get to it. I'll try this week.

• Yesterday, Smoon and I went for a mani/pedi. 2 seconds after walking in the salon:
 Manicurist who looks familiar to me: "You had a baby, right?" 
Me: <blink, blink> "No."
Manicurist: "Oh, sorry, sorry!"
Me <to Smoon>: "Really?!"

Sigh.

"And how is it going with the baby?"

Aruba was amazing. We ate, drank, saw the island, and generally had an amazing time. It rained a bit, which bummed us out, but overall it was beautiful. We loved the friendly people, the ease of getting around, and the gorgeous waters. The only regret was actually scheduling too much, and not leaving enough time to just lay. The entire week, we said to each other that this will be the first of many trips to Aruba, and are currently scheming about how quickly we can return. The goal is March of 2013. Here are a few pictures to give you a sense of why we fell in love with the island:

The most lethal rum drink ever, the Happy Island

view from our balcony

sunset

view from our dinner on the beach

However, as an IFer, Aruba was a bit bittersweet. We started counting how many pregnant women we saw at the resort and on the island, and we lost count around 20 or so. It was unbelievable! Seriously, this was babymoon central. I could only take pleasure in pounding cocktails and hoping I would soon return in a similar state.

Additionally, my worst nightmare happened. I was at the pool (granted, in an oversized swimsuit cover-up) when a hotel staff member asked me, in the sweetest way, "And how is it going with the baby?" I understood why he asked. I mean, EVERY WOMAN around me was expecting. But, you know how it goes. The question essentially made me feel like a fat cow, and I was crestfallen. I just said, "I'm not pregnant, but every other woman here is." He smiled and apologized, then quickly left. I mean, he could at least have given me another Rum Runner!

One interesting little interaction was with a woman on our snorkeling and sailing excursion. At first, I rolled my eyes because she obviously knew the owners of the vessel and was going on and on about her children, in nauseating detail. Seriously, she even talked about how small her babies are when they are born. But, then I overheard her talking about the details of IVF and I realized she was one of us. I took the opportunity to tell her that I was so glad she had success, and that I am starting my first IVF cycle in a few weeks. She happily told me about her process, and I came away feeling hopeful.

You just never know who will be in your boat.