Costa Rica/ The bet

Dear husband and I just got back from probably the world's best vacation. A week in Costa Rica. It was amazing and we were totally blissed out! I want to do like 8 million posts about it, but for now...


I want to talk about THE BET.

People know *because of me* that Hy and I were going on this fantastic vacation because 3 years ago we made a bet. And that is where their knowledge ends. Which is exactly how I thought I wanted it.

Because the truth isn't pretty.

It is embarrassing.

And kind of sad.

And I was really depressed at the time.

But now that I am on the other side and the bet has been fulfilled and happiness reins supreme...

Let's talk about the bet.

FLASH BACK 7.5 YEARS AGO

Hy and I are newlyweds! We are so happy and in love and we decide that our love for each other could and should be put into growing our family. So we start trying. You know TRYING.

FLASH FORWARD 4 YEARS FROM THEN (3 YEARS IN THE PAST FROM NOW)

*are you keeping up?

We heartbreakingly STILL were not pregnant. This was a very depressing thing for us as a couple, and for me personally as a woman who wanted to be a mother. I gained a LOT of weight. I will repeat that by saying I gained a LOT of weight.

I started to have even more health issues besides our struggle with infertility. There were a few frightening occasions where I was blacking out and falling.

After a particularly frightening episode where I blacked out on the toilet, slammed my head against a metal dog food bowl, and woke up on the floor with no idea where I was; I had a complete reality check.

We started working with a reproductive endocrinologist (RE's for my infertile friends in the know) and we knew that the weight I had gained was playing a major role in my health issues. And possibly my fertility.

A week after the black out, when I was still so sore I could barely walk (the reason for the black out was pain from a major uterine cyst rupture) I logged on to weight watchers at 2 in the morning. Not even really thinking clearly and possibly heavily medicated; I joined.

The next night Hy and I sat down for a really frank talk. I wont share everything that we talked about, but I will say that we talked about our lives. The effect infertility was having on our life, the frightening way the black outs were effecting both of us ( I say both because he was the one having to carry me to the car so we could go to the emergency room, or pick my naked self off of the floor terrified) , and the potential of us living a life with out biological children.

I shared my deep desire to get the weight off in the hopes that we would find more infertility success and that I could stop feeling so negatively about myself and my life.

He was completely supportive and we talked about weight goals. I shared with him the number that I thought would be a good fit for my body type and height, and he agreed to work together on our goals.

He jokingly said "Tell you what, you get to that goal and I will take you on a trip any where in the world. Your choice." And before he could take it back, I said "DEAL" and made him shake on it.

After a few ups and downs, losing 40 pounds, getting pregnant (FINALLY AND YAY!), gaining 30, and having a baby; I fully committed myself to my health.

I had several reasons why I decided to commit myself so fully and not one of them had to do with the trip bet.

About 20 pounds away from the goal, we realized that this was actually going to happen and we started trying to pick a place to go on vacation!

Not only did I reach my goal, but I passed it almost  20 pounds ago! *I gained 9 lbs back on vacation and I lovingly earned every single OUNCE!!

So that is the story of the bet. Normally I don't really support betting, but in this case when I bet on myself, it was the best decision ever!!