Every once in a while this year, the fact that I was almost 35 would float into my mind. It was the age you always read about in books in regards to fertility. The age where fertility falls off the cliff, where chromosomal abnormalities go up, where miscarriage rates increase. On one hand, it feels really silly to look at 35 as this big, flashing red number when you had high FSH at 27 and implantation issues. But just as I can't dismiss the half hour after eating in regards to swimming or the eight hours in regards to sleep or the five-second-rule, I can't erase that this number is also ingrained in my head as a warning, a threshold, a no-going-back point.
Gulp.
Me, still 34 this past weekend, talking to the ChickieNob off-cameraOkay, so good things that happened this year: the twins started school and I survived (oh, and they survived too). I finished writing Navigating the Land of If and it came out. I wrote my first chicklit book. I finally got to see Smith Island after being in love with it for many years. I continued to be mushy-in-love with Josh. I went to BlogHer, my first conference ever. And I aged one more year and I aged one more year and I aged one more year, and while that may not seem like a large accomplishment, we are all too keenly aware of the alternative. So a year should be celebrated.
I was about to list sad things that happened this year, but fuck that. Not every post needs to be symmetrical. It's my birthday tomorrow. Let's celebrate instead.
Showing off the manicure that I got over the weekend. I look like an adult!And yes, the red nail polish means that I chose the red bag...
104 comments:
Happy early Birthday!!! :-)
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Happy Birthday Lolli. (Even though I chose the black bag with feathers, I think the red bag and that sexy new manicure is going to be super hot! Do post pics for us to see how lovely you look.)
Again, happy birthday my friend and congrats on a year of great accomplishments, wishing you many, many more to come.
.....Singing Happy Birthday to you........(well...maybe not)
It's the thought that counts, right?
LOVE LOVE LOVE The red nail polish and matching fantastic youthful smile!
HUGS
Happy birthday ... have a super day
Happy Birthday! :)
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday tomorrow!!
I think it's good not to post the bad stuff that happened in the past year, focus on the good!
I hope your 36th year is filled with lots of love and joy.
Such a pretty princess! happy birthday!
Much love from the badgers.
Happy Birthday!
TheMrs
Happy birthday, dear Mel!
Happy birthday! And it's really not so bad on this side of the fence, fertility issues aside. I still feel like I'm 12 most of the time. Love the nails-very sassy!
Omedetoo gozaimashita!
Mabruk! Eid milad sa'id!
Feliz Cumpleanos!
Enjoy your fete-ing. I am so happy for the happy things this year.
Happy Birthday!
And oh honey, wait until 40 to think about your body falling off a cliff. I'd be 35 again tomorrow if I could. Sigh.
From where I sit, you're still a spring chicken!! Happy birthday!!
Happy Birthday you gorgeous thing!
A very happy birthday in advance!!
Happy birthday!!!
I turned 38 in March and have LOVED being in my 30s!!
Happy Birthday, you young one!
Happy Birthday, Mel! I hope tomorrow is wonderful!
Happy Bday to you! I'm so feeling it myself these days!!!! I'll be 34 in July, and can hear my biological clock ticking around my neck like a the timer of a bomb. And, of course, I already have an elevated FSH and lowered egg reserve anyway, and yet I can't shake the BIG 35 looming cloud either.
Wishing you much happiness this coming year...and wow, what a year this past one has been! So many things to be proud of!!!!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy birthday dear Mel!
Happy Birthday to you!
Hope you have a great one!! You don't look a day over 30!
Happy Birthday!!
Happy birthday!! Here's to celebrating a wonderful year, and many more to come.
Hey, since 40 is the new 30...
Happy 25 yo!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Here's to a wonderful, fantastic year *raises glass* I didn't comment becuase I just NOW remembered *sorry* but I would have chosen the red bag too. I love red! Enjoy your birthday, hon! You deserve to celebrate!
*HUGS*
Happy Birthday Eve!!
You look stunning- and you are, inside and out!
(& damn- what a big, giant, GO YOU, year you have had!)
Happy Birthday Mel,
I am right there with you as far as the fear of 35, I turn 34 in a Month and I am dreading it.
Anyway, shouldn't we all have a round of cyber margaritas to celebrate?
Hugs,
-Adela
A very happy birthday to you, dear Lolly. May the coming year bring you peace and joy beyond your wildest dreams.
Oh, I'm singing a happy birthday son ala Steve Wonder for you! I fell off the cliff, rolled down and got hit by tree roots, crashed into the river, got swept along into the rapids and fell down the waterfall! But I'm floating on down the river - enjoy the ride!
Very happy birthday!! you have achieved an awful lot and you shoudl be absolutely proud to show off your 35 years. Love, Fran
Happy Birthday to you!!! That is wonderful list of good things. I hope this year brings even more.
Have a great birthday tomorrow!! :)
Delurking to say happy birthday tomorrow! And I turn 35 on Wednesday.
Happy Birthday, Mel, to a fellow 1974-er!
Happy birthday! I know what you mean about 35. It is creeping up on me as well.
Happy Birthday!
The nail polish looks great. I hope you got some great lip stick to go with it :)
Happy birthday!
Not to bother you with facts and figures ;), but you've got nothing to worry about. The reason 35 is a "big deal" in the world of female fertility is that at the time amnio was identified as a test that could identify DS babies, the risk of an amnio causing a m/c equaled the risk of a 35 year old woman having a DS baby (based just on maternal age and no screening). The powers that be decided it made sense to recommend that women 35+ have amnios since that was the point at which the two risks were mathematically equal -- as if it's reasonable to equate those two very different probabilities/outcomes ... m/c versus baby with DS. Drives me crazy.
Our fertility doesn't drop off a cliff until 37. You've got 2 years to go, and I've got -3. Eh. Hang in there.
Happy early Birthday :)
Happy birthday!! I dreaded 35 too but every year we get is a blessing :)
Happy Birthday!!!!
And I loved the red bag :)
Happy birthday!
What kind of cake should I make us?
Happy Birthday! Hope you have a fabulous day!
Happy Birthday Mel! I'd say you've had quite a successful year!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Mel! You look goooood in red.
Celebrate indeed, a virtual party for you perhaps??
Happy birthday Mel! What an amazing lady you are!
Happy birthday. I think a virtual party is in order!
Alexicographer is right! And those ancient numbers are based on the very poor technical skills used to do amnios done back then.
So 35 is irrelevant. Look at me--DHEA and boom, my ovaries come back to life. I'm 25 again, and my FSH is normal. So relax and enjoy the number birthday girl. *Smooch*
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday!!!
Finishing two books and publishing one of them in a year is an unbelievable accomplishment, not even counting everything else.
I know what you mean about 35. I felt the same.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Happy Birthday!! 35 looks good on you. I was there in February. On the positive side I believe we're at our peak! On the negative side, we're at our peak, so it's all downhill...ha.
(just on the looks front of course!)
Happy of happiest birthdays to you, Mel.
I'm not far behind in age. :)
g
Happy birthday dear Mel :)
I had a "mid life crises" (I guess that means I will die at 70) when I turned 35. It's when I joined roller derby. That's an idea, why don't you join??
But really, it's not that bad on the other side!
Oh you make me feels old !
You look as gorgeous as ever.
Happy Birthday again xx
Oh to be 35 again!!
WooHoo for the red bag, and a very very Happy Birthday to you Mel.
Happy birthday, enjoy your day tomorrow!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :D
Happy birthday!! I hope it's a great day that kicks off a great 35th year!
Happy happy birthday!!
Happy Birthday Sweetie!! JD took a pic on his phone of your book at the Tysons B&N. Will email once he figures out how to do that. :)
Happy birthday!
Sending birthday wishes your way!
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEL!
I hope it is as fabulous as you are!
And I know I've said it before, but you have one of the most gorgeous, welcoming, peaceful smiles I've ever seen. I get a big ol' smile in my heart every time I see it! ((((BIG SMOOSHY BIRTHDAY HUGS!!!))))
Happy Birthday!!!
Happy Birthday!!! Even if they can be depressing. I hope you have lots of cake.
You are such a young puppy! :) I will be turning 39 this August. My twins were born the year I turned 35. My baby girl was born 2 weeks before I turned 38. At the time I did the fresh cycle to conceive her I had 57 mature follicles the day of retrieval...yeah, 57. So, suck it infertility ;) HAH!
Happy Birthday to you. And many more!
Hippo Birdie Two Ewe
Hippo Birdie Two Ewe
Hippo Birdie Deer Melissa
Hippo Birdie Two Ewe
It's much better when you can see the visual of all the animals. :-)
I plan to give you a big, wet, sloppy birthday kiss when I see you on Sunday. So make sure you are looking smokin' hot with those red fingernails and whatnot.
welcome to the age where it's all happening!
happy birthday from a 41 yr old who is still alive and kicking!
Happy Birthday, Lollipop! Welcome to a new demographic. I'm about to leave said demographic, and that's slightly more traumatic than entering was. I hope 35 is your best year to date!
Happy Birthday!
((Hugs))
Happy Birthday!!
Happy birthday to you! I'm just six months behind you, so you'll have to let me know how 35 goes. :)
Happy Birthday, Mel!! What a great year of really fabulous things. I can't wait to share many more with you in the blog world!
You've still got your youthful looks which is a plus for any woman. Happy Birthday dear Mel, may your year be fruitful and filled with all good things :)
And your nails are the same colour as mine this weekend, very chic :)
happy birthday!!
A manicure, oooo la la. No manicurist would be able to find my stumpy little "nails", so I shall not bother with that. Yours does look wonderful though!
Happy birthday! 35 is the new 20, or something like that. You look marvellous for it. I hope your day is full of relaxation and good times.
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Mel, happy birthday to you! Here's to another wonderful year in your life! CHEERS! :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to one fabulous 35 year old from another 35 year old! LOL :) Hope your day ROCKS!
Good gracious I hope you're celebrating with some cake and ice cream! Everything is better with cake and ice cream ;) And congratulations on a fabulous year. I can't wait for that chick lit book.... :-)
Mel,
I think you'll find this side of 35 to be absolutely divine. Screw AMA.
All the best!
Anjali
35 are the new 25 or as I like to call them, the 35 reloaded!
Wishing you not just a Happy B-day, but a GREAT year also!
The world is a better place, truly, because you're in it. Happy Birthday to you. Hope this year is the best one, yet.
Wishing you an awesome birthday! Enjoy the red bag!
Wishing you a wonderful birthday filled with hugs and cake!!!
Wishing you a very happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Here's hoping to many, many more.
Happy Birthday, Mel! I hope you have a wonderful day.
Happy Birthday to you Mel!! I wish you all the best on your special day. I think you are a wonderful, kind and caring person--I feel so lucky to have you as my blog buddy. {{hugs}} Now go party!!
Happy Birthday sweetie pea! Poo on the divide! :)
Happy Birthday lovely Mel
Happy Birthday, Mel. I hope it's been fabulous.
Better late than never -- but wishing you happy birthday wishes..and the other side of 35 isn't too terrible...;)
Love,
Pam
Happy Happy Birthday! How in the world does your hair grow SO FAST?
Happy birthday, Mel! Love the red bag!! Want a pic of the entire outfit. Please?
Lordy Lolli, so many birthday wishes, my finger got tired scrollin' all the way to the end of the comments. Ditto what they all say.... Happiest of years to you friend, happiest of special days.
Happy Birthday!
Mate ... 35 was my favourite age. I got my sh*t together ... so grown up. And you are still in your early mid thirties. You're fine.
Hope it was awesome XOX
Happy Birthday :-)
Happy birthday to you and your lovely fingernails! :)
Happy Birthday, Mel!! Sending you much love and all the birthday wishes I've got!
Happy (very belated) birthday. I turned 35 this year too and know what you mean about it being a little scary.
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