I knew my 300th post was coming up, but for some reason, I was off by 1.  I missed it!  My 300th post went up yesterday as my Wordy Wednesday, which is just fine because that was a fun one and worthy of being my 300th post.

What I wanted to do for Post 300 is make a list of my top 30 posts (10% of course) – my favorites from the last 11 months.  I started my blog on February 26th, 2011 and I can hardly believe I’ve posted over 300 posts in just 11 short months.  I bet you B would be surprised too – he will surely now know where a lot of my time goes while Matthew is napping (and when I should probably be prepping dinner!).

That list is now this post – Post 302.  Here are my favorite posts of all time – well – so far!

1. I Do Cook! – My first post about cooking for Matthew, one of my favorite things from his babyhood!  This kicked off a bunch of other posts with food updates.  We’re still pretty lucky on the food front (seriously, if you’re having problems, give the kid a fork!), but we keep waiting for this aspect of parenting to go to hell after seeing so many other good eaters decide to be picky.  But today?  Matthew ate fajita onions, tomatoes, chicken, and green beans for lunch – and enthusiastically asked for seconds on the onions.  For dinner, he had goat cheese-stuffed grass-fed beef burgers and brocoli.  So far – so good!  Fingers crossed!
2. I Take it Back – I LOVE this post because it captures every.single.thought that went through my mind during a sleep training session.  Frustration, hope, defeat, defiance – it’s all in there!
3. My Style – This post explains my parenting style, or lack thereof.  Writing this, I realized that I was a free spirit type of mother and it was really good to write it, and then see it on “paper.”  I like thinking about all the things I SAID I would do (or not do) as a parent that I just am not doing, for all sorts of reasons.  I have evolved in so many ways from the person I was before IF and parenting, and this post makes that very obvious.
4. One More Time – This post is about my grandpa, a man I love very much.  I’ve posted about him a few times – my visits to him are always very good for my soul.  I think this one, in particular, was the best visit I’ve ever had with my grandpa.
5. Birthday Eve – Re-reading this one brings a tear to my eye.  I had such a hard time with Matthew’s first birthday, I blogged about that a lot.  I still remember all the random tears from the moment he turned 11 months to his first birthday party.  That was rough.
6. Reality – A post all about coming to grips with the reality of OUR infertility – and realizing that falling magically pregnant just wasn’t a reality for us.
7. Weaning Complete – This is the big post about weaning Matthew – it has updates from every single day of the process.  It is full of emotions and I still can’t re-read it yet.  But I do know it’s one of my favorites – if not my very favorite post!
8. Just What I Needed – I love me RE, and this post is all about my return to them to start the process for Baby #2 (who we can now call BOY #2!).  I was so happy to see them all again, and it makes me a little sad that Boy #2 ended up being so “easy” (B calls him a drive-thru baby) because I didn’t get to spend much time with them this time around.
9. This is My Space, Right? – This post was sparked by some blogging drama as I started to wonder what all I should, and should not, put, on my blog.  I love this post because it started a very close URL (now IRL) friendship for me with someone who called me out on this.  And thanks to her, my posts starting becoming much more meaningful after this post went up.
10. Lupron Eve – Musings on starting a new cycle for a new baby, and not being able to let go of cycles passed.
11. Guilt, Grief, and Moving On – This is the first post, I believe, that really digs deep into the emotions I felt when trying to conceive Matthew. and what those emotions changed in the outward person that I was.
12. THIS Moment in Time (#1) – I came up with this idea when this first picture was taken – the very moment it happened.  I wanted to capture the memory forever.  This kicked off a small little series that I do whenever I feel the urge.  If something special happens (and is captured in a photo), it gets posted.  I love doing this!
13. Strategy – A post showing my friends a little bit of “the crazy” that makes me who I am!  This post, and my love of spreadsheets (referenced often), exemplifies who I am and how I live (and try to control) my life  😉
14. The Mom Stays in the Picture –  Some of my favorite photos of my boy and me together are in this post!
15. Another Minute or Two – This post talks about my relationship with my late grandmother, a woman I love(d) very much.
16. On Earning It – My distinction between “deserving” and “earning” things, in life in general, and in relation to TTC/IF.
17. Not to Pass – I tell everyone about our struggle with infertility, and I explain why in this post.
18. Ruined for Nothing – I had to give myself a few PIO shots while B was out-of-town.  I was terrified out of my mind.  I reached out to a blogger I didn’t even know, asking for help.  She came through for me like everyone in this great community seems to do.  And in the end, I was a stronger, more capable woman because my fear was all for nothing.  Well, not for nothing… because I learned first-hand how supportive this community is.
19. ChiBLOGo – There is nothing I can say that will sufficiently summarize how special this experience was (is) to me!
20. We Could Not Fail – As SRB would say – #EMOTIONS.  This post summarizes our first IVF failure, and the feelings I had while going through that.  Remembering that failure is getting easier on my emotions – I don’t cry like I used to when thinking about B telling me that we had a negative beta – but it will always be one of the most painful memories of my lifetime.
21. Especially Thankful – This post was misunderstood by some, appreciated by many, and good for my soul.  It still ranks up there as one of my very favorites – because I meant every word of it then and still believe it all to my very core.  So thankful to be done with IVF stimming treatments.
22. Good With It – This is #2 in a short series of posts going into detail of our IF past, prior to when I started blogging.  This post runs through our first FET that resulted in a very early miscarriage.  I know my outlook on that miscarriage is strangely unique, but that mentality is what gets me through the tough stuff that life throws my way.
23. Who Knew?  – I loved writing this post!  I know I will reference it in the future when I’m feeling like a parenting failure, and it will build up my spirits to get me through whatever is bringing me down.  Lots of readers loved this post too, and used it as a catalyst to create their own lists of parenting things that surprise them about themselves.  It was fun being an inspiration!
24. What We Want and What We Get – I still struggle with this question – What do we really WANT (in regards to our families), and will IF, ultimately, decide what we GET?
25. Defeated – My hardest day, to date, as a mother.
26. In the Books – Planning holiday traditions, and living them, are two different things  😉  I learned, and documented in this post, what is and is not important to us in regards to holiday traditions for our children.  I will definitely be coming back to this post next holiday season!
27. The One That Stuck – This is #3 in my little series on our IF past leading up to Matthew.  This post is all about the cycle that WORKED and brought us our little ray of sunshine!
28. A Promise – No New Years resolutions, just a promise to always remember the struggle that is infertility, and to always think of those still fighting for the families they want (and have already earned).
29. Life Interrupted – A walk down memory lane, remembering the days (and fun) before infertility took over our lives (my life).
30. Appendage – A post about how I view my son, and letting his dad have some of the moments that I’ve horded for over the last 19 months  😉

 

My favorite page of all time?  My Favorite Things, of course!

Thank you to everyone who follows along, comments, lurks, etc.!  Having friends out there to share this stuff with makes my blogging life a lot of fun!  I really enjoy the interaction and the close friendships I’ve made with so many of you  🙂