It is my pleasure to
introduce to you our guest blogger: Angela Jolley.
Angela and I know
one another through high school. While we weren't in the same 'circle' back
then, we are now a part of the Working Mom's Club. She is a business
owner, Mother of a two-year-old with another sweetie on the way. She is
going to share with you her experience with infertility as well as her business
and Mommy-must-haves! Please be sure to visit Dulce Designs Candy
FAMILY
KC&MO: Tell us
about yourself and your family!
Angela: My husband and I met while I was in college at Eastern Kentucky
University. He was graduated but came
back to visit his fraternity brothers during a formal. We became instant
friends for years and once I graduated and moved back to Cincinnati, where he
was living, we immediately started dating. I know it is cliché to say but he is
100% my best friend and is one of the funniest people I have ever met. He is
the hardest working person, and because of that I am able to stay home with our
son while running my own business. I am
blessed to have him for a husband. Together we have a 2 year old son named
Nolan. Nolan is hilarious, assertive, extremely active, kind, polite and very
bossy at times. We are also expecting our second son, Grayson, in March!
KC&MO:How will
baby number two change things for you? How is it different from preparing for
your first?
Angela: Life is going to get so much crazier but a lot more fun too. I think
having two of the same gender really helps in preparing for their arrival, we
already have almost everything we need. With the second pregnancy I am much
more relaxed and not as nervous as I was the first time around. I think
our biggest obstacle will be starting over with the newborn stage after having
a toddler that can do a lot on his own. I am having a C-section again with
our second and I am nervous about the recovery of that while trying to care for
a newborn and toddler. I know there are a lot of challenges with having a
toddler and a newborn but I will survive with the help of my family, friends
and some wine!
KC&MO: What
are you most excited about with your growing family?
Angela: I am so excited to give my son a brother/sibling/best friend
and at times worst enemy. More than anything I am beyond
blessed to be pregnant again after at one time being told I would probably
never have children. I will admit, I am the WORST pregnant person ever…just ask
my loved ones!
TACKLING INFERTILITY
KC&MO: What can
you share with moms who struggle with infertility? What's your story?
Angela: To be honest, I never really paid much attention to infertility until it
became a large part of my life about four years ago. It was then that I found
out really how common it is, and I am noticing it especially with a lot of
people my age. We tried on our own to get pregnant for almost 9 months with no
luck, I know they say to wait a full year before seeing a specialist but I just
knew something what wrong so my doctor had Adam and I go in for a couple of
tests. Adam had to do a sperm analysis where they found out he has perfect
“super swimmers” so we knew the issue was with me. With him cleared, it was my
turn. The first test was a Hysterosalpingogram or better known as the
dye test where they test the condition of your fallopian tubes. It was after
this test that they discovered I had endometriosis and it was so severe that I
had only one working fallopian tube. After further testing they also found that
I had low ovarian reserve…meaning that I had a lower egg count and the eggs I had
were not of great quality.
With that knowledge we started
fertility treatments at the Institute of Reproductive Health under Dr. Scheiber.
It was here that we underwent a total of 6 artificial inseminations (iui’s)
before we decided to move onto in-vitro fertilization (ivf). None of these
fertility treatments were a walk in the park and all included a series of
medicine…especially the ivf’s where I was giving myself up to 4 injections a
day in my stomach. I was moody, tired, and emotional while starting to put on
weight from all of the medicine…top that off with negative pregnancy tests
monthly and I was starting to also get very depressed. We ended up doing 2
ivf’s both of which I never made it past egg retrieval because my egg quality
was so bad that no eggs fertilized. The next day after our second IVF retrieval
I received a phone call from the IVF nurse letting me know that nothing took
and that we could not move on with the second part of the procedure was one of
the darkest days of my life. I remember Adam coming home from work immediately and just lying in bed with me, holding me while I sobbed. Fast forward a few weeks and in that time we
had decided to look into egg donation as well as adoption. It was during this
time that I went off all fertility medicine and started acupuncture with the
amazing Carole Paine. I was eating organic and doing yoga and praying more than
I ever had in my entire life. I noticed my period was a little late and my
lower back was aching which I thought was so odd. Just for the heck of it I
took a pregnancy test and imagine my total shock when I saw those 2 pink lines.
I took three more tests that day just to make sure. Our first son, Nolan is a true miracle baby
and it is never lost on us how much we went through to get him!
KC&MO: What is
your message to women who are struggling with infertility?
Angela: That you are not alone, infertility is actually really common and does not
define you as a person. I love that it
is being talked about more and more in media, blog pages etc. If you do have or
have had any sort of infertility do not feel like you have to hide your
feelings. It’s ok to be sad some days!
Once I became pregnant and was so sick with constant morning
sickness I felt like I could never complain or ask for help because that is
what I so desperately wanted and prayed for…what I want to tell people is it is
ok to be honest about how you are feeling. You don’t have to love being
pregnant every second of the 9 months; you are not ungrateful for feeling that
way.
KC&MO: What got
you through the tough days of infertility?
Angela: Talking about it with my loved ones while also going to a counselor and of
course praying…lots and lots of praying. I think it is so important to have a
strong support system in life, people you know you can really count on to get
you through your darkest days and those who also rejoice with you in your
happiest. I felt so surrounded by love
from my friends and family. I was not always very open about our infertility but as soon
as I was able to open up and talk about it, the better I felt. The biggest eye
opener for me was learning I was not alone; that infertility is very common!
KC&MO: Did the
infertility cause any stress to your marriage? How did you and your husband
stay close and connected?
Angela: The weird thing is it brought us closer than ever. Nobody knew better than him what loss and
heartbreak we were experiencing. I was never alone; he was with me every step
of the way. At first, I felt guilty for
not being able to have children, like it was my fault because the infertility
was with me. When we got married we had these dreams to start a family and I
felt like I was to blame for not being able to fulfill that dream for us. He
constantly reminded me that I was not alone, we did the infertility shots
together and he would listen to me when I needed it and hold me when I had
nothing to say. For that I am forever
grateful!
WORKING AND BEING A MOM
KC&MO: Tell us
more about Dulce Designs Candy! How did you begin? Where did the idea come from?
Angela: Dulce Designs is a DIY candy/popcorn buffet company helping
you create artful events and stylish celebrations without breaking the bank!
Growing up as a child and even now as
an adult, I have always had the biggest love for anything sweet (especially
chewy candy!). As I was planning my own wedding, I wanted to incorporate my
love for candy and desserts. After talking with dozens of favor and
dessert providers, I decided to design my own candy buffet for all my guests to
enjoy. My passion for design and addiction to sweets was the perfect combination
needed to plan a yummy dessert table.
I remember on our wedding night
cleaning up my candy buffet in my wedding dress and thinking, “There should be
a company that takes care of all of this for brides!” and thus the idea for
Dulce Designs really came to life. It has been 5 years now and I thoroughly
love what I do. I love setting my own schedule, I enjoy that it allows me to be
creative; I have met some of the most amazing people…but most of all I love
that working from home allows me to be home with my son (soon to be son’s)!
KC&MO: How do
you possibly work from home and take care of a little one all while
being pregnant with baby number two?
Angela: The key for me is organization and not being afraid to ask for help from
family members when I need it. When I have a large event on any particular week
then it is not uncommon for our house to turn into a candy shop and for our
mom’s to be over offering a helping hand. I have to keep my little guy active
so I try to plan fun activities for him weekly. Pre-school has also been a
saving grace lately…he loves the kids and it gives me some quiet time to work
or rest. Nolan being happy and well
taken care of allows me to be able to get what I need done for work smoothly,
without distractions.
KC&MO: What is
the key to your success at your business?
Angela: Changing with the times and staying relevant with what is popular now. The
wedding and party industry is constantly changing and I need to stay current
with that to keep new clients coming in. Pinterest is a big help to me in that
department!
KC&MO: How do
you keep organized?
Angela: I believe you can never have too many lists; I literally have reminders
and lists for me all over the place.
KC&MO: What is
your mom must have?
Angela: It is not really a tangible item…naps and schedules are my mommy must
have. I know they are not for everyone
but they are very important to us in the Jolley house. It keeps mommy sane and
our little boy happy and smiling (when he is not throwing the occasional two year
old tantrum)! I really look forward to spending time with my husband at the end
of the day, just unwinding and talking
about all the fun things Nolan did or said that day and watching anything
besides Disney…being on a schedule and having a bedtime for our little one
allows us to spend that much needed alone time together.
KC&MO: What do
you do to treat yourself?
Angela: I LOVE to read books, it is my ultimate escape! I also really enjoy
getting manicures…I feel like if my nails are painted I am more put together,
even in my daily sweats and pony tails!
KC&MO: Can you
share your website/Facebook page with readers?
Thank you, Angela for being
so candid about what it’s like to be a Mom.
Your strength as a woman is amazing. Your drive to be a creative success
is admirable! Thank you for being an inspiration
to us Moms!
Keep Calm and Mommy On!
Xoxoxo
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