https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 25 Apr 2026 02:15:49 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1191463 Fri, 01 Nov 2013 16:38:09 +0000 BSB 1191463@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: Oh, no. It's okay. I wasn't directing this towards you. I've just seen friends (jokingly) comment on the amount of attention my dog gets and I smile and think to myself (you have no idea that I can't get pregnant). </p> <p>So no, I wasn't offended. Oh, and I completely understand that feeling of not feeling like you have a family because you don't have children. There have been moments where I felt like my furbabies wasn't enough. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1187565 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:11:31 +0000 mrsmate 1187565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are an IF success family that sends LO-only holiday cards. It is a miracle I manage to get these cards out at all; if I had to wrangle everybody into an acceptable group shot, there would be no cards. No one wants to look at me and DH's ugly mugs anyway :wink: </p> <p>I guess bc we were the ones going thru IF, it never occurred to us that they might be hurtful in some way to others, nor were we hurt to receive other people's cards when we were TTC. IF sucks but life has a funny way of going on. Holiday cards are really so trivial in the grand scheme of things. @Mrs. Polish: Pls send out the card you'd like and share your joy with your loved ones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1187283 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 07:55:51 +0000 sweetooth 1187283@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: I think it's very sweet of you to consider this level of detail. I remember getting holiday cards two years ago with new announcements of babies on the way and it was really hard to handle.</p> <p>I agree with @bluestriped bee about the group shots. Sending a family picture seems like it really is a celebration of the good things in life. I prefer seeing everyone instead of just a picture of a kid or a dog. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1187249 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 07:43:45 +0000 Mrs. Polish 1187249@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: I didn't mean to imply that a family was only a family if there were children. I'm sorry it came across that way.</p> <p>@Mrs. Pinata: I agree with you.</p> <p>Thanks for the responses ladies. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1186562 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 20:20:50 +0000 Mrs. Pinata 1186562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Photos with babies CAN be hard to see, but people will be celebrating with you no matter what knowing what you've been through. </p> <p>To me, the worst are Christmas cards that include yet-to-be born babies, like ultrasound photos or otherwise making your pregnancy announcements on a Christmas card. I honestly think that whether people have IF or not, it's in bad taste, but that's just me. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1186445 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 19:49:36 +0000 kentuckygirl 1186445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also would agree to send a photo card, if that is what you want and was your first instinct. While I also had sadness about not having our own child, I loved getting photo cards! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1186409 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 19:41:45 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1186409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you can also make it very family focused rather then focused too much on the kid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184984 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:11:03 +0000 marionberry 1184984@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I plan to send out a card of either our family or just a pic of J this holiday season. While it might've made me feel sad at the time, I would have never expected anyone not to send a Christmas card with their lo's photo on it. I think it's something we all look forward to during IF. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184960 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:07:09 +0000 BSB 1184960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sent family photo cards of me, the DH and my dog. I have a family, too! It might be without kids, right now, but I can still celebrate the holidays. </p> <p>I prefer grouped shots, rather than pictures with just the child. I know some parents don't want to be in the picture but it's easier for me emotionally to see a family photo versus lots of pictures of the same LO. It's less 'I have a child' centric when you include yourself in the photo. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184345 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 10:33:41 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1184345@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I will totally send family photo cards. Maybe it bothered me before...just as everything involving kids did. I agree with Looch that I love getting them and was maybe jealous, but not upset. But I think photo cards are a great part of Christmas and I'm glad that I can send them with all of us now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184318 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 10:25:45 +0000 looch 1184318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never thought about this before, in all honesty. I have been recieveing cards with my friend's kids on them for years, even in my single and childless days I wasn't sad about it...jealous yes, but I still loved to get them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184306 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 10:23:41 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 1184306@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you have to be you and real. I think everyone woul want to celebrate your joy with you, even those struggling with IF! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184216 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 10:00:18 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 1184216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would do one. We plan to do some this year using. Even though it made me a little sad, I never resented my friends for having kids or anything and enjoyed seeing the pictures of their LOs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184202 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:56:16 +0000 mrs. bird 1184202@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i'm not a IF success story yet, sometimes i get a little weepy because i'm envious of those taking part in family traditions- such as christmas pics for cards, but they give me something to look forward to. your card is about sharing your joy, you have so much to be joyous about with your LO, there's no reason you shouldn't share that joy on your holiday card. if someone else is gong through a hard time and wants to hold off on opening it, that's up to them. i love the idea that you struggled during the holidays, but now it's your turn to take part in all those holiday traditions! that card would be filled with optimism, not sadness or envy. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184180 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:51:28 +0000 Shutterbug 1184180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've never been sad to get photo cards of the littles in my family/friends. If I were your IRL friend I'd be disappointed if I didn't get a picture of your little dude at Christmas! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184138 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:44:21 +0000 pui 1184138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It makes me tear up when I receive Christmas cards of other's children, but I still appreciate getting the cards and I certainly don't think they shouldn't send them. I think you should definitely send a photo card!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184095 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:34:04 +0000 twodoghouse 1184095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Photo cards with other people's kids have never bothered me. I love seeing the pics of the kids in our life growing up, even when we were struggling with IF. </p> <p>We usually send photo cards of us with the dogs. Since we lost one of our dogs this year and I'm looking a little wide around the middle these days, we might just send a non-photo card this year. I think if your first instinct is to send a photo card, you should totally embrace it and show off adorable baby Polish! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184072 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:29:48 +0000 Mamaof2 1184072@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>While dealing with IF Christmas cards of cute little ones did tear me up some but I still enjoyed getting them. And once I had my own baby I couldn't wait to put his sweet face on one! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184067 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:28:57 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1184067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with Mrs. train! I've always enjoyed getting holiday photo cards. We also send photo cards. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184061 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:26:55 +0000 Mrs. Train 1184061@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do send a family picture photo card. Even when I was struggling with IF I still loved getting people photo cards, I loved seeing their kids grow. It did sometimes make me feel a little sad, especially since Christmas while longing for a child can be and was so difficult but I never felt like people shouldn't send me their cards or do picture cards. I say do it and rejoice in your family's first Christmas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/q-for-if-success-families#post-1184042 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:22:34 +0000 Mrs. Polish 1184042@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have always gotten Christmas cards with family photos on them, and some with just children. They always hurt me to open because we were never able to send those. </p> <p>Now that we've adopted, my first instinct was do a family photo, send a card to everyone in the world.</p> <p>Upon further thought, I don't know if I want to do that. Knowing how much it hurt me, I don't want to do that to someone else.</p> <p>How do you approach Christmas cards? Do you feel differently since IF? </p>