I don't often pay attention to expiration dates. In our apartment, milk and other dairy products are consumable until they develop a funky odor.

However, I couldn't help but feel a pang of bitter disappointment when I noticed the expiration date of a few items in our possession.

Like the stack of half-a-dozen pregnancy tests, purchased in more hopeful times, that expire within the next several months. Or the completely full, giant bottle of prenatal vitamins that expires at the end of the year.

It's crushing because those dates serve as a reminder of just how long we've been trying to have a baby. Unsuccessfully, obviously. And even though it's been more than two years, there's no telling how long it'll take to finally start our family. I suppose however long it takes to save up for IVF, which is what we'll most likely need to conceive.