Wednesday I underwent a hysterscopy to remove a polyp. The surgery went well and the polyp was removed. It was large enough to require the RE to cut it in half to get rid of the polyp and I now have a balloon catheter in my uterus until Monday. The RE spoke to J after the surgery while I was sleeping off the anesthesia in recovery. He told him he definitely felt like this polyp was having an adverse affect on conceiving. Basically the polyp was pushing/hanging down from the top of my uterus and essentially blocking my tubes. Now the HSG or dye test did not show a typical blockage in my tubes and the dye spilled over as it should. However, the polyp was preventing the egg from leaving the tube and adhering to the wall of my uterus. So we pray this is our last obstacle but who knows. I will find out more information on Monday.
The pain was more unbearable than the D&C of June and I ended up taking the additional 2 days of rest as recommended by the doctor. My stubborn ass went to work on Thursday but left after a couple of hours. The pain meds really helped this time.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
One year anniversary
Monday the 27th is the one year anniversary of when we started our kitchen demolition/renovation project. We lived without a kitchen for 4 months! It was a PITA but I'm so happy with the end result.
We have been living with the exposed sub-floor since then because Jason and I were unable to decide on flooring. We both wanted tile but were unable to find anything either of us really liked. Next I wanted hardwood, then I wanted cork but Jason did not like the samples we found, then I went back to hardwood to match the rest of the house, and then finally we moved back to tile.
Last Friday on my way home I heard an ad for a flooring warehouse. It was not the first time I heard the ad but for whatever reason it stuck in my brain this time. Saturday morning I was telling Jason about it and I looked up the website. We read the directions and drove out to have a look-see. Well lo and behold we found a tile option. We purchased a 12x12 and a 20x20 sample. We brought them home, laid the two tiles on various sections of the kitchen floor, walked around, played with the lighting and it's now snowing in Hell because we both agreed we loved the tile! We hightailed it back to the warehouse before they closed and purchased 6 boxes of our new flooring tile.
So this weekend we will be installing our new floor! Our kitchen renovation is nearing completion! The only items left are deciding on(HA!) door/drawer pulls, over & under cabinet lighting, a backsplash, purchasing an over the range microwave, and finally a new window. The microwave is not a necessity as our old counter model works fine. The backsplash we like is pricey and not a necessity at this time. The window is a long way off as we need new windows in every room except our bedroom and bathrooms. 50+ year old windows = drafty.
Stay tuned for photos.
We have been living with the exposed sub-floor since then because Jason and I were unable to decide on flooring. We both wanted tile but were unable to find anything either of us really liked. Next I wanted hardwood, then I wanted cork but Jason did not like the samples we found, then I went back to hardwood to match the rest of the house, and then finally we moved back to tile.
Last Friday on my way home I heard an ad for a flooring warehouse. It was not the first time I heard the ad but for whatever reason it stuck in my brain this time. Saturday morning I was telling Jason about it and I looked up the website. We read the directions and drove out to have a look-see. Well lo and behold we found a tile option. We purchased a 12x12 and a 20x20 sample. We brought them home, laid the two tiles on various sections of the kitchen floor, walked around, played with the lighting and it's now snowing in Hell because we both agreed we loved the tile! We hightailed it back to the warehouse before they closed and purchased 6 boxes of our new flooring tile.
So this weekend we will be installing our new floor! Our kitchen renovation is nearing completion! The only items left are deciding on(HA!) door/drawer pulls, over & under cabinet lighting, a backsplash, purchasing an over the range microwave, and finally a new window. The microwave is not a necessity as our old counter model works fine. The backsplash we like is pricey and not a necessity at this time. The window is a long way off as we need new windows in every room except our bedroom and bathrooms. 50+ year old windows = drafty.
Stay tuned for photos.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Dave Ramsey
J and I are enrolled in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at the beginning of September. In May I bought his book, Total Money Makeover and we implemented the first two baby steps. We are currently in the middle of working Baby Step 2, the debt snowball. As he said we finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired. I know a lot of people pooh-pooh his ideas but he makes sense to J and I and we are already making huge strides towards a debt free life. In fact we no longer have any credit card debt or credit cards. It's a wonderful feeling.
Dave posted his Common Sense Fix for our economy on his website and it makes sense to me. I'm not a financial guru, however, so there may be flaws. Given the current panic in the financial sector maybe a little common sense will go a long way towards our economic recovery.
http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/the_common_sense_fix.pdf
Dave posted his Common Sense Fix for our economy on his website and it makes sense to me. I'm not a financial guru, however, so there may be flaws. Given the current panic in the financial sector maybe a little common sense will go a long way towards our economic recovery.
http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/the_common_sense_fix.pdf
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
A funny thing happened at the gas station
Last night I HAD to stop at Tar-J to buy the Sex and The City movie. I also picked up some more pregnancy tests to have on hand for next cycle. Anyway, as I was cruising around I noticed the Mapco had gas....regular unleaded....AND there was no line! So I whipped into the station and filled my tank. As I'm standing at the pump I hear a faint, "Excuse me."
Me: "Yes?"
Him: "Hi, gay man here. I love your top. Where did you get it? How much was it?"
Me: "Thank you. I bought it at Target...oh months ago. I think I paid $15 or $16."
Him: Oh. Well it looks great on you, shows off all of your curves in all the right places and the color is fantastic!"
Me: Well thank you very much.
And off he goes. I had to smile to myself and it definitely gave me an ego boost. Compliments from gay men are awesome. It's been awhile since I've had one. I'm still smilling about it today. So thank you unknown gay guy for brightening my evening and now my morning too.
And yes I did watch the movie last night and yes I started crying at the opening credits. J had a friend over so I had to keep my sobbing to an approriate level. J watched the first 15 minutes or so and the last 15 minutes or so. I told him he missed all the good stuff so we'll have to watch it again...soon.
Me: "Yes?"
Him: "Hi, gay man here. I love your top. Where did you get it? How much was it?"
Me: "Thank you. I bought it at Target...oh months ago. I think I paid $15 or $16."
Him: Oh. Well it looks great on you, shows off all of your curves in all the right places and the color is fantastic!"
Me: Well thank you very much.
And off he goes. I had to smile to myself and it definitely gave me an ego boost. Compliments from gay men are awesome. It's been awhile since I've had one. I'm still smilling about it today. So thank you unknown gay guy for brightening my evening and now my morning too.
And yes I did watch the movie last night and yes I started crying at the opening credits. J had a friend over so I had to keep my sobbing to an approriate level. J watched the first 15 minutes or so and the last 15 minutes or so. I told him he missed all the good stuff so we'll have to watch it again...soon.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Beautiful floors
I mentioned last month that we decided at the spur of the moment to have our hardwood floors refinished. Our contractor did an amazing job! I love my floors. Our animals do as well. A few photos to give you an idea of the really bad state of our floors prior to refinishing. After much debating on a stain we decided to just clear coat the floors and bring out their natural beauty and color.
Infertility Update
Our appointment with Dr. Hill at Nashville Fertility Center was this past Tuesday. It went well. He's very nice, soft-spoken and he seems very determined. We went through our history and he discussed everything with both J and I. I had another vaginal ultrasound. I have a cyst...most likely from the Clomid and of course that polyp is still there. Dr. Hill examined me. Poor J-I think he was traumatized. He sat in the examination room with me the whole time so he saw my uterus and ovaries on TV.
We sat back down with Dr. Hill after my exam to discuss what the tech found on the u/s. I have either a uterine septum(I think this is the proper terminology) or something else which I have completely forgot the term but it is a deformity of my uterus or a uterine anomaly. That may pose a problem. Dr. Hill confirmed the cyst and the polyp. On CD1 I have to call to schedule another HSG. Dr. Hill mentioned doing a hysteroscopy and laproscopy. He wants to move quickly on these procedures so we can move forward and he can see what we are dealing with, especially in regards to my uterus. I spoke to him about Clomid and he wants to try a Clomid challenge which will involve a lot more monitoring than I just had or had in the past. It will also involve an HCG trigger and an IUI. Unfortunately, Sally did not send my records over in time so things may change a bit once he sees those results.
J and I went ahead and had the blood test to determine if we are CF(cystic fibrosis) carriers. J kind of balked at this but I pushed him to say yes. The man hates needles with a passion. I just reminded him that one little prick is nothing compared to how many times I've been poked and prodded thus far and what is still to come.
I told Dr. Hill about not being told I was not a good candidate for IVF and he said he doesn't think that is the case but he needs to review my records from Sally first. However he did say we may be closer to IVF due to my age. He doesn't want to wait and he said he will do everything in his power to help us and that he does not give up easily.It was a pretty good visit so I'm happy. I think J is scared of all of this. We didn't really have a chance to talk about it afterwards as he had to get back to the office.
We sat back down with Dr. Hill after my exam to discuss what the tech found on the u/s. I have either a uterine septum(I think this is the proper terminology) or something else which I have completely forgot the term but it is a deformity of my uterus or a uterine anomaly. That may pose a problem. Dr. Hill confirmed the cyst and the polyp. On CD1 I have to call to schedule another HSG. Dr. Hill mentioned doing a hysteroscopy and laproscopy. He wants to move quickly on these procedures so we can move forward and he can see what we are dealing with, especially in regards to my uterus. I spoke to him about Clomid and he wants to try a Clomid challenge which will involve a lot more monitoring than I just had or had in the past. It will also involve an HCG trigger and an IUI. Unfortunately, Sally did not send my records over in time so things may change a bit once he sees those results.
J and I went ahead and had the blood test to determine if we are CF(cystic fibrosis) carriers. J kind of balked at this but I pushed him to say yes. The man hates needles with a passion. I just reminded him that one little prick is nothing compared to how many times I've been poked and prodded thus far and what is still to come.
I told Dr. Hill about not being told I was not a good candidate for IVF and he said he doesn't think that is the case but he needs to review my records from Sally first. However he did say we may be closer to IVF due to my age. He doesn't want to wait and he said he will do everything in his power to help us and that he does not give up easily.It was a pretty good visit so I'm happy. I think J is scared of all of this. We didn't really have a chance to talk about it afterwards as he had to get back to the office.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The latest in bullets
~We met with a contractor last night regarding our hardwood floors. He offered us an AMAZING deal to refinish the floors if we wanted to start Friday so we agreed. Last night we had a frantic pack em up and move them out and proceeded to pretty much empty out the rooms with hardwood. Sadly or perhaps to our benefit everything will fit in our family room. I'm so glad we don't buy a lot of "stuff." We managed to pack and move everything except our bedroom last night in 3 hours
~Nothing new on the baby front. I am blissfully late but not pregnant. Why blissful? Because of my May superstition I did not want to conceive in August and deliver a May baby. So I'm just letting nature do it's thing and if AF has not arrived by next weekend I'll start taking the meds to induce AF and then we can get back on track with doctor visits and sex.
~This weekend, courtesy of a work event I will finally step foot in 3 Nashville landmarks: The Parthenon, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman Auditorium(original).
I thought I had more but can't think of anything else to say at the moment.
~Nothing new on the baby front. I am blissfully late but not pregnant. Why blissful? Because of my May superstition I did not want to conceive in August and deliver a May baby. So I'm just letting nature do it's thing and if AF has not arrived by next weekend I'll start taking the meds to induce AF and then we can get back on track with doctor visits and sex.
~This weekend, courtesy of a work event I will finally step foot in 3 Nashville landmarks: The Parthenon, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman Auditorium(original).
I thought I had more but can't think of anything else to say at the moment.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Ultrasound results
To put it succinctly, they sucked.....at first. The U/S tech looked using both the dildo cam and looked externally. My ovaries were not getting any action....at all. Not one little follicle to be found and we were hoping or BIG ONES!
I take my depressed ass along with the results to Sally's office. She takes a look and asks me if I ovulated yesterday. I told her I have no idea as I stopped monitoring. I have not taken a temp, checked cervical position, cervical mucous or peed on a stick. Actually I peed on one stick. I'm almost out of test sticks for the clearblue easy fertility monitor and you are not supposed to mix test sticks from different boxes. I haven't had an opportunity to go to Wal-Greens for more so I kept putting off testing. On Monday I said screw it and tested which was CD 13-kind of late to be starting. I forgot to pee on a stick every morning since then. Then she asks if we've had sex recently to which I replied yes.
She proceeds to tell me that after ovulation she expects the endometrium...the lining of your uterus which needs to be thick to sustain a new little zygote...to measure at 8.0 mm. Mine is 9.0mm. Based on that Sally thinks I may ovulated a little earlier this month so probably sometime between Monday and Wednesday.
I am to take a pregnancy test on August 7th if I do not have my period yet. If it is negative than I've had yet another annovulatory cycle. Wish us luck.
I take my depressed ass along with the results to Sally's office. She takes a look and asks me if I ovulated yesterday. I told her I have no idea as I stopped monitoring. I have not taken a temp, checked cervical position, cervical mucous or peed on a stick. Actually I peed on one stick. I'm almost out of test sticks for the clearblue easy fertility monitor and you are not supposed to mix test sticks from different boxes. I haven't had an opportunity to go to Wal-Greens for more so I kept putting off testing. On Monday I said screw it and tested which was CD 13-kind of late to be starting. I forgot to pee on a stick every morning since then. Then she asks if we've had sex recently to which I replied yes.
She proceeds to tell me that after ovulation she expects the endometrium...the lining of your uterus which needs to be thick to sustain a new little zygote...to measure at 8.0 mm. Mine is 9.0mm. Based on that Sally thinks I may ovulated a little earlier this month so probably sometime between Monday and Wednesday.
I am to take a pregnancy test on August 7th if I do not have my period yet. If it is negative than I've had yet another annovulatory cycle. Wish us luck.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Ultrasound & updates
I have an ultrasound scheduled for Thursday to determine follicle growth/maturity. I am praying for good news as we leave for Mexico this Saturday so this will be our only chance to monitor this month.
We spent the 4th in Jacksonville Beach with our friend Craig aka Dupree. We had a great time and are trying to figure out when we can go back. Lucky bastard lives smack dab on the beach! Life really is a beach for Craig.
We've added a screened gazebo to our deck so we can enjoy our deck more in the summer months without being eaten alive by mosquitos. It's working well so far although I still get bites walking to and fro. We purchased the floor model as the gazebo was out of stock but putting the gazebo back together Saturday was easy and relatively quick. One benefit of buying the floor model...you have a better mental picture of how it all fits together.
Nashville is officially suffering from extremely hot and humid weather. I think it was 103 yesterday! The dog days of summer have arrived. I think our weekends from here on out will be spent in my in-laws pool.
We spent the 4th in Jacksonville Beach with our friend Craig aka Dupree. We had a great time and are trying to figure out when we can go back. Lucky bastard lives smack dab on the beach! Life really is a beach for Craig.
We've added a screened gazebo to our deck so we can enjoy our deck more in the summer months without being eaten alive by mosquitos. It's working well so far although I still get bites walking to and fro. We purchased the floor model as the gazebo was out of stock but putting the gazebo back together Saturday was easy and relatively quick. One benefit of buying the floor model...you have a better mental picture of how it all fits together.
Nashville is officially suffering from extremely hot and humid weather. I think it was 103 yesterday! The dog days of summer have arrived. I think our weekends from here on out will be spent in my in-laws pool.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The 4th
Today is my Friday as we leave for Florida tomorrow! Four glorious days of sun, fun, and relaxation I hope!
Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
My Bucket List
Jason and I watched this movie last night. We were both sniffling by the end. Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson were great together. Afterwards of course we talked about making our own bucket lists. I asked Jason what he would put on his and he could not think of anything off the top of his head (but I knew something he would want and it was in the movie) and I already had a list of about 25 things. He looked at me and said, “I know, all of yours revolve around traveling.” Well most but not all. I’ve already knocked a few off my list so I won’t list those now.
The 1st 25 of my bucket list:
1. Be a mom. Whether this happens through my birthing a child of my own, a donor egg or adoption I want to be a mom before I die.
2. Travel to Italy
3. Sail the Greek Isles stopping in Athens to walk around the Acropolis
4. Hike the Grand Canyon
5. Tour Napa Valley and visit the Silver Oak vineyard for my favorite cabernet.
6. See a glacier up close and personal before global warming takes them all away
7. Convert my home to use as many green resources as possible
8. Watch my nieces graduate high school, college, dance at their wedding, see the birth of their children
9. Travel with my sister
10. See a Broadway show actually on Broadway
11. Kiss my husband at the top of the Empire State Building
12. Gaze upon the statues of Easter Island
13. Travel the West Counties of Ireland and stay at quaint little B&Bs
14. Find a creative hobby I am good at and attack it with gusto
15. Turn my thumb green. I’m really bad with plants so if I could plant something and have it live longer than a few months I would be so happy.
16. Learn how to change a tire
17. Lose this excess weight I’m carrying and keep it off for good.
18. Run a 5k
19. Learn to find my inner peace especially when the world around me is so crazy
20. Develop my relationship with God.
21. Dance around the gazebo from the Sound of Music in Austria.
22. Take a dance class, not ballroom dancing but hip hop or belly dancing.
23. Travel to Hawaii
24. Take an entire summer and drive across the US
25. Travel in a hot air balloon
26. Swim with the dolphins
27. Find a really cool piece of sea glass on the beach
28. Share the city of Charleston, SC with my husband
29. Pay off all of our debt including our house!
30. Hold my breath for longer than a minute
The 1st 25 of my bucket list:
1. Be a mom. Whether this happens through my birthing a child of my own, a donor egg or adoption I want to be a mom before I die.
2. Travel to Italy
3. Sail the Greek Isles stopping in Athens to walk around the Acropolis
4. Hike the Grand Canyon
5. Tour Napa Valley and visit the Silver Oak vineyard for my favorite cabernet.
6. See a glacier up close and personal before global warming takes them all away
7. Convert my home to use as many green resources as possible
8. Watch my nieces graduate high school, college, dance at their wedding, see the birth of their children
9. Travel with my sister
10. See a Broadway show actually on Broadway
11. Kiss my husband at the top of the Empire State Building
12. Gaze upon the statues of Easter Island
13. Travel the West Counties of Ireland and stay at quaint little B&Bs
14. Find a creative hobby I am good at and attack it with gusto
15. Turn my thumb green. I’m really bad with plants so if I could plant something and have it live longer than a few months I would be so happy.
16. Learn how to change a tire
17. Lose this excess weight I’m carrying and keep it off for good.
18. Run a 5k
19. Learn to find my inner peace especially when the world around me is so crazy
20. Develop my relationship with God.
21. Dance around the gazebo from the Sound of Music in Austria.
22. Take a dance class, not ballroom dancing but hip hop or belly dancing.
23. Travel to Hawaii
24. Take an entire summer and drive across the US
25. Travel in a hot air balloon
26. Swim with the dolphins
27. Find a really cool piece of sea glass on the beach
28. Share the city of Charleston, SC with my husband
29. Pay off all of our debt including our house!
30. Hold my breath for longer than a minute
Decks, pets, and acupuncture
J has finished our deck. Ok, not really finished but the floor is down so we can actually walk across the deck. Railings will come later as we want those lovely PVC white railings & posts and they are not cheap. Luckily our deck is only about 3 feet above the ground at its highest point. As we have no children yet and we do not throw wild, drunk, crazy parties I don’t think we need to be too concerned with anyone falling off the back and suffering serious injury.
As the deck is now complete we were also able to put together the canopy we purchased at Lowes before we even began building the deck. It was a PITA to assemble. Jason was so frustrated at one point he decided to try out for the Olympic javelin team as he tossed a pole across our backyard. His form needs some work. In moments like this I leave him alone because not only will I make the situation worse but he always finds a solution once he lets go of his frustration.
We rearranged the canopy a couple of times to determine the best location. I will need to make some outdoor curtains to cover the sides as we get the hot afternoon sun back there but by doing so we also may be able to combat (HA) the mosquitoes.
We also decided to spoil our pets a bit last week. Teddy loves his face scratched and will drive you nuts rubbing his face against your hands, your legs, your feet, your pen, the laptop, the speakers, envelope corners, the corrners of boxes etc. We were not positive he would like or even use the brush bristle scratchers they sell at Petsmart but we took a chance. He went crazy. I think the picture below perfectly captures his kitty orgasm as he rubbed his chin and cheeks on the brush.
We also bought Shadow a bed of his very own. He's not allowed in our bed because we would wake up looking like him....covered in black fur. He's a massive shedder. During his May grooming appointment we made the decision to shave his fur as short as possible. We figured out he was getting cold at night post shave because he started sleeping on a stack of blankets I had in the corner of our bedroom. We figured he would like a bed of his own. He loves his new bed. He went nuts over it when we brought it in the house and told him it was his very own bed. He rolled all over it making it his own and more than likely removing the smell of other dogs who sniffed or laid on the bed prior to our purchase.
I had my acupuncture consultation last evening. It went well. The doctor(I'm not sure if I call him doctor or not), measured my meridian channels and determined I was a good candidate for acupuncture. I asked him if our sessions would not only help my fertility but also my migraines and gastrointestinal issues and he said yes. I'm very happy about that. Jason said he would be ecstatic if the acupuncture would keep me from puking when I eat certain foods. I know he would love to introduce pizza back into our life. At the moment the only pizza I thought I could tolerate was CA Pizza Kitchen BBQ chicken pizza but I had a puking session the other week after eating that so I guess that one is off the menu for now as well.
I had to recall moments of bodily trauma which was difficult. I was a tomboy growing up so I can't tell you how many times I sprained an ankle, fell out of tree, wrecked my bike etc. I tried to recall a few of the more significant traumas such as falling off the uneven bars when I was four and smacking my noggin, or the cheerleading incident in which the basket toss went wrong and I ended up splayed out face first on a hard cement floor, or playing Dodge Ball in middle school when Dwayne Moses threw the ball directly at my stomach hard enough to knock the wind out of me and make me spin around before falling on the floor. If Dwayne Moses is the reason I can't have a baby I'm going to spit nails!
Needless to say I guess I'll be taking a loan out against our unborn child's college fund to pay for 3-4 acupuncture sessions a week for the next month.
As the deck is now complete we were also able to put together the canopy we purchased at Lowes before we even began building the deck. It was a PITA to assemble. Jason was so frustrated at one point he decided to try out for the Olympic javelin team as he tossed a pole across our backyard. His form needs some work. In moments like this I leave him alone because not only will I make the situation worse but he always finds a solution once he lets go of his frustration.
We rearranged the canopy a couple of times to determine the best location. I will need to make some outdoor curtains to cover the sides as we get the hot afternoon sun back there but by doing so we also may be able to combat (HA) the mosquitoes.
We also decided to spoil our pets a bit last week. Teddy loves his face scratched and will drive you nuts rubbing his face against your hands, your legs, your feet, your pen, the laptop, the speakers, envelope corners, the corrners of boxes etc. We were not positive he would like or even use the brush bristle scratchers they sell at Petsmart but we took a chance. He went crazy. I think the picture below perfectly captures his kitty orgasm as he rubbed his chin and cheeks on the brush. 
We also bought Shadow a bed of his very own. He's not allowed in our bed because we would wake up looking like him....covered in black fur. He's a massive shedder. During his May grooming appointment we made the decision to shave his fur as short as possible. We figured out he was getting cold at night post shave because he started sleeping on a stack of blankets I had in the corner of our bedroom. We figured he would like a bed of his own. He loves his new bed. He went nuts over it when we brought it in the house and told him it was his very own bed. He rolled all over it making it his own and more than likely removing the smell of other dogs who sniffed or laid on the bed prior to our purchase.
I had my acupuncture consultation last evening. It went well. The doctor(I'm not sure if I call him doctor or not), measured my meridian channels and determined I was a good candidate for acupuncture. I asked him if our sessions would not only help my fertility but also my migraines and gastrointestinal issues and he said yes. I'm very happy about that. Jason said he would be ecstatic if the acupuncture would keep me from puking when I eat certain foods. I know he would love to introduce pizza back into our life. At the moment the only pizza I thought I could tolerate was CA Pizza Kitchen BBQ chicken pizza but I had a puking session the other week after eating that so I guess that one is off the menu for now as well.
I had to recall moments of bodily trauma which was difficult. I was a tomboy growing up so I can't tell you how many times I sprained an ankle, fell out of tree, wrecked my bike etc. I tried to recall a few of the more significant traumas such as falling off the uneven bars when I was four and smacking my noggin, or the cheerleading incident in which the basket toss went wrong and I ended up splayed out face first on a hard cement floor, or playing Dodge Ball in middle school when Dwayne Moses threw the ball directly at my stomach hard enough to knock the wind out of me and make me spin around before falling on the floor. If Dwayne Moses is the reason I can't have a baby I'm going to spit nails!
Needless to say I guess I'll be taking a loan out against our unborn child's college fund to pay for 3-4 acupuncture sessions a week for the next month.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
In the words of Dr. Allie G.....
My eggs are rotting. Y'all remember the crazy doc from The Bachelor(Dr. Travis season). Bad humor I know but this is what went through my head when the RE gave us our results today.
Let me back up a bit. The first results we went over were the results of the blood test for FSH(follicle stimulating hormone), LH(luteinizing hormone) and prolactin. My FSH & LH are on the higher side. Not the highest but higher than they should be. What does this mean? Basically I'm perimenopausal. Sally reassured me I'm not going to start menopause tomorrow, next week, next month or even next year but my body is definitely beginning to change and move towards menopause. My mother began menopause in her early 40s so I may very well be following in her footsteps. As you approach menopause your body produces more FSH & LH to stimulate your follicles to mature eggs because your egg quality begins to diminish as you approach menopause therefore it takes more FSH/LH to stimulate those follies to mature eggs. So right now, for me, this means I am not producing enough or perhaps any high quality eggs. This was so very hard to hear. I was doing my damndest not to cry but Sally looked at me and said it's ok honey and gave me tissues and I broke down into tears.
The lab had not sent J's semen analysis results so Sally called the lab and they faxed them straight away. This is the good news. J has super sperm. No kidding. Sally said she never sees men in her office with sperm counts that high. Basically in every milliliter of semen J has over 600 million sperm all barreling straight ahead toward the motherland. The result they normally look for? Anything over 20 million. He's such an overachiever. LOL. He exceeded the minimums in every category. If my eggs were good we'd have a litter of kids with his sperm count. Sally said he's the perfect sperm donor.
Sally next consulted with theOB/GYN at her office to schedule my D&C ASAP. She wanted to do it Friday but I absolutely cannot be away from the office on Friday. We met with the surgeon and his nurse and Darlene, the nurse told me she would call me first thing in the morning as the surgery center was already closed. We were shooting for tomorrow but we have an appointment for this Monday at 8:15am. I have to be there at 6am and then they'll will put me to sleep. The procedure itself takes 30 minutes and then I have the rest of the day to recover.
So what does all this mean for us as far as our options. Not a whole heck of a lot. I cannot be on any type of hormone fertility treatment because it is possible the hormones will shock my system into menopause. Also, because the egg quality appears to be lacking the hormones won't help egg quality. Retrieving/freezing my eggs is a last ditch effort because of the possible bad quality. For now our plan is this. I take prometrium on CD35 if my period has not arrived and I'm not pregnant. I call Sally on CD1 and she will begin monitoring my follicle growth via U/S. Once she sees some good looking follicles J and I will DTD. She may give me an HCG trigger shot if the follies look promising to ensure ovulation. She'll test progesterone depending upon the follicle growth. We'll do this for however long we feel comfortable and sane. After that we can revisit the egg retrieval option but most likely our best bet would be a donor egg and/or adoption.
At this point we are racing against my biological clock. This sucker has never ticked louder than it is right now. So I'm supposed to remain relaxed about this and not stress. Yeah sure. That is so much easier said than done but I'm going to try my hardest to remain cool for the next few months. The sex on demand thing is worrying me because I'm worried J's going to have performance issues but he's vowed to do whatever it takes. He was great throughout this and remains Mr. Positive which is both wonderful and frustrating right now.
I talked to my parents, my sister, Amy and J's mom and sister about everything which has helped somewhat but the tears are still there, just below the surface and they are flowing frequently.
Please y'all please pray for us. think positive thoughts. I really could use them right now. It is so damn hard to be told having a baby is going to be difficult or almost impossible when it's something you want with all your heart and soul. I need to learn to accept that whatever His plan is we'll be fine and with a lot of prayer and soul searching I hope to come to terms with whatever the outcome may be.
Let me back up a bit. The first results we went over were the results of the blood test for FSH(follicle stimulating hormone), LH(luteinizing hormone) and prolactin. My FSH & LH are on the higher side. Not the highest but higher than they should be. What does this mean? Basically I'm perimenopausal. Sally reassured me I'm not going to start menopause tomorrow, next week, next month or even next year but my body is definitely beginning to change and move towards menopause. My mother began menopause in her early 40s so I may very well be following in her footsteps. As you approach menopause your body produces more FSH & LH to stimulate your follicles to mature eggs because your egg quality begins to diminish as you approach menopause therefore it takes more FSH/LH to stimulate those follies to mature eggs. So right now, for me, this means I am not producing enough or perhaps any high quality eggs. This was so very hard to hear. I was doing my damndest not to cry but Sally looked at me and said it's ok honey and gave me tissues and I broke down into tears.
The lab had not sent J's semen analysis results so Sally called the lab and they faxed them straight away. This is the good news. J has super sperm. No kidding. Sally said she never sees men in her office with sperm counts that high. Basically in every milliliter of semen J has over 600 million sperm all barreling straight ahead toward the motherland. The result they normally look for? Anything over 20 million. He's such an overachiever. LOL. He exceeded the minimums in every category. If my eggs were good we'd have a litter of kids with his sperm count. Sally said he's the perfect sperm donor.
Sally next consulted with theOB/GYN at her office to schedule my D&C ASAP. She wanted to do it Friday but I absolutely cannot be away from the office on Friday. We met with the surgeon and his nurse and Darlene, the nurse told me she would call me first thing in the morning as the surgery center was already closed. We were shooting for tomorrow but we have an appointment for this Monday at 8:15am. I have to be there at 6am and then they'll will put me to sleep. The procedure itself takes 30 minutes and then I have the rest of the day to recover.
So what does all this mean for us as far as our options. Not a whole heck of a lot. I cannot be on any type of hormone fertility treatment because it is possible the hormones will shock my system into menopause. Also, because the egg quality appears to be lacking the hormones won't help egg quality. Retrieving/freezing my eggs is a last ditch effort because of the possible bad quality. For now our plan is this. I take prometrium on CD35 if my period has not arrived and I'm not pregnant. I call Sally on CD1 and she will begin monitoring my follicle growth via U/S. Once she sees some good looking follicles J and I will DTD. She may give me an HCG trigger shot if the follies look promising to ensure ovulation. She'll test progesterone depending upon the follicle growth. We'll do this for however long we feel comfortable and sane. After that we can revisit the egg retrieval option but most likely our best bet would be a donor egg and/or adoption.
At this point we are racing against my biological clock. This sucker has never ticked louder than it is right now. So I'm supposed to remain relaxed about this and not stress. Yeah sure. That is so much easier said than done but I'm going to try my hardest to remain cool for the next few months. The sex on demand thing is worrying me because I'm worried J's going to have performance issues but he's vowed to do whatever it takes. He was great throughout this and remains Mr. Positive which is both wonderful and frustrating right now.
I talked to my parents, my sister, Amy and J's mom and sister about everything which has helped somewhat but the tears are still there, just below the surface and they are flowing frequently.
Please y'all please pray for us. think positive thoughts. I really could use them right now. It is so damn hard to be told having a baby is going to be difficult or almost impossible when it's something you want with all your heart and soul. I need to learn to accept that whatever His plan is we'll be fine and with a lot of prayer and soul searching I hope to come to terms with whatever the outcome may be.
Monday, June 16, 2008
The SHG
This morning I had the much dreaded, much anticipated SHG which is a sonohysterogram vs the HSG which stands for I don’t know what and involves dye. Mine involved air and saline.
I made J run out with me last night to purchase some Midol. I don’t normally take ibuprofen as there is this possibility (urban legend? Not sure) it interferes with conceiving. I’m not taking any chances there. I still consume caffeine—you know the other dark meat. So this morning I was up early, before J to shower and get ready as I made my appointment for the ungodly hour of 8am. I arrived in plenty of time and filled out my paperwork. The receptionist gave me an information sheet that described the procedure in detail. Such as we will then insert a catheter through you vagina into your cervix. Lots of detail I was not necessarily keen to know because I’m squeamish. After signing my name I tucked the info sheet into the dark recesses of my purse and tried to put it out of my mind. I was the first to arrive at the office so I was hoping for a minimal wait time and within 5 minutes my name was called. The ultrasound tech explained the procedure yet again….seriously people I don’t want to know. She then told me to empty my bladder and undress from the waist down.
First up was the vaginal ultrasound or more affectionately the dildo cam. Complete with a condom. I respect Mr. Dildo Cam-he practices safe sex. The U/S tech dug around in my vagina with Mr. D.C. causing me to do my version of Lamaze/Yoga breathing. My uterus looks good, good size and shape, nothing lurking there. My right ovary was more difficult to find. Apparently I had gas. LOL. I almost asked her if she needed me to fart but thought better of it. She moved to the left and took a few pictures of my left ovary. Then back to the right. After much prodding and poking(thank god sex does not feel like that) she was able to push the gas bubble away and take a few snapshots. At the top of my cavity however she detected something not so good but reassured me the doctor would take a look.
Next the doctor came in. Why do doctors feel the need to make small talk while their head is in your crotch? I mean honestly please just get in there and do what must be done and let me get on my way. I really don’t want to hear about how you injured you elbow this weekend or the tractor trailer with the lost load of watermelon. Anyway, he talked me through the entire procedure explaining what he was doing as he went. The worst aspect for me was cleaning my cervix. That was uncomfortable. Soon the saline and air were inserted which resulted in slight cramping but the last biopsy I had was more uncomfortable. I saw the bubbles on screen and the air/water shot straight through my left tube. Same with my right so that is a relief. The baby making passages are open. :D
However, that thing the U/S tech saw at the top of my uterine cavity? There is definitely something there. It appears to be a polyp. The doctor explained there is a strong possibility of an embryo attaching to the polyp instead of my uterus meaning the embryo will not survive as it will not receive any nourishment, therefore this is a concern. However, the issue is easily rectified. The doctor mentioned a D&C to clear out the polyp. We’ll find out more from Sally tomorrow. Hopefully, we can schedule that quickly. The doctor was surprised to learn I do not have abnormal bleeding through my cycle. I told him I never have and my periods last between 5-6 days. He said that could be abnormal. I’ve never been told that is a concern before so I’m not sure what to make of that.
I called J to give him the news and he asked the question I had been wondering since I left the office. How long has that been there? My last vaginal U/S was in 1998 for a lump around my ovary which turned out to be nothing. So we have a 10 year time frame to look at. Who knows.
I hope we get more answers at tomorrow’s appointment. Yesterday J’s dad looked at me and asked, “Do you think I’ll be a grandfather next Father’s Day?” I told him I hoped so. Only time will tell.
I made J run out with me last night to purchase some Midol. I don’t normally take ibuprofen as there is this possibility (urban legend? Not sure) it interferes with conceiving. I’m not taking any chances there. I still consume caffeine—you know the other dark meat. So this morning I was up early, before J to shower and get ready as I made my appointment for the ungodly hour of 8am. I arrived in plenty of time and filled out my paperwork. The receptionist gave me an information sheet that described the procedure in detail. Such as we will then insert a catheter through you vagina into your cervix. Lots of detail I was not necessarily keen to know because I’m squeamish. After signing my name I tucked the info sheet into the dark recesses of my purse and tried to put it out of my mind. I was the first to arrive at the office so I was hoping for a minimal wait time and within 5 minutes my name was called. The ultrasound tech explained the procedure yet again….seriously people I don’t want to know. She then told me to empty my bladder and undress from the waist down.
First up was the vaginal ultrasound or more affectionately the dildo cam. Complete with a condom. I respect Mr. Dildo Cam-he practices safe sex. The U/S tech dug around in my vagina with Mr. D.C. causing me to do my version of Lamaze/Yoga breathing. My uterus looks good, good size and shape, nothing lurking there. My right ovary was more difficult to find. Apparently I had gas. LOL. I almost asked her if she needed me to fart but thought better of it. She moved to the left and took a few pictures of my left ovary. Then back to the right. After much prodding and poking(thank god sex does not feel like that) she was able to push the gas bubble away and take a few snapshots. At the top of my cavity however she detected something not so good but reassured me the doctor would take a look.
Next the doctor came in. Why do doctors feel the need to make small talk while their head is in your crotch? I mean honestly please just get in there and do what must be done and let me get on my way. I really don’t want to hear about how you injured you elbow this weekend or the tractor trailer with the lost load of watermelon. Anyway, he talked me through the entire procedure explaining what he was doing as he went. The worst aspect for me was cleaning my cervix. That was uncomfortable. Soon the saline and air were inserted which resulted in slight cramping but the last biopsy I had was more uncomfortable. I saw the bubbles on screen and the air/water shot straight through my left tube. Same with my right so that is a relief. The baby making passages are open. :D
However, that thing the U/S tech saw at the top of my uterine cavity? There is definitely something there. It appears to be a polyp. The doctor explained there is a strong possibility of an embryo attaching to the polyp instead of my uterus meaning the embryo will not survive as it will not receive any nourishment, therefore this is a concern. However, the issue is easily rectified. The doctor mentioned a D&C to clear out the polyp. We’ll find out more from Sally tomorrow. Hopefully, we can schedule that quickly. The doctor was surprised to learn I do not have abnormal bleeding through my cycle. I told him I never have and my periods last between 5-6 days. He said that could be abnormal. I’ve never been told that is a concern before so I’m not sure what to make of that.
I called J to give him the news and he asked the question I had been wondering since I left the office. How long has that been there? My last vaginal U/S was in 1998 for a lump around my ovary which turned out to be nothing. So we have a 10 year time frame to look at. Who knows.
I hope we get more answers at tomorrow’s appointment. Yesterday J’s dad looked at me and asked, “Do you think I’ll be a grandfather next Father’s Day?” I told him I hoped so. Only time will tell.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Sweet Relief courtesy of Dave Ramsey
I paid off 3 bills today. Woot! My timeshare, my LAST credit card and Jason's student loan. Done, finito, GONE! I get to call Cap. One when I get home this evening and cancel that card then shred the little bastard! It was nice to wipe out 3 debts like that today. We have two small debts left before we hit the big ones, truck pymt, a personal loan, my student loan and the 2nd mortgage.
Monday, June 9, 2008
The latest in my infertility
With the arrival of AF, I dropped by the doctor's office today to donate a little blood so they can test for a few hormone levels. I also scheduled an appointment for next Monday at 8am to have air and water flushed into my female regions to check for blockages, scar tissue etc. I've heard the procedure is not pleasant and can be painful. Ibuprofen is a must prior to the procedure and a friend even suggested valium. I think I can manage with Ibuprofen. My pain tolerance is low but not that low. I just whine a lot. I'm hopeful for not pleasant considering I must return to work after I see my tubes on TV. Then the next day armed with all of our results from the sonogram of my uterus & tubes, the bloodwork and J's semen analysis we sit down with our doctor and discuss the next step. I did buy a Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor in April so I can finally give that a try this cycle. I set it up on Saturday so I'm just waiting for it to begin asking me to pee on a stick.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
And the RE said.....
The appointment with the RE went well. We both really like her. J thought she talked too fast but I talk fast so I’m oblivious to that on most occasions. She talked with us for about an hour, took our history etc. I did take a pregnancy test since I’m so very late even though I told her the HPTs I took were negative. Results are negative.
She told us she works in 3 months plans. Once we have some testing done she’ll make plans for the next 3 months, if no success, the next 3 and so on and so forth.
First she gave me a script for Prometrium to induce AF. I started the pills last night and will hopefully have AF within the week.
Two, I have to call on CD1 to schedule CD2, CD3, or CD4 bloodwork where she will test for FSH(follicle stimulating hormone, LH(luteinizing hormone) and Prolactin. My OB/GYN already tested my thyroid etc so she won’t repeat that test yet.
On CD1 I will also schedule a airsonohysterogram(I think I am spelling that correctly). This procedure will look at my tubes, uterus and ovaries to look for blockages. She said in lieu of dye this uses air and water. It sounds interesting and a wee bit weird. She uses this test instead of the dye just in case I have an allergy to the dye. The test will have to be done the day after I stop bleeding and no later than day CD10 based on the length of my typical period.
J has to go in ASAP for an SA(sperm analysis). He is kind of nuts at work right now so once that calms down, hopefully in the next day or so I’ll schedule him. I’m a little worried about his performance. I know he is dreading it more for the comfort factor than anything else. I think he is embarrassed about having to do the SA at all. Our RE reassured him all men that come to her office feel the same way.
A few things she mentioned just from our talk and looking at my charts is that I may have a problem with my luteal phase as there seems to be a long time frame between my ovulation and AF starting. She’s not going to bother with my progesterone levels yet because my OB only checked on CD21 regardless of when or if I O’d so she feels the results from the last 4 cycles are not accurate. She may put me on Clomid again but not until after the 1st round of tests. I am to stop charting immediately which isn’t a big deal since I put the thermometer away several weeks ago. She said she will handle all the testing and whatnot and will instruct me if/when I need to temp or use OPKs. She reassured me that she’ll know and that her goal is to find out what is going on to help us conceive!
I'm feeling very positive and hoping for a resolution. My worst fear would be unexplained infertility or an unfixable issue like a complete tube blockage.
She told us she works in 3 months plans. Once we have some testing done she’ll make plans for the next 3 months, if no success, the next 3 and so on and so forth.
First she gave me a script for Prometrium to induce AF. I started the pills last night and will hopefully have AF within the week.
Two, I have to call on CD1 to schedule CD2, CD3, or CD4 bloodwork where she will test for FSH(follicle stimulating hormone, LH(luteinizing hormone) and Prolactin. My OB/GYN already tested my thyroid etc so she won’t repeat that test yet.
On CD1 I will also schedule a airsonohysterogram(I think I am spelling that correctly). This procedure will look at my tubes, uterus and ovaries to look for blockages. She said in lieu of dye this uses air and water. It sounds interesting and a wee bit weird. She uses this test instead of the dye just in case I have an allergy to the dye. The test will have to be done the day after I stop bleeding and no later than day CD10 based on the length of my typical period.
J has to go in ASAP for an SA(sperm analysis). He is kind of nuts at work right now so once that calms down, hopefully in the next day or so I’ll schedule him. I’m a little worried about his performance. I know he is dreading it more for the comfort factor than anything else. I think he is embarrassed about having to do the SA at all. Our RE reassured him all men that come to her office feel the same way.
A few things she mentioned just from our talk and looking at my charts is that I may have a problem with my luteal phase as there seems to be a long time frame between my ovulation and AF starting. She’s not going to bother with my progesterone levels yet because my OB only checked on CD21 regardless of when or if I O’d so she feels the results from the last 4 cycles are not accurate. She may put me on Clomid again but not until after the 1st round of tests. I am to stop charting immediately which isn’t a big deal since I put the thermometer away several weeks ago. She said she will handle all the testing and whatnot and will instruct me if/when I need to temp or use OPKs. She reassured me that she’ll know and that her goal is to find out what is going on to help us conceive!
I'm feeling very positive and hoping for a resolution. My worst fear would be unexplained infertility or an unfixable issue like a complete tube blockage.
Monday, June 2, 2008
T- 1 day
Tomorrow is the BIG day. We go see our RE. I'm either going to be massively disappointed or very happy.
AF is very late. No, I'm not pregnant. I've taken two tests and both were negative, unless I am one of those very rare women who NEVER get a positive HPT. I doubt it though as I did have a positive last year even though it did not turn out as hoped or expected.
Deck progress-Very slow. We have half a floor down. J bought 25 floor boards on Saturday, cut them later that day and screwed them in place yesterday. We need to purchase the remaining 27 boards this week or weekend. Railings will follow later as we don't have small children to worry about at this point and the deck at it's tallest is about 2 feet off the ground. We did opt for the composite decking for the deck floor so we are doing our small part to be green. We do happen to live in the 6 worst state for emissions/energy consumption.
AF is very late. No, I'm not pregnant. I've taken two tests and both were negative, unless I am one of those very rare women who NEVER get a positive HPT. I doubt it though as I did have a positive last year even though it did not turn out as hoped or expected.
Deck progress-Very slow. We have half a floor down. J bought 25 floor boards on Saturday, cut them later that day and screwed them in place yesterday. We need to purchase the remaining 27 boards this week or weekend. Railings will follow later as we don't have small children to worry about at this point and the deck at it's tallest is about 2 feet off the ground. We did opt for the composite decking for the deck floor so we are doing our small part to be green. We do happen to live in the 6 worst state for emissions/energy consumption.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Is Murphy being the meanest SOB on the planet?
I'm CD41, no AF yet obviously. Boobs started getting sore last night which is a typical 1-2 week prior to AF symptom. However, very vein-y boobs this morning-not typical. I haven't tested because I thought what was the point. Progesterone was way too low and we stopped BDing around the time I had the blood test. I assume this cycle is annov. But there is a small part of me that is wondering. Now that I've typed this I'll get a BFN because I swear on my pinkie toe the minute I start contemplating the possibility of a BFP, Murphy shows up and goes Nah, Nah, Nah. What as an ASSHAT! Honestly, even if I did get a faint line I would not believe it is a viable pregnancy. How can one go from a progesterone level of 0.7 not quite 3 weeks ago to a viable pregnancy?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Reproductive Endocrinologist and bullets
~Appointment is set for June 3rd at 11am. I cannot wait.
~Heading to Florida for the 4th of July! We are staying with Dupree and he has a place right on the beach...or so he says. :)
~Heading to Mexico at the end of July for vacay. A week of pure bliss I hope.
~Sink/plumbing issue in the bathroom. Stupid 50-60 year old pipes! J is home today working to fix this issue and is also installing a heating/AC vent in the bathroom. Yippee!
~Picked up patio chairs and cushions yesterday so the table is no longer lonely. Just need to get that deck built!
~Looking forward to a 3 day weekend.
~My husband is now a member of the Knights Templar! Congrats baby!
~Heading to Florida for the 4th of July! We are staying with Dupree and he has a place right on the beach...or so he says. :)
~Heading to Mexico at the end of July for vacay. A week of pure bliss I hope.
~Sink/plumbing issue in the bathroom. Stupid 50-60 year old pipes! J is home today working to fix this issue and is also installing a heating/AC vent in the bathroom. Yippee!
~Picked up patio chairs and cushions yesterday so the table is no longer lonely. Just need to get that deck built!
~Looking forward to a 3 day weekend.
~My husband is now a member of the Knights Templar! Congrats baby!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Infertility
My progesterone levels were 0.7 this cycle at CD21 so my doctor is referring me to an RE(reproductive endocrinologist). According to my doctor's nurse we should get an appointment rather quickly. I'm expecting a phone call today with the details of the referral. According to my doctor the RE is awesome, will listen to our concerns and questions and she does a lot of testing to figure out what the problem may be. I pray we have answers soon.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
mundane
Nothing new or exciting happening in our world. I got stuck today for yet another blood draw for yet another progesterone test. I forked over some $$$ on Ebay for a fertility monitor which came too late to use this month but if AF shows up in a couple of weeks we can try that out.
We moved Amy's annual summer kick-off to our house last weekend so as not to have to deal with Opera Man et al. She usually holds her party around the pool/grill area at her apartment complex. Last year, one of her neighbors who was totally drunk thought one of her guests stole his vodka. He was really indignant about it as he stumbled around the pool pissy drunk. We were all drinking beer that night with the exception of Amy's usual Jack and Diet. The guy would not let it go either. He confronted her twice after that. We call him Opera Man because he likes to blare opera music in his car. He is one of those greasy club types. The ones with the gold chains, the shirt open to reveal chest hair or lack thereof, the way too tight shirt to show off his muscles kind of guy. Icky in my opinion.
Anyway, we moved the party to our place, more privacy, the use of our gas grill versus the charcoal ones now in residence at Amy's place, the Wii and J's new PS3. Yes, J HAD to have GTA IV so we purchased a PS3 last week. The BBQ was a good time. Amy's ribs and beans were delish like always. We ended the evening with a drive to Bobby's in the convertible for milkshakes-a Saturday summer tradition.
We have a few house projects in the works coming up which include J taking a week off of work. The plan is to finally move the huge piles of dirt into position around the end of the driveway to level out the ground there, build the deck, have the house exterior painted and finally refinish the hardwood which J has decided he does not want to tackle on his own. I'm also ready to do a little painting. I need a change in a few rooms.
Amy and a few other ladies are very excited for our GNO(Girl's Night Out) at the end of this month. We will be off to the theater to see the much anticipated Sex and The City movie. We are going to try to sneak in some of those mini bottles of champagne. (Kerri-ring a bell? 90210 farewell party?) I hope I won't be allowed to drink champagne by that time but we'll see. Tickets will be purchased today by the lovely S! I can't wait.
Later!
We moved Amy's annual summer kick-off to our house last weekend so as not to have to deal with Opera Man et al. She usually holds her party around the pool/grill area at her apartment complex. Last year, one of her neighbors who was totally drunk thought one of her guests stole his vodka. He was really indignant about it as he stumbled around the pool pissy drunk. We were all drinking beer that night with the exception of Amy's usual Jack and Diet. The guy would not let it go either. He confronted her twice after that. We call him Opera Man because he likes to blare opera music in his car. He is one of those greasy club types. The ones with the gold chains, the shirt open to reveal chest hair or lack thereof, the way too tight shirt to show off his muscles kind of guy. Icky in my opinion.
Anyway, we moved the party to our place, more privacy, the use of our gas grill versus the charcoal ones now in residence at Amy's place, the Wii and J's new PS3. Yes, J HAD to have GTA IV so we purchased a PS3 last week. The BBQ was a good time. Amy's ribs and beans were delish like always. We ended the evening with a drive to Bobby's in the convertible for milkshakes-a Saturday summer tradition.
We have a few house projects in the works coming up which include J taking a week off of work. The plan is to finally move the huge piles of dirt into position around the end of the driveway to level out the ground there, build the deck, have the house exterior painted and finally refinish the hardwood which J has decided he does not want to tackle on his own. I'm also ready to do a little painting. I need a change in a few rooms.
Amy and a few other ladies are very excited for our GNO(Girl's Night Out) at the end of this month. We will be off to the theater to see the much anticipated Sex and The City movie. We are going to try to sneak in some of those mini bottles of champagne. (Kerri-ring a bell? 90210 farewell party?) I hope I won't be allowed to drink champagne by that time but we'll see. Tickets will be purchased today by the lovely S! I can't wait.
Later!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
My therapy
As I was feeling quite sorry for myself yesterday I took the afternoon off. I did a ton of stuff around the house. I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. My mom would be so proud. Apparently, cleaning is my new therapy as I feel a lot better.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
This really F'in sucks
Another negative pregnancy test. I'm done. I am SO DONE! Apparently, the only way we are going to have kids is with MAJOR intervention and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that.
Time to turn out the lights, pull the covers over my head and have several hours of self-pity. Oh wait, no I can't do that because I have to be at work.
Bitter much?
Time to turn out the lights, pull the covers over my head and have several hours of self-pity. Oh wait, no I can't do that because I have to be at work.
Bitter much?
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Progesterone levels
At 3DPO my levels were 10.8. Typically this test is done at 7DPO so I still had 4 days to get to 15. I'm hoping this happened. We'll know soon enough.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Spring Cleaning-outdoors
Even though the inside of our home is a never ending project, with the warm weather we absolutely need to work on the exterior. Jason and I have been outside frequently discussing what to do with our front flower bed and we pretty much came up with a plan. As Sunday was a a beautiful day outside we headed to Lowes to pick up a few supplies to get started.
The early thaw we had last year, followed by the late frost, followed by a summer drought killed several shrubs and trees in our yard. We need to replant and possibly chop down the dead trees, one being a dogwood.
We picked up 20 bags of black mulch at Lowes along with a pair of gardening gloves for moi, a new garden hose nozzle and a fancy schmancy hose holder. We had to make a 2nd trip to Lowes for an additional 15 bags of mulch about an hour later.
Our front beds looked like this. By the time I took these photos we had already ripped out a few dead shrubs.
After new mulch was laid.
Over the next few weekends we will add in some color with new flowers, shrubs, and flowering shrubs. We also plan to extend the flower bed to the side of the house so we need to till the earth in that area this coming weekend(if the weather cooperates). I love the transformation thus far.
The early thaw we had last year, followed by the late frost, followed by a summer drought killed several shrubs and trees in our yard. We need to replant and possibly chop down the dead trees, one being a dogwood.
We picked up 20 bags of black mulch at Lowes along with a pair of gardening gloves for moi, a new garden hose nozzle and a fancy schmancy hose holder. We had to make a 2nd trip to Lowes for an additional 15 bags of mulch about an hour later.
Our front beds looked like this. By the time I took these photos we had already ripped out a few dead shrubs.
After new mulch was laid.
Over the next few weekends we will add in some color with new flowers, shrubs, and flowering shrubs. We also plan to extend the flower bed to the side of the house so we need to till the earth in that area this coming weekend(if the weather cooperates). I love the transformation thus far. Friday, April 4, 2008
Improvement to the self check-out
Last night as we were checking out at Wal-Mart, J and I decided we would much prefer the automated voice at the self-checkout if it was Cartman of South Park. For instance, when the machine gets finicky and even though you've placed the item in the bag and it tells you that you have not, we think it would be awesome if the self-check-out said something to the effect of, "I'm being a dildo." LOL.
Then perhaps after you have completed your check-out the machine would say something like, "Screw you guys, I'm going home."
I would find this hysterical but then I'm weird and mostly immature. ;)
In other news I have a nice bruise from my bloodwork this morning. I also had to wait for about 30 minutes...again...because the receptionist forgot to call back to the lab to notify them of my arrival. Grrrr. This is the 2nd, 3rd time this has happened when all I need is bloodwork at the doctor's office.
Wanted results: Progesterone levels at 15 or above.
Then perhaps after you have completed your check-out the machine would say something like, "Screw you guys, I'm going home."
I would find this hysterical but then I'm weird and mostly immature. ;)
In other news I have a nice bruise from my bloodwork this morning. I also had to wait for about 30 minutes...again...because the receptionist forgot to call back to the lab to notify them of my arrival. Grrrr. This is the 2nd, 3rd time this has happened when all I need is bloodwork at the doctor's office.
Wanted results: Progesterone levels at 15 or above.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Nothing new
Nothing new or exciting happening around here. The weather has been completely uncooperative on the weekends meaning our yard work projects keep getting put on hold. Our grass is so tall right now I expect to see tigers lurking.
I did find an awesome patio set that we'll probably buy in the next few weeks in anticipation of the new deck, warm weather and weekend BBQs.
We head to Knoxville this weekend with mom and dad-in law to see Jeff Dunham and visit with MIL's BFF. I'm looking foward to it. Amy is house/animal sitting for us. Shadow got a bath and trim this past weekend so he is back to his handsome self.
Nothing new on the TTC front either.
I did find an awesome patio set that we'll probably buy in the next few weeks in anticipation of the new deck, warm weather and weekend BBQs.
We head to Knoxville this weekend with mom and dad-in law to see Jeff Dunham and visit with MIL's BFF. I'm looking foward to it. Amy is house/animal sitting for us. Shadow got a bath and trim this past weekend so he is back to his handsome self.
Nothing new on the TTC front either.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Third time, will it be a charm?
I picked up my script for Clomid last night. After a mix up at the pharmacy in which I was given a new bottle of prenatals, which I did need, I left with 150mg of Clomid. I'm anticipating the side effects now and I told J he might want to consider a move to Siberia for the next 5 days but to be home by next Wednesday. Poor guy. Really hope this works because I'm not looking forward to being pushed, prodded, stabbed, and having dye shot into my tubes.
So not only are we on our last cycle of Clomid but if we are successful in our conception this imaginary, as yet to be conceived child would be due right around Christmas. Poor kid. I'm sorry in advance.
How far does one go to conceive? When do you just say to yourself....you know, I've had enough. I'm asking these questions already and we are just taking pills.
So not only are we on our last cycle of Clomid but if we are successful in our conception this imaginary, as yet to be conceived child would be due right around Christmas. Poor kid. I'm sorry in advance.
How far does one go to conceive? When do you just say to yourself....you know, I've had enough. I'm asking these questions already and we are just taking pills.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Meatloaf
I made this meatloaf last night and it was a big hit with the Hubs. I misread the recipe though and added 2 tablespoons of mustard vs 2 teaspoons. Oops but it still tasted delish.
From allrecipes.com; Cottage Meatloaf, courtesy of Melissa H.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup Worcestershire (original called for tomato juice but I did not have any on hand and in the comments someone suggested Worcestershire instead.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (I used Italian style)
1/4 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
4 teaspoons brown sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, 1/2 cup ketchup, tomato juice, salt, pepper, red pepper, eggs, bread crumbs, onion and 2 teaspoons mustard until well mixed. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with foil. Press meat mixture into pan.
In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon mustard and brown sugar until smooth. Spread brown sugar mixture over meatloaf.
Bake in preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes, until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
From allrecipes.com; Cottage Meatloaf, courtesy of Melissa H.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup Worcestershire (original called for tomato juice but I did not have any on hand and in the comments someone suggested Worcestershire instead.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (I used Italian style)
1/4 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
4 teaspoons brown sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, 1/2 cup ketchup, tomato juice, salt, pepper, red pepper, eggs, bread crumbs, onion and 2 teaspoons mustard until well mixed. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with foil. Press meat mixture into pan.
In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon mustard and brown sugar until smooth. Spread brown sugar mixture over meatloaf.
Bake in preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes, until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Winter Storm 2008
Yes I'm calling it a winter storm. In fact, Friday evening I was standing outside with the dog and I saw and heard lightning & thunder, so there! I missed the majority of the snow Friday evening because I went to bed early. Apparently the snowfall really picked up about an hour after my head hit the pillow. J tried to wake me but I was dead to the world. Actually, I was playing possum. I was pretending to be asleep.
I woke up Saturday morning to this:
Shadow was itching to go outside because there's white stuff on the ground MOM! WHITE STUFF! We were both excited. I bundled myself up with a rarely worn hat and gloves.
Here is Shadow in action
I woke up Saturday morning to this:
Shadow was itching to go outside because there's white stuff on the ground MOM! WHITE STUFF! We were both excited. I bundled myself up with a rarely worn hat and gloves.Here is Shadow in action
Friday, March 7, 2008
Feeling like a school kid
A winter storm is headed our way today. It was pouring rain this morning but by this afternoon we'll experience a rain/snow mix followed by all snow around 6pm or so!
I'm excited and I really hate snow!
I can't wait for enough to accumulate to let Shadow go crazy outside and throw snowballs up in the air for him to attempt to catch. Tonight and tomorrow morning should be fun! In Nashville we are expecting 3-5 inches which is more than we've had in the 27 months I've lived here! Even better I'll be cozy at home so I won't have to deal with the crazy drivers and Nashville has plenty of crazy drivers. Traffic was a nightmare coming in(and it was just drizzle) and will probably be a nightmare going home, especially if there is white stuff mixed in with that rain during the evening commute.
Oh and the crock pot dinner came out great! The house smelled yummy when I got home, Shadow did not decided he required a chicken-y snack and the chicken was super moist! I served it with broccoli.
I'm excited and I really hate snow!
I can't wait for enough to accumulate to let Shadow go crazy outside and throw snowballs up in the air for him to attempt to catch. Tonight and tomorrow morning should be fun! In Nashville we are expecting 3-5 inches which is more than we've had in the 27 months I've lived here! Even better I'll be cozy at home so I won't have to deal with the crazy drivers and Nashville has plenty of crazy drivers. Traffic was a nightmare coming in(and it was just drizzle) and will probably be a nightmare going home, especially if there is white stuff mixed in with that rain during the evening commute.
Oh and the crock pot dinner came out great! The house smelled yummy when I got home, Shadow did not decided he required a chicken-y snack and the chicken was super moist! I served it with broccoli.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Cooking
I've become obsessed with my kitchen. I love cooking. Ha! I never thought I would say/type that. After spending another small fortune at the grocery store last night, I came home and made something simple...it was getting late after all. We had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.
Last night I decided to try out one of the gazillion crock pot recipes I've received from a friend and the numerous ones I've collected from the net. I prepped the ingredients last night so I could remove it from the fridge this morning, turn on the pot, and leave for work. I'm hoping the house does not burn down in the process. I'm also hoping Shadow does not decide he requires a snack and knock the crock off the top of the range. I don't want to come home to find dinner devoured or to find puke and poo all over the house-although hardwood floors means much easier clean-up. I received this crock pot the Christmas before last from my mother-in-law and this is the first time in use. I'll come home to find one of the following:
~raw chicken-the low setting is way too low
~burned chicken-the low setting cooks way faster than anticipated
~the dog has ate every last bite and has now regurgitated it throughout the floors of the house
~or(and this is the one I'm hoping for) a perfect meal, ready to dish out and consume.
I've got ingredients to make the following this weekend:
Meatloaf
London Broil in the crock pot
Indonesian Chicken
I'm making the London Broil Saturday. Amy is coming over and she's providing desert. She's going to make warm brownie cups. She's bringing her Kitchen Aid stand mixer with her. It may not leave my house(insert evil laugh here). If I have not procured one of these by Christmas you can be sure it will be on my Christmas list.
Last night I decided to try out one of the gazillion crock pot recipes I've received from a friend and the numerous ones I've collected from the net. I prepped the ingredients last night so I could remove it from the fridge this morning, turn on the pot, and leave for work. I'm hoping the house does not burn down in the process. I'm also hoping Shadow does not decide he requires a snack and knock the crock off the top of the range. I don't want to come home to find dinner devoured or to find puke and poo all over the house-although hardwood floors means much easier clean-up. I received this crock pot the Christmas before last from my mother-in-law and this is the first time in use. I'll come home to find one of the following:
~raw chicken-the low setting is way too low
~burned chicken-the low setting cooks way faster than anticipated
~the dog has ate every last bite and has now regurgitated it throughout the floors of the house
~or(and this is the one I'm hoping for) a perfect meal, ready to dish out and consume.
I've got ingredients to make the following this weekend:
Meatloaf
London Broil in the crock pot
Indonesian Chicken
I'm making the London Broil Saturday. Amy is coming over and she's providing desert. She's going to make warm brownie cups. She's bringing her Kitchen Aid stand mixer with her. It may not leave my house(insert evil laugh here). If I have not procured one of these by Christmas you can be sure it will be on my Christmas list.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
The horrors of remodeling
Saturday morning I was doing my usual weekend cleaning routine. I was vacuuming the living room floor and had a moment of divine inspiration. Why don't we just rip up the carpet now. We have hardwood under that nasty, cheap, apartment carpeting left here by the previous owners. I mentioned my disgust of the carpet to Jason. He gave me that look. It is not quite an eyeroll but close. It screams the question, "What now WOMAN?"
We have already removed the carpet in the office/3rd bedroom and the hallway. The office floor was not that bad. Obviously the room was not used very often. The hallway was a different story. We assume the previous owners walked dripping wet from the hall bath into the master bedroom. We had lovely black, sticky stuff on the hardwood. 50 years of dirt, dust, wet, and icky padding. We scraped and scraped and used a myriad of different solutions to remove the discoloration but nothing worked quite right. We decided to leave it until we were ready to refinish all the hardwood in the house at a later date.
Back to Saturday. I cajoled Jason into just ripping up the dining room carpet. It was not pretty at all. The majority of the floor in that area was covered in that black stuff. As our scraper was busted during the great kitchen demolition of 2007 we had to purchase a new one from Lowes.
We came home to scrape and scrape and removed the ick but of course that ick has stained the floor, just like in the hallway.
As we moved the table back in, repositioned on a different angle this time for kicks and giggles, Jason glanced down at the living room carpet. "F it," he says. "Let's rip up the living room carpet too!" I was more than happy to accomodate his whim so I happily began packing up the mismatch of crap in the room and relocating it to other parts of the house. Jason filled up the recycle bin with all manner of items(some of which I'm not positive is accepted from the curb) and finally the room was clear.
Um, the living room was bad. See above. I think it may be worse than the dining room. You can tell the foot traffic pattern exactly. We just need some Matchbox cars and we could build our own little Matchbox city in that room.
We were going to rip the master bedroom carpet on Sunday after I accidentally locked the cat in our bedroom and he pulled up the carpet in front of the door so much we could not open the door Saturday night without brute force. However, we both had blisters from the work on Saturday we put off that little adventure until this coming weekend.
Once again we’ve(scratch that) I’ve started a project before another is completed. This is how I roll. ;)
Shiny, Happy People
Sunday we purchased a new refrigerator. The old one was fine...sort of. The thermostat was not working as well as it should and food was spoiling much faster than it should...even in our household. To say we are both in love with this fridge is an understatment! The shiny, newness draws us in and we stare enraptured. I also seem to have a ton more space than my previous side by side. The new and old are the same size. 25 cu. ft but my shelves look so empty. Everything fits nicely on the doors, including the required 1-Gallon pitcher of sweet tea and J's beer.
Yes, we still need a floor. Decisions, decisions.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
If anyone is reading this....
I'll be home to attend Fran's wedding in April. It's a quick trip home though. We fly in Friday morning, the 25th and leaving Sunday evening.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Let the cooking commence
After much headache and cussing over 50+ year old pipes Jason installed the plumbing for the new sink/garbage disposal/dishwasher! I did not realize how much I missed having a dishwasher. I love that we have the two drawers to use as it is only the two of us and we can run a much smaller load(a dinner for us) and use less water. Not only is my life easier but I'm doing something good for the environment. I also love that our dishwasher has a sensor dry option along with an anti-bacterial option and a sanitize option. I can kind of be a freak about germs at times.
Here are our loverly counters!
Jason and I made our first official grocery store run spending a whopping $200 on food. We needed a lot of staples that got tossed when the fridge took a poo and was not keeping anything cool.
Here are our loverly counters!
Jason and I made our first official grocery store run spending a whopping $200 on food. We needed a lot of staples that got tossed when the fridge took a poo and was not keeping anything cool.Our first official meal in the new kitchen? Chili. Yep, I had grand plans for a wonderful, romantic meal but considering the plumbing was not complete until 6pm Saturday evening and we did not sit down to eat until 8:30pm, chili worked fine. I did wake J up to a home cooked breakfast on Sunday morning, complete with cheesy eggs, bacon and french toast. My skills need a little fine tuning after a 4 month cooking hiatus. While I have become a better cook since moving here, I think sometimes I have cooking ADD.
Last night's dinner was better but I used the outdoor grill.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
I hate Mondays!
Remember the Garfield comic about Mondays? Yeah, that is so me today. I promise I did wake up on the right side of the bed but the moment I sat down at my desk all hell broke loose at work. So tell me, is it Friday yet?
One good thing about this week is I will spend the next 3 days in training for a new paperless system we are implementing which means I'll be away from the phone for 4 hours each day! Ah bliss.
One good thing about this week is I will spend the next 3 days in training for a new paperless system we are implementing which means I'll be away from the phone for 4 hours each day! Ah bliss.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Counters resolved?
Last week I called Lowes, pissed off, to complain about our counters. I spoke to Rusty. I told Rusty I felt we should be compensated for the delay. He told me he would speak to his manager and call me back. Yesterday a week had passed with nary a word from Rusty. I called again. The receptionist put me on hold, came back on the line, asked me who I was holding for and instead of putting me on hold just held her hand over the mouthpiece. Rusty was right there and I could almost hear his head spinning frantically. Receptionist removes hand from mouthpiece and tells me Rusty is checking on my order RIGHT NOW! Of course he is because he totally dropped the ball. Finally, Rusty comes to the phone and tells me he's going to call the subcontractor to see if there is a cancellation and they can squeeze us into the schedule. He promises to call me right back.
10 minutes later he calls to tell me that sorry there are no cancellations, but we are slated for installation Thursday the 21st. It appears the end is in sight. Soon we will be living like normal, average Americans with a functioning kitchen in their homes.
I reminded Rusty of our earlier conversation about compensation. His manager feels it would be better to wait to discuss compensation until after the counters are installed to our complete satisfaction. Basically our counters had better be perfectly level, symmetrical, with nary a scratch, dent, discoloration etc. I'm sure Rusty's manager is hoping we'll forget about the compensation once our counters are in because we'll be bedazzled by our beautiful new counters. Partially true but the manager is in for a rude awakening. Don't screw with a woman who has been eating out for the past 3.5 months hopped up on carbs, fats, preservatives etc. Jason and I are convinced are bodies are going to go into shock when we start, gasp, cooking real meals in our home. Nothing from a box but actual food. Well, that is the goal anyway.
10 minutes later he calls to tell me that sorry there are no cancellations, but we are slated for installation Thursday the 21st. It appears the end is in sight. Soon we will be living like normal, average Americans with a functioning kitchen in their homes.
I reminded Rusty of our earlier conversation about compensation. His manager feels it would be better to wait to discuss compensation until after the counters are installed to our complete satisfaction. Basically our counters had better be perfectly level, symmetrical, with nary a scratch, dent, discoloration etc. I'm sure Rusty's manager is hoping we'll forget about the compensation once our counters are in because we'll be bedazzled by our beautiful new counters. Partially true but the manager is in for a rude awakening. Don't screw with a woman who has been eating out for the past 3.5 months hopped up on carbs, fats, preservatives etc. Jason and I are convinced are bodies are going to go into shock when we start, gasp, cooking real meals in our home. Nothing from a box but actual food. Well, that is the goal anyway.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
NEXT!
So Tuesday was my previous estimated date of delivery for the bambino I carried in my uterus for approximately 2.5 weeks. Tuesday was a hellish day. In hindsight probably not the best day to take a pregnancy test but I'm a glutton for punishment. I was in a foul mood all day. The bitchiest of the bitchiest bitches. Capped off last evening by the arrival of HER! The evil one, the one I dread seeing each month. However, since my hormones have now evened out I'm not bitchy anymore(well not anymore than normal) and I feel human again. The fact that I also had a much needed brow wax contributed as well.
I picked up my 2nd prescription for Clomid last night along with a refill on my prenatal vitamins. The first script of Clomid made me dizzy and irritable. This time my dosage is double. I really don't want double the dizziness or irritability. I guess we'll see.
One good thing about not getting pregnant in January means a February pregnancy would result in a November birth and that means being home with a bambino all through the holidays.
Now we get to spend more money on PreSeed and Clear Blue Easy ovulation predictor kits. I don't buy the cheap ones either. I like the smiley face version because honestly determining if your line is as dark or darker than the control line is too much to deal with. No smiley face=sex not totally necessary, Smiley face=Sex Fest!
I picked up my 2nd prescription for Clomid last night along with a refill on my prenatal vitamins. The first script of Clomid made me dizzy and irritable. This time my dosage is double. I really don't want double the dizziness or irritability. I guess we'll see.
One good thing about not getting pregnant in January means a February pregnancy would result in a November birth and that means being home with a bambino all through the holidays.
Now we get to spend more money on PreSeed and Clear Blue Easy ovulation predictor kits. I don't buy the cheap ones either. I like the smiley face version because honestly determining if your line is as dark or darker than the control line is too much to deal with. No smiley face=sex not totally necessary, Smiley face=Sex Fest!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tornados suck
Sis if you are reading this and did not get my text, yes we are safe. As usual the storms went around us. The worst of the damage was to our west, south and north.
As we watched American Idol followed by House last night the programs were continually interrupted by our local news program providing the latest on the storms. As we watched the red zone edge closer and closer to us my blood pressure started to rise. When the hail began to come down, Jason decided it was time to hide in the closet. I hollered for Teddy and Shadow and pulled them into the closet. It is damn hard to hold a cat, with claws, who is as scared as you. Jason had the flashlight peeking out through the sliding glass doors to watch the hail and see if the hail was denting our vehicles. Cause you know, the cars are more important than life. Typical man. :rolleyes:
As I crouched in the closet listening to the rain and hail echo through the vent with my husband standing in front of two oversized sliding glass doors I could feel the panic rise up. Tornados are not fun, especially at night. When the hail stopped and the rain let up, I let Teddy escape my arms and freed the dog from the torture of having to stay in the closet.
I ventured outside with my camera and took a picture of one of the pieces of hail laying on the concrete. Jason investigated the vehicles more closely and both appeared unscathed. I thought I heard the tornado siren but with the rain, wind and interstate traffic it was hard to hear.
Amy called to check on us. She was hiding in her bathroom with Wookie. When I told her the coast was clear she ventured out to her balcony to have a look see. Suddenly, the tornado sirens in Bellevue started going off, driving her straight back to the bathroom to hide.
The local weather predicted another storm to follow in the wee hours of the morning. Oh joy. They were also reporting on the devastation that had already occured. Union University in Jackson, TN was demolished by the tornado(s) and students were trapped in the rubble. Lives were lost, trees were down, a mobile home had been twisted, and so on and so forth.
This morning our neighborhood, our home, and ourselves were intact. We did not lose any trees nor power. I'm grateful we came through another storm intact. I feel for those people who were not as lucky and are, this morning, trying to pick up the pieces.
Just another fun in night in Nashvegas!
As we watched American Idol followed by House last night the programs were continually interrupted by our local news program providing the latest on the storms. As we watched the red zone edge closer and closer to us my blood pressure started to rise. When the hail began to come down, Jason decided it was time to hide in the closet. I hollered for Teddy and Shadow and pulled them into the closet. It is damn hard to hold a cat, with claws, who is as scared as you. Jason had the flashlight peeking out through the sliding glass doors to watch the hail and see if the hail was denting our vehicles. Cause you know, the cars are more important than life. Typical man. :rolleyes:
As I crouched in the closet listening to the rain and hail echo through the vent with my husband standing in front of two oversized sliding glass doors I could feel the panic rise up. Tornados are not fun, especially at night. When the hail stopped and the rain let up, I let Teddy escape my arms and freed the dog from the torture of having to stay in the closet.
I ventured outside with my camera and took a picture of one of the pieces of hail laying on the concrete. Jason investigated the vehicles more closely and both appeared unscathed. I thought I heard the tornado siren but with the rain, wind and interstate traffic it was hard to hear.
Amy called to check on us. She was hiding in her bathroom with Wookie. When I told her the coast was clear she ventured out to her balcony to have a look see. Suddenly, the tornado sirens in Bellevue started going off, driving her straight back to the bathroom to hide.
The local weather predicted another storm to follow in the wee hours of the morning. Oh joy. They were also reporting on the devastation that had already occured. Union University in Jackson, TN was demolished by the tornado(s) and students were trapped in the rubble. Lives were lost, trees were down, a mobile home had been twisted, and so on and so forth.
This morning our neighborhood, our home, and ourselves were intact. We did not lose any trees nor power. I'm grateful we came through another storm intact. I feel for those people who were not as lucky and are, this morning, trying to pick up the pieces.
Just another fun in night in Nashvegas!
Monday, February 4, 2008
That screaming you heard? That was us!
THE GIANTS BEAT THE PATS, THE GIANTS BEAT THE PATS!!!!
As you may have guessed we were rooting for the Giants in the Superbowl. Amy came over bringing sustenance of cheese dip, veggies and dip and ooey, gooey brownies! We gathered downstairs in front of the TV to graze and watch football, the great American past time. We were quite enthusiastic through the 1st quarter, bored through the 2nd, I almost fell asleep through the 3rd and then the most exciting 4th quarter happened. When the Pats scored their final touchdown I thought the game was over. Cynical Amy told me to have faith(this coming from a woman who hates everything Manning but hates everything Patriots more). We watched, we screamed, we threw up our hands at the TV. "Come on, you totally should have made that catch! I could have made that catch!" LOL. As the 2 minute warning came I had to look away at the start of each play. I prayed to the Lord(yes the Lord totally watches football and I think he likes rooting for the underdog). Then a wonderful thing happened, Eli avoided a sack, they gained yardage and the Giants scored a touchdown! OMG! It was amazing. The Giants held the Pats off in those last 45 seconds to win the Superbowl! So much for that perfect season Pats! HA!
It was magical moment. I did not cry as I did after the Steelers won Superbowl 40 and The Bus could retire on a high note but I think it is amazing that Eli won't have to live in his brother's shadow. He now has a ring of his very own. Oh and Tom Brady, put that in your pipe and smoke it!
As you may have guessed we were rooting for the Giants in the Superbowl. Amy came over bringing sustenance of cheese dip, veggies and dip and ooey, gooey brownies! We gathered downstairs in front of the TV to graze and watch football, the great American past time. We were quite enthusiastic through the 1st quarter, bored through the 2nd, I almost fell asleep through the 3rd and then the most exciting 4th quarter happened. When the Pats scored their final touchdown I thought the game was over. Cynical Amy told me to have faith(this coming from a woman who hates everything Manning but hates everything Patriots more). We watched, we screamed, we threw up our hands at the TV. "Come on, you totally should have made that catch! I could have made that catch!" LOL. As the 2 minute warning came I had to look away at the start of each play. I prayed to the Lord(yes the Lord totally watches football and I think he likes rooting for the underdog). Then a wonderful thing happened, Eli avoided a sack, they gained yardage and the Giants scored a touchdown! OMG! It was amazing. The Giants held the Pats off in those last 45 seconds to win the Superbowl! So much for that perfect season Pats! HA!
It was magical moment. I did not cry as I did after the Steelers won Superbowl 40 and The Bus could retire on a high note but I think it is amazing that Eli won't have to live in his brother's shadow. He now has a ring of his very own. Oh and Tom Brady, put that in your pipe and smoke it!
Fun with Taxes
Saturday Jason and I decided to complete our Federal taxes. FUN! I would have rather had someone pull my fingernails off one by one. We fought, we bickered, we cussed. Rather I cussed and I definitely started the bickering. Part of the problem is Jason is a plodder and I barrel head first. I also read faster than he does so I was getting very impatient waiting for him to read the "explain this" section or "read more" sections. Then we could not find some very important receipts and on and on it went. About 5 hours after we started we finished. I should have walked away numerous times but I sat right there next to him, sighing over every.little.thing. In summary, we finished, we submitted, we both still have our heads attached to our bodies and we did not go to bed angry. Most importantly, we are getting a refund and I was paranoid we would owe.
Thank goodness Tennessee has no state income tax!
Thank goodness Tennessee has no state income tax!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Lost is Found!
Last night was the much anticipated season premiere of Lost. It is bittersweet really. Due to the greedy studio execs or whoever controls the purse strings in Hollywood we may only have 8 glorious episodes instead of 16 this season. Dear Hollywood Powers That Be-GIVE THE WRITERS WHAT THEY WANT....THEY DESERVE IT!!!!
I snuggled up on the sofa under a blanket munching on Wendy's that Jason had brought home for dinner and caught up with the re-cap. We did not need the re-cap as we had watched Season 3 on DVD for the 2nd time earlier in the month. I thought the episode was great and in true Lost fashion gave us more questions than answers.
My thoughts:
~The Oceanic 6 are Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sawyer, Jin & Sun.
~The guy in the coffin at the end of last season is either Ben or Locke.
~Why did Jacob look eerily like Jack's dead father Christian?
~I'm wondering if Jacob is trying to convince Locke to purge the Island again like Ben did with the original Others.
~I think the people on the boat are from Dharma.
Unfortunately, these questions will mostly likely NOT be answered this season due to the damn strike! Maybe if we are lucky and pray to the TV god we'll get a real season over the summer or at least the remaining 8 if the strike is resolved and the writers are able to have all night writing sessions to turn out good quality product.
At least Heroes was able to wrap up the season even though it was cut short.
I snuggled up on the sofa under a blanket munching on Wendy's that Jason had brought home for dinner and caught up with the re-cap. We did not need the re-cap as we had watched Season 3 on DVD for the 2nd time earlier in the month. I thought the episode was great and in true Lost fashion gave us more questions than answers.
My thoughts:
~The Oceanic 6 are Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sawyer, Jin & Sun.
~The guy in the coffin at the end of last season is either Ben or Locke.
~Why did Jacob look eerily like Jack's dead father Christian?
~I'm wondering if Jacob is trying to convince Locke to purge the Island again like Ben did with the original Others.
~I think the people on the boat are from Dharma.
Unfortunately, these questions will mostly likely NOT be answered this season due to the damn strike! Maybe if we are lucky and pray to the TV god we'll get a real season over the summer or at least the remaining 8 if the strike is resolved and the writers are able to have all night writing sessions to turn out good quality product.
At least Heroes was able to wrap up the season even though it was cut short.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Do dreams come true?
I had a crazy dream last night but it started out great. J and I were at the doctor’s office for an ultrasound. I was pregnant. I hope this one comes true. I’ve had lots of dreams about being PG the past 9 months or so. It may be because I am a week away from what would have been my due date. It is so strange to realize that and think about what could have been. I do my best not to dwell on the what ifs. We probably would not have started our kitchen renovation if I had not lost the baby.
Moving on, I did have a doctor’s appointment on Friday. I discussed my prog. level with my doctor. There was marked improvement. I went from 1.9 last cycle to 6.2 or 6.7 this cycle. I cannot remember the second number. The Clomid is definitely doing what it needs to be doing. However, the bloodwork for the prog. was taken 2DPO(days past ovulation) so it may not be as low as we think. At any rate, Dr. M wrote me two scripts. One is for 100mg of Clomid and the other was for Prometrium. Prometium is taken to increase the progesterone. I am to begin taking it as soon as I get a BFP. So if we were not lucky enough to get PG this cycle we’ll start round #2 of Clomid.
In other non-TTC news we are still waiting for our kitchen counters to arrive. The installer came out on the 15th to measure and cut the template. We asked him to curve the counter at the end over the shelves. I’m not sure if this is extending the process or not. They told us no more than 21 days from the time the template is cut until installation. To maintain that timeframe they need to install by Feb. 4th. I was really hoping the counters would be in by Superbowl weekend so we could make some yummy snacks in our new kitchen and watch the game in the comfort of our own home with a few friends/family in attendance. I’ve been nagging Jason to call them. I think I will send him one more email to remind him this morning. I have a feeling they are trying to call the house phone instead of the cell. This caused the hold-up in regards to the template. It was over two weeks from the time we called to give the go ahead until they actually came to us because they had been trying to call the house phone. We disconnected the house phone when we started the renovation and have yet to reconnect the line. Everyone pray or do a little dance that we have our new counters installed by this Saturday please!
I think it is time I spent those Crate & Barrel giftcards we received as wedding gifts. Thanks K and D!!!!
Moving on, I did have a doctor’s appointment on Friday. I discussed my prog. level with my doctor. There was marked improvement. I went from 1.9 last cycle to 6.2 or 6.7 this cycle. I cannot remember the second number. The Clomid is definitely doing what it needs to be doing. However, the bloodwork for the prog. was taken 2DPO(days past ovulation) so it may not be as low as we think. At any rate, Dr. M wrote me two scripts. One is for 100mg of Clomid and the other was for Prometrium. Prometium is taken to increase the progesterone. I am to begin taking it as soon as I get a BFP. So if we were not lucky enough to get PG this cycle we’ll start round #2 of Clomid.
In other non-TTC news we are still waiting for our kitchen counters to arrive. The installer came out on the 15th to measure and cut the template. We asked him to curve the counter at the end over the shelves. I’m not sure if this is extending the process or not. They told us no more than 21 days from the time the template is cut until installation. To maintain that timeframe they need to install by Feb. 4th. I was really hoping the counters would be in by Superbowl weekend so we could make some yummy snacks in our new kitchen and watch the game in the comfort of our own home with a few friends/family in attendance. I’ve been nagging Jason to call them. I think I will send him one more email to remind him this morning. I have a feeling they are trying to call the house phone instead of the cell. This caused the hold-up in regards to the template. It was over two weeks from the time we called to give the go ahead until they actually came to us because they had been trying to call the house phone. We disconnected the house phone when we started the renovation and have yet to reconnect the line. Everyone pray or do a little dance that we have our new counters installed by this Saturday please!
I think it is time I spent those Crate & Barrel giftcards we received as wedding gifts. Thanks K and D!!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Jeff DUN HAM!
For any of you who watch Comedy Central you may have seen Jeff Dunham's stand-up with cohorts Peanut, Walter, Achmed the Dead Terrorist et al. Jason and I crack up everytime we see his stand-up. The other night we were watching some of his clips on You Tube and I decided to check out his tour schedule. Last time we had just missed the Memphis show. Well to our delight Jeff will be in Knoxville in April. We decided to buy tickets and make a weekend in Knoxville. We also invited Jason's parents to join us. We've played the You Tube clips for them before and they crack up. A sample:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go
I'm really excited. Jason and I made a pact to do more stuff this year. Typically our weekends are spent at home and we don't really go out more than the occassional trip to the movie or to dinner. Once spring arrives we'll start BBQing and inviting people over but in the dead of winter we like to hibernate. We both want to go more places. Some ideas we've been throwing around are a weekend trip to St. Louis. I have a desire to see the arch. Kentucky, a state I've never set foot in even though the state line is only an hour or so away. We also want to go back to Mexico this spring for our anniversary. We earned a free week during our last visit so of course we want to use it ASAP! I also may surprise Jason with a weekend in Tupelo this May. There is a big classic car show held there and it is supposed to be a lot of fun. I think he would really enjoy a weekend spent checking out classic cars. The man seriously wants Jay Leno's garage! These trips will also give me a chance to play with my new camera!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go
I'm really excited. Jason and I made a pact to do more stuff this year. Typically our weekends are spent at home and we don't really go out more than the occassional trip to the movie or to dinner. Once spring arrives we'll start BBQing and inviting people over but in the dead of winter we like to hibernate. We both want to go more places. Some ideas we've been throwing around are a weekend trip to St. Louis. I have a desire to see the arch. Kentucky, a state I've never set foot in even though the state line is only an hour or so away. We also want to go back to Mexico this spring for our anniversary. We earned a free week during our last visit so of course we want to use it ASAP! I also may surprise Jason with a weekend in Tupelo this May. There is a big classic car show held there and it is supposed to be a lot of fun. I think he would really enjoy a weekend spent checking out classic cars. The man seriously wants Jay Leno's garage! These trips will also give me a chance to play with my new camera!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
I'm impatient, yes I am.
Terminology:
AF= Aunt Flo or my period
TTC=Trying to Conceive
CD=Cycle Day; the first day of your period is CD1 and so on and so forth until AF arrives again
BFP=Big Fat Positive. This is what we are working towards. A positive pregnancy test
BFN=Big Fat Negative. What we don't want and what I and most women in my situation dread seeing each month.
BD=Baby dancing or in layman's terms-SEX!
DTD=Do the deed, see above
POAS=Pee on a Stick. What you do to get that BFP or BFN(NONONONONO)
O=Ovulation or Oing, O'd etc
PG=pregnant or pregnancy
Prog=progesterone
SA=sperm analysis
That should get us started.
We began our first round of Clomid(fertility drug) earlier this month which means I was highly irritable from January 7-11. We are on a 5 day cycle of 50mg. Jason did survive with his head intact. I also experienced brief hot flashes which for the chick that is perpetually cold-MOI-I was in heaven. There was actually a day when Jason built a fire in our family room and I walked in and had to leave immediately because it was too damn hot. This is unusual for me. About the only time I get hot in the winter is around 2-3am in the morning when I have to turn our heating blanket off. I grumble, half-asleep to Jason that I'm hot and in the process throw the comforter, blanket and sheet on his side. In response, he reaches over or stumbles out of bed to turn on the ceiling fan. He never remembers doing this when he wakes up later.
Anyway, today is CD21 for me. My doctor likes to do CD21 bloodwork when a patient is taking Clomid to test her progesterone levels. My test last cycle was a whopping 1.9. This is bad people. Unfortunately, I just O'd yesterday or possibly Monday as I'm waiting for my 3 high temps in a row. Yes, some of this may go over your head. Don't worry about it. If you have never obsessed about trying to conceive consider yourself lucky. Just wish us lots of baby dust and pray that we get a BFP next month! Once the results are in I'll talk to my doctor and determine if I need to take prog. supplements. Low progesterone may have been the culprit of my miscarriage this past June.
So back to the title about my inability to be patient. My appointment this morning was at 8:45am. I arrived 15 minutes early. I'm told to sit and they will call the lab. My doctor actually has a mini-lab in her office. 15 minutes go by. 20 minutes. Within 20 minutes I've seen 6 women called back for their appointments who arrived after me. I'm getting antsy and pissed off. At 30 minutes I'm imagining myself as a cartoon character with the redness moving up from the neck to the top of the head before said head blows up or steam rolls out the ears. I watch the pregnant woman across from me sip her lovely orange blended whatever for the glucose test. Anyhoo, at 35 minutes I check my phone again and decide to take action. I ask the receptionist how much longer because I have a meeting at work(no lie, I really did) to attend. I truly think either the receptionist or the lab forgot about me sitting out there in the pregnant woman's waiting room.
No sooner does my butt hit the chair they are calling my name and telling me to walk on back into the holyland. The lab! About freakin' time! As I sit in the chair and watch the phlebotomist prep I think, "Why was I so anxious to get here and get stuck with a needle?" Then I remember, "Oh yeah, because we want a baby." The whole process takes 2 minutes. She was a little rough and the prick of the needle stung a bit but I'm a big girl. My husband on the other hand, major wimp when it comes to needles. Can you imagine him in the delivery room when they bring out the needle for the epidural? HA!
So now I anxiously await the results and hope for good news.
AF= Aunt Flo or my period
TTC=Trying to Conceive
CD=Cycle Day; the first day of your period is CD1 and so on and so forth until AF arrives again
BFP=Big Fat Positive. This is what we are working towards. A positive pregnancy test
BFN=Big Fat Negative. What we don't want and what I and most women in my situation dread seeing each month.
BD=Baby dancing or in layman's terms-SEX!
DTD=Do the deed, see above
POAS=Pee on a Stick. What you do to get that BFP or BFN(NONONONONO)
O=Ovulation or Oing, O'd etc
PG=pregnant or pregnancy
Prog=progesterone
SA=sperm analysis
That should get us started.
We began our first round of Clomid(fertility drug) earlier this month which means I was highly irritable from January 7-11. We are on a 5 day cycle of 50mg. Jason did survive with his head intact. I also experienced brief hot flashes which for the chick that is perpetually cold-MOI-I was in heaven. There was actually a day when Jason built a fire in our family room and I walked in and had to leave immediately because it was too damn hot. This is unusual for me. About the only time I get hot in the winter is around 2-3am in the morning when I have to turn our heating blanket off. I grumble, half-asleep to Jason that I'm hot and in the process throw the comforter, blanket and sheet on his side. In response, he reaches over or stumbles out of bed to turn on the ceiling fan. He never remembers doing this when he wakes up later.
Anyway, today is CD21 for me. My doctor likes to do CD21 bloodwork when a patient is taking Clomid to test her progesterone levels. My test last cycle was a whopping 1.9. This is bad people. Unfortunately, I just O'd yesterday or possibly Monday as I'm waiting for my 3 high temps in a row. Yes, some of this may go over your head. Don't worry about it. If you have never obsessed about trying to conceive consider yourself lucky. Just wish us lots of baby dust and pray that we get a BFP next month! Once the results are in I'll talk to my doctor and determine if I need to take prog. supplements. Low progesterone may have been the culprit of my miscarriage this past June.
So back to the title about my inability to be patient. My appointment this morning was at 8:45am. I arrived 15 minutes early. I'm told to sit and they will call the lab. My doctor actually has a mini-lab in her office. 15 minutes go by. 20 minutes. Within 20 minutes I've seen 6 women called back for their appointments who arrived after me. I'm getting antsy and pissed off. At 30 minutes I'm imagining myself as a cartoon character with the redness moving up from the neck to the top of the head before said head blows up or steam rolls out the ears. I watch the pregnant woman across from me sip her lovely orange blended whatever for the glucose test. Anyhoo, at 35 minutes I check my phone again and decide to take action. I ask the receptionist how much longer because I have a meeting at work(no lie, I really did) to attend. I truly think either the receptionist or the lab forgot about me sitting out there in the pregnant woman's waiting room.
No sooner does my butt hit the chair they are calling my name and telling me to walk on back into the holyland. The lab! About freakin' time! As I sit in the chair and watch the phlebotomist prep I think, "Why was I so anxious to get here and get stuck with a needle?" Then I remember, "Oh yeah, because we want a baby." The whole process takes 2 minutes. She was a little rough and the prick of the needle stung a bit but I'm a big girl. My husband on the other hand, major wimp when it comes to needles. Can you imagine him in the delivery room when they bring out the needle for the epidural? HA!
So now I anxiously await the results and hope for good news.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Welcome
Who Am I?
I'm Stacey. I'm 35 which is OLD! Anyone reading this should already know this. I'm jumping in feet first to blogworld. It's an amazing place really. If you are a naturally curious person this is for you. You can read the deep dark secrets, day to day humdrum living of strangers or in this case a person you know.
Why am I doing this?
Why not. It allows me to avoid things I ought to be doing. It also allows y'all to keep up with me as I'm terrible with a phone. How does one use those buttons? I'm also bad about email but not as bad as the phone. If you know me you probably know this as well. My mother can attest. I get the guilt trip every time I call her and it's been a month or perhaps 5 since we last spoke.
What will this be about?
Anything and everything. Stupid, inconsequential thoughts, home improvement crap, my husband, trying to have a baby. For this last one I'll use lots of abbreviations. I'll supply a crib sheet for those not in the know. It's a totally different language as I have discovered from the wonderful internet. It can be a bit mind-boggling but like any new language once you actually start using it, you forget other people are clueless. If French was an abbreviated language I'd be fluent. Would my high school french teacher be proud? Doubtful.
I'll try to be witty on occassion and not bore you.
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, I'm so glad you could attend, move along, move along.
I'm Stacey. I'm 35 which is OLD! Anyone reading this should already know this. I'm jumping in feet first to blogworld. It's an amazing place really. If you are a naturally curious person this is for you. You can read the deep dark secrets, day to day humdrum living of strangers or in this case a person you know.
Why am I doing this?
Why not. It allows me to avoid things I ought to be doing. It also allows y'all to keep up with me as I'm terrible with a phone. How does one use those buttons? I'm also bad about email but not as bad as the phone. If you know me you probably know this as well. My mother can attest. I get the guilt trip every time I call her and it's been a month or perhaps 5 since we last spoke.
What will this be about?
Anything and everything. Stupid, inconsequential thoughts, home improvement crap, my husband, trying to have a baby. For this last one I'll use lots of abbreviations. I'll supply a crib sheet for those not in the know. It's a totally different language as I have discovered from the wonderful internet. It can be a bit mind-boggling but like any new language once you actually start using it, you forget other people are clueless. If French was an abbreviated language I'd be fluent. Would my high school french teacher be proud? Doubtful.
I'll try to be witty on occassion and not bore you.
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, I'm so glad you could attend, move along, move along.
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