Why so many posts?

So my friend and fellow teacher Kathryn and I work the afterschool program at our school. Its a pretty great gig. The kids work in the computer lab (my classroom) and we get paid to grade papers and do our lesson plans while watching the kids. Normally I do Mondays and Fridays and she does the other three days; this week however, Kathryn has had talent show tryouts everyday and I've been up here doing afterschool all week. The quarter just started on Monday and there isn't a whole lot to do in the beginning. No papers to grade, no parents to call, etc. Thus being the reason for the million blog posts a day!

I volunteered to make the bread for communion this Sunday and have been browsing recipes. Have any of you ever done this before? We have a lady at church that always makes the communion bread but at our normal service we only do communion once a month. At the new service, we do it every Sunday and that's a lot to ask her to do.

Here is the recipe I found on allrecipes.com. It looks pretty good and easy. No worrying about the yeast rising, etc. I'm planning to make it today and will let you know how it turns out!

Eucharistic Bread

Rated: Submitted By: Carol Photo By: DarcieA Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Servings: 20

"A quick and easy bread to make for communion services. This bread is just a little sweet and can be shaped whichever way you like."

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons honey 1/4 cup shortening 1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two baking sheets.
2.	In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Stir in honey, shortening and water. Mix dough until it is smooth and well developed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
3.	Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place loaves on prepared baking sheets.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2011 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 4/8/2011

The Egg Report

So I've got one egg (no possibility of twins this cycle) thats not quiet ready to be release yet (18mm). I'm waiting on a call from my doctor. May have to go in tomorrow for another ultrasound to see if it has grown. They like eggs to be at 22-24mm. Our doctor today was Dr. Whelan and he was really good. Very funny and informative! If I didn't like Dr. Wing, I'd definitely switch to Dr. Whelan. I'm just happy I get to put the shot off for a few more days! It's looking like the IUI will probably take place on Sunday or Monday but I'll update with more information once I get the call.

***Update***
My egg is definitely not ready and I'll be going back on Saturday morning to see its progress. IUI is tenatively scheduled for Sunday and Saturday night will be shot night.

Counting eggs before they hatch

We're going in for our CD 12 appointment tomorrow! We'll get and idea of how many eggs I've got and when we should administer the shot to release them and schedule our IUI. Please say a prayer tonight that the numbers look good and that Jay's count has gone up! I'd love for this to be my last month of infertility posts :) I'll be back tomorrow with the results!

Goodnight!

Beach comber or Beached whale

So beach season is quickly approaching. My extra 30 pounds (yes, 30. Thank you not being on adderall and the recent gain from fertility drugs)  that I've gained since August isn't disappearing anytime soon. I've got a family beach trip coming up for easter and would prefer not to look like a beached whale. I don't think the bikini is happening for me this year, at least not in the beginning! Hmmm, so now what?! I've been looking into tankinis, swim dresses, skirts, etc and need some help! Please bear in mind that I'm trying to look 26, not 66. Here are a few options I've been looking at. Let me know your thoughts!

Bravo's Pregnant in Heels

Have you seen this? OMG. This is the most interesting show. If you did happen to catch Monday's episode, you would have seen a focus group for choosing a baby name and a CRAZY set of parents that did not seem prepared for their child to arrive in o 4 weeks! People like that drive me crazy! If you don't want to be a parent, don't have a child!

The baby name focus group was hilarious. That lady was such a you-know-what! I was a little bummed to hear the name that we've picked out as one of our boy names be thrown around in the focus group. I was hoping that I had something original! Oh well, at least the focus group like it!

The show follows Rosie Pope, who we met when she worked with Bethenny last season on Bethenny getting married, in her life as a "maternity concierge". Rosie also owns a shop for mums to be. She is on call 24/7 for her concierge clients and helps them prepare for baby.

I was excited to see the show talk about Rosie's infertility. There was a scene that showed Rosie getting all her shots and then another scene where she was crying talking about how hard it is and that she feels like no one understands. I'm glad they are talking about infertility on TV. Up until I watched Guiliana and Bill, I really had no idea was IVF was. Many of the people I talk to about our situation are able to relate through things they've learned on reality television.

The following excerpt is from Rosie's blog discussing why she chose to talk about her infertility on the show:
I've been getting a lot of questions about my decision to discuss my infertility on the show. For me it was about being honest and opening a dialogue. The road to parenthood is not necessarily an easy one for everyone, and even if you don't end up doing IVF, many people have a hard time (or a harder time than they expected) getting pregnant. It is still one of those topics that is an extreme challenge to talk about, so I hope I make it just a little easier.  I also think part of why I am so good at what I do is because of all that I have been through both trying to become a mother and as a mother. Infertility is nothing to be ashamed of, and I hope to provide some support and comfort to the millions of women that have struggles. And let's face it, I've been around so many pregnant women there is nothing related to the subject I won't discuss, and I hope that is refreshing for people. For more discussion on this read my blog:  http://community.rosiepope.com/blog

My Parent's Bought a House!

My parent's offer was accepted and they'll be closing on their new house soon! I posted a picture before, but here's a little tour!

New Blog Address

Soooo I couldn't get google to remove my old blog from cache and I didn't want to make it public for fear of my kids finding it and reading it so... I created a new blog address and imported all of my old posts! For those of you that are new, welcome! I know I've had several conversations with you all regarding where we're at with fertility stuff. Its easier for me to keep everyone up-to-date on the blog vs. emails and phone calls. Hope you enjoy!

the new address is anniandjay.blogspot.com

<3
anni

Weekend Part 3

I was so excited that my sister Allie came to church with us this weekend to see our new service. It's always great to have visitors! I thought I had to teach Sunday school this weekend (Jay and I trade off weeks with another lady at our church) and I brought Allie down to my classroom to meet my kids! There were five cute girls there so excited to meet another "adult"! I was all set to teach when the other lady I teach with came. We had gotten our weeks confused. We'll you don't have to ask me twice to get out and enjoy my Sunday! Allie and I left and hit up Nordstrom Rack. The place was PACKED! Unfortunately we really didn't find anything. She got a pair of tennis shoes and I got some PJ's. I was looking for designer deals but nothing really caught my eye. We had fun shopping though!

I have never seen the lot so full!

My sister was running away so that she wouldn't show up on the blog!

Ha! I got her!

Jay and I are trying to get back into playing tennis. I'm one of those people that needs to look the part in order to play the game so we swung by Dick's and he bought me a cute visor and warm up jacket to match my tennis outfit! What a great husband I have :)

We went to visit our friends Jennifer and Brian and their sweet baby boy, Clark. Clark is 11 weeks old and we hadn't met him yet! We both were suffering from the flu when he was born and just hadn't had a chance to come by yet. We had so much fun cuddling with him! Newborns are sooo tiny and sweet and smell so good! I'm bummed I forgot to take a picture! We had such fun visiting that we lost track of time and didn't make it back in time for a tennis match before bible study. Maybe tonight?

After bible study, I came home to cook my lunches for week. I get super bored of salads! I'm trying to incorporate veggies in a better more filling way. 

Here are some recipes I made for lunches:

Paige's Chicken Soup (adapted from a recipe from my sweet friend Paige from bible study)

2 boxes low fat chicken broth

Handful of parsley

1 large can stewed tomatoes (drained)

1 onion (dice and saute until soft before adding to the soup!)

1 rotisserie chicken

2 cans northern beans

Salt and Pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a big pot, boil, then letter simmer. Easy and yum! Freeze leftovers and let them sit out the night before you take them to work!

Adapted from The Whole Tulip's Whole Wheat Penne Primavera

All the ingredients in this dish came from Trader Joe's.

2 large portobello mushroom caps, sliced in long strips
1 container grape tomatoes (they were out of cherry!)
1 can artichoke hearts (drained)
1 large handful of kale spinach, stems discarded and cut into strips
1 large handful of basil, cut into strips
1/4 cups of toasted pine nuts
1 lb of whole wheat penne
1 clove of garlic (optional)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan to garnish

Heat a large pot of water for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large saute pan heat a couple of teaspoons of olive oil over medium high heat and add mushrooms and cook through. Remove mushrooms from pan and add more olive oil garlic, cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper. Let the tomatoes cook for 3-4 minutes and then mash with a potato masher or fork to help them burst. Let simmer until the tomatoes are a sauce like consistency.

Add back the mushrooms, artichokes, and kale spinach. Once the pasta is al dente, drain reserving a little of the cooking water and add to the pan with the vegetables. Stir together and add a little pasta cooking water to help all come together. Once all combined, add the pine nuts and basil.

Welcome to First

So I've just decided to do three posts to cover our weekend! The rest of our weekend was pretty much as wonderful as the first part! Sunday morning's church service was not quiet as great as the premiere of our new service last week. We've got some things to work on still but overall it was pretty good! I wrote the following and read it for our opening welcome/prayer. I really do mean every word I said and truly LOVE our church. We have the most amazing people to work with and great pastors that care so much about us as individuals. If you're looking for a church in Charlotte, come check out our new contemporary service. I know 8:45 is EARLY but it gets your day started on the right foot and when you are done with church you can grab breakfast and still have your entire Sunday :)

Welcome

When first asked to welcome you to First Church, I thought: Ok. I can do this. I greet kids when they enter my Sunday School class, I greet members in the parking deck, in the narthex, I welcome our neighbors at room in the inn. I’ve got this. Welcome to First Church!

Then I thought about it a little more. I don’t want to just welcome you. I want to WELCOME you. I want you to feel the same comfort, friendliness, and acceptance that I do when I walk through these doors.

After the service last week, my friend Paige said to me, It was so cool to see you and Casey standing up there together giving communion. Why is that cool? You see Casey was born and raised Catholic, went to Catholic school his whole life and ended up feeling welcome here. I… well… I’ll show you a bit of my background.

(Cue slide collage)

My dad is Jewish, my Grandmother was Catholic, my mom was raised Lutheran, I went to an evangelic Presbyterian church as a child, I married a Southern Baptist. When it comes to religion, where in the world do I fit in?

I fit in at First Church. You fit in at First Church. We fit in at First Church.  They welcomed me. They welcome diversity. They welcome you with open hearts and open minds. They welcome you, no matter where you are in your walk with Christ. They welcome you to explore, to learn, to grow in God’s grace. They do not judge, they welcome you in Christ’s love.  I know firsthand that church can be an uncomfortable place to those that don’t feel welcome. What if I do something wrong? What if I’m not wearing the right thing? What if I don’t know the Lord’s Prayer? When do I stand? When do I sing? What do I respond?  What do I do when they call me up to take communion? I’ve been there. I get it. And I’ve learned. It doesn’t matter here at First. We welcome you just the way you are!     

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly father, I pray that you continue to make First Church a place that welcomes all people of all walks of life. I pray that Connect, this service, will be an instrument to reach those that are uncomfortable in church and provide them with the comfort of Jesus.  I pray that everyone that walks through the doors at First feels loved, welcomed, and accepted. I pray that First church provides a place of comfort when the outside world can’t. I pray that all of these people feel welcome in this place. 

Wonderful Weekends

Last night we had a fun "date" night. Kathryn and I went to Selwyn after school to grab a few drinks and some snacks. It's been a rough week. Spring break is waaaaay overdue! Jay and Mary Clare joined us and MC brought table topics with her. Have you evert played table topics? It's such a fun and interesting game. You pick a card and ask a question and everyone answers. It's fun to play with friends and strangers. You'll always learn something new! My sister Allie and her friend Ashley joined us later in the evening. Around 10 we headed home totally ready to crawl into bed! Ashley and Allie headed out to the bars. Ooo to be 22 again and have that energy!

Today I rode up to Raleigh with my sweet friend Laura. Our friend from college and high school too is getting married soon and had a bridal shower today. It was so fun watching her open all her gifts! The host played a cute game where they asked her fiancé Joe questions before the shower and before she could open her gifts, Katie had to answer what she thought Joe said! Yall, I'm normally not one for shower games but this was hilarious! Soo much fun. We only were able to stay for a short while but I enjoyed every minute of it. I also got to see Courtney, my college roomate. So much fun catching up! Katie, Courtney, and I were all shared a house senior year. I have the best memories with these girls. :) Can't wait for the wedding to see all my college friends and celebrate Katie and Joe!

College Roomates

Courtney, Katie, Me

All the girls from the shower. Please excuse the extremely pasty legs!

I'm sooo excited about our church service tomorrow! Lots of great stuff in store. I'm hoping after church jay will take me to the new Nordstrom rack that just opened today for a few treats! Hope you're having a great weekend!

Incognito

Soooo one of my students recently googled my name in afterschool and guess what showed up... my blog. I've contacted google and had it removed from search engines and am waiting to get the cached version removed. I don't think that any of my kiddies need to know about fertility treatments :)

Until all this mess is off of the internet (or at least out of my kid's reach) I've made this blog private only to my friends and family. If you know of someone else that reads it or would like to, feel free to send me an email and I'd be glad to invite them!

I've also hidden the comments section for now, because any time I answered a comment, it pulled up my name too! I'm working on all of it :)

Thanks!
Anni

Things I Love and Things I Hate

I woke up today to one of the things I hate the worst! Thunderstorms! I am completely terrified of thunder. I've always been afraid of loud noises, even as a child. During 4th of July fireworks display my parents would put an old AM/FM headset over my ears and crank up the oldies music so that I didn't hear the big bangs. I shuttered my entire drive into work seeing the lightening and clenching up until I heard the thunder. Ugh! The other thing I hate the most: ketchup. I don't want to talk about it. Typing about it makes me feel ick!

Things that I am loving right now:
Pomegranate seeds- Adri @ The Whole Tulip recommended these yummies from Trader Joe's. I bought some yestderday

Babybel Light Cheese- Picked these up at the store yesterday and couldnt stop! Remind me of Europe :)

This Blog- Nosh N' Nutrition. Tons of comfort food recipes made slightly healthier. Also includes weight watchers points. I think one of my problems staying committed to WW is that I am not a fruit and veggie person. I like pasta, cream sauce, and chicken. I think wraps suck and salads are blah (I hate dressing and sauces so that might contribute!) but these recipes are yummy and pretty easy to make. Only downside, she uses a lot of artificial ingredients. I try to eat as fresh and "clean" as possible but everything in moderation is more my style. Hopefully I'll enjoy my bland salads for lunch and be able to enjoy comfort food for dinner. I'm making the healthy chicken portobello lasagna tonight! I'll let you know how it goes!

Well how do I love you?

Let me count the ways
There ain't no number high enough to end this phrase

Garth anyone?

To the point of this post. 10pm. Laying in bed, reading over the blog... Oops! I forgot to get my prescription of fertility drugs filled. I need to take them like um 4 hours ago. My loving husband got out of bed, did not complain one bit and headed off to Walgreens. I love him :)