Shelby
Annabell
Ansley
Baby Bella
Blair
Candy
Claira
Gabby
Gina
Hannah
Parker
Peyton
Sarah
Serena
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
20 Questions
My sweet crippled friend Mary Clare at Southern Elegance tagged me in the 20 questions game!
Here are the rules:
- Rule #1: The tagged person must write their answers on their blog and replace any question they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.
- Rule #2: Tag 4 people to do this quiz. The tag-ee must state who tagged them.
1. If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals or are they members of your family?
They are definitely members of the family until they poop inside then they are animals! Sophie and Boomer sleep with us and cuddle with us all the time. Boomer sits a my feet in the kitchen NOT because he gets people food but because he just loves to be around me.
2. If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?
I would be able to get pregnant on our own without fertility drugs. I'd love to have four children and am still praying that is a possibility!
3. What would you do with a billion dollars?
Yay!!! I'd probably run around screaming like a crazy person. I would first give to my church because I know we are struggling financially right now. Second, I'd love to sell my house and get something bigger that I could raise a huge family in! Although I love my job, I'd quite and be a professional housewife. I LOVE my summers off and never get bored. I love having a clean place with dinner on the table when my husband gets home. I'd buy my dream car, a lake house, a beach house, and go on some really sweet vacations. I'd pay off my sister's student loan debt that she is about to incur. I'd buy a private jet so I could fly to Atlanta to see my family whenever I wanted. Hmm maybe I'd save some, but we all know that is not my forte!
4. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?
Two words. Ben & Jerry. Just kidding. Shopping. I love to shop. I forget about the issue when I'm shopping. If I have no money, reality television works pretty well.
5. What is your bedtime routine?
Glass of wine, tv with my husband, falling asleep on the couch, padding down the hall to my room and snuggling with my pups. I am horrible at bedtime. Ever since I had lasik, I don't really have a bedtime routine since I don't have to take my contacts out. I don't wash my face and generally don't brush my teeth (ew gross, I know...I promise and brush and floss really good every morning!)
6. What activities did you do in High School? If you could go back, would you do the same stuff or something different?
Everything! Cheered, coached cheerleading, played soccer for school and club, swam summers and for school, was a member of the diving team, really involved in younglife, debate team (not that I was every very good!), DECA, and partied a lot! I would do it all the same. I had tons of fun and great memories. Like Mary Clare, I wish I was closer to my high school friends now but am so thankful for the new friends I've made!
7. What kind of books do you read?
Books intended for teenagers, beach books, James Patterson, Sophie Kinsella type stuff. I also read a LOT of blogs! I'm a terrible reader during the school year. I look forward to summer and spring break, where I can layout at the pool or ocean with a "good" book. On my list to read is "The Help".
8. How do you see yourself in 10 years?
Happily married, crazy and frazzled chasing around my four kids but loving every minute of it!
9. What’s your fear?
Ketchup. I hate it. It scares me. The smell makes me cry. More rational fears include: being kidnapped, someone breaking into my house while I'm sleeping and Jay is out of town, and shots/needles.
10. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to see outer space?
Um no. I have no desire.
11. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Hit the snooze button about 8 times. Jay and I lay there until one of us convinces the other to get out of bed and shower. Our dogs are so LAZY they'd sleep until noon. It doesn't make getting out of bed easier!
12. If you could have any job, regardless of income, what would it be?
I'd love to do hair. I've always wanted to go to cosmetology school. My mom told me that I had to get a degree and then we'd talk about it. I'm still waiting to talk about it. My friend Brittany is going back to school now for it and she loves it. She's inspired me to take a look at going!
13. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?
I have no idea. I like my name!
14. If you had to choose between six months of sun or six months of rain, what would you choose?
Umm hard choice... sun!
15. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?
I could eat sushi everyday for 6 months. I love it and am not looking forward to giving it up when I get pregnant. At least I've discovered Cowfish's Burgushi!
16. What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?
I used to blog just for Jay and I and our families to keep in touch and keep memories while we are on vacation but now I've added in more personal details. I love having a record of whats going on in our lives. I like being honest with my emotions and sharing our struggles. I like to connect with people and I LOVE getting comments (it means someone else is reading it!)! I was taken back that Mary Clare tagged me because my blog isn't really public, but now its out there for others to read and I'm okay with it. I'm a really open person anyway so thanks MC.
17. Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?
Both. Salted Chocolate Caramels!
18. What items are in your purse right now?
Here we go: Two camel back water bottles, coach wristlet I haven't changed out since Europe this summer, digital camera, digital camera cord, ten pairs of earrings, auxiliary cord, tons of papers and receipts, iPhone, iPhone charger, iPod, two pairs of sunglasses, four lip glosses (all MAC oyster girl), Michael Kors watch, Yurman bracelet and ring, camera charger, notes about my hormone levels, a straw, a spoon, purology pomade (for the fly aways that my students make fun of me for!), guaze left over from having my blood taken, prescriptions, bobby pins, keys, a few giftcards, buttons, Essie E-Nuff is E-Nuff nail polish, hair tie, salt packets (I love me some salt), old church bulletin, and keys. It's amazing what you can learn about a person by looking in their purse!
purse contents shot
Sorry its sideways! I don't know how to fix pics from my iphone
20. What do you watch on television that you know you shouldn’t?
Hmmm everything. I shouldn't be watching TV. I should be working out and cleaning my house!
So, I don't have that many people that read my blog so I'm having trouble thinking of people to tag!
#1- Sara Boehm- Although you don't have a blog, I figured this would be a good time to start one!
#2- Bo Sadow- I forgot the link to your Europe blog, just humor me!
#3- Jennifer Morrison @ Morrison Makings- I'm not sure if you read this but we'll give it a shot because I think I gave you the link a long time ago :)
#4- Katie Self- I think you're new to the blog and don't think you have one but you should start one too!
Anyone else that reads, don't be scared! Let me know! I'm tagging you too!
<3
anni
Bedding
Some ideas I love! Feel free to weigh in! I'll be adding more soon but I was just tagged in a question post by MC and need to spruce the blog up a bit! Bye Bye Valentine's Day theme!
Blog is all spruced up now in pretty spring pink and yellow. Back to baby bedding! BTW- Some of you may think this is silly and premature to post this stuff but seeing it gives me hope. Don't hate.
The Girls:
Mallorie
Princeton
Brady
Max
Nantucket
Blog is all spruced up now in pretty spring pink and yellow. Back to baby bedding! BTW- Some of you may think this is silly and premature to post this stuff but seeing it gives me hope. Don't hate.
The Girls:
Mallorie
The Boys:
Princeton
Brady
Max
Nantucket
Monday, March 21, 2011
So where have I left off....
Last week was pretty crazy around the Carroll house. My family had to be out of their house and moved into ours. It's been really nice so far having them there. My mom's done laundry and my sister has really helped making sure our dogs go outside and get plenty of play time with her puppy Deacon. Let's see where to begin.
The Baby Stuff
First of all Jay and I along with our families had pretty much decided not to do the IUI this month. His sperm counts were low and I just didn't want to spend $600 until we knew more about his counts and could tell if there were any problems. It was the financially smart thing to do. On Sunday, March 13th I had my CD13 doctor's appointment. The doctor told us that I had one egg large enough to be released and my hormone levels looked really good. On a side note, the normal weekday lab techs don't work on the weekends and the girl that was there was terrible. I got stuck three times and should moved the needle around all three times looking for my vein. I still have bruises on my arms! My nurse called back later that day to schedule the IUI. Since my levels looked so good Jay and I decided to go forward with the IUI.
Sunday night around 10:30pm we had just gotten home from bible study and realized that I had not yet had my shot. I am TERRIFIED of shots. I cannot explain how much they freak me out. I had talked to Kate earlier in the week and told her I would call her sometime on Sunday to do the shot. Well there was no way I was going to call her that late on a Sunday night. Jay promised me that he knew what he was doing, took the shot, tapped it a few times, pushed the air bubbles out and reached for a chunk of my stomach. I screamed bloody murder and ran away. I was hyperventilating, crying, and thought I would pass out (and I still had not gotten the shot!). He tried to calm me down and I went to lay in the bed so that I wouldn't pass out. I called my mom on the phone to distract me while Jay went for. I swear it was the slowest shot possible. I didn't breath the entire time. After it was over I realized that I hadn't felt a thing and had a newfound appreciation for my husband :) He administered the shot perfectly!
On Tuesday morning, Jay and I took off work to go in for the IUI. We had to arrive at 7:30 for labs (thank God my normal lab tech was back!) and a semen sample. At 11:00 we went in for the IUI. My doctor told me that I actually released two eggs which was good news. The bad news was that Jay's count was even lower than before, only 500,000. Luckily my nurse is awesome and was so hopefully and optimistic, she made me really hopeful and encouraged me to think positively. The procedure was painless and over in 20 seconds. We left feeling really good about our decision! I know it may be silly but I wanted to take a few pictures just in case this works!
That afternoon, we went up to Concord for Jay's appointment with the urologist. He said that everything was totally normal, no problems at all with his "anatomy" or his hormone levels. The doctor was so funny and made a very awkward situation much less awkward for both Jay and I :) He gave Jay a prescription for Clomid, the drug they first had me on to get pregnant. The doctor said it stimulates the FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) that produces sperm in men and ovulation in women. I laughed in my head at the image of us both going to the pharmacy to pick up our matching fertility drugs. At least we are in this together.
As you can tell from my previous post, I had a rough week with pregnant people. I'm praying that I am pregnant because I have been VERY emotional! I almost cried during my planning period while I was looking at baby cribs! If not, this medicine has really cracked out my hormones! I really don't want to punch pregnant people and I really do believe that God has a plan. Sometimes though those words don't always provide comfort and I easily lose faith. I'm glad I have such an amazing group of supportive people in my life. Please continue to pray for us.
The Fun Stuff
Last weekend I attended Katie Self's bachelorette party in Charleston. It was so fun to have a girls weekend. We enjoyed a lingerie party on Friday night followed by dinner and lots of late night girl talk. We spent Saturday shopping on King Street and enjoyed appetizers and cocktails for lunch. What is it about Charleston that always makes me want to enjoy a mid afternoon cocktail!
On Thursday, I went with my mom to Atlanta to look at houses. They had put a bid in on the house that I had blogged (Lazy River) about but the owner countered and my parents decided not to pursue the house. We went to look at a house that my dad picked out and really liked. We were pretty set on it until the realtor told us she thought she could get the lazy rive house (that I previously blogged about) down in price. My Mom was really interested and we went by to look at the Lazy River house again. It was soo pretty inside and everything that my mom had wanted. They're still waiting to make a decision and plan on looking at a few more houses before they put another offer in. I enjoyed spending some time with my parents by myself.
This weekend was sort of crazy with all the moving in! My Dad came in from Atlanta and actually spent the night at my house. I was shocked. We were all taking bets that he and my mom would get a hotel room. He HATES to impose. Jay and I enjoyed the beautiful weather on Saturday watching March Madness outside at Selwyn Pub. On our way home we went to TCBY's grand opening in Myers Park. I stuffed my face. I think I had 12 oz of ice cream. It was soooo good though!
On Sunday we thought we had to teach Sunday school, got to church early, and learned that it wasn't our week! We took advantage and went out to breakfast before the service started at this yummy farm to table restaurant, Harvest Moon Grill. The service was slow but the food was soooo good! We'll definitely go again! We enjoyed church and came home for Jay to work on his Jeep. I swear that Jeep will be the death of me! We got into it on Sunday about priorities and have agreed that working on the Jeep is a hobby, not a priority! Ha! I also got to cook for our bible study on Sunday. I LOVE cooking and being in the kitchen. I made a garden salad, quinoa with veggies, and baked lemon chicken, followed by white texas sheet cake for dessert. Yum! I was happy to have an excellent sous-chef (mom) around to talk, cleaned pots and pans, and cut up veggies!
I'm also realizing I need to take more pictures! This blog is quite wordy.
The Baby Stuff
First of all Jay and I along with our families had pretty much decided not to do the IUI this month. His sperm counts were low and I just didn't want to spend $600 until we knew more about his counts and could tell if there were any problems. It was the financially smart thing to do. On Sunday, March 13th I had my CD13 doctor's appointment. The doctor told us that I had one egg large enough to be released and my hormone levels looked really good. On a side note, the normal weekday lab techs don't work on the weekends and the girl that was there was terrible. I got stuck three times and should moved the needle around all three times looking for my vein. I still have bruises on my arms! My nurse called back later that day to schedule the IUI. Since my levels looked so good Jay and I decided to go forward with the IUI.
Sunday night around 10:30pm we had just gotten home from bible study and realized that I had not yet had my shot. I am TERRIFIED of shots. I cannot explain how much they freak me out. I had talked to Kate earlier in the week and told her I would call her sometime on Sunday to do the shot. Well there was no way I was going to call her that late on a Sunday night. Jay promised me that he knew what he was doing, took the shot, tapped it a few times, pushed the air bubbles out and reached for a chunk of my stomach. I screamed bloody murder and ran away. I was hyperventilating, crying, and thought I would pass out (and I still had not gotten the shot!). He tried to calm me down and I went to lay in the bed so that I wouldn't pass out. I called my mom on the phone to distract me while Jay went for. I swear it was the slowest shot possible. I didn't breath the entire time. After it was over I realized that I hadn't felt a thing and had a newfound appreciation for my husband :) He administered the shot perfectly!
On Tuesday morning, Jay and I took off work to go in for the IUI. We had to arrive at 7:30 for labs (thank God my normal lab tech was back!) and a semen sample. At 11:00 we went in for the IUI. My doctor told me that I actually released two eggs which was good news. The bad news was that Jay's count was even lower than before, only 500,000. Luckily my nurse is awesome and was so hopefully and optimistic, she made me really hopeful and encouraged me to think positively. The procedure was painless and over in 20 seconds. We left feeling really good about our decision! I know it may be silly but I wanted to take a few pictures just in case this works!
After the procedure
That afternoon, we went up to Concord for Jay's appointment with the urologist. He said that everything was totally normal, no problems at all with his "anatomy" or his hormone levels. The doctor was so funny and made a very awkward situation much less awkward for both Jay and I :) He gave Jay a prescription for Clomid, the drug they first had me on to get pregnant. The doctor said it stimulates the FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) that produces sperm in men and ovulation in women. I laughed in my head at the image of us both going to the pharmacy to pick up our matching fertility drugs. At least we are in this together.
As you can tell from my previous post, I had a rough week with pregnant people. I'm praying that I am pregnant because I have been VERY emotional! I almost cried during my planning period while I was looking at baby cribs! If not, this medicine has really cracked out my hormones! I really don't want to punch pregnant people and I really do believe that God has a plan. Sometimes though those words don't always provide comfort and I easily lose faith. I'm glad I have such an amazing group of supportive people in my life. Please continue to pray for us.
The Fun Stuff
Last weekend I attended Katie Self's bachelorette party in Charleston. It was so fun to have a girls weekend. We enjoyed a lingerie party on Friday night followed by dinner and lots of late night girl talk. We spent Saturday shopping on King Street and enjoyed appetizers and cocktails for lunch. What is it about Charleston that always makes me want to enjoy a mid afternoon cocktail!
On Thursday, I went with my mom to Atlanta to look at houses. They had put a bid in on the house that I had blogged (Lazy River) about but the owner countered and my parents decided not to pursue the house. We went to look at a house that my dad picked out and really liked. We were pretty set on it until the realtor told us she thought she could get the lazy rive house (that I previously blogged about) down in price. My Mom was really interested and we went by to look at the Lazy River house again. It was soo pretty inside and everything that my mom had wanted. They're still waiting to make a decision and plan on looking at a few more houses before they put another offer in. I enjoyed spending some time with my parents by myself.
This weekend was sort of crazy with all the moving in! My Dad came in from Atlanta and actually spent the night at my house. I was shocked. We were all taking bets that he and my mom would get a hotel room. He HATES to impose. Jay and I enjoyed the beautiful weather on Saturday watching March Madness outside at Selwyn Pub. On our way home we went to TCBY's grand opening in Myers Park. I stuffed my face. I think I had 12 oz of ice cream. It was soooo good though!
On Sunday we thought we had to teach Sunday school, got to church early, and learned that it wasn't our week! We took advantage and went out to breakfast before the service started at this yummy farm to table restaurant, Harvest Moon Grill. The service was slow but the food was soooo good! We'll definitely go again! We enjoyed church and came home for Jay to work on his Jeep. I swear that Jeep will be the death of me! We got into it on Sunday about priorities and have agreed that working on the Jeep is a hobby, not a priority! Ha! I also got to cook for our bible study on Sunday. I LOVE cooking and being in the kitchen. I made a garden salad, quinoa with veggies, and baked lemon chicken, followed by white texas sheet cake for dessert. Yum! I was happy to have an excellent sous-chef (mom) around to talk, cleaned pots and pans, and cut up veggies!
I'm also realizing I need to take more pictures! This blog is quite wordy.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
I never wanted to be this person but I am. I hate pregnant women. It hurts so bad to hear the news or see them. I've found out that two people are I know are expecting in the last two days and it kills me. Why can't it be me? Why is everyone else that wants to be pregnant, pregnant? Why is it so hard? If I hear "maybe now is not the time" or "God has a plan for you" one more time I might punch the person in the face. Worst part is, now that I've had the IUI I'm not supposed to drink and I could seriously use a glass of wine. I just need a break.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Snoop Bloggie Bloooo oooo ooogggg
Whenever I think about blogging that song creeps into my head and stays there for a while! Ha! I've got a lot going on in my head so this post is going to be a random stream of thoughts.
I recently bought Better'n peanut butter and it is sooo much better than peanut butter. I could eat the whole jar. Its a lot less WW points than peanut butter and tastes great on a brown rice lightly salted rice cake.
I recently bought Better'n peanut butter and it is sooo much better than peanut butter. I could eat the whole jar. Its a lot less WW points than peanut butter and tastes great on a brown rice lightly salted rice cake.
I worked out this morning for the first time in AGES and it felt so good. I'm probably going to complain tomorrow about how sore I am but hopefully I'll catch the exercise bug again and make it a priority.
Yesterday was pretty tough for me. My mom had gone down to Atlanta to look at houses. Yesterday she called to tell me that they had put an offer in. Here's the house and some details.
So I have to admit I sort threw a fit when she told me. I didn't think it would hit me as hard as it did. I feel like my parents are buying this big house and with no one living at home I'm afraid they're going to expect our family to visit often. I already feel so torn about splitting holidays and trying to make sure that family time is split evening between both my family and Jay's that the thought of having to be in Atlanta & Asheboro so often leaves me feeling like I'll never be able to be in my own home. It is so easy with my parents in Charlotte to stop by for dinner. Or hang out for a few minutes on my way home. I think I just came to the realization that they really are moving away and I'm not going to be able to call them when little things come up. It will actually take planning and scheduling to see them and that makes me a little sad. I'm still holding out that both my sisters will end up in Charlotte and everything will be good :)
I've got lots more to write... our decision not to continue with IUI this month, Jay's birthday, and my upcoming trip but I'm just too tired. More tomorrow promise!
Monday, March 7, 2011
This Weekend
Friday night I got my hair straightened and stayed over at Kim's (my co-coach for cheer next year) house until late. I came home to find a sleep husband and two equally tired puppies.
Saturday morning I woke up super early and played about a million games of solitaire on my phone. Once Jay finally woke up we took the pups for a nice long walk in the rainy nasty weather. We came home to pack up our stuff and headed to Asheboro. First stop, the jeep dealership to turn in our jeep. It was sad to see it go. Jay wouldn't let me take too many pictures. He was embarrassed that the car salesmen were looking at him!
We enjoyed the meal and continued celebrating at Jay's sweet grandparents house. A lady in Asheboro makes award winning pound cakes and Jay's mom got one for his birthday. Y'all, this cake is SOOO good. I tried to eat it all yesterday because I didn't want any leftover to interfere with my diet. I just can resist! Any who we had a great time celebrating and spending time with family!
Saturday morning I woke up super early and played about a million games of solitaire on my phone. Once Jay finally woke up we took the pups for a nice long walk in the rainy nasty weather. We came home to pack up our stuff and headed to Asheboro. First stop, the jeep dealership to turn in our jeep. It was sad to see it go. Jay wouldn't let me take too many pictures. He was embarrassed that the car salesmen were looking at him!
Saturday night we went out to eat at Jay's favorite place, American Roadhouse. I think it's pretty gross. Their specialty is fried seafood. I'm not a huge fan unless we're at the beach. I thought there pagers were really cute though! They are shaped like lobsters and as soon as I went to take a picture it stopped flashing!
Jay and his sister, Ivey
Jay and "Aunt" Vic
My turn with the birthday boy! Hard to believe we've celebrated 8 of these together! I wish I could find pictures of all of them!
The proud mama
The whole family
Papaw and Boomer
Sunday morning we woke up early for church. It was POURING! So glad I got my hair straightened! No frizzies here (aren't yall sick of hearing me talk about it!) We made a quick stop for my favorite breakfast sandwich at Biscuit Company and then headed on to church.
A little self portrait before church. Not the best picture but oh well.
After church we enjoyed a meal at K&W, which Jay and I love! They had chicken pie and ohh it was so good! I'm just noticing that all we did this weekend was eat! After lunch we headed towards home and stopped by to look at a Jeep. Jay fell in love at first sight and I am just about to leave school to go pick him up and head up to Asheboro so that he can purchase it. I'm really nervous about him driving it home. It's a 1979 and pretty much has no safety features. I want to get on the highway and into Charlotte before it gets too dark. Jay's real birthday is on Wednesday and we're planning to celebrate with friends sometime this week.
Happy Birthday to my Wonderful Husband!
Pictures
I've just started downloading my pictures from my camera and oh my. They've been living there for over a year! Be patient! Lots of pictures and catch up posts to come!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Good and The Bad
The good- got my hair straightened. It straight and supper greasy. Can't wash it until tonight.
The good- Jay took me shopping for more shampoo and some nude finger nail polish
The bad- Jay learned how much purology shampoo and conditioner cost. Ive told him several times not to use my shampoo. Now he knows why!
Were off to Asheboro for the weekend to celebrate Jay's birthday with the family. Pictures to come!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Lets Be Honest
It's 3:12 on Friday afternoon. All my grading is done. My mid-quarter reports are sent to Edline. My desk is a mess (but what's new). I'm waiting on my afterschool kids to get here and am totally enjoying this time of silence and blog reading. I stumbled across this poem and it brought me a lot of comfort. I want to paste it here so that when I'm bitching about waking up in the middle of the night to feed my child I'll think back to this: :)
There are women who become mothers without effort,
without thought,
without patience or loss,
and though they are good mothers and love their children,
I know that I will be better.
I will be better not because of genetics or money or because I have read more books,
but because I have struggled and toiled for this child.
I have longed and waited.
I have cried and prayed.
I have endured and planned over and over again.
Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.
I will notice everything about my child.
I will take time to watch my child sleep,
explore,
and discover.
I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.
I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold, and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream.
My dream will be crying for me.
I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child.
Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love.
I will be a better mother for all that I have endured. I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend, and sister because I have known pain.
I know disillusionment, as I have been betrayed by my own body. I have been tried by fire and hell that many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.
I have prevailed.
I have succeeded.
I have won.
So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.
I listen.
And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely.
I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth when life is beyond hard.
I have learned a compassion that only comes by walking in those shoes. I have learned to appreciate life.
Yes, I will be a wonderful mother.
Optimistic
Today I've made the choice to be happy and celebrate the good things in my life. A few things I'm happy about:
1. Sun shining on my head while driving the jeep with the top off blasting music from circa 1998.
2. Purchasing our new (old) jeep today and learning to drive a 3 speed manual this weekend. (Personal Note- I have always loved jeeps. As much as I love the speed of my inifiniti, and the luxury and safety of our soon to own volvo xc90, what I REALLY love is loud music, the wind in my hair, and some mega bass... little known fact- I have two 12" subs in my accord that I got in high school...and I still love them)
3. Getting my hair did today! No more frizzies!
4. Chick-fil-a sandwich for lunch
5. A husband who loves me sooo much and has done such a great job taking care of me, our home, and our furry babies.
I've also decided to start making a list of things to purchase once I find out I'm pregnant. I used to worry that I'd curse myself if I bought anything pre baby but I feel like we can't be any worse off than we are now :) Here's a pics of a few things that I can't wait to have!
1. Sun shining on my head while driving the jeep with the top off blasting music from circa 1998.
2. Purchasing our new (old) jeep today and learning to drive a 3 speed manual this weekend. (Personal Note- I have always loved jeeps. As much as I love the speed of my inifiniti, and the luxury and safety of our soon to own volvo xc90, what I REALLY love is loud music, the wind in my hair, and some mega bass... little known fact- I have two 12" subs in my accord that I got in high school...and I still love them)
3. Getting my hair did today! No more frizzies!
4. Chick-fil-a sandwich for lunch
5. A husband who loves me sooo much and has done such a great job taking care of me, our home, and our furry babies.
the new jeep
I've also decided to start making a list of things to purchase once I find out I'm pregnant. I used to worry that I'd curse myself if I bought anything pre baby but I feel like we can't be any worse off than we are now :) Here's a pics of a few things that I can't wait to have!
Not that I'm praying for twins or anything but...
I think this Bugaboo Donkey stroller is the coolest thing I've ever seen :)
That's all for now! Happy Friday!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
EGG-normous
So I went in today for CD3 appointment (thats cycle day three for all you non infertility discussion board lurkers). I have an enormous 28mm follicle (follicles contain eggs until they mature and are ready to be released). Generally one dominate follicle releases the egg each month and the other follicles just dissolve. Some how this giant never released or dissolved and I learned today, threatened our chances of proceeding with the IUI this month. In addition to the ultrasound they also did blood work this morning to check my hormone levels. I called my mom pretty upset this morning because I thought our chances of conception this month were extremely low. I was positive this cycle would be cancelled.
The nurse just called and reported that my estrogen is fine and we are good to go with this cycle! LUCKILY my estrogen is 37 which is in the normal range and the enormous monster hasn't wacked out my hormones and should dissolve soon! Yay!!! I start my new drug Fermera today and will take it twice a day for 5 days. On Sunday, March 13th, Jay and I will go in early in the morning to meet with a doctor about the progress of our growing eggs. Hopefully we'll be able to do the trigger shot that night and go in for the IUI on Tuesday, March 15th. Yay! My spirits are so uplifted! March 15th is also the day Jay visits the urologist. I'm thinking of taking the entire day off to be able to go with him.
For the IUI procedure that bring Jay and I in early in the morning. Jay will give a semen sample and I will have blood work done. I'll go back at 11:00 for the insemination. I hope Jay will be able to go with me. I think it would be kind of weird possibly creating a baby without him even in the same room! I'm just so excited we're able to proceed this month. Happy Thursday!
The nurse just called and reported that my estrogen is fine and we are good to go with this cycle! LUCKILY my estrogen is 37 which is in the normal range and the enormous monster hasn't wacked out my hormones and should dissolve soon! Yay!!! I start my new drug Fermera today and will take it twice a day for 5 days. On Sunday, March 13th, Jay and I will go in early in the morning to meet with a doctor about the progress of our growing eggs. Hopefully we'll be able to do the trigger shot that night and go in for the IUI on Tuesday, March 15th. Yay! My spirits are so uplifted! March 15th is also the day Jay visits the urologist. I'm thinking of taking the entire day off to be able to go with him.
For the IUI procedure that bring Jay and I in early in the morning. Jay will give a semen sample and I will have blood work done. I'll go back at 11:00 for the insemination. I hope Jay will be able to go with me. I think it would be kind of weird possibly creating a baby without him even in the same room! I'm just so excited we're able to proceed this month. Happy Thursday!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Lord works in mysterious ways...
As soon as I refreshed my google reader, I saw another blog immediately following mine. The post was titled:
Pray Always.
Intriqued, I clicked on the blog and read this verse:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1
How fitting.
If you don't read Kelly's Korner, you should. I feel like its my daily dose of Jesus :)
Food Today
Just for me:
Breakfast- Smoothie
Snack #1- Two brown rice cakes
Snack #2- Cucumbers
Lunch- Chicken sausage with onions and peppers, and an apple
Snack #3- Yogurt w/ almonds
Snack #4- Carrots and more apples
Dinner- Hmmmm..... something to go on the way to church. Sushi maybe?
Breakfast- Smoothie
Snack #1- Two brown rice cakes
Snack #2- Cucumbers
Lunch- Chicken sausage with onions and peppers, and an apple
Snack #3- Yogurt w/ almonds
Snack #4- Carrots and more apples
Dinner- Hmmmm..... something to go on the way to church. Sushi maybe?
I cried
I watched Bethenny last night and lost it. I was actually upset at grandparents fighting (in a good way) over grandchildren. The show focused on how babies are only babies for a short amount of time and how grandparents don't want to miss a moment and how tough that will be for Jay and I with very carrying grandparents that both live out of town. Then the doom and gloom set in and I thought what if we never get pregnant. What if that is an argument we never have. I haven't really let my mind go to that point before but yall, this is hard. It's hard on our marriage. We both want this so bad. Sometimes its hard not to place blame, to feel connected. Sometimes its hard when our parents ask us how things are going. I know they are just trying to be helpful and supportive but even the littlest, kindest word can set me off. I cried to my mom last night and she tried to comfort my tears with promises of shopping trips for new strollers and clothes and baby nursery renovations. As materialistic/shop-a-holic as I am, it didn't even cheer me up. I only cried for a few minutes last night and then got over it. I'm sure I'll be fine... until it happens again next month.
In addition, I spoke with our nurse yesterday. She asked me if we wanted to stop trying while Jay underwent testing. I immediately replied that we wanted to continue and that "it only takes one". It definitely left doubt in my mind. Sort of a lost hope for the next few cycles. I'm praying for a miracle.
Speaking of losing it... I'm such an emotional eater. I ate 8 trader joes chocolate filled shortbread cookies when I got home last night. Plus a snack size bag of lay's potato chips and a cheese stick before dinner. Way to go Anni... Fortunately, I'm starting running with my neighbors again on Monday. I'm really looking forward to it! I am getting my hair permanently straightened on Friday afternoon and it is supposed to be straight for weeks, no blow dryer required! This should cut my getting ready time morning time down and allow for a good run :)
In addition, I spoke with our nurse yesterday. She asked me if we wanted to stop trying while Jay underwent testing. I immediately replied that we wanted to continue and that "it only takes one". It definitely left doubt in my mind. Sort of a lost hope for the next few cycles. I'm praying for a miracle.
Speaking of losing it... I'm such an emotional eater. I ate 8 trader joes chocolate filled shortbread cookies when I got home last night. Plus a snack size bag of lay's potato chips and a cheese stick before dinner. Way to go Anni... Fortunately, I'm starting running with my neighbors again on Monday. I'm really looking forward to it! I am getting my hair permanently straightened on Friday afternoon and it is supposed to be straight for weeks, no blow dryer required! This should cut my getting ready time morning time down and allow for a good run :)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
So I'm not pregnant
I got the results from my doctor yesterday afternoon. My hcg was zero. Surprisingly, I didn't even cry. Every other month I've cried like a baby upon learning the news. I don't know why this month is different. Maybe I've adopted that attitude that someday it will happen, just be patient. Maybe its the drugs.
We also go Jay's semen analysis back. Not quiet the results we were looking for. His count was down to 1.6 million from 4 million last time. His morphology stayed the same at 1% BUT his motility went up from 7% to 50% which is totally within normal range. Because this number grew we are going to be able to try Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) this month! You can read more about it here, but basically they will collect a semen sample, wash it to separate the sperm from the semen and then inject the "clean" sperm into my uterus through a catheter inserted in my cervix. The most romantic way to have a baby. Just kidding, at this point I don't care how this baby gets here! IUI also ups my chances up multiples from 10% to 23-30%. I don't think I'd mind getting two for one as long as they are healthy!
Speaking of two for one, in other news we have completely gone through our health care reimbursement account. We put all the money that we would use for health care over the entire year in this account and its gone, gone, gone and its only March. From now on everything comes out of pocket. No spring break vacation this year :( It will totally be worth the sacrifice though to have a healthy baby :)
My doctor also put me on a new regimen of drugs. Evidently the lining of my uterus was only 6mm and they would like it to be at least 7mm for implantation to occur. The clomid can thin the lining of the uterus so they've switched me to a new drug. I'll be taking Letrozole to "super-stimulate" my ovaries to produce more good follicles followed by a shot of Ovidrel that will release the eggs and then a few days later we'll go in for the IUI (I'm thinking sometime around March 14th or 15th but will let you know the exact dates) and follow that up with the Crinone progesterone gel. I'm still taking Glumetza for my insulin resistance and I'm supposed to be exercising and watching what I eat. I haven't done a great job of this so I'm going to go back to blogging what I eat. I feel guilty if someone reads that I ate two cookies while trying to conceive our baby after the dr. told me to lay off the sweets :)
I'm really optimistic and excited about moving forward. Please keep us in your prayers that this will work! I'd be sooo happy to stay away from IVF!
Love,
Anni & Jay
Food for Today:
Breakfast- Smoothie
Snack- (2) Brown rice cakes and yogurt w/ almonds
Lunch- Leftover whole grain spaghetti, haricot verts, mushrooms and potatoes (not a lot!), carrots
Snack- (2) Brown rice cakes celery and cucumbers
Dinner- Sweet potato fries, chicken sausage, onions, and bell peppers
We also go Jay's semen analysis back. Not quiet the results we were looking for. His count was down to 1.6 million from 4 million last time. His morphology stayed the same at 1% BUT his motility went up from 7% to 50% which is totally within normal range. Because this number grew we are going to be able to try Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) this month! You can read more about it here, but basically they will collect a semen sample, wash it to separate the sperm from the semen and then inject the "clean" sperm into my uterus through a catheter inserted in my cervix. The most romantic way to have a baby. Just kidding, at this point I don't care how this baby gets here! IUI also ups my chances up multiples from 10% to 23-30%. I don't think I'd mind getting two for one as long as they are healthy!
Speaking of two for one, in other news we have completely gone through our health care reimbursement account. We put all the money that we would use for health care over the entire year in this account and its gone, gone, gone and its only March. From now on everything comes out of pocket. No spring break vacation this year :( It will totally be worth the sacrifice though to have a healthy baby :)
My doctor also put me on a new regimen of drugs. Evidently the lining of my uterus was only 6mm and they would like it to be at least 7mm for implantation to occur. The clomid can thin the lining of the uterus so they've switched me to a new drug. I'll be taking Letrozole to "super-stimulate" my ovaries to produce more good follicles followed by a shot of Ovidrel that will release the eggs and then a few days later we'll go in for the IUI (I'm thinking sometime around March 14th or 15th but will let you know the exact dates) and follow that up with the Crinone progesterone gel. I'm still taking Glumetza for my insulin resistance and I'm supposed to be exercising and watching what I eat. I haven't done a great job of this so I'm going to go back to blogging what I eat. I feel guilty if someone reads that I ate two cookies while trying to conceive our baby after the dr. told me to lay off the sweets :)
I'm really optimistic and excited about moving forward. Please keep us in your prayers that this will work! I'd be sooo happy to stay away from IVF!
Love,
Anni & Jay
Food for Today:
Breakfast- Smoothie
Snack- (2) Brown rice cakes and yogurt w/ almonds
Lunch- Leftover whole grain spaghetti, haricot verts, mushrooms and potatoes (not a lot!), carrots
Snack- (2) Brown rice cakes celery and cucumbers
Dinner- Sweet potato fries, chicken sausage, onions, and bell peppers
Monday, February 28, 2011
2ww
So its been two weeks since my last post. I've been trying to stay really busy and not think about this part of our lives. Kate Boyd gave me the shot and I didn't even feel it. Jay is going to practice some in the case that I have to have another one. Right now we are in the 2ww (two week wait). Waiting to find out if I am pregnant or not. I called my doctor this morning because I had not started my period and they told me I could come in to have a beta hcg test done. This test will let them know how much hcg is in my blood. The level is zero until you are pregnant! So lets hope my level isn't zero. I don't think I am based on the home pregnancy test I took this morning but I am still hopeful. Jay also went in Friday for a second semen analysis. The results just came in as I was talking to the nurse this morning. Unfortunately, the doctor has to analyze them before telling me what they are. I HATE waiting!!! Anyway just a quick update! More to come later!
PS- My parents sold their house in Charlotte and have to be out by the 17th. They're moving in with us and I'm excited that my puppies will have friends to play with while we're at work! And also excited to spend some time with my family before they move away.
PS- My parents sold their house in Charlotte and have to be out by the 17th. They're moving in with us and I'm excited that my puppies will have friends to play with while we're at work! And also excited to spend some time with my family before they move away.
Monday, February 14, 2011
FREAKED OUT
Dear Blog,
I am totally freaked out. I am so scared of giving myself this shot. Ah! I just watched the video and almost wet myself. I would take a Xanax but that might do more harm than good. Please pray that my sister does a good job.
VIDEO:http://www.fertilitylifelines.com/resources/ovidrelpre-filledsyringe.jsp
Love,
Anni
Update:
BTW- I <3 Kate Boyd. She is a mom of one of my cheerleaders and family friend. She is actually excited to give me and shot and teach Jay how to do it! Yay! Would it be creepy if I took a picture? On second thought I don't think the image of me pinching my belly fat with a needle in it is something I'd want to share :)
I am totally freaked out. I am so scared of giving myself this shot. Ah! I just watched the video and almost wet myself. I would take a Xanax but that might do more harm than good. Please pray that my sister does a good job.
VIDEO:http://www.fertilitylifelines.com/resources/ovidrelpre-filledsyringe.jsp
Love,
Anni
Update:
BTW- I <3 Kate Boyd. She is a mom of one of my cheerleaders and family friend. She is actually excited to give me and shot and teach Jay how to do it! Yay! Would it be creepy if I took a picture? On second thought I don't think the image of me pinching my belly fat with a needle in it is something I'd want to share :)
Yay!
So I just heard from the doctor's office. We're going forward with the Ovidrel shot tonight... Yikes! Any experienced shot givers up for the challenge? In addition, I was told which days to have intercourse (still feel awkward typing that!), and to begin taking my progesterone on Friday. I'm instructed to call on February 28th and let the doctor know if I have had a period or not. Fingers crossed that this works!!!
Fun Tidbit- I don't want to get ahead of myself but this is kinda cool. If I were to get pregnant this cycle my baby would have the possibility of being born on 11.11.11. Maybe its a good sign!
Fun Tidbit- I don't want to get ahead of myself but this is kinda cool. If I were to get pregnant this cycle my baby would have the possibility of being born on 11.11.11. Maybe its a good sign!
Happy Valentines Day!
Taking the good with the bad
We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Foster's in Raleigh on Friday night followed by an early bedtime and early morning. My sickly cheerleaders did not perform their best routine (5 had the flu!) but we still won. We also got to taste Goodberry frozen custard. YUM.
On the way home from Raleigh we got a call from Dr. Wing with some bad news. Unfortunately, Jay's semen analysis did not come back with results that we wanted to hear. The average sperm count is around 60 million. Having low sperm count is defined as anything below 20 million. Jay only has 4 million. Sperm motility (their ability to move around) should be at 50% or higher. Jay's is at 7%. Last sperm morphology (how they are shaped) is generally around 20% normal shape. Jay has 1% normal. Like I said not good news. Two days before the analysis Jay had a 102-103 fever with the flu. We've been researching a LOT and read that a fever and illness can have severe impact on sperm quality and count. We are PRAYING this is the case! The doctor told us that if he next semen analysis comes back poor he will refer us to a urologist and we will have to start IVF. Yikes. We were/are pretty panicked. Especially at the cost of the IVF $24,000 + $4,000 a month for the drugs. OMG. We are sooo thankful that our parents are so supportive both emotionally and financially and that they are all so excited for us to have a baby and would do anything for us. Just please pray that this analysis was off due to illness and that he'll be back to normal in a few weeks (FYI- it takes 6-8 week for a new batch of sperm to be produced)! We are also so thankful for an awesome doctor that took the time out to call us on a Saturday and left me his cell phone number to call him back on if I have any problems.
On another note, we went in to REACH this morning for bloodwork and ultrasound. Unfortunately Dr. Wing was not on monitoring rotation this morning (the doctors take turns doing routine ultrasounds for monitoring patients). We saw Dr. Taft and she did not have the same bedside manor as Dr. Wing. What a difference it makes. She didn't move the screen around to show me things like Dr. Wing does, nor did she explain things. From what I gathered I have 6 mature follicles on my right ovary and none on my left. I've been reading a few message boards (very scientific...not) and some doctors have recommended not going through with trying to conceive this cycle because of the high risk of multiples. Dr. Taft gave me instructions on how to administer my shot of Ovidrel (um ya right I'm giving that to myself) but told me to wait until Dr. Wing called this afternoon with specific instructions. Hopefully I'll still be able to go through with the Ovidrel (reminder- Ovidrel triggers my ovaries to release my eggs) and working on making a baby (awkward wording) this week.
Please keep us in your prayers!!!
On the way home from Raleigh we got a call from Dr. Wing with some bad news. Unfortunately, Jay's semen analysis did not come back with results that we wanted to hear. The average sperm count is around 60 million. Having low sperm count is defined as anything below 20 million. Jay only has 4 million. Sperm motility (their ability to move around) should be at 50% or higher. Jay's is at 7%. Last sperm morphology (how they are shaped) is generally around 20% normal shape. Jay has 1% normal. Like I said not good news. Two days before the analysis Jay had a 102-103 fever with the flu. We've been researching a LOT and read that a fever and illness can have severe impact on sperm quality and count. We are PRAYING this is the case! The doctor told us that if he next semen analysis comes back poor he will refer us to a urologist and we will have to start IVF. Yikes. We were/are pretty panicked. Especially at the cost of the IVF $24,000 + $4,000 a month for the drugs. OMG. We are sooo thankful that our parents are so supportive both emotionally and financially and that they are all so excited for us to have a baby and would do anything for us. Just please pray that this analysis was off due to illness and that he'll be back to normal in a few weeks (FYI- it takes 6-8 week for a new batch of sperm to be produced)! We are also so thankful for an awesome doctor that took the time out to call us on a Saturday and left me his cell phone number to call him back on if I have any problems.
On another note, we went in to REACH this morning for bloodwork and ultrasound. Unfortunately Dr. Wing was not on monitoring rotation this morning (the doctors take turns doing routine ultrasounds for monitoring patients). We saw Dr. Taft and she did not have the same bedside manor as Dr. Wing. What a difference it makes. She didn't move the screen around to show me things like Dr. Wing does, nor did she explain things. From what I gathered I have 6 mature follicles on my right ovary and none on my left. I've been reading a few message boards (very scientific...not) and some doctors have recommended not going through with trying to conceive this cycle because of the high risk of multiples. Dr. Taft gave me instructions on how to administer my shot of Ovidrel (um ya right I'm giving that to myself) but told me to wait until Dr. Wing called this afternoon with specific instructions. Hopefully I'll still be able to go through with the Ovidrel (reminder- Ovidrel triggers my ovaries to release my eggs) and working on making a baby (awkward wording) this week.
Please keep us in your prayers!!!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thank God Its FRIDAY!!!
I just love Fridays. I live for Fridays. My kids are in a good mood, work is fun, and the weekend begins in a few short hours. Plans for today include running home during planning to pack both of our stuff for our Raleigh trip and spend some time with the doggies. I also work at my school's afterschool enrichment program two afternoons a week and unfortunately one of those afternoons is today. I'm going to rush back to school,hopefully leave afterschool early and head uptown to pick up my husband. I'm looking forward to Foster's for dinner and maybe getting drinks at some of our old haunts.
Last night I got home around 6:45 and Jay was in a stinky mood (again! I'm so over this flu thing). I was angry and didn't want to speak to him so I went ahead and went to bed. He came in and apologized and things were better. Both of us realized that we weren't really hungry but had already defrosted salmon that needed to be cooked. Jay cooked the salmon and I slept. I'll be eating it for snack today.
Food Today:
Breakfast- Smoothie
Snack- I was starving so I had two containers of cut up apples and almonds
Lunch- Pasta Bar from Harris Teeter (only a 3rd of the portion they give you) and salad
Snack- Pomegranate yogurt
Dinner- ???? Something yummy and delicious!
A Compliment
The other day my friend Sara emailed me after reading my blog and paid me the best compliment. She said she enjoyed reading my blog and commented about how other blogs that just talk about fashion aren't always super interesting. Although I love reading all different types of blogs, I've decided that I don't want to blog about just material things. I still love beautiful things but I am starting to see beauty in a different way (maybe also because I don't have the big bucks coming in to afford beautiful things!). I want to blog about meaningful things, times, experiences, life, and maybe the occasional shoe, dress, purse that I'm coveting. Thanks Sara!!!
Last night I got home around 6:45 and Jay was in a stinky mood (again! I'm so over this flu thing). I was angry and didn't want to speak to him so I went ahead and went to bed. He came in and apologized and things were better. Both of us realized that we weren't really hungry but had already defrosted salmon that needed to be cooked. Jay cooked the salmon and I slept. I'll be eating it for snack today.
Food Today:
Breakfast- Smoothie
Snack- I was starving so I had two containers of cut up apples and almonds
Lunch- Pasta Bar from Harris Teeter (only a 3rd of the portion they give you) and salad
Snack- Pomegranate yogurt
Dinner- ???? Something yummy and delicious!
A Compliment
The other day my friend Sara emailed me after reading my blog and paid me the best compliment. She said she enjoyed reading my blog and commented about how other blogs that just talk about fashion aren't always super interesting. Although I love reading all different types of blogs, I've decided that I don't want to blog about just material things. I still love beautiful things but I am starting to see beauty in a different way (maybe also because I don't have the big bucks coming in to afford beautiful things!). I want to blog about meaningful things, times, experiences, life, and maybe the occasional shoe, dress, purse that I'm coveting. Thanks Sara!!!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Making it through the week...
I don't really have a lot to say this week. I've been pretty busy with practices and work. I'm heading to Raleigh tomorrow night for a cheerleading competition and it's our last one. I'm ready for the season to be over but I really enjoy these girls and it will be hard to see them go. I'm excited for a night away from dog and house responsibilities. I've been an excellent house keeper and all my cleaning and straightening for SuperBowl is still intact! My food has been kinda crappy. I'm out of grocery money until payday so we're making the most of what we have on hand.
Yesterday's meals-
Egg white omelet and smoothie
Leftover flying biscuit (spinach, pasta, and eggs) + creamy dreamy yummy grits
Two leftover chicken nuggets for snack
Handful of almonds
A caramel brownie (hey I made them for Jay last week and they weren't going anywhere so I had to get rid of them...in my stomach)
Chickpeas with cumin and edamame for dinner (some dinner...)
Today:
Breakfast- smoothie
Snack- celery
Lunch- piece of cafeteria pizza and grilled chicken salad
Snack- Pomegranate yogurt w/ almonds and apples
Dinner- Honey glazed salmon & arugula salad
Fertility Update: Today Jay went in for his "semen analysis". I was anxious to hear his thoughts. Of course in normal Jay fashion, "it was no big deal". I asked if he giggled when he saw the cartoon sperm on the walls like I did and he rolled his eyes. I guess I'm just a tad immature. We go back on Monday (if I haven't said that enough) to see the status of our little eggies. Can't wait!
Yesterday's meals-
Egg white omelet and smoothie
Leftover flying biscuit (spinach, pasta, and eggs) + creamy dreamy yummy grits
Two leftover chicken nuggets for snack
Handful of almonds
A caramel brownie (hey I made them for Jay last week and they weren't going anywhere so I had to get rid of them...in my stomach)
Chickpeas with cumin and edamame for dinner (some dinner...)
Today:
Breakfast- smoothie
Snack- celery
Lunch- piece of cafeteria pizza and grilled chicken salad
Snack- Pomegranate yogurt w/ almonds and apples
Dinner- Honey glazed salmon & arugula salad
Fertility Update: Today Jay went in for his "semen analysis". I was anxious to hear his thoughts. Of course in normal Jay fashion, "it was no big deal". I asked if he giggled when he saw the cartoon sperm on the walls like I did and he rolled his eyes. I guess I'm just a tad immature. We go back on Monday (if I haven't said that enough) to see the status of our little eggies. Can't wait!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Updates
So I didn't track my food yesterday on my blog and its a good thing. I totally fell of the wagon, two cookies, two cupcakes, a piece of fried chicken, sausage dip and scoops, pork chop and spagetti squash, yougurt with almonds, and moo goo gai pan! Whew! I will not be eating like that for sometime.
I think that reason I get off track is that I don't have a routine. Sunday nights are normally spent preping meal for the week. This Sunday was spend enjoying the company of our closest friends and sunday school class while hosting our 2nd annual superbowl party! It was tons of fun and there is still tons of mess in my kitchen. I haven't cleaned a thing which is probably why I'm not really preparing meals at home! Today will be another busy day but at least my husband will be back in town to help out (he took off super early Monday morning for Atlanta)!
Last night my Dad was able to pickup my new craigslist chairs! YAY!!!! Time to start the recovering part. I have two really busy weekends ahead of me and then things should really slow down and Jay and I can have our weekends back :)
Fertility Update: Went in for my HSG today. I was super nervous about the pain and yes and it hurt like a bitch. I was excited to see my doctor. I had no idea he was be performing the test (I was at an outpatient imaging center). I can't say enough good things about REACH and Dr. Wing. He talked me through the whole process and explained what everything meant.
Prepare for a TMI moment:
They slide a catheter into your cervix and then shoot dye into your uterus and ovaries. They then take x-rays of the dye. The test is performed to make sure that you don't have any blockage in your fallopian tubes. Luckily my plumbing is clear! I do however have a heart shaped uterus which Dr. Wing didn't think it would pose any problems but is still interesting to find out. Next appointment on Feb 14th to check on my eggs! Keep praying that their growing (but that they don't grow too big!)!!! Also today is my last day of Clomid! Hope it works!!!!
Food Today:
Breakfast- Berry Green Smoothie and 6 almonds
Snack- Carrots
Lunch- Leftover Moo Goo Gai Pan
Snack- Cucumbers and Apples
Dinner- Flying Biscuit with my besties! I may be a little off on the healthy-ness at the Biscuit!
I think that reason I get off track is that I don't have a routine. Sunday nights are normally spent preping meal for the week. This Sunday was spend enjoying the company of our closest friends and sunday school class while hosting our 2nd annual superbowl party! It was tons of fun and there is still tons of mess in my kitchen. I haven't cleaned a thing which is probably why I'm not really preparing meals at home! Today will be another busy day but at least my husband will be back in town to help out (he took off super early Monday morning for Atlanta)!
Last night my Dad was able to pickup my new craigslist chairs! YAY!!!! Time to start the recovering part. I have two really busy weekends ahead of me and then things should really slow down and Jay and I can have our weekends back :)
Fertility Update: Went in for my HSG today. I was super nervous about the pain and yes and it hurt like a bitch. I was excited to see my doctor. I had no idea he was be performing the test (I was at an outpatient imaging center). I can't say enough good things about REACH and Dr. Wing. He talked me through the whole process and explained what everything meant.
Prepare for a TMI moment:
They slide a catheter into your cervix and then shoot dye into your uterus and ovaries. They then take x-rays of the dye. The test is performed to make sure that you don't have any blockage in your fallopian tubes. Luckily my plumbing is clear! I do however have a heart shaped uterus which Dr. Wing didn't think it would pose any problems but is still interesting to find out. Next appointment on Feb 14th to check on my eggs! Keep praying that their growing (but that they don't grow too big!)!!! Also today is my last day of Clomid! Hope it works!!!!
This isn't my scan but it looks a lot of like mine did. I was surprised at how weird a uterus looks!
Food Today:
Breakfast- Berry Green Smoothie and 6 almonds
Snack- Carrots
Lunch- Leftover Moo Goo Gai Pan
Snack- Cucumbers and Apples
Dinner- Flying Biscuit with my besties! I may be a little off on the healthy-ness at the Biscuit!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Flu Strikes Back
Upon returning home last night I discovered my poor husband bundled up in a down blanket sweating bullets with a 102 fever. He "doesn't get sick" (his words, not mine!). I took care of him last night, fed him tylenol and called the nurse to get him an appointment this morning. He went in early and got some Tamaflu and was feeling much better during the day. He crashed around 5:00 and I'm enjoying the quiet!
Overall today was pretty productive. Got ALL the laundry done, guest bath cleaned, moved the vanity into our bedroom, and thoroughly cleaned our room. So the diet was working really well until today. I have a hard time keeping my diet when i'm not in a routine. Last night for dinner I was so tired from the week (and Zumba with Paige) that I went to Baoding and got Chicken Chow Foon. I split it up into three portions and only ate one for dinner.
This morning I woke up STARVING. Here's what I have eaten:
Breakfast:
One portion of Chicken Chow Foon
Snack:
Trader Joe's Honey Greek Yogurt with almonds and chocolate chips
Lunch:
A Berry Green Smoothie
Lunch #2:
A Salmon Patty and Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Snack:
I decided to bake brownies for Jay. Bad idea. I have one very large serving and then put the rest away. Out of mind out of sight!
Dinner:
I'm not too hungry but I defrosted pork chops last night and had to eat them so I've been marinating them all day. Accompanying the pork chops will be spaghetti squash with homemade pesto sauce and roasted zucchini and squash. No Dessert for me!
After dinner we need to head to my parents house to do our taxes and pick up some furniture and their elliptical machine which will be living at my house until May! No excuses now!
Dinners Ready! Have a Great Saturday!
Overall today was pretty productive. Got ALL the laundry done, guest bath cleaned, moved the vanity into our bedroom, and thoroughly cleaned our room. So the diet was working really well until today. I have a hard time keeping my diet when i'm not in a routine. Last night for dinner I was so tired from the week (and Zumba with Paige) that I went to Baoding and got Chicken Chow Foon. I split it up into three portions and only ate one for dinner.
This morning I woke up STARVING. Here's what I have eaten:
Breakfast:
One portion of Chicken Chow Foon
Snack:
Trader Joe's Honey Greek Yogurt with almonds and chocolate chips
Lunch:
A Berry Green Smoothie
Lunch #2:
A Salmon Patty and Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Snack:
I decided to bake brownies for Jay. Bad idea. I have one very large serving and then put the rest away. Out of mind out of sight!
Dinner:
I'm not too hungry but I defrosted pork chops last night and had to eat them so I've been marinating them all day. Accompanying the pork chops will be spaghetti squash with homemade pesto sauce and roasted zucchini and squash. No Dessert for me!
After dinner we need to head to my parents house to do our taxes and pick up some furniture and their elliptical machine which will be living at my house until May! No excuses now!
Dinners Ready! Have a Great Saturday!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Broke before the baby arrives
Fertility Update:
I just learned the monthly cost of my fertility meds... $225! Yikes! I was not expecting that. I'm praying it happens right away so we don't have to drain our HRA before the baby even arrives. It will be all worth it though :) So fertility update, I started taking Clomid today and will take it for the next 5 days.. So far so good. I go in on February 8th for an HSG test to make sure that my fallopian tubes are open and my eggs can move easily on down. They will inject me with dye and take a few xrays. Should be pretty easy. On February 14th <3, Jay and I have an appointment to "count our eggs". We'll go in and see if my eggs have matured enough to be released. If they are ready we'll have to administer Ovidrel (trigger shot) to release my eggs and then its up to us! I'm excited to get this going!!!
Today has been CRAZY at school. We had a pep rally and that always makes the kids bonkers. It also takes away my lunch break so I have eat on the run. My cheerleaders did such a good job today and I am sooo proud of them. I don't have the video of today's perfomance but I do have another one I'm going to link up!
Food Update:
Last night for dinner I made a really simple but delicious meal. Trader Joe's apple flavored chicken sausage with sweet bell peppers and carmelized red onions. I sauted the onions and peppers for awhile then add the cut up chicken sausage and saute until its all hot. I also did roasted zucchini, squash, and Trader Joe's sweet potato spears. I am NOT a huge sweet tator fan but these were AMAZING. I would eat them all the time. In fact I think I'll have em for snack this afternoon. Yum.
Breakfast:
Egg Omelet (which I did not drop on the floor today like I did yesterday!)
Berry Green Smoothie
Snack:
Skipped for today
Lunch:
Apples
Snack:
I'm starving! I'll probably have some Trader Joe's Honey Greek Yogurt with almonds and some carrots
Dinner:
Hmmm. Haven't planned that one yet. Maybe we'll go out for something. I've pretty much used up my weekly stock of veggies. Got lots of meat though. Pork chops and sweet potatoes?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
And so it begins!
I had another appointment with my fertility doc this morning. Strangely I feel a sense of comfort when I'm there. You arrive and are sent upstairs for blood work and sent back down for ultrasounds. You're there so often that the nurses who work in the lab know you by name. We are all there for the same reason and secretly rooting for each other with kind smiles and polite exchanges on the elevator.As much as I like the clinic, I'm will be so excited to be done with that place (meaning we're pregnant!)!
Today's appointment went well! I'm starting on Clomid tomorrow. I'm going to take clomid for 5 days and then a week after I stop the medicine I'll go in for an ultrasound to check on my eggs. If they have matured and are ready to go I'll be given a shot of Ovidrel which will trigger my eggs to be released. Please pray that everything goes perfect and that this works on the first cycle!
Last night's meal was sooooo good. Salmon was delicious, pretty healthy, and super easy to make. After dinner I was still on the hungry side so I made another berry green smoothie (only 2 WW points) and some popcorn. Definitely did the trick! I need to figure out what I'm going to do for tonights dinner.
Today's Breakfast:
Egg white omelet with peppers, ham, onion, and fat-free cheese
A Berry Green Smoothie.
2 Chocolate Chip Cookies (don't fault me there is a bake sale going on for a good cause!)
Snack:
Apples
Lunch:
Grilled Chicken Salad
Carrots
Celery
Snack:
Trader Joe's Honey Greek Yogurt
Almonds
Dinner:
?
I'm also heading to the gym for a little zumba and a 2 mile run. Take that cookies!!!
Furniture Update: I bought these chairs on craigslist and my Dad is bringing them home from Atlanta next week. Woo Whooo! Planning on painting them antique-y white and reupholstering with a tan/linen fabric and nailhead trim.
I'll be back to update with a dinner recipe!
Today's appointment went well! I'm starting on Clomid tomorrow. I'm going to take clomid for 5 days and then a week after I stop the medicine I'll go in for an ultrasound to check on my eggs. If they have matured and are ready to go I'll be given a shot of Ovidrel which will trigger my eggs to be released. Please pray that everything goes perfect and that this works on the first cycle!
Last night's meal was sooooo good. Salmon was delicious, pretty healthy, and super easy to make. After dinner I was still on the hungry side so I made another berry green smoothie (only 2 WW points) and some popcorn. Definitely did the trick! I need to figure out what I'm going to do for tonights dinner.
Today's Breakfast:
Egg white omelet with peppers, ham, onion, and fat-free cheese
A Berry Green Smoothie.
2 Chocolate Chip Cookies (don't fault me there is a bake sale going on for a good cause!)
Snack:
Apples
Lunch:
Grilled Chicken Salad
Carrots
Celery
Snack:
Trader Joe's Honey Greek Yogurt
Almonds
Dinner:
?
I'm also heading to the gym for a little zumba and a 2 mile run. Take that cookies!!!
Furniture Update: I bought these chairs on craigslist and my Dad is bringing them home from Atlanta next week. Woo Whooo! Planning on painting them antique-y white and reupholstering with a tan/linen fabric and nailhead trim.
I'll be back to update with a dinner recipe!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A Berry Green Smoothie
So part of having PCOS means that I am extra susceptible to weight gain, the inability to process insulin, and a serious craving for carbs (oh so that explains it!). I've been trying to lose weight and got thrown off with my parents moving, trying to have a baby, bronchitis, flu stuff. After my appointment yesterday I am back on the healthy kick for my sake and my future children's.
So for breakfast today I ate an egg white, bell pepper, ham, and fat-free cheese omelet. YUM. My omelet was accompanied by my first every Berry Green Smoothie, a new creation. Here's the (soft) recipe.
1/2 cup Almond Milk
1 cup Trader Joe's Green Plant Juice
1 1/2 cups Trader Joe's Frozen Berries (blue berries, strawberries, and raspberries)
1 large handful of spinach
Blend all ingredients together. Feel free to play around with the proportions. It was a greenish-maroon color (very appetizing) and delicious. It was the perfect sweetness and super healthy!
Snack today is celery and 1oz almond butter for a snack. Salad with grilled chicken for lunch. Cucumbers, carrots, and apples for munchies during the day, and blueberry greek yogurt with almonds for my afterschool snack.
Dinner will be weight watchers glazed salmon, roasted butternut squash (my friend Adri's blog, a great place for whole food healthy recipes), and salad.
Recipe for Salmon:
So for breakfast today I ate an egg white, bell pepper, ham, and fat-free cheese omelet. YUM. My omelet was accompanied by my first every Berry Green Smoothie, a new creation. Here's the (soft) recipe.
1/2 cup Almond Milk
1 cup Trader Joe's Green Plant Juice
1 1/2 cups Trader Joe's Frozen Berries (blue berries, strawberries, and raspberries)
1 large handful of spinach
Blend all ingredients together. Feel free to play around with the proportions. It was a greenish-maroon color (very appetizing) and delicious. It was the perfect sweetness and super healthy!
Snack today is celery and 1oz almond butter for a snack. Salad with grilled chicken for lunch. Cucumbers, carrots, and apples for munchies during the day, and blueberry greek yogurt with almonds for my afterschool snack.
Dinner will be weight watchers glazed salmon, roasted butternut squash (my friend Adri's blog, a great place for whole food healthy recipes), and salad.
Recipe for Salmon:
| 2 Tbsp honey | |
| 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice | |
| 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice | |
| 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce | |
| 2 tsp Dijon mustard | |
| 1/4 tsp table salt | |
| 1/4 tsp black pepper | |
| 1 1/2 pound(s) salmon fillet(s), with or without skin, four 6-oz pieces | |
| 1 spray(s) cooking spray |
Instructions
- Preheat broiler.
- Combine first 7 ingredients, and stir well with a whisk.
- Place fillets on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush with honey mixture; cook 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting frequently with honey mixture. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet).
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
So now we know...
This morning I had my first visit with Dr. Wing at REACH (reproductive endocrinology associates of Charlotte). It's been about 7 months of trying to get pregnant with no success. Thanks to some recommendations and encouragement by friends we decided to see a specialist. Best thing we could have done! After a half-hour chat with Dr. Wing he guessed that I had PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, a luteal phase defect, and dysfunctional ovulation. A quick ultrasound confirmed his diagnosis and within minutes he was discussing a treatment plan.
Dr. Wing and his nurse could not have been nicer! I know it seems odd that I'm excited about having fertility problems, but I'm just so thankful that they seem easy to fix and that I've found a doctor that really listens and wants to help us have a baby! I feel like I'm in such good hands and am so excited to start treatment and hopefully meet our baby in the next year :)
BTW- It may seems weird that I'm sharing this on my blog but I'm hoping that anything I share will help any of you who will ever struggle with infertility or have questions in the future.
Dr. Wing and his nurse could not have been nicer! I know it seems odd that I'm excited about having fertility problems, but I'm just so thankful that they seem easy to fix and that I've found a doctor that really listens and wants to help us have a baby! I feel like I'm in such good hands and am so excited to start treatment and hopefully meet our baby in the next year :)
I'll go in Thursday to begin the first of several rounds of hormone testing and ultrasounds. I'm going to start taking a medication that improves the quality of my eggs. (If you are interested in learning about the therapy, click here) Around the time of ovulation, the doctor will give me a shot that tells my body to release the egg. From there on I'll take hormone supplements to make sure that our little embryo sticks and we become pregnant. Please keep us in your prayers as we begin this new adventure!!!
BTW- It may seems weird that I'm sharing this on my blog but I'm hoping that anything I share will help any of you who will ever struggle with infertility or have questions in the future.
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