Musings of the Imp

The Baby Journey with PCOS: Sexy Husband needs to be a giraffe!

2012-01-08T22:59:00.000-06:00

The week after Christmas, I went to the zoo with Sexy Husband's family. Now I love the zoo and will take any excuse to go so I was excited to be there plus the weather was absolutely gorgeous to be December.

As we neared one of my favorite animals, the giraffe, I noticed that one was following another around in a circle. The behind giraffe was being quite obnoxious with his continuous following and then it dawned on me what was going on in this area of the zoo!

Miss Giraffe was in heat and Mr. Giraffe was hoping to see some action! Now any other time I probably would have giggled like a schoolchild and moved on but since I am officially a TTCer then I had a whole new perspective on the activities before me.

I stared on in fascination wondering what exactly went on besides the basics in the making of a baby giraffe. Now all this time, before you think I am a big pervert for staring, Mr. Giraffe was still "chasing" (walking) Miss Giraffe around in a circle, every once in a while she would stop and he would think he had the green light then she would walk off again. Talk about a tease! Poor Mr. Giraffe!

Luckily for me, there was one of the main giraffe keepers sitting right there! I struck up a conversation about how it all went down and if they were hoping for the two to actually mate. Oh did I learn a myriad of information.

Miss Giraffe ovulates every 14 days but only for one day
Mr. Giraffe has to woo her to get her to even be still long enough for him to see action
BUT Mr. Giraffe only has to make it in ONE time (tried to put this delicately) and it is almost 100% positive Miss Giraffe will get pregnant!

WHOA!! WHAT?

ONE time and he is DONE?

As a woman I feel sorry for Miss Giraffe because she doesn't get much fun time but as a TTCer I feel jealous that it happens so quickly and at a pretty fail-proof rate!

Oh Miss Giraffe, you big tease, if only you knew how easy you had it!

Until next time...

Things not to say to a woman trying to conceive (especially those who have been trying over a year)

2012-01-06T23:17:00.003-06:00

So I have discovered a few sayings that make me want to rip people's arm off and beat them over the head with it when they say them to me. I will share since I am sure many TTCers share my peeviness.

"Your time will come" -really? you think? no we just have been trying all this for the heck of it, we dont really think our time will come! yes, thank you, our rational side is very aware that our time will come but this is one of the last things we want to hear at this moment.

"If you will just relax it will happen" - really? it is extremely hard not to think about the subject when every morning you have to wake up, take your temp, chart it and make sure that you know when you are going to ovulate so you can tie up your husband for three days so that nothing can get in the way of baby dancing. only to then have to wait two weeks to even see if tying your husband was worth the hassle!

From an expectant mother: "we weren't really trying" - well flippideedoda you fertile myrtle! Can you give me a play by play of what "not really trying" is because obviously this "trying" crap isn't working!

"I have heard it is easier to get pregnant at a healthy weight" Thank you very much for calling me fat in a roundabout jerk of a way. Oh yes, these extra 30 lbs that I have around my midsection that make me look pregnant even though I am not are just practice to get me ready for when "my time comes and I relax!" It is the latest craze to become almost obese before getting pregnant, haven't you heard?
OF COURSE I KNOW I NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT, you flapperjack, tell that to my STUPID HORMONES that made me gain the weight in the first place!

"You are young, you have plenty of time" yes, I know many women who did not have children until almost forty or even at forty, but they all (the ones I know) did not get married until a short time before that so I'm sorry if I dont want ten years of marriage before we have children.

Any complaint whatsoever from a pregnant woman - look you fertile myrtle, if you want to live to have that baby you better shut up that complainng around me. I would kill to have your nausea, swollen ankles and back ache. Just because you were relaxed and not really trying when your time came doesn't mean you can complain about it around those of us who are still barren.

Despite my somewhat caustic, and hormonal responses to the above things it is very painful for those who have been trying for a while to hear these. Especially when you are doing everything you can to get pregnant and your time hasn't come, you feel broken, you wonder what is wrong with you that you couldn't "not really try" and succeed. You look at other pregnant women, or women with multiple children and cannot help but compare and say "what did they have or do that i didn't or can't?" Two weeks by agonizing two weeks you hope and pray only to discover your failure.

So if you are a parent then remember to thank God that "your time came" or if you are like me and still waiting, don't give up hope, you are not alone!

Until next time....

The Baby Journey with PCOS: Dye Test

2012-01-05T22:13:00.001-06:00

So I had to get the dye test done, the dye test is where they inject dye into the uterus and check to see if the fallopian tubes are open.

I went in on a tuesday and the mom was nice enough to go with me. It was an interesting procedure that involved numbing my cervix and and inserting a small tube inside. Let just say it is not the most comfortable procedure in the world and it is never comfortable as a woman to have your legs spread wide to a man you do not know and are not necessarily attracted to ha ha

My fertility Dr is wonderful and has a great sense of humor, so it did make the time not as uncomfortable as it could have been. He did joke about accidentally spilling some of the numbing liquid but the only side effect would be a numb vagina.

Then he proceeded to tell me at the end that I have a pretty uterus. that is one I have never heard before for sure, a pretty uterus.

In the end everything was great and my tubes were perfectly clear and my uterus beautiful so with that elminated and sexy
husbands test coming back normal, we now just have to get me to ovulate and we can make a baby!

We are tried one more round of clomid, maxed out at the 150 mg, and I must say it definitely "felt" like I ovulated. I wore my poor husband out, I made him baby dance so often that when I was done ovulating I mentioned baby dancing and he screamed in terror ha!

So now we are in the two week wait period to see if we were successful this time. If so then SUPER YAY but if not then it is further into the world of fertility treatments

Until next time....

The Baby Journey with PCOS: An Update

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have not written about the baby journey since August. No I am not pregnant yet which is probably one of the reasons why I have not updated.

August was my first round of Clomid and after psyching myself out with fake symptoms, I was told I did not ovulate and so the next round I told myself I was not going to over-analyze it and so no symptoms presented themselves and again I did not ovulate.

It was mid September before I started the second round so after it was finished I decided that instead of doing the third and final round with my OBGYN that I wanted to head on to the fertility clinic. If the third round did not work I would have to go there anyway.

Sexy Husband and I went on December 5th to the fertility clinic. They gave me a progesterone shot to get my cycle to start then ordered another round of Clomid. SH had to have an analysis, poor guy, can we say awkward! for him.

I love the Dr. He is so great, very nice, with a slightly dry sense of humor which I like. He said that of the couples he had seen lately we were the "Most Likely to Conceive" I felt like I was back in highschool for a moment with the who's who! Instead of "Most Likely to Succeed" we were the "Most Likely to Conceive" ha!

Dr. S, as we will call him, said that once I started my period to call and schedule a "Dye Test" which is where they inject dye into the uterus and X-ray to make sure the fallopian tubes are not blocked.

I will tell you about the dye test, and catch you up to today, tomorrow! Ha! For now I need coffee....

Until next time...

2012 Goals

2012-01-03T23:44:00.001-06:00

One of my goals for 2012 is to write every day on my blog. So far i am behind ha ha!

But i will not let that stop me so here is my first post of 2012 brought to you from my android with the blogger app. :)
I will write again tomorrow.
Until next time ....

The Baby Journey with PCOS: Being a TTC-er

2011-08-28T23:12:00.001-05:00

It is an interesting thing when you are are a TTC-er (Trying To Conceive) you live your life in two week increments.
You start the cycle and you wait two weeks or so for the big O (which is no longer orgasm but ovulation) to happen and schedule your life completely around making sure you do the baby dance plenty of times around the big "O".
Then you get to wait another two weeks or so to even know if it was a hit or miss. During this two week wait you are trying to not over-analyze every hiccup that you have or gas bubble because it might be a "symptom". To make matters worse all the possible "symptoms" of pregnancy are also the same "symptoms" that Aunt Flow brings along with her so it could be impending doom instead of impending baby!

My Brain:
Headache....Oh! I have a headache today, maybe that means I am pregnant, but no it is too early, implantation hasn't even happened because it takes 8 to 10 days to happen and we are only on 6 dpo, but then again maybe....
Gas! I have gas, must mean I am pregnant, it could not possibly have anything to do with something I possibly ate that could have given me gas.
My baby toe aches, I am pregnant!!

I have never been more in tune with every possible function that my body can produce in one day though sadly they are most likely not due to pregnancy. I really do try not to obsess over it too much but I cannot help but have it at the back of my mind. Pregnancy is one of my main goals at the moment.

Since I am on Clomid, I did have to go have lab work done on Friday to see if my progesterone levels were indicative of the big O. Since it was Friday I will probably not hear until tomorrow or Tuesday. I feel quite confident that I did ovulate because I had pangs in my right ovary which I cannot remember the last time I felt something like that. It was a good sign to me.

We will see what they say....

The Baby Journey with PCOS: Clomid Part 2

2011-08-09T10:36:00.002-05:00

So Sunday is when I started taking the Clomid. After taking the first pill I ran down the hall into the library where Sexy Husband was sitting and did a crazy dance while spouting gibberish. I then laughingly told him I had taken the first pill and everyone has said it makes the woman go crazy so I was getting a head start!

Ha!

Actually in the two and a half days the only side effect I have noticed is that yesterday I had major "pregnancy brain" even though I am not pregnant. It was so bad that I walked about five steps from the coffee pot to the cupboard and completely forgot why I had done it. To get a cup, of course! Luckily the scatterbrained feeling has not followed me into today!

So we have begun the Clomid journey and we will have to see where it takes us. For now though that is about all there is to report :)

The Baby Journey with PCOS: Clomid

2011-07-18T10:46:00.002-05:00

I had a break down a week or two ago where I cried in Sexy Husband's arms saying that I was tired of taking care of other people's children and wanted to be taking care of my own. Don't get me wrong, I love babysitting for my friends and such but I am ready for one of my own.

So I received an encouraging note from a friend who told me of their baby journey and some of the processes they had to go through to get pregnant. It was encouraging because I know and have loved on their little boy and he is absolutely precious!

It did make me stop and think though about trying the metphormin for too long. I will be thirty in December and I know that is really not "that old" but not knowing how long this process might take I decided that we should go ahead and try Clomid.

I have an appt. with my OBGYN on Thursday to sit down and discuss with her and Sexy Husband what all taking Clomid entails.

The problem is I am not ovulating and it is pretty impossible to get pregnant if you are not ovulating. Looking back on my past I am pretty sure I have always had trouble with ovulating because I could go six months without a period. It was always sporadic when I was younger.

I am a bit anxious to take Clomid because it does have side affects and one is weight gain, which is the last thing I need, but something has to be tried to kick start my ovulation.

If I cannot get myself to ovulate then we might need to start praying about where to go from here....

The Baby Journey with PCOS: Motivation and Frustration

2011-06-19T09:31:00.005-05:00

So I am a serious slacker because it has been too long since I have posted but fortunately or unfortunately there have been no major developments since I last wrote. I did have an appointment with my Dr. on June 2nd, which showed that I had not ovulated yet again. We decided at the time to continue longer on the metphormin and trying to lose weight.

I went on vacation to Puerto Rico at the end of May and there was no such thing as healthy food there so I did not lose any weight and gained most of the 5 lbs back. I have had no motivation to lose the weight. It is somewhat frustrating because I "know" I need to lose the weight and I "want" to lose the weight but the drive is not there.

I joined a gym a while back and worked out well for about two weeks but when I work out I am hungry all the time! I wanted to eat everything in sight. I don't want to turn this into a whine fest but it is just annoying.

I am not sure what I want to do....

The Baby Journey with PCOS: The Beginning

2011-04-30T23:11:00.006-05:00

So we decided to start our baby journey back in November 2010. I came off birth control at the very beginning of November.

I am going to give a bit of background so some things make sense. From 2005 until summer of 2010 my weight was always between 130 - 150 lbs. I am 5'1" and usually my weight gain was proportionate. I was a little heavy for my stature but nothing drastic.

By the second month off birth control I had gained around 20 to 25 lbs and every bit of it went to my stomach, chest and chin. That is probably the most frustrating part of this journey so far because I know that the last thing I need is more weight on my frame.

I decided to use the ovulation tests for the first couple months and was delighted when it said that I ovulated on my birthday in December. I tried not to let myself get too excited but I must admit the thought of having a child that was conceived on my birthday was a fun idea.

By the end of January I still had not had a period but 4 pregnancy tests taken at different times said I was not pregnant. I called my doctor and they described prometrium which basically forced my body to have a period.

Again on March 6, I thought I had ovulated but I still had not had a period or a positive pregnancy test when we got to my 6 month appointment with my doctor on April 21st.

She ran blood tests and an ultrasound which revealed an ultra thin lining of the uterus which meant that despite what the ovulation kits said I had not been ovulating at all.

I must say this was bittersweet news because we now knew why we had not conceived yet but that is one of the most crucial things need to be able to conceive.

The news also confirmed my PCOS status.

The Dr. gave us two choices: 1. Start immediately with Clomid which is an infertility drug but also causes weight gain or 2. Try Metphormin which is a diabetic drug (since I am prediabetic) and try to lose some weight before starting Clomid.

We chose 2 because I do not want to add more weight because I am already to heavy for my size.

Presently I am a little over a week into Metphormin, counting carbs, and exercising everyday. I have lost 5 lbs which is very exciting!

So now that I have caught you up on the journey so far we can go forward :) I will talk about other things surrounding my PCOS in other posts.

Until Next Time...

The Baby Journey with PCOS Series Starter

2011-04-30T22:40:00.000-05:00

Ever since I was thirteen I have wanted to be a mother. I have talked about my baby itch on here before and though I have had times where it was not strongly present, I have never been able to dispel it completely.

I originally said I would not tell people when we started trying because of the constant questions of "are you pregnant yet?" and just the added pressure of people knowing.

But then I found out that I have PCOS, which is polycystic ovary syndrome. For those unfamiliar here is a formal definition:

"Polycystic ovary syndrome: Abbreviated PCOS. Polcystic ovary syndrome is a condition in women characterized by irregular or no menstrual periods, acne, obesity, and excess hair growth. PCOS is a disorder of chronically abnormal ovarian function and hyperandrogenism (abnormally elevated androgen levels). It affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age. PCOS is also called the Stein-Leventhal syndrome.

Women with PCOS do not ovulate -- they do not release an egg every month -- and they are at significantly higher risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer of the uterus (endometrial cancer). Much of this risk can be reversed by exercise and weight loss."

Most women would not share such info much less blog about it, but I have thought long and hard and decided to blog about my/our journey.

Why?

Because I believe that one of the greatest things about the internet is the support system you can obtain. If you have a problem or situation where once you might feel like the only one in the world, you can now go to the internet and find at least one other person (but usually way more) that is going or has gone through the same thing.

The important key of this "internet support" system is the "open book" people. People, like me, who don't mind sharing all the intimate details of their ups and downs so that others can be encouraged and gain knowledge of different subjects.

So with that said I shall start this series about our baby journey in hopes that it will indeed help someone out there going through the same thing.

Until Next Time....

Baby or not to Baby: That is the Question!

2011-02-08T22:58:00.002-06:00

So tonight I seem to be in one of my thinking moods which is sometimes dangerous but I have been contemplating on whether Sexy Husband and I should really try to procreate or not.

Disclaimer: It is not due to any certain child that I know that I am writing this post!

There I said that so I can keep writing without anyone's feathers being ruffled. We have had many friends and family have babies recently so I have gone through the "itch" as well known from posts on here. Also I have been able to keep these children from time to time and I have noticed that I see them through different eyes than I did when I was a single person babysitting.

To give a bit of background, I have been babysitting or working with children in some fashion since I was 11 yrs old. I have loved children since I was still a child myself. I have always wanted children, even saying crazy things like "I want twins".

But

The one thing is that I give them back. Always. When you are a babysitter that is what you do, you give them back. I do not have to keep them 24/7. I get to play and then go home, to my quiet, baby-free house.

Which brings me to the present and how I am seeing them through different eyes. I have started thinking when keeping a child "What if this was mine?" "What if I could not give it back?" "What if I was responsible for this little one?" I can barely take care of myself what makes me think I can take care of someone completely dependent on me for the few years of their life?

Which leads into thoughts like "What are the true pros and cons of having a child?" Let me put them out here for consideration:

Pros for having children
Smiles and Giggles
Hugs and I love yous
Possible future nursing home chooser

Cons for having children
No sleep/ sleeping in/ staying up late for fun
No spontaneous trips, classes, shopping sprees, etc
No money
Throw up
Diapers
Drool
Whining/ Crying/ Screaming/ etc
No "us" time for the parents
school age hits and "know it alls" take over cute toddler
teenager years (enough said)

I could keep going but the con list is already overwhelming our pathetic pro list.

Sure all those with children out there will say "It is the best thing that ever happened to me!" Well, of course, they are going to say that, they have to say that, they are stuck! Not that I am saying they are lying but that they have no choice but to say it. I mean a child is a permanent choice. There is no refund!

I really do wonder how I am even here when I think how logical The Mom can be about life. How are any of us here? (except the "oops babies") Any logical thinking adult can look at the situation and see the insanity of becoming a parent!

So I am left to wonder how do you overlook all the sane reasons to not have a child and take the plunge?

Day One and Two of Being Diabetic

2011-01-18T20:42:00.001-06:00

I was so wiped out yesterday by the time I had time to sit still and blog that I just climbed in bed, buried in the covers and regained consciousness this morning. I actually managed to get some exercise yesterday which is a huge plus and will be jumping on the treadmill as soon as this is written.

Being diabetic so far has not been too bad. Luckily I have not had pasta cravings yet though some of the leftover Christmas candy taunted me until I banished it to my husband's office area where I cannot see it.

Here is my menu for today and yesterday: (My daily allowance is 150 carbs)
Monday
Breakfast - FiberOne bar 20 carbs
Creamer (in coffee) 15 carbs
Lunch - 8 piece nugget Chick Fil A 11 carbs
Fruit cup Chick Fil A 15 carbs
Dinner - Chick Fil A sandwhich on wheat 36 carbs
Fruit cup Chick Fil A 15 carbs
Snacks - Yoplait yogurt 16 carbs
WW Cookie 14 carbs
Total Monday Carbs - 142

Tuesday
Breakfast - Egg Sandwich 20 carbs
Creamer (in coffee) 15 carbs
Lunch - Broccoli Cheddar Soup 13 carbs
McAlisters Chef Salad 14 carbs (these were both pick two size)
Dinner - Zaxbys House Salad with grilled chicken 25 carbs
Snacks - Popcorn 16 carbs
Trail Mix (1/4 cup) 16 carbs
Total Tuesday Carbs - 119

It has been very interesting to see the difference between "counting carbs" and the "point tracker" on Weight Watchers. I actually have gone over my point allotment both days for WW but have been under both days for carbs. I am very interested to see what the difference in my weight and measurements will be at the end of this two week challenge.

I do not see that being over my points by counting carbs will really make a bad change because if anything I am staying away from sugar, pasta, and rice. Also my bread intake is limited. I have found counting carbs easier, but will it really help as much as sticking to my points perfectly did? Or will the two combined cause better effects? Only time will tell.

For now it is off to the treadmill!

Two Week Challenge: Being Diabetic

2011-01-16T22:59:00.003-06:00

So I have decided to start a new challenge. I like to try new things for different reasons. I joke that I have A.D.D. and need to change things up for that but also because I like to gain a new perspective from trying different things.

So this new challenge will be being diabetic for two weeks.

I have an aunt that recently found out she is diabetic so I recently sat with her and discussed what she does and have also researched on the internet to decide how I would approach this challenge.

I will count my carbs, allowing 45 carbs for each meal and 15 extra for snacks which is 150 total for the day. I will completely cut out pasta and rice which will be the hardest part of the challenge to me because I eat like an Italian most of the time!

So starting in the morning I will be "diabetic" and we shall see how the next two weeks go!

Ending the Vegetarian with a plus...

2011-01-10T15:49:00.002-06:00

So today ends my week as a vegetarian. My weekend was spent relaxing and it was actually quite easy to be vegetarian. My husband was sick so I got Italian to go on Friday night, vegetarian baked ziti, which we had for dinner that night and lunch on Saturday.

Sunday was waffles and popcorn, but not at the same time!

Today the ice has kept us home so I made sweet and sour chicken for lunch, ohh meat how I have missed thee! I now appreciate what it takes to be vegetarian. It is not easy to do full time which makes me glad I am definitely a carnivore! So bring on the meat!

Some super news is that me weigh in day was today and I have lost five pounds! Yay to weight watchers!

I am trying to decide what my next challenge will be, I need something on which to focus and also something for blog material ha ha!

Any suggestions?

Smooth Sailing Vegetarian ....at least

2011-01-07T01:06:00.003-06:00

So today was not hard at all in the vegetarian category, though in the weight watchers area I did struggle a teeny bit. Mood shifts were the cause of havoc in my desire to eat not so great for me foods.

Putting on freshly washed jeans did not help in the mood, moreso caused much fussing, door slamming and tears before the Sexy Husband's clothes closet was raided for a shirt that fit. Muffin tops are not pretty in fitted shirts!

I did resist bad for me foods for most of the day and ended up getting that vegetarian chili from a different McAlisters tonight! It was actually really good to not have meat in it.

All in all I managed to eat within my point limit.

I did not exercise but I shall not beat myself up about it and just accomplish it tomorrow!

It is mucho late so I am off to bed!

Distraction and Disappointment

2011-01-06T16:16:00.002-06:00

So after doing kinect and yoga last night I crashed before being able to post about day three as a vegetarian.

I work part time as a bookkeeper now after "retiring" from accounting. It was quite easy yesterday because I worked 8 - 4 to not think about meat. I planned the night before to take a oatmeal, cherries, popcorn and a lean cuisine cheese pizza for the meals and snacks at work. The distraction of work made it easy to be vegetarian.

We were meeting friends at the local mall for dinner so I did my homework on what I could eat that would be vegetarian and stay within the points I had left on my weight watchers. I had it mapped out where and what I was going to eat. Perfect, right? Not so much! When we got to the food court I went straight to McAlisters and ordered the vegetarian chili in a bread bowl....which they did not carry at that particular location.

WHAT? I gaped at the woman and slowly turned around to survey the other places to eat, Chinese Cow, Chick Fil A, and Charlie Carnivore. How do vegetarians eat out? My carefully made plans had been undermined by a carnivorous society! I stumbled and struggled for a minute, how could I eat? Would I shrivel away to naught right there in the food court?

Well ok no but it did cause a dilemma that took me another 20 minutes to decide what and where to eat. Luckily the Sbarros had meatless spaghetti sauce, so it was a small cup of spaghetti, a salad, and a breadstick for dinner.

Take that you carnivorous society! I won again! You just thought you could make me fail by snatching my plans and offering only meat choices. I shall prevail!

Taunting, Tasty Tenderloin

2011-01-04T22:26:00.001-06:00

I am pretty sure I did not know before today that meat could taunt. Indeed though it is far beyond capable of taunting. It has mastered taunting! I have been taunted all day by signs, commercials, and aisles in the grocery.

The meat called out to me in the grocery store, siren song of tantalizing steaks and chicken. Even the frozen lunches like lean cuisine and smart ones were 95% carnivorous in their making.

But alas I have persevered!

Here was the menu I accomplished today:

Oatmeal for breakfast
Special K bar for snack
Vegetarian burrito for lunch
Corn, Broccoli, Vegetarian baked beans, and sweet potato for dinner

I even cooked my husband some chicken strips so he wouldn't starve :)

So I thumb my nose at the taunting meat and head to bed ready for day two of being vegetarian!

Crushing the Carnivore

2011-01-03T22:58:00.002-06:00

Cow, Chicken, Fish, Mary's little lamb....I love meat. I am not sure I have gone an entire day in decades without eating some form of meat. Carnivore should be one of my middles names which is why this challenge I am presenting myself is quite interesting.

I am going vegetarian for one week. 7 days sans meat.

Why, you ask?

I am a masochist? I like self inflicted torture? I have completely gone off the deep end? It sounded like a good idea?

Really I have no idea, I just like challenging myself to do different things, and this for me....is very different!

For a brief insane second I considered vegan but my entire being rejected that thought because if carnivore should be one of my middle names, Cheese should be too!

So I am going to start in the morning on my quest to be a vegetarian for one week. Tuesday January 4th, 2011 - Monday January 10th, 2011. I will end at my friend's birthday party and hopefully consume some form of cow or chicken with great relish...or the vegetarian thing may stick, who knows?

We will see!

1-1-11

2011-01-01T00:48:00.002-06:00

I sit here in my bedroom amazingly melancholy while a party is happening in my living room. It was much calmer of a NYE party and I can tell we are all getting older. It is the start of a new year. I need to blog more because...well that is the problem, I do not know about what to blog or why to blog.

I used to say that I would not tell people when we started "trying" to get pregnant, but I have decided that since we have not been overly secret about it I will start blogging about our "trying to get pregnant" journey.

Maybe with this I can be a bit more prolific in my blogging.

For now though, sleep calls....

The latest edition...

2010-12-01T17:10:00.004-06:00

So this beautiful baby is my new niece! She was born on Oct. 25th to Sexy Husband's brother and SIL. So now the count is 3 nephews and 2 nieces. Unless we get a surprise I have a feeling that is the final count.
The unfortunate thing is that this cutie lives 11 hours from us so we did not get to meet her in person until last week for Thanksgiving.
Of course, I had to make her a tutu and do a photo shoot. I think that in another life, if I believe in such a thing, I was a child photographer. I love doing it and seeing such shots as the one above just gives me a feeling of pride. (and the one below)
I got to snuggle on her last week and get a lot of kisses. It kinda saddens me to think the next time I see her she will be very different, maybe even sitting up. It makes me very grateful that this cutie pie lives in the same town as I do!

Reaping what I sowed!

2010-08-05T20:51:00.005-05:00

So I wrote a while back about the garden I decided to try this year. Well it has been very successful in my book and began to look like a scene from Little Shop of Horrors very quickly!

I have had many cucumbers, a few tomatoes and bellpeppers. The one I am the most excited about are the bellpeppers because I do not like green bellpeppers I only like yellow, orange or red and it takes a very long time for them to ripen from green. Patience is a huge product of bellpepper growing and I am not the greatest at patience so I am excited I have gotten some!

Here is a gorgeous picture of the three I picked the other day! I got to use one of the orange and the yellow one tonight to make a sweet and sour chicken dish that Sexy Husband and I really enjoy! It was so super awesome to be cooking with a bellpepper that I grew! It was an awesome feeling of accomplishment!

I ended up giving one to the neighbor across the street because the recipe I used tonight did not need both orange and I did not want it to go to waste.

Here is a pictured of the finished sweet and sour dish.

Until Next Time...

Nanny Imp

2010-08-04T22:44:00.003-05:00

So since the first of July I have been keeping my friend's little boy as his nanny. She brings him to my house and he hangs out with me all day until she gets off of work.
Since everyone that I speak of on a regular basis gets a name on here I shall call him Frogger. I give him that name because of his favorite toy, a frog, that makes him smile.
Save for a total of probably three hours together, I have enjoyed every minute of keeping him and I am not saying that just because his mother knows about my blog. I really have enjoyed keeping him, it is always fun for me to have a baby around but it has also been a learning experience. I have learned a lot in the last month.

The number one lesson was reiterated today and that is "One of the most helpless feelings and frustrating things in a parent's life (or nanny) is when the baby is crying and you cannot figure out why" Frogger for the most part is a happy baby, yes he fusses when he is tired or hungry but then again don't we as adults as well? Who can blame him for that part.

Today though he was downright screaming and nothing I did seemed to help. I got to the point where I wanted to cry myself because I had no clue why he was screaming and felt that I should know. I am, after all, the all-knowing adult that is supposed to be taking care of him, right? Of course, much later after his mother had arrived we figured out that the nipple on his bottle was not working correctly so though I had thought he just "didn't want the food" it was actually that he could not get more than an eensy bit out and it was frustrating him.

Stupid nipple!

It made me realize later after I was alone and things were calm again that parenting can be a very humbling experience. It was a blow to the heart when you cannot soothe the baby. Then when you are at wits end and realize it was all about a malfunctioning nipple it is a blow to the pride. Why didn't I think of a malfunctioning nipple?

It is an interesting lesson. Alas though it is my bedtime because I have to be up early to meet Frogger, so Until Next Time....

Driving.....me insane!!

2010-08-03T21:53:00.003-05:00

For the most part I am a pretty amiable person. People generally like me and I really like people.

Except when I am driving.

My evil driving personality, Roadine Rageena, appears, invisible horns grow out of my head, and that amiable nature flies out the window! In Roadine's world everybody is STUPID and CANNOT DRIVE!!!!

Take today for example, two "wide load" trucks decided to block up a major highway in town during 5 o'clock traffic. Roadine asks "What the *PG edit* were they thinking?" Really? 5 o'clock traffic? Major highway? HELLO MORONS!!!

The blood pressure rises very quickly after being in the car for mere minutes. Lexapro Smexapro when Roadine is behind the wheel because nothing helps! Roadine curses like a sailor! The Dad was in the car once when Roadine appeared and the former military man was impressed at the words used to describe other drivers while at the same time trying to be disapproving of such language.

Lexus' drivers are Roadine's top enemy because they act like just because they drive an overpriced Toyota that they own the road.
Grandma/Grandpa drivers that should have had their license taken away by family members years ago are number two on the list.
Third are the "Ms. I am putting on my make-up, talking to my BFF, and looking for gum all while driving woman" This third one inspires a loud "Get your lazy *PG edit* up five minutes earlier and put the *PG edit* make-up on at home, hang up the *PG edit* phone and drive you *PG edit* woman!"

It really is stressful and sometimes scary when Roadine appears but oddly once I exit the vehicle, she disappears.

Imagine that.

Until Next Time....

Oliver

2010-08-02T22:32:00.004-05:00

So I just finished the first show in three years. It has been since March 2007 since I participated in theatre and it was very nice to get back. I could not have asked for a better show or cast either! I have many new friends now because of this experience. The show was Oliver, the musical of Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist.

I played three roles in this show:Strawberry Seller

Barmaid

And my favorite part
Old Sally

Old Sally was my favorite part because I had a death scene. For once my asthmatic lungs came in handy because I could produce a cough that made everyone in the place think they were going to catch T.B. Though I have to say I did have fun playing the barmaid as well :)

I will be stage managing a show next, Agatha Christie's The Ten Little Indians. That starts tomorrow night.

Well I am tired or I would write more so until next time.....