Northwesternly Love

I am NaBloPoMo-in' it up again for day 2. The question for today is "If you could live anywhere, where would you live?"

Jeremy and I fell in love with the Northwest when we visited Seattle, WA in 2010. True love. We have picked out our house (one we can't afford. ever.), researched jobs, etc. It is probably the most gorgeous part of our country (although I am sure up for debate). I love the mountains, the sound, the city-life of Seattle, the food. All of the above. So, we always say we will retire to Washington/Oregan area.

So here is an awesome BEFORE picture of my weightloss! This is me in Seattle but with an extra 52+ pounds on me.

However, our families aren't there. Our friends aren't there. But when we win the lottery (first, we have to play), we will live there and fly home often. Because of course, our families will want to see our CHILDREN that we WILL have!

One more day on Femara and first stim shot is on Monday! IUI cycles go so much faster, I nearly forgot! Heck we could have our IUI as early as next Friday! However, I am a known late responder so I doubt it will be that soon.

For now, off to my birthday dinner with my hubster!

-Lisa-

Last Year in my Twenties :(

My twenties have been awesome! I had the most fun, biggest changes, greatest challenges, heartbreak, love, success, and failure. I LOVE being in my twenties. That is why on my 29th birthday today, I feel as if there is a lot to do in the next year. First thing---GET PREGNANT! That has been on my list for a few birthdays so far...still waiting. I know that 30 isn't old...but it marks me being old under fertility standards.

However, here is what I have to look forward to in my thirties:

• I WILL be a mom
• I WILL be a skinnier/healthier me
• I WILL have better skin
• I WILL be smarter, wiser ( I know it is hard to top where I am at but I bet I can try!)
• I WILL be more in love with my hubby than I am now
• I WILL make more money (let's hope)

So, I plan on enjoying my last year of my twenties. Yes, 3-0 scares me still. But I am positive many great things will happen in the next decade.

Meanwhile, I have decided to join NaBloPoMo. There is an icon over there on my page but it is going to truly challenge me! I need to post on my blog EVERYDAY during the month of November. This means weekends and holidays too. I have some writing prompts that will get me through the weeks.

Today's prompt asked me my favorite quotation and why. So, of course, I turned to my Pinterest page which is filled with collected quotes that I love.

 

 

 

 

I love this quote for many reasons. First of all, it applies to so many areas of life but most importantly it fits so well with an infertile's life. There are so many things we WANT in life. Some dreams we eventually give up on or change our minds. I will NEVER change my mind or give up on our dream of having children. I know that it is everything I have ever wanted. If only we had a magic ball that showed us our future...only then will this infertility all make sense.

 

I look forward to posting everyday this month...hopefully I can keep it up!

 

-Lisa-

 

 

 



 

Blogger Help

Ok. My comments that I make on other blogs are disappearing. They go to a SPAM folder. I am not SPAM. I am not that shady/sketchy (I don't think!) either.

Does anyone know how I can fix this? Why does Blogger not trust me? I have a Google account that I use to comment.

Any help/advice out there?

Ready, Set, Go!

I have been so conflicted with if we even do more treatments. I feel like it was God's way of telling us to wait or to move on to adoption. AND it still could. But I wouldn't feel right about moving on until we at least tried one. more. time.

I waited (rather impatiently) at the early morning clinic at Dr. Kim's office this morning. It was so good to see the nurses, receptionists, ultrasound tech, and the phlebotomist again. They all greeted me with hugs. They are amazing! I really have missed them.

My ultrasound showed a residual follicle or in lay men's terms...a cyst. This is normal for me. I have had them at the start of every medicated cycle. Just like in the past, this little cyst isn't producing hormones so we are ready to get going! My blood work levels all look great and Dr. Kim passed on that I currently have 4 dominant follicles. Hopefully those babies will grow and grow!

I start my Letrozole tonight and take it through Sunday. This medicine causes PMS symptoms. Really bad. Say a prayer for Jeremy and my students. They may need it. I remember taking it last time and it literally made me feel like I was watching me behave as a monster but I couldn't help it. It also has been known to make me weepy. Even more than normal!

We start Gonal F injections on Monday and then back in for another scan next Wednesday. We could be inseminated as early as November 9 which is super exciting!! And also nerve-wracking. I know not to get my hopes up because even though it is fertility treatment...the chances of getting pregnant are still significantly low.

I do have faith that God will give us the family He wants for us when it is on His time schedule. But I still have faith that it will happen. I loved this quote from Pinterest, of course!

-Lisa-

As in Tomorrow, Tomorrow? (Decision Made Part 2)

So if you haven't read "Decision Made Part 1" yet, go read that NOW here.

Dr. Kim's office called me back this morning...of course when I was in the middle of teaching. I could hear my phone buzzing inside my closet. It took every ounce of patience within me to not stop teaching and go over and answer it. I resisted and called them back during my planning period.

Judy, the not-so-friendly nurse, went over Dr. Kim's plan for this IUI. It is a great plan by the way!

Judy: What cycle day are you on?
Me: Day 2.
Judy: Great, we need you to come in tomorrow morning between 7:30 and 9:00.
Me: As in tomorrow, tomorrow? I didn't know we would start this month?
Judy: Well, we don't have to but we can. Do you want to wait till next month?
Me: Nope. Let's do this! (Inside I freak out)

So here is the issue with doing infertility treatment during the school year:
1. I have to be at work by 7:30am...Dr. Kim doesn't open for scans and blood work till 7:30am.
2. I work with kids that don't deserve the hormonal teacher that will be present during stims.

Luckily, I have amazing co-workers and great bosses that allow me to still go forward with this. So we have a system figured out where my colleagues will take my students in the morning until I can get to work. Literally...amazing people!

So now that my work buddies have taken that stress away...I am still freaking out! I wasn't emotionally or mentally prepared to start this IUI cycle this early. It was just decided on a couple days ago and now we are going in for a baseline TOMORROW! As in tomorrow, tomorrow.

I have lots of rambling worries, excitement, nervousness, etc. But I will hold my tongue for now. Now just praying that my baseline is good enough to get this thing going.

-Lisa-

Liebster Love...Awwww

I have been nominated for the LiebsterAward by two lovely ladies! The Liebster Award is for up and coming blogs/blog writers. I have less than 200 followers so qualify as being "new" to the blogging community. I am super excited to meet new bloggers. I do this through ICLW, stalking other infertility bloggers (ha), and even vlog challenged like Stupid Stork had this week.

Here is what I have to do to share the Liebster love...
1. I have to answer questions from the two nominators
2. I have to in return nominate 11 blogs with 200 or less followers
3. I have to give those nominations their own questions to answer

 

 

 

 

I have been following Miss Amanda @ her blog here since we both were going through our first IVF cycle in June. She is a funny and amazingly strong gal. Thanks for the nomination!

Here are Amanda's questions for me:

1) If you were a pickle in a jar, where would you want to be and why?

I answered this on my vlog and thought this question was amazing! I would be the pickle in the bottom of the jar...I would be in there longer to soak up the pickle juice and hopefully the last eaten!

2) What is your favorite holiday?

I love Christmas! I love the coziness, family time, and Christmas trees and lights!

3) If you have a bucket list, what is the most ridiculous thing on it? (Thanks Bree for the question)

I have never made a bucket list; although, I have often felt like I should have one...I

4) If you could only watch one disney movie for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?

The Little Mermaid!! Hands down! Love it!

5) What is your favorite nursery rhyme?

Hmm...I know it is an easy choice but I am a fan of the classic "Jack and Jill". Mainly because as a kid I always enjoyed that the boy is the one who fell down the hill!

6) Do you have any pets? If no, why not?

Yes! I love them! My cat is Lola and she only gets along with me. My beagle is Bella and she is my dogger. I love her WAY too much, if that is possible.

7) Is your current hair color your natural hair color?

Unsure...but I think no. I have always added blond highlights but at one point in my life, I was a natural blond...I promise.

8) What do you like to do in your spare time?

Read. My Kindle is never far from me.

9) If you could be any crayon color, which would you choose to be? (Thanks April for the question)

I want to pick something fancy like "macaroni and cheese" but I am not a fan of yellow/orange. So I am going with "clover green" I love dark, bright green.

10) What is the furthest you have been away from home and where was it?

We are lame travelers...Seattle, WA was by far our favorite locale away from home but probably not the furthest.

11) How old were you when you got your first cell phone?

Cell phones weren't huge until I was 16-17. Plus I had to pay for my own. I didn't actually get my own cell phone until I was 17. It was the big, bulky Nokia ones where I could change the face plate.

 

Now for Alie @ patienceisnotmyvirtue. I was introduced to her through ICLW. It seemed like there were parallels with our stories and I have loved following her posts. Here are her questions:

1) If there were one word you could choose out of the dictionary, which one would you choose to best describe yourself?
Stubborn. I have a hard time giving in and giving up.
2)What’s your biggest pet peeve?
I have a lot. But I have a lot of them dealing with basic grammar. That could be because I am an English teacher but I hate when "your" and "you're" are mixed up.
3)Throughout your journeys, what would you say is the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far?
To trust God's plan for me. There is very little I can actually do about our situation. I just have to wait to see how our life pans out.
4)What’s your favorite childhood memory?
I had a great childhood! I would say one of my favorite memories were Sunday dinners with the whole family, including my Nana who is no longer with us.
5)What’s your biggest regret?
No regrets. They have made me who I am...even the really stupid things I have done.
6)If there were anything about your life experiences you could change, what would they be and why?
Hmmm...I do wish that we weren't going through this infertility battle. I wish that we got to have a baby and family the way that most people do.
7) Tell us something quirky about you.
I hate the outdoors. I don't do lake water, bugs, trees, smelling like outside, etc. No hiking, no float trips, no mud. I am rather girly in that area of life.
8)What’s your favorite dish/meal?
It will always be my mother's mostaccioli with meat sauce, garlic bread, and salad. It has been since I was a kid and it still is. She is an amazing cook!
9)Who or what’s been your biggest influence throughout life?
My mom. She really is an amazing lady, awesome mom, and even greater friend. She has helped me (along with my dad) through everything. She is my biggest cheerleader through it all.
10) Do you have a bucket list? If so, what’s the most ridiculous thing to do on it?
See my answer above. No bucket list...I always meant to make one.
 11)What do you do for a living?
I teach 6th & 7th grade English. Love it!



 

 

 

 

Now for my Liebster nominations: (Check out all of their blogs!)

 

An Engineer Becomes a Mom

Dreaming of Dimples

Country Roots in the City

HIS plan, Our journey

Sometimes...

Bake One Buy One

From Petri Dish to Pregnancy

I am the 15%

A Road Well Traveled

Our Pathway to Parenthood

The Empty Uterus

 

Now, lastly, my list of eleven questions...I stole from some of the ones above too!

 

1. How do you deal with stress?

2. What is your dream vacation?

3. If you were a pickle in a jar, where would you be and why?

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

5. What is your biggest pet peeve?

6. If you could be a crayon color, what would you be?

7. Do you have any pets? If no, why not?

8. What is your favorite holiday?

9. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Why?

10. What do you like to do in your spare time?

11. What do you do for a living?

 

Yay for our Liebster Award! Happy answering and don't forget to pass it on!

 

-Lisa-

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



Decision Made! (Part 1)

So, I hope to write more later this week after figuring out specifics. But we have collected all "directions" for adoption through Christian Family Services. We have decided that adoption seems right for us. Even if we happen to be fortunate enough to have our own children, we still would like to adopt someday. As we look it all over and figure out funds, I felt like we could do SOMETHING as far as treatment.

With my horrible experience with IVF in June, IVF is out.

I never responded well to Clomid. So Clomid is out.

These supplements (Read about the supplements here) that we are both taking are obviously not working. Or they aren't working as quickly as we would have hoped. I am still not ovulating every month which is an issue when trying to get pregnant!

So...we are hopefully going to do an IUI (Intra-uterine insemination) cycle soon.

I am hoping I can get in to see Dr. Kim next week and get the ball rolling. He is out of the office until Monday. I know they will switch up my meds from last IUI because Ovidril is not my friend! It caused the OHSS and Dr. Kim said that he will not use that med again with me. I still have some Follistim left over from the IVF cycle so that will save some money too.

Onward and forward we march! Who knows if we are making the right decisions...but whoever knows?! We are both happy with our decision and so is our bank account! (IUI is about $13,000 less than IVF)

-Lisa-