Friday bullets

*Yesterday I went searching around for a maxi dress.  I wanted a long, casual dress that had thick straps and with a not-too plunging neckline so that I could easily wear a bra.  So I found this dress at Macys.com and I’m hoping it works!  If you have any other suggestions of maxi dresses that you think would work let me know in the comments!

*Today we are getting a new roof put on our house.  It is a big expense and we initially put it off when we first heard about the possibility of moving, but after speaking to a realtor, we realized that the roof needs to get done either way.  On Monday we had a big rainstorm and the ceiling in our sunroom dripped a bit.  We obviously want to make sure that it doesn’t happen again and want to make sure that we look like we have been proactive in taking care of the house (which we have- new insulation, removing dead trees, etc).  So, new roof today.  We knew when we bought the house that we would need a new roof in the first couple of years….luckily we got a nice federal tax return that is helping to pay for the roof.  CP is working from home and said that it is LOUD.

*Tonight we are having 6 couples over for a cook off.  The theme?  Indian food.  I am making homemade Naan bread (using a Cooks Illustrated recipe) while CP is making a grilled lamb kebab that we will put on the naan with a homemade salad and sauce.  I’m hoping it is good (and that we WIN).

*Poor Fuzzy Britches.  Monday morning CP noticed her peeing over and over in the back yard.  We immediately called the vet because it has something we have seen before- a urinary tract infection.  I had to a get a urine sample from her and pick up antibiotics.  The first two days she would be walking around the house and just start peeing while walking.  She had no idea that she was peeing in the house so the vet thinks that the UTI is pressing on her bladder.  So in addition to the antibiotics for the UTI, we are giving her anti inflammatories.  Thankfully she is already doing better, but has to go back to the vet in about a week because they found crystals in her urine (usually a sign of kidney stones) and want to make sure those are gone too.  *sigh*  My poor baby.

*For the past week or so I have been roaming around with horrendously dry eyes.  I was wondering if I had developed adult allergies, but after some Google searching, I found the culprit: Clomid.  Curse you again infertility!!  At least I am done taking it for this month and it seems to be getting better….

*I saved the best news for last.  CP just got a call that the company in Chicago wants him to fly out for an interview- possibly on Thursday!  YAY!  Also, parents are amazing.  My parents want me to live back near Chicago so badly they have offered me a job (despite the fact that I am not licensed in IL) if I can’t find one.  They know that this job would be a huge opportunity for CP and don’t want any reason for us to not be able to move.  I sincerely hope that it doesn’t come to that, but that was pretty great of them to offer that.

Have a great weekend everyone!

One Lovely Blog Award

Recently I received a blog award from both this lovely lady and this lovely lady .  I’m a new reader to both of their blogs, but I’m hoping that all of us get our positive pregnancy test soon!

1.       Share who gave you this award with a link back to their blog

2.       Write down 7 random facts about yourself.

3.       Give this award to 15 other bloggers.

4.       Let them know they have won.

5.       Pop the award on your blog.

Hmmm 7 random facts about myself.

1.       My biggest fear is getting into an accident (such as a car accident) with it serious enough that they would have to cut off my clothes.  Not only would strangers see my fat body, but what if I hadn’t shaved in a few days?  And what if they made comments about my body?  It is COMPLETELY irrational because I would hope that a doctor, nurse, or EMT would be focused on you know, saving my life, but it is still a fear.

2.       My second biggest fear is getting charged with a crime (like a murder) that I didn’t commit.  Like I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  And the police were able to come up with some plausible motive for me to kill the victim.  I don’t know.  I can’t explain it.  I’m weird.

3.       All of the dollar bills in my wallet have to face the same way and be right side up. 

4.       My favorite food in the entire world is corn.  I am ecstatic that we planted four rows of sweet corn into the community garden last weekend.  If those babies grow we will have almost 100 corn plants.  CP thinks that we could have planted too much, but I could literally eat corn every meal of the day.  I love corn so much that I started to feel bad for loving it after reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma and hearing about all of the gross things corn could be made into.  But I still eat it and love it!

5.       CP and I have been enjoying The Frozen Planet series on Discovery. It’s kind of like Planet Earth (which we LOVED).  The best part about watching it is that Buster will watch it with us.  He watches and pays attention whenever land animals are on the screen.  When they show wolves he gets up and walks over to the tv screen.  It is ADORABLE.

6.       The hottest guy I ever kissed (other than my husband of course), was probably a guy that I met in Sweden in high school.  For two summers in high school I played tennis tournaments in Europe which was amazing.  Not only did I get to see a bunch of different countries, but it was an overall great experience.  Early on in my first summer we were playing a tournament in Gothenburg and I met a Swede who was also playing in the tournament.  All I can remember is his blond hair, bright blue eyes, and killer body.  I don’t even remember if he was a good kisser or not.  But daaaamn he was hot (and I generally don’t go for blonds).

7.       As I have mentioned on this blog, I am a monthly Brazilian bikini waxer.  I have been doing it for at least 7 years (wow).  My waxer in CT started to use hard wax which I think is better than the strips.  But this month I tried sugaring and WHY DID I NOT TRY THIS BEFORE?  I wasn’t sticky when she finished and it was less painful.  I am now in love with sugaring.

Now to nominate 15 bloggers:

1.       Alice’s Wonderland   http://aliceblogs.blogspot.com/

2.       Seattle Stevie   http://www.seattlestevie.com/

3.       Breathe Gently  http://www.breathegently.com/  (Good luck with your egg collection!)

4.       Joyful Follies  http://joyfulfollies.com/

5.       I Am Slowly Drifting  http://abluemind.wordpress.com/

6.       Musings, Graces, and Fate  http://musings-graces-and-fate.blogspot.com/

7.       Somi Speaks  http://somispeaks.com/

8.       Stacface  http://stacface.com/

9.       Terra the Bear  http://www.terra-bear.com/

10.   The Pussy Palace http://thepussypalace.blogspot.com/  (sounds dirty but it is not)

11.   These Little Moments http://theselittlemoments.wordpress.com/

12.   Airing My Dirty Laundry  http://whisperingwriter.blogspot.com/

13.   Amy Jo…On the Go  http://amyjoonthego.blogspot.com/

14.   Unruffled Lanie  http://unruffledlanie.blogspot.com/

15.   Navigating the Mothership  http://navigatingthemothership.blogspot.com/

Thanks again ladies!

UPDATE:  I have also received the award from this lovely lady.  Thanks!

Nervous for CP

Today is CP’s phone interview for the job in Chicago.  I’m nervous for him!  I really want to send him a “good luck” email, but I already told him that this morning before I left for work and don’t want to make him nervous.  I don’t actually know if sending the email would make him nervous, but I also don’t want to make too much out of it- it is just a phone interview.

HOWEVER, it is a phone interview that could drastically change things in our life if they like him and he continues interviewing with the company.  I haven’t lived in Chicago (or the burbs) since 2004 and I was only there for a year before heading out west to law school (previously I spent ages 5-17 in the Chicago burbs). 

Something that I didn’t even think of until this morning- what if my company doesn’t transfer me?  What if I do have to find another job?  What kind of insurance would come with that job (or CP’s job)?  Would it cover infertility?  My doctor seems to think that I have two IVFs covered (not fully, but at least partially) because CT mandates it (???!!?).  I haven’t done any research into that, but that’s what he said.  If that’s true and the next two IUIs don’t work then we may have to think about IVF.  If we move and infertility isn’t covered the pay bump in CP’s salary will be great….but RE visits could be very costly.  Or even if I stay with my company, IL may not mandate IVF treatments.  Who knows.

Interview starts now….I’ll be on pins and needles until I find out how it went.

NIAW

While I try to make sure to discuss other things on my blog, our infertility has become a big part of our lives.  When you are wishing and hoping and trying for almost two years….when you put your body through surgery just for the chance to continue trying…..when you subject your body to somewhat painful tests, blood draws, and lots of invasive questions, infertility creeps into your thoughts more often than not.

This week is National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW).  While I discuss infertility here, I won’t be posting anything on Facebook or telling friends and family.  A few friends and family know about what is going on with us, but for the most part CP and I keep it to ourselves.  I don’t need Facebook friends that I haven’t seen since high school or nosy coworkers to know that we are having problems with getting pregnant.  I have told a select number of people, but even then they don’t know what is going on with our monthly cycles.  They know that we were preparing for an IUI but I didn’t give dates.

There are a few reasons that we aren’t shouting about our infertility from the rooftops. 

1.  CP is from the Northeast.  As opposed to my Midwestern nature, people from the Northeast hold their cards to their chest a bit more.  I’m an open book, but I respect CP’s wish to keep our issue private.

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      2.  We don’t want questions every month on how things are going.  I don’t need to hear things like “JUST RELAX”, “my husband and I did X and we got pregnant”, or “have a few drinks and then have sex.”  I get enough crazy thoughts during this whole process- I don’t need others hounding me about how to have sex with my husband or asking me every day if I got my period yet.

      

      3.  Frankly, it’s no one’s business.  As far as people who don’t know that we are trying are concerned, maybe CP and I are saving money.  Maybe we are enjoying our marriage without kids for a little bit.  Maybe we don’t want to have kids at all.

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      4.   I hate to look stupid or that I failed.  If I shout from the rooftops that we are having problems conceiving and then we never are able to have kids, EVERYONE will know.  Everyone will know that we failed.  That our bodies failed.  I know that I should not think about it that way, but it’s hard not to.  Our perfectly healthy (and least post surgery) bodies have not been able to produce a pregnancy.  And if that continues, we have failed.

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      5.  I’m superstitious.  Maybe if we are able to have kids, I will feel free to talk about our infertility problems, but for now I don’t want to talk about it and jinx having kids.  I know that sounds insane, but it’s a bit like talking about a job that you interviewed for.  If you talk about it too much and get too excited about it, you won’t get it.  So if I talk to everyone about the IUI that I am going to have in two weeks then I am jinxing the IUI and we won’t get pregnant.

So thank you to the other people out there that are willing to put their infertility out into the world.  Not all of us feel comfortable talking about this issue, so we need you to be loud and be heard.  Hopefully someday I can share my story….

ICLW Week

It’s been three months since my last ICLW week.  Since January we have stayed busy.  I finally got my period 5 months after my Lupron shot.  We had to force it with progesterone, so that is probably why I didn’t ovulate that next month.

The next cycle we made the decision to try an IUI with meds.  I took Clomid days 2-6 and had my first IUI.  Despite everything looking great, I had two negative at-home pregnancy tests and then bloodwork at my doctor’s office confirmed no pregnancy.  The two pieces of good news in this cycle: that my husband’s sample was EXCELLENT (something that we didn’t think that we would hear after tests performed last year) and that my luteal phase was extended by progesterone. 

Currently we are in the beginnings of IUI cycle #2.  I’m in the middle of taking Clomid and will start to test for ovulation towards the end of the month.  I’m trying not to think about it too much because I am worried that it won’t work again.  At this point there should be nothing wrong with either of us and an IUI should work….

Luckily we have a bunch of other things going on in our life to keep our minds off our infertility problems.  CP was randomly called by a headhunter a few weeks ago about an amazing job in Chicago.  Although we just bought our house a year and a half ago and really like our town, our friends, etc. the job is too great to pass up if CP gets an offer.  So on top of everything else we may have to deal with the headaches of moving soon…..

Thanks for stopping by to my little corner on the Internet.  Tell me a little bit about yourself!

Better to plan ahead?

As I have said many times before, I am a planner. Planning ahead is a great way to stay on top of things, but at times it can get you excited about things that never happen. You know, like the planning that I did in my head when we first started to try to make a baby….but that’s a different post.

This potential job in Chicago for CP requires a lot of planning ahead.

*We made a spreadsheet of all of the costs involved with moving and if it made sense financially.
*We made sure that the cost of living would be the same or lower so that we could still afford our lifestyle.
*We contacted our realtor who helped us buy our house for a comparative market analysis to make sure that we wouldn’t lose too much on the sale of our house despite only being in it less than two years.
*We checked into real estate prices in the burbs of Chicago to see what kind of house we would be able to afford.
*We thought about the furniture that we would sell/give away to make moving easier.
*We thought about ALL OF THE FOOD in our freezer (gallons of homemade beef broth, organic beef from our CSA, homemade meat pies, homemade Bolognese sauce, homemade sausage, etc.) and what we would do with it (a BIG PARTY!).
*I spoke to my boss about trying to transfer my job out to the Chicago office.
*I updated my resume and will start to apply to jobs out in Chicago because it may take a while.
*We thought about how to keep the house clean during showings and what we would do with the dogs.
*We bought plants and shrubs to landscape a bit more.
*We cleaned up the backyard.
*We put together a list of home improvement projects that would need to get done before our move.

A couple of these things we had meant to do anyway….but possibly having to put our house on the market pushed us to get these things done quickly.

But…..CP could totally bomb the interview on Tuesday (I don’t think that is going to happen, but you never know). CP could hear more about the job or the company and decide that it is not what he wants to do at all. It’s very possible that CP won’t even get an offer. And then we will have done all of this planning for nothing.

So in the end, is it better to plan ahead for something that may not happen? And risk getting let down from all of the excitement of making a huge life-changing decision? Or is it better to wait until you know more about the potential life-changing event and the possibility it may happen to you before doing anything?

Sleepy pants

Today? Well today I am exhausted.

Yesterday I ran 3.5 miles. It’s my longest run since (ahem) my half marathon last JUNE. Crazypants. It didn’t feel great for the first mile or so, but I ended up settling down and actually feeling good enough to sprint at the very end. My run went well enough that I bit the bullet and registered myself for an upcoming 10K in early June. It’s actually the same race that I did last year- except last year I did the half marathon. I am OBVIOUSLY not in half marathon shape, but I think a 10K is doable. I keep telling myself that I WILL NOT do the 5K race because my pride won’t let me drop down from a half marathon to a 5K in one year. So 10K it is.

After finally getting to bed last night I woke up at 1:15am to Buster walking up the stairs peeing. Yep. I have no idea WTF happened. He was taken out at 10pm like usual and has had absolutely no problem holding it throughout the night since being, like, 5 months old. But somehow he managed to pee in our living room, the kitchen, the dining room, up the stairs (literally on the stairs), in the upstairs landing and finish in our bedroom. After trying to dodge pee puddles I took him outside and he peed even more! WTF.

Groan. CP and I then spent half an hour cleaning up all the rooms, mopping, cleaning the carpets, etc. We were NOT happy campers.

After that it was hard to get to sleep because I was so grossed out. Buster, of course, doesn’t remember anything this morning so you can’t be mad at him. But EEWWWWW.

So yeah, sleepy.

Hope your day is going better than mine!