Perfect

Yesterday, B and I drove about 30 miles north to hit up a new-to-us vegetarian/vegan/organic/etc restaurant. (I, of course, had a coupon-I use restaurant.com when it is 80% off.) Well the food was Ah-mazing. It wasn't crowded at all (we went at lunch time) and the atmosphere was lovely.
As we were waiting for our lunch, I was looking at the artwork displayed around the room from a local gallery. I fell in love with a painting. Like seriously "IneedthatRIGHTnow" fall in love. I went over to see who the artist was and made a mental note of the gallery. I told B we HAD to go to the gallery, because I needed that painting/print. I said, the only thing that would make it better was if there were two women in the picture, instead of just one.
After lunch, we walked around downtown and found the gallery. Shortly thereafter, we saw the painting on the wall, but it was small, and framed in a way that I didn't like. So we searched through the small bin of prints. Sure enough, it was there. But wait, good folks, there was another one, with two women! It was perfect. We even bought two mini-prints to frame next to our big one. Ladies and gents, we have our nursery art.
The artist is local, from Traverse City. We lovelovelove her work. The title of the big piece we got is "Sisters." (It's at the bottom of this page on the left)
Oh, and I had a positive OPK yesterday, spent the night out with fabulous friends, went dancing, had a friend meet us up at the club to tell us he got engaged that night, and then came home and crashed. I'm up early this morning to go meet up with NKD to do one last insem. (I got my PEAK reading this morning!)
Everything is just perfect!

Gaining Confidence

After yesterday's sticks. GAME ON. I still don't have a positive OPK and I am on day 7 of HIGH on the CBEFM, but I just know O is right around the corner. In fact, I even asked NKD if he would do one more insem tomorrow morning.
I also am trying to win a basket of vegan cookies from The Twinners Reviews and Giveaways. If you are interested in a basket of vegan cookies, or other give-aways, please click on over.
*Edited to add* OPK was positive today! Woot!

Confidence is slipping

This morning, my CBEFM stick did not look the way I wanted it to. I expected the second line to be darker and it wasn't. It seemed like the estrogen line was even darker than before (this is the one that should be getting lighter). The monitor still gave me a HIGH reading, but I was a bit discouraged. Then, when I did my opk this afternoon, it was lighter than yesterday. Now yesterday was pretty dark, but I would expect today's opk to be positive. hmm.
I am thinking it could be 2 things:
1. My body is playing tricks and is still wonky, even though I am on the drugs.
2. I surged yesterday, but didn't catch it on the opk.
I guess we will know if my temp shifts tomorrow morning or if the monitor switched to PEAK. NKD goes out of town on Saturday for a week.

2 down, 1 to go

It's CD13 and as of today, we have two inseminations done for this cycle, and one more scheduled for Thursday afternoon. I'm feeling very good about the timing. Also, many signs of luck popped up for me today. We went to Panera for dinner. Our pager number was 33 (my favorite number). Then we went to Rite Aid to pick up some OPKs (using my 2nd $25 gift card from playing the transfer prescription game) and my receipt said I need 33 more points until my next reward. Then, we stopped at Hallmark to kill some time before NKD was ready and they had the most perfect lined journal with inspirational quotes on the bottom of the pages and our little Sprout bird on the cover. I also picked up a package of three positivity bracelets...all at half off. It was a great trip.
In non-ttc news, we went to a Partylite regional hall show yesterday that was Halloween themed. We love Halloween and decorating for Fall, so when given the chance to check out new product, we do. Let me tell you, I felt like I was in an episode of the office. All of these middle-age women SOEXCITEDABOUTCANDLESANDNEWSCENTSANDHALLOWEENANDOHMYGOD! B and I kept looking at ourselves in disbelief. They were so happy and excited, we couldn't help but be happy and excited for them too. One woman had been with the company for 20+ years and they surprised her with her family and gifts and hugs. She was crying, the presenter was crying, and I'm sure there were people in the audience crying too. All of the regional leaders were in costume, as well as some consultants, and many of them took their costume very seriously. Not in the Halloween kind of way, but in the, "how can I relate this to Partylite" way. There were calendars and chefs, and people dressed as dollar bills. I'm pretty sure there was a pimp at the table behind us. I can't describe the experience nearly as well as B, but I had to write it down somewhere for posterity. Needless to say, we left early with our free bag of tea-lights.

New Template

So, our "Cutest Blog on the Block" template was removed from photobucket so I had to pick a new design. If you are reading this in a reader, please click over and let me know what you think. I love the little chick. It looks a lot like our matching Sprout tattoos.
Anyway, today is CD10 and my first HIGH on the monitor. I am looking forward to ovulating at a normal time this cycle due to the mystery meds. We are hoping to do an insem tomorrow and another on Tuesday, unless the OPK is positive today, tomorrow, or Monday, because then we will do one on Monday instead of Tuesday.
I'm feeling very good about this cycle.

CD4

Day 2 of the meds. They have to conceal the normal shape of the pill since this is a double blind research study, so the actual medicine is put in a rather large capsule. Luckily, I learned how to swallow pills in the past year or so, so I am all set. I'm a regular pill-swallower pro. I never thought I would be, seeing how I had to CHEW my kl.ono.pin as a kid. Anyone who has ever taken klono.pin knows that it is a tiny, tiny pill. I'm proud of myself for being able to swallow my giant pre-natal and this new capsule!
Tomorrow starts summer school. It's just 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. Not too shabby. This is my first year as "co-director," but I think the title is just an added bonus. I'm still doing everything I usually do (with a few extra jobs thrown in there). My least favorite is contacting parents. Why can't all parents just have email?
My mind is getting in a good place for this cycle. I'm happy about that. B is reading a Wayne Dyer book (he's from around here and has ties to our church). Anyway, she said to me that guilt and worry are useless. We feel guilt based on events of the past (which we cannot change). We feel worry about events in the future (which we have no control over). So stick to the present. I'm really trying.

On the road to baby!

I started yesterday, which means my CD2 u/s is a go for today!
I will get my meds today as well and begin them when they tell me to. I will either be on clom.id or fem.ara (neither I, or the doctor will know which one).
Today I have some horrible cramps, but they are reminding me about the joys of being a woman and the wonderful opportunities we have to bring children into the world.

Ask and ye shall receive...

Temp dropped this morning...97.8.
CD1 is right around the corner now...hopefully today!
I also received this in my email this morning (part of a daily meditation I get emailed to me):

"The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us."~Aiden Wilson Tozer

PS. The temp shift pushed my O date back to CD18...oh FF, you are so silly!

Change

FF changed my O date to CD27...which means no chance of pregnancy this cycle (I was already on the prov.era at that point and no where near sperm). It also puts me at 11DPO. I stopped the prov.era on July 8th, and thought I would be bleeding by now. Ugh.
Can't catch a break here. The medicated/monitored cycle is next, so that will work. Right?
I keep thinking that I'm not getting pregnant because my mind is not right. I don't get excited when people tell me about an impending baby (except tbean, of course!). I usually get quite bitter. Do I need to get over this before God will allow me to have a real live living baby? I know that God is not a puppet-master deciding who gets what, but it just feels like that sometime.
I think I must be pms-ing or something. My mood has not been good the past few days.

98.9

I was freezing through-out the night (no reason really, it was still warm) and woke up covered in sweat. My temp was 98.9. Uh..that's HOT. My bbs have been terribly sore for about 5 days, but every hpt is negative. I'm thinking it's just the pro.vera causing these symptoms. I've also been extra hungry.

I took the pro.vera for 10 days and the nurse said I should start bleeding anywhere up to 10 days afterwards. It's been 5 days since my last pill.


FF finally agreed on 3 of it's methods that I am 18DPO. The only method that doesn't agree is fertility monitor, which things I am 19DPO. I'm still not convinced any of them are right. I am including my chart for your viewing pleasure. My VIP membership expired 3 days ago, and I haven't renewed, in hopes of not having to.

Please Vote

She's not my kid, but a fellow blogger's...
She is adorable though, and could use your vote!
Please click over to vote for Baby n.

No news.

FF is confused about my chart. Either I'm triphasic (at 13 or 14 DPO) or 4DPO. Research and Fertility/Monitor settings give me the later DPOs, but Advanced and Fertility Awareness give me the other. Either way, tomorrow is my last day on the pro.vera.
I had good news when I went to the drug store to renew my Fol.gard. It's now covered under my insurance. Woot. I'm wondering now if my prenatal will be covered too. I guess I will see when I transfer it over. (Do you guys play the prescription transfer game so you can get $25 gift cards?)
I've been testing every day, and it's still stark white. I'm thinking I'm only 4DPO, so the chance of me being pregnant is -.4555%. I'm looking forward to my next visit with research doc. It will be next Friday.
It has been hella hot in our parts lately. Heat advisories and such. We are looking at over 90 every day, and add humidity on top of it and people are melting. We aren't used to these temperatures in the north..at least not for days on end. I am very grateful for ac in the house. However, my van's ac has to be repaired, so I limit my driving on these super hot days. Today I am tutoring at the zoo. It will be a hot one, but perhaps we will spend a lot of time in the Arctic Zone. =)

Happy 4th of July!

Well, I'm either 8DPO, 9DPO, 3DPO, or never ovulated. Regardless, I started the pro.vera on Tuesday, so I have been on it for 4 days. My prescription is for 10 days, and then I should start bleeding. If I had any hope that I might be pregnant, I wouldn't be taking it, however, the liklihood is so slim, that I'm taking my chances. The nurse said it wasn't a big deal if I ended up pregnant while on the pro.vera, but to stop taking it if I do.
I have upwards of 40 hpts in this house (ordering mishap) so I may take a test or two before this possible tww is over. We will see.