Relocation

Since Blogger does not offer password protection, J and I decided a while ago that after e was born we would switch over to Word Press. Please comment with your email address if you would like to follow our new blog there. We plan to post exclusively from there by the end of the week.

Thanks!

P.S. It must be the sleep deprivation, but I only just realized today that many of you may not be comfortable posting your email address online. Sorry!! Please email pairofmoms (at) gmail (dot) com for the link to the new blog. I did just send an email to those of you who did share an address. A couple of addresses didn't work, so if you requested the link and did NOT get an email from us, please also email and let us know.

Buy our stuff!

We spent today getting the nursery ready. Before we moved to this house (about 7 months ago), we sold over $800 of our stuff. We got rid of sooooooooo much stuff. It felt wonderful. Somehow, we still have a lot.
Today we went through our books and found some to list on half.com. I am sharing the listing with you guys, in hopes you could pass it on to people that may be interested. I listed everything lower than the lowest listed price. We just want to get rid of it and make a couple bucks for some cloth diapers.
We also have a huge stack of books to donate to friends and our church.
I love getting rid of stuff!

Questions

You know what question I hate..."Is this your first?"
As my growing belly is noticeably pregnant, often times, the first question is:
When are you due?
Then comes: Do you know what you are having?
After that: Do you have a name picked out yet?
And then sometimes I get: "Is this your first?"
In the beginning, I would take the time to explain about Sprout, but now I just say "yes." It beats having to deal with awkward conversation. I know in my heart, sweet Nuggette is not our first, technically, so what does it really matter.
Do any of you have experience with this?

No new fruit!

So disappointed that I don't get a new fruit for another 2 weeks. Bummer. I look forward to those fruits! Still a papaya.

Happy 23 weeks Nuggette!

As B was reading blogs this morning, she said to me "Have you read fruitlooped yet?" "Not yet"
These ladies are doing something great for gift giving during Christmas. Want, Need, Wear, Read, Share. WE LOVE IT. We are going to adopt this for ourselves and Nuggette next year. I had never heard of it before and it sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing girls!

Ornament Pictures!

Finally.

Here are the beautiful ornaments we received last week (They were double sided, so I took two pictures):

And some bonus pictures of the cats. The first one is of Maggie and Joey snuggling together by the tree. The second one is Miss Maggie being cute.

Fruity

So today is 22weeks, which means I get a new fruit on my ticker at the bottom of this page. At 20 weeks, Nuggette was the size of a cantaloupe. Now, she's the size of a papaya.
I guess I always thought that cantaloupes were larger than papayas. Weird.
We got our ornaments yesterday from the ornament swap. I will post pictures tomorrow, after I remake ours to send out too. (Looking at how beautiful the ones we got really made mine look like crap, so I am redoing them.) =) I will mail them out on Friday.
Tomorrow starts winter break. Amen. Hallelujah.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the big day.
Our u/s is scheduled for 4pm and then we have an appointment with the doc after that.
Post should arrive sometimes between 6-7pm EST.
Or, if you are friends with one of us on facebook, I am sure you will see it there. =)
Some of you special people will receive a text from B as soon as we know.

Tomorrow also marks 20 weeks. Half way there.

Check

Anybody use Enfagrow Toddler formula? I have a $12 check here I am willing to send.

Any Guesses?

Today is my first beta, so I am wondering if you'd like to make a little game of it.
The person who comes closest to the actual beta number will win a little gifty from me.
Here are some facts you need to know:

• Today is 23DPO/5w2d
• My first positive hpt was on 9dpo with an internet cheapie. It was very, very, faint.
• My guess is between 700-1700

As long as you comment before I get my results, you are in! I am not sure if the nurse will call me today with the number or if I will have to wait until tomorrow to get it. Weeeeeeeeeeee!

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!

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.

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.

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.

Radio Silence

Sorry for the radio silence lately....we have been quite busy. I don't have time for a proper update, so bullets will have to do:

• Saw new research doctor for initial screening visit. It was the longest I have ever spent with a doctor. He just sat and listened, it was sort of nice.
• I go back on June 15th for the physical exam, u/s, etc. Luckily I do not have to do another HSG since my last one was done less than 3 years ago.
• Went to 5th grade camp. Sent 3 of my boys home for "fighting." This happened during cabin time when the fathers were supposed to be watching. Every year it is the fathers that are disappointing disciplinarians. I don't know how to solve this problem.
• Got pink-slipped. Found out I can start claiming unemployment on June 14th. I will likely be called back since 8 elementary teachers are retiring.
• I applied for a Curriculum Director job in a big district closer to home. I hope I can get an interview. Usually those jobs are hired from with-in (especially in a big district like this one), however I have the perfect qualifications.
• We have keys to our new house and have been moving all weekend. We will take mini trips over all week and move the rest of the stuff on Saturday with our friends. As of right now, we have no way to get the box spring over to the new house. How come no one owns a pick-up? We may have to tie it to the top of a van/suv.
• The Sunday after we move is Motor City Pride. We have gone every year for the past 10 years (at least I think so). We will go again this year. Last year at Pride I was pregnant and my back was hurting.
• 8.5 more days with children. 9 work days for me. Love it.
• B has been vegan for over 40 days. She is a rockstar.
• I haven't temped/opk'd/monitored since CD23. Currently it is CD36. I will begin charting and doing all that fun stuff after we move.

The Celebratory Society

Following the lead of a great gal, N, I have decided to participate in The Celebratory Society.
So what is it? It's an informal, online festschrift.
You comment on people's blogs telling them how they made a difference in your life. Each and everyone of you, through your comments, and cards, and packages, and prayers/well wishes, have made an impact in my life. I often go back and re-read the comments, or your posts. I appreciate you.
So, if you would like, please leave a comment on this here blog telling me/us how I/we made a difference for you. Then, join The Celebratory Society by clicking the link above, so I can do the same for you.

Pay it Forward

Today is Pay it Forward Day. Even though everyday should be a "pay-it-forward" kind of day, pay special attention to what you can do today to help someone else. The concept and idea became more of a main stream/pop culture idea when the book (and later the movie) was released.

"You see, I do something real good for three people. And then when they ask how they can pay it back, I say they have to Pay It Forward. To three more people. Each. So nine people get helped. Then those people have to do twenty-seven." He turned on the calculator, punched in a few numbers. "Then it sort of spreads out, see. To eighty-one. Then two hundred forty-three. Then seven hundred twenty-nine. Then two thousand, one hundred eighty-seven. See how big it gets?"

So what are you going to do today to change the world?

Notes to Self

• Do not record your symptoms in FF. They will just give you false hope. You can have all of the symptoms and not end up pregnant.
• Same holds true for temping. Stop temping once you know you have ovulated. Just start wearing protection on CD13 and call it a day.
• Do not read facebook on CD1. Inevitably someone will announce their pregnancy...or in today's case..TWO people.
• Watch Weeds. Weeds makes you feel better.
• Do not get mad/angry/jealous/irritated with people who say "I'm so sorry" or "It will happen when it happens." or "God has perfect timing." They mean well. They want you to feel better.
• Remember it is not a race. Who cares that people that are younger than you are working on their second, third, or FOURTH babies (see bullet point #3)? You will have the perfect baby at the perfect time.
• As much as it feels like it, each busted cycle is not a reflection on you. You are not a failure.
• You are a mother, no matter what anyone says.

Gun shots

I was doing so well with keeping my chart looking nice and then this morning, at 3am, we were startled out of bed by the sound of gun shots. The dogs went wild. For a moment I thought someone had broken into the house. Luckily, that was not the case, although I'm not sure what did happen.
It did prevent me from taking my bbt. I had to store my fmu in the fridge to use in the cbefm...uh..ew...the things you do when ttc.
The monitor has been giving me HIGH readings for the past few days, but anybody playing along at home with us knows that doesn't mean anything. The OPK two days ago was darker than the one yesterday, so who knows. I will keep testing. Everyday.
More and more of my blog reader friends are pregnant with their first or second baby. There are not too many of us out there in our boat. Still trying since 2007....
This time of year has been especially difficult this year. Last year we found out we were pregnant on March 31st. We told my parents on Easter Sunday. And then comes Mother's Day. I am a mother, but so few people consider me so.

I said yes.

So I am going off the Met and will be entering the study in 2 months. The study will include u/s monitoring, bloodwork, and either clomid or femara (double blind...I think that is what you call it).

I will continue to monitor myself with the CBEFM, OPKs, etc, but no Met. If I get a surge, I get a surge. NKD is flexible, available, and willing. God love him.

The only question I have, is if I get pregnant while not being on the study, will being off the Met cause a problem. Should I jump back on it as soon as I see those double lines? I will cross that road when we get to it...oh how I hope we have to cross that road.

Anyway, Elana nominated me for a little blog award, so here it is:

I have to say 10 things about myself and then give this award to 10 fellow bloggers.

Here we go!

10 Things About Me:

1) I am a 5th grade teacher in a very small school district outside of Ann Arbor, MI.

2) I collect children's books and my classroom library is huge.

3) I'I had petit mal epilepsy as a child. My last seizure was when I was 12.

4) I haven't eaten any red meat (or pork..which is still red meat in my book) since 1994.

5) I am vomit-phobic and haven't thrown-up since I was in 5th or 6th grade. Not even when I was pregnant.

6) I am pretty good at self-diagnosing myself with the help of Dr. Google. In 2001 I knew I had Scarlet Fever. B laughed at me and called me Beth from Little Women. After a trip to Urgent Care, it was confirmed. That sh*t knocked me out for a good month.

7) I was dating someone else when I met B. Our mutual friends worked hard to get us together. Almost 10 years later, here we are.

8) I put my deodorant on with my right hand, both arms. I look like a monkey for a second, but I never have to switch hands.

9) My dad was the only one of his brother and sister born here. My aunt and uncle were born in Scotland where my dad's family is from (Paisley, outside of Glasgow). My dad was a bagpiper and in a pipe band until his bag-pipers were stolen. I've never been over there to see it or visit family.

10) I am very good at making people laugh. B and I laugh almost uncontrollably at least once a day. We are hilarious.

I give this award to:

Caroline at Finding My Place in the World

Stacey at Desperately Seeking Baby (Mission 2)

Wendy at 2 Moms-It can be done

JackieMac at Is it my turn yet?

Heidi at Thinking Miracles

Poppy at eeney meeney miney mommy

L at Equation of Hope

N at Two hot mamas

Busted at Busted Babymaker

tbean at Looking for a little turtle

January 29, 2008/January 29, 2010

I was looking back at my cycles for one in which I had a very late ovulation. Funny enough, the last time I had a very late ovulation like this cycle was 2 years ago to the date.
During that cycle, I ovulated on CD48 (which would be today). I have had a few signs suggesting impending ovulation, but the OPK is still negative. It got dark for a while and then lightened up considerably. It started getting dark again yesterday. We will see.
God has perfect timing.
The PCOS nurse researcher who approved me over the phone is just waiting for my consent forms and then she will take my case to the doctor. If he approves me to be a part of the study then my first visit has to be during my period. Gotta love those CD3 u/s...yuck. So this timing could be perfect.
I haven't been commenting on many blogs lately. I'm still reading, really I am.