2 Weeks Old

Our little guy has been with us for two weeks now and it has gone so fast! I feel like I just got out of the hospital! Life with Matthew has been a dream. I couldn't have asked for a better baby. He has been eating every 2.5 to 3 hours, and has even given me some 4 4.5 hour stretches at night to sleep. Breast feeding is going extraordinarily well. I have to use a nipple shield since I don't have much to latch on to. I probably could try to nurse him without them, but it's going so well I hate to frustrate the little guy and myself. He had his first pediatrician appointment and gained back the whole pound he lost at the hospital plus 4 ounces. As of last Thursday he weighs 9lbs 10oz. We've affectionately been calling him "cheeks."

He is a very noisy sleeper and often cries and squeaks in his sleep. I have to look and make sure he is awake at feeding times because of his squawks in the morning, I don't want to get him up if he isn't really awake. He absolutely HATES having his diaper changed and cries bloody murder when it happens which is, what seems like, 8 million times a day! He is the poopiest child as well. I feel like every diaper I change is a poopy one. He had/has a bout of diaper rash that we are working on getting rid of.

My in-laws were here immediately after I got home from the hospital and were a God-send. It was wonderful having people I trusted watch out for my little guy while I slept and recovered from the c-section/birth in between feedings. Now this week my mom is here and I've been able to get out of the house and be independent. I went to my doctors appoint, motherhood maternity for nursing bras, Adam and I went to Sam's Club and Arby's for lunch, and even to the outlets for a quick stop at Gap and Carter's. I am surprised that it wasn't that hard for me to leave the little guy for awhile. It's nice because I knew he was sleeping and in good hands.

I'm looking forward to having all the visitors gone and time for me and Matthew to get in to a more solid schedule and of course watch all kinds of day-time tv and movies! Yay for maternity leave! No work for me until March.

Here are some pictures to enjoy from the last weeks home with our little buddy:

Dad and his human and dog children.

Matthew's first Christmas. 

First outing to the pediatrician.

Meeting Grandma for the first time.

Matthew James

He's here!!!!!!!!!!! Our baby boy, Matthew James!!

We got to the hospital on Sunday night for my induction. Checking in to the hospital was very easy and within an hour they had my cervidil placed and we just hung out around the labor and delivery room. Around 5:30 they placed my IV and started on with the pitocin. My contractions started and they weren't too bad. I didn't need pain meds at all and I was just laying and waiting to see when the contractions would start hurting. Around 9:30 I got up to go to the bathroom and as I was getting back into bed my water broke. It started as a little trickle, and when the next contraction came is ALL GUSHED OUT! It was such an odd feeling! I was excited though because that was the first "natural" thing my body did to contribute to labor. After that, WHOA, the contractions started coming. They ordered my epidural right when it broke, but I had about an hour to an hour an a half (time is all a blur!) of contractions right on top of each other. My body responded well to the pitocin so they were trying to be somewhat careful about how much they were giving me. After I got the epidural, I was in heaven! I felt pressure during the contractions, but otherwise I just read my nook and watched TV and talked with my hubs. I was hoping things would progress nicely from there on out, but I was stuck at 8cm for 5 hours, went to 9cm and stayed there for awhile, and finally the doctor told me we'll be doing a c-section because his head is too big to fit. So off we went to the surgery table! I wasn't scared or nervous, I just wanted to hear my baby cry - especially after 17 hours of labor!

Matthew James came out SCREAMING at 11:41 PM on December 17th. He is HUGE weighing in at 9 pounds 6 ounces, and 20 inches long. He was a very vocal little man from the start, but once he's in his swaddle with his chubby cheeks sticking out, he's super calm.

I was in the hospital for 3 days and spent lots of time learning how to nurse, and trying to sleep (which is nearly impossible when nurses are coming to check you every 2 hours). We got Matthew home and so far so good. Nursing has been going well, my milk came in yesterday, and he's been very full after feedings. He's also a quick eater so far. I am done nursing within 25 minutes. Hopefully that continues with him getting all that he needs. Recovery from the c-section hasn't been the best, but I'm making it. What's been the worst is that I developed a skin rash during the last week of pregnancy called PUPP. It's a somewhat rare rash that 1 in 150 women will get during pregnancy. Well, I didn't even know it was a rash until the last day I was in the hospital - none of my doctors said anything to me about it other than it looked like I had quite some stretch marks. Now that I am home, the rash has spread to every part of my body except my breasts and face. I feel like I have chicken pox all over me! If I don't get relief today I'm calling the dermatologist tomorrow to see if there is anything I can take to fix this, or to just alleviate the itching.

Now for some pictures!!!

 All swaddled up at the hospital.

 Dressed up to go home!

Sleeping peacefully in this swing.

Our little family of 3!

Due Date - 4

Well folks, I am officially 40 weeks and 4 days pregnant. This journey of pregnancy is coming to an end in the next 24 hours as I head to the hospital at 3:30 to be induced. I'm super excited, but I'm also very nervous. I like to be in control, and I know very few things will be in my control in the next hours and months to come. It is all about this little man and what he needs.

Looking back to when we started trying for a baby, and where we are now is totally crazy. It took us almost two years to get pregnant, and even then when we did get pregnant is was a true miracle. According to the fertility clinic, Baby Shu wasn't going to happen without medical intervention. We are so thankful for the answered prayers from all of our family and friends for this true blessing that is about to come in to our lives. Who knows, this might be the only Baby Shu we get to bring in to this world. God works in mysterious ways, and we couldn't be more excited for this gift he is giving us.

So today we have just finished doing some final washing of clothes, cleaning of the house, and just spending time together ALONE. With the baby arriving, and both sets of parents visiting in the next two weeks, we are really trying to enjoy our "us" time. We've gone out to dinner way more than we should, slept late (which is 6:30 for us! haha), and lounged on the couch with our coffees. I forced myself to lay in bed until 7:30 today since I know it will be the last time in awhile that I'm not needed for a diaper change or feeding. I know that the changes that are about to happen will be a challenge, but bring it on, because we can't wait to meet our little boy!! I'm not sure when I'll post next, but a picture and NAME will definitely be the next blog entry!

Merry Early Christmas y'all!!

Effaced? Dilated?

None of the above. Baby Shu is staying put right where he is! I had my first internal exam today and there is absolutely nothing to report. I'm sealed shut! = ) The doctor did recommend walking, exercise, and sex...all three of those do not sound very fun, especially the last one! I will just wait for our little mister to decide when I go in to labor, but man am I anxious! I will say that I was surprised that the internal exam was as uncomfortable as it was, and if that is any indication of what labor will feel like, I'm a definite candidate for an epidural. I'm going to try to go as long as possible without one, because I am really freaked out about things going in to my back/spine, but I do not like pain.

The hubs and I have nothing planned this weekend, so we are going to enjoy lots of couch and puppy dog time. Our pooch has no clue what is coming when this babe arrives. She is SO SPOILED right now! However, I think she will do just fine once her brother gets here!

Have a great weekend!

Impatient

I'm 38 weeks and I am finding every reason to believe I'm going in to labor any second...even though baby Shu is safe and sound and not going anywhere! Every contraction, pressure, and ache in my back is a sign that it's time. However, my contractions aren't regular, and who knows the aches may be something! I go to the doctor on Friday and will have my first internal exam. I am excited to see if anything has been happening down there.

Sleeping is horrible, but I know this is only a glimpse of what life will be like when our little dude arrives. I can't believe, after years of trying to get pregnant, I am less than two weeks away from becoming a mom. This pregnancy has FLOWN by. I've enjoyed the majority of it, and it has only gotten frustrating the last few weeks as I get more uncomfortable and have to pee even more frequently!

I need to learn to be a little more patient, because God has a plan and this baby will come when he is fully cooked and ready to party outside of my uterus! = )

NURSERY!!!!!!!!!

Finally, here are some pictures of our little man's room. Adam is in to guitars so the guitar pictures say "born to rock." While we don't really have a theme, I guess it is guitars based on these pictures. I am not much of a decorator. I'm pretty simple and laid back, and I think his room reflects that. 

Changing table, with changing pad, and diapers ready to go! Newborn and size one, not sure which size we'll need. (I think he's going to be a big one!)

Crib and tall dresser. My friend made the quilt for us. I sent her pictures of the "born to rock" pictures, and that is what she came up with. I absolutely LOVE it!! = ) Tall dresser will eventually have some pictures and the baby monitor on it.

Here is a different view from across the room. You can see our diaper bag and all the breast feeding gear in the corner. Not sure what I'll need for nursing so I just have it all piled together over there ready to be used or ready to be returned.

My nursing/feeding station. There is an ottoman that goes with the chair, but it is downstairs in front of the couch while we have guests in town for the holiday.

And finally, a little picture my best friend crafted for us. = )

We have 2.5 weeks until our little rockstar arrives. I am super uncomfortable and all I really want to do is sleep. I am also dreading going back to work on Monday. Maybe this babe will come on Sunday night and answer my wishes so I won't have to go back to work until March! = ) I highly doubt it!

Time is ticking away!

We are down to 3 weeks and 1 day folks! I'll be 37 weeks on Wednesday. It is crazy how fast, yet how slow this pregnancy has gone. I feel like I've been pregnant forever, but it also feels like I saw that "PREGNANT" pop up on the pregnancy test. It has been an easy pregnancy and I have nothing to complain about (except that I can't get comfortable in bed and when I do I have to get up and pee, I'm getting some stretch marks, and oh yes I have to PEE all the time!!!).

So here is how I'm feeling about all of this baby stuff that is about to go down. I go from super excited, to anxious, to terrified, to elated, to worried, and back to excited. I don't know exactly what I'm anxious about or terrified about, but those feelings happen here and there. I don't think I'm going to hurt this little guy or anything, I just am afraid once I get him here I won't have a clue what to do despite all that I've read and learned from the other moms around me. I'm sure once it happens I'll be perfectly fine.

I am a little anxious/nervous about breast feeding. My plan is to breast feed as long as possible, but I may have an issue with that due to having flat nipples. I was reading a breast feeding book a couple of months ago and it said to do the "nipple test" to find out what kind of nipples you have. So I squeezed behind my nipple and instead of it going out farther it went flat. UH OH! I feel confident that I know enough about breast feeding and know what resources I have to be able to be successful, but I know it isn't going to be easy. I may end up having to pump exclusively - which is fine with me, I just want him to have breast milk for as long as possible. My sister in law gave me a tub of baby things and it happened to have an unopened package of nipple shields. I've been wearing the flat/inverted nipple shields for about an hour a day, and hopefully it helps out. I know if I stress about it, then it will be that much harder for me to nurse, so I am just going to go with the flow and let God and this little man lead the way.

Otherwise, I'm good to go. GET THIS BABY HERE!!! = ) My in-laws are coming in from Florida tomorrow afternoon and will be here until the following Monday morning. Luckily my mother-in-law and I get along perfectly, otherwise it would be a LONG visit! Before they arrive, I am spending the day with my friend for mani's and pedi's AND my house is getting cleaned by the cleaning lady...YESS!!!! That is my gift to myself as a pre-arrival gift for this baby and all the company that I will have in the next month and a half!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Fiber One Shredded Wheat

It is no lie, it is quite hard to be "regular" when pregnant. However, this cereal does the job for me! I eat it every morning, and without fail, I'm ready to go at night! = ) At this point, everything about my body is uncomfortable so to keep this aspect under control is WONDERFUL!

I know, TMI, but I'm sitting here eating it right now and was thinking about it.

Happy Monday!

35 and a half!

Oh wow is time ticking away! My husband is literally waking up everyday and giving me the final countdown. It is hilarious! I also think it is quite endearing that he is so excited. Sometimes I think us women take for granted what our husbands feel about impending parenthood. We get to spend 9 LONG months with this babe in our belly, and all they get to do is watch. Adam is so pumped for this little man to arrive!!

I had a 3rd shower at work yesterday and we now have everything we need. We just don't have extras of anything. No extra mattress pads, sheets, etc. so today I am off to get the last minute things we need for baby as well as for me! I need to get some things for the hospital bag that I don't have here at home, and also get some things for the house with all the visitors that will be coming in the next couple of weeks. My in-laws will be spending Thanksgiving with us since I can't travel, and then they'll be back shortly after that for baby Shu's arrival. My mother is also planning on coming to stay for a bit, but will probably book a ticket at the last minute.

In other news, we also got our car!!! We ended up with a black Toyota Highlander and I AM IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!!! = )

Should be done with the nursery today/this weekend so pics to be coming soon! = )

Baby Mobile!

So we've been looking around to buy a car at some point. My husband is very tight with the money so getting him to spend is usually very difficult. We test drove a Nissan Pathfinder today and liked it. We've also test driven Pilots, Explorers, and Highlanders. I was curious to see prices at other dealerships around the area and was surprised to see some of the deals on 2012's. The only cars that seem to still have 2012 models are the Highland and Pathfinder. I got a great quote on a Pathfinder and I am currently haggling with the guy at Toyota to see how low he can go. If it is low enough, we might just be getting a car here in the next couple of days. HOW NIFTY IS THAT?? I've never bought a car before, so this is super fun for me! Baby mobile here we come! **HOPEFULLY**

34 Weeks and 2 Days!

Just got home from our doctor's appointment. Everything is looking good with our little man! He is head down and the amount of amniotic fluid is looking good so he has enough cushion in there to bounce around safely!

I fully expected to be sleeping like crap at this point, but I'm doing surprisingly well. I fall asleep fast, and sleep hard. I do wake up every 2 to 3 hours to go to the bathroom, but don't really have a problem falling back asleep. I'm going to pray that this ability to sleep continues to go well!

I wish I could be done with work for a couple weeks before this babe comes. I work in a Title I school, and it is just crazy. The parents don't seem to care about what their kids are doing, and seem to blame us for caring too little. Teaching is so different than what I anticipated when I signed up for this career. I think it's going to be VERY hard going back to work in March when my maternity leave is over. Hmm...maybe I can convince my hubby to let me stay home! ; )

What to Pack?

Two posts in two days...I'm on a roll!!

D-Day aka delivery day is quickly approaching so that means I need to start thinking about what to pack in the hospital bag. On Monday's my husband goes to play raquetball so I have a night all to myself. I decided to be productive tonight and begin thinking about packing this hospital bag. I'm definitely not a high maintenance person and don't want to take too much, so I've been really thinking about what I will actually need. I made a list based off of a message board of women who wrote in about their top 10 items for the hospital. So here is what I've got:

1. All toiletries - face wash, toothpaste/brush, contact case, contact solution, shampoo, body wash, wash cloth, etc.
2. Nursing bra and nursing pads
3. Underwear
4. Boppy
5. Blankets for baby (since it'll be mid December!)
6. Going home outfits for baby (new born size, and 0-3 mos size...who knows if he'll be a wee one or a chunker!)
7. Sugar free candy (read that your mouth can get dry from all that breathing!)
8. Chapstick (dry lips!)
9. Book/Nook
10. Going home outfit for me - Yoga pants, long sleeved shirt, socks, shoes, etc.
11. Folder/Pen for hospital paperwork
12. Camera - hopefully we remember to take pics!
13. Cell phone and charger
14. My own pillow

I'm sure there is more, but I just don't remember. It seems like a lot, but I've laid out most of it except for clothes for me and the baby, and it really doesn't take up that much room. I feel like I've made some progress at least.

Here's to the next 6 weeks!

It's been awhile...

Holy smokes it's been almost a month since I blogged!

The baby moon was fantastic! We really enjoyed our time in Hilton Head and did nothing but relax, hang out at the beach, have great date nights, and great conversation! We are already thinking about taking our little man back next September. After our Hilton Head vacation we headed back to Ohio for our baby shower. The shower was awesome and we got a lot of cute little things. I wish we had gotten some more practical things, but we are thankful for what we did get.

The last few weeks we've been putting the nursery together and all of the other equipment (pack and plays, bouncers, swings, etc.) we'll be using when Baby Shu arrives in 6 weeks or less! I'll be 34 weeks on Wednesday. I can't believe we are almost there! I am loving his nursery and seeing all of these baby items in our home.

I booked a photographer to take pictures of our little man within the first two weeks after his birth. We are not picture people, we just never seem to have our camera with us or out in time to capture moments. I really wanted to get pictures done so we can remember this very short time in our son's life. I am super excited about the photographer we booked, and she is excited to work with us, too. She said she's been buying some Christmas items to use with our man since he'll be born right before the holiday.

I am starting to feel pretty darn uncomfortable! I've developed some type of heart murmur that we are getting checked out. I had to wear a heart monitor for two days this last week. The best theory the doctors have is that the baby is taking up all the room in my abdomen and has pushed all of my other organs including my heart, which is causing it to beat irregularly here and there. I am also feeling the weight in my thighs and back and standing for long periods of time is becoming more of a hassle. The part I am liking though is the amount that Baby Shu moves. It seems like he is kicking and stretching all of the time. I've even been pushing his little feet/knees/elbows back at him and have been getting responses right back.

Emotions are also getting a little crazy as I am realizing these are the last weeks that me and the hubby will have together when it is just us. I am ready for this little boy to make his appearance, but I am also mourning the end of this chapter for my husband and I. It's been just us for 10 years, 6 of which have been living together. I know that we won't get to do as many things as we have been able to do at the drop of a dime, it's going to take a little more planning. Also, knowing that it isn't about us anymore is a lot to think about, too. On the other hand, we are both emotional and excited about the joy this baby is going to be bringing in to our lives. We are so anxious to get him here we can't stand it!

I think that is it for now. We have a few final things for the nursery and I'll be posting some pictures. = )

Baby-moon!!!!!!!!!!

So excited to be in Hilton Head for our baby-moon! We officially have nothing but dinner reservations for Monday on the to-do list. We spent the evening at the beach reading and relaxing! Looking forward to some more beach time reading and relaxing!

Slowing Down

Wow, I am really slowing down. What used to be so easy (laundry, doing dishes, walking long distances), is becoming a little harder than I'm used to. Lifting up the laundry basket is starting to aggravate my back, my belly bumps up against the sink for dishes, and turning over at night is getting to be interesting as well. By Friday at work, I'm just pooped. Teaching these kiddos this year is really keeping me on my feet and busy! My feet are definitely swollen by the end of the week.

Yesterday we had our birthing class/hospital tour. It went really well. I think it was more for my husband, than me. He totally had a different picture of what was going to happen to me than what actually will. He said he understands now the purpose of a "push present" (which I still may not get, since he is cheap, but whatever!). He also said he didn't realize how long it could possibly take from going in to labor and then delivering the babe. We enjoyed the tour of the hospital and to get a picture of where this little man will enter the world! I also feel like I have a better grasp of what I need to do to get this little man out of me. I'm pretty sure I want to try to use as little drugs as possible to get him out. I am not opposed to some pain killers to take the edge off, but I really do not care for an epidural. It's not the needle that bothers me, it is just the idea of not being able to control my bottom half after it is given, in addition to the side effects. I figure women have been giving birth for thousands of years without epidurals, if they can do it, I certainly can endure the pain and do it, too.

After the tour and class we went to an Atlanta Braves game with our friends. After the game Adam's favorite band, O.A.R. played, so we stayed for that, too. It was great! I really enjoyed myself. However, the walk back to the car was annoying. I wanted to walk so much faster than what my body would let me. My ankles were nice and swollen, and I just couldn't speed walk! I had to tell my super speed walking hubs to SLOW DOWN!

I also feel I should mention how great he has been. I figured he'd just carry on with normal life and I would still carry the burden of cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. He has been doing dishes, vacuumed the whole down stairs, and even SCRUBBED THE TOILET!!!!!!!!!!!! He never cleans toilets! If I was up for a roll in the sack he'd totally be getting some tonight! ; ) haha

Hope everyone is doing well!! = )

Getting excited!

I am getting so excited for this little man to get here! I can barely contain myself. These next few months are going to fly by with baby prep classes, baby moons, baby showers, and the fact that my body is slowing down. Flipping over at night has become a process, and I can no longer lay on my back as I am starting to feel like I can't breathe. We're also getting some of our shower gifts shipped to our house. So far we have our stroller, pack and play, high chair, and breast pump. For all of you preggers out there I got the most expensive medela breast pump at Baby Depot by Burlington for almost $100 less than what it is at babies-r-us. At babes it is 329, at baby depot it was 279, plus a 15% off coupon! However, I'm not opening it until I know that this guy wants to breast feed! Once the seal is broken it can't be returned.

Also last night he was doing some sort of gymnastics in my belly that made my left side protrude out and it almost hurt a bit. He must be running out of room because the feelings I'm getting aren't just little kicks any more they are stretching and all out bouncing throughout my womb. He is still sitting right on my bladder which proves to be interesting when I'm teaching 25 10 year olds all day and can't leave (I have some emotional behavior disorder kids in my room that I REALLY can't leave!).

Less than 3 months to go! YIPEE!!!!!!!!

Buckeye Baby Bump

I'm not  a big fan of taking pictures of myself, but I haven't taken one of the bump in almost 10 weeks, and I actually did my hair and make-up today so you all get to see two pics!

GO BUCKEYES!!!

No news is good news...

I haven't heard from the doctor about my glucose test on Monday so I'm assuming all is well in blood sugar land! We went out last night and bought frames for our pictures to go in and they look great. We'll work on getting those hung this weekend some time. I also received my invitation for my baby shower in Ohio! It is super cute. Adam and I are buckeye fans and the invitation said "B is for bundles of joy, the buckeye's, and baby boy shu!" I am going to have an Ohio State themed baby shower I guess! Hopefully he gets some good stuff. Most importantly, Miss Beth bought him his first buckeye shoes and she is an Auburn fan!

We'll be traveling to Ohio for labor day where I'll be attending my best friend's bridal shower and bachelorette party in Pittsburgh. I am looking forward to seeing all my girls from high school! We're all in different stages of our lives so it is very interesting when we get together to let our hair down. Two are mommies, I'm on my way to motherhood, one is engaged, and the other two are single! It should be a great time!

We're off to meet our friends for dinner, with a stop at Home Depot for some picture hanging things. Happy weekend to y'all!!

Doctor's Appointment

I had my 23.5 week doctor's appointment today. It was also the day of drinking the orange drink. It doesn't bother me to drink it. It definitely isn't my drink of choice, but it's not unbearable. I am pretty sure I'm going to have to go back and do a 3 hour glucose test because of my insulin resistance already. Just waiting for the call tomorrow. Weight wise I'm doing alright, I've gained about 14 pounds so far. Between last month's appointment and the appointment before that I gained way too much, but only gained 3lbs in this last month which is good news.

The doctor told me he'd like to see me walking and stretching more, but otherwise I'm in good shape! I've seen almost all of the doctors in the practice. I'll see one more and then I can choose who I want to see the rest of the time. I liked the guy I had today and liked the doctor I saw the first time I had an appointment. We'll see. I don't really mind either way. I left my old practice to go to this new one because they deliver at the hospital closest to me. I'm thinking that for my yearly exams I'll go back to my other practice. I really hated to leave because I loved my doctor so, so much!

I did a 40 minute walk with my pooch a little bit ago, and now I'm off to go read next month's book club pick. "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn!

23 Weeks

Yikes have I been a horrible blogger lately! Everything is going well in Baby Shu land. I am growing bigger by the day, and the little man is moving more and more every day. Today he gave me a nice loooonnngggg poke with a hand or foot that hurt pretty good. It's quite alright though because I know he is enjoying the room he has in there now while it lasts.

We had a big Baby Shu weekend. We picked up our stroller/car seat combination from Babies-R-Us. Adam's mom bought it for us from our registry and had us pick it up in the store down the street. So crazy to have a stroller in our garage, although I haven't put it together yet. We also had our baby furniture delivered! We got the set I posted a couple of posts ago and Adam put the crib together last night. Then we moved all of the furniture around to get the set up that we were most happy with. I keep going in there and sitting in my glider and just imagining what life will be like in 3.5 months. I also got a little lap to go next to my glider for the night stand, we bought a ceiling fan, and I ordered some pictures off of etsy to go in the room. It's all coming together. Now we just need all of the other things to make it complete, which we will get at our big baby shower on September 29th in Ohio.



Here is a photo of the pictures I ordered from etsy. The owner of the shop is adding in white print "Born to Rock." Adam is a fairly avid guitar player and just loves music in general, and when I saw these I thought that they were perfect. They are 11x14 size, so they'll fit perfectly on one of the walls in the bedroom. We're also going to put up a shelf system thing that has 3 shelves on it. Adam's parents gave it to us 4 years ago and it has been stored under our bed for the longest time. It is black and I said if we painted it white it'd go perfectly in the room. So that is what is going on for now. I will post pictures of the finished product whenever that happens. Knowing me, it'll probably be soon after we get home from our shower.

I'm also contemplating on purchasing this sleeper for our little man. My friend who has a newborn (Hi BMW!!), and another friend (Hi Fran!!), say it is awesome, and I'm thinking of splurging on it. Since I can't register for it at babies r us or even buy buy baby, I'll just have to use whatever money we get from the shower or use it from our own funds. I just like this idea better than having the pack and play next to my bed for a couple of weeks. It supposedly moves when the baby moves and mimics how they feel in the womb. Who knows, but I just might be sold on it! = )

Hope you all are doing well! = )

It's a...BOY!!!!!!!!!

We found out that this little baby growing in my belly is a BOY!!!!! We are so over the moon excited to be welcoming a little boy into our lives in December. I don't know why, but I've always wanted a boy, and couldn't be more thrilled that God has answered my prayers. We don't really have any names and I don't think I'll be able to name him until I see his cute little face. Feeling so blessed right  now!

He/She is a mover and a shaker!

I started feeling my little buddy move in there! What an exciting and interesting feeling! I don't feel it constantly, but if I lay down after I eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I will feel little flutters and tickles happening in there. The other day he/she was on the right side of my belly button and went back and forth a few times and it made me laugh because it tickled! I also pulled in to the gym yesterday and right before I got out of the car I felt two "little" jabs...they were so little I wouldn't even call them jabs, but baby Shu was definitely ready for some working out! I've been a little lazy with posting, but the baby room is painted and looks awesome! I will post pictures soon. We find out boy or girl in a little over a week!! I can't wait for this little one to have an identity, and be called a he/him or she/her.

I'm leaving Wednesday to head to Ohio for my best friend's wedding. I was fitted for my bridesmaid's dress yesterday. Luckily I lost a good bit of weight after I purchased the dress, because my baby bump has filled out the middle part of the dress and my growing bust did a decent job of filling the rest of the top up. I just needed a little taken in at the arm pits and the straps on the shoulders. I feel pretty good in the dress. It doesn't really make me look pregnant, just bigger than normal. However if I press the bottom part of the dress down my bump makes an appearance!

I go back to work in two weeks! EEKK!!! The county where I teach starts back on the 30th for teachers and the 6th for the kiddos. I'll be in 5th grade again teaching Language Arts and Math. I've been up to the school a few times to start getting my room together so when we officially go back I can lesson plan and get ready for the first few weeks of school. Until then, I'm going to enjoy the last two weeks of my summer and read and relax on my couch!!

Doctors Appointment

I had a doctor's appointment last Monday. I was not scheduled for an ultrasound - it was a regular run of the mill appointment. The doctor brought in the doppler thing to hear the heartbeat which I was super excited to hear! Well, I'm laying there while she runs it over my belly for what seems like FOREVER! She could not find the heartbeat, so she said she's going to do an ultrasound to make sure everything was alright. Ugh! I was a little bit freaking out. She could've at least said "it still might be too early to hear the heartbeat with the doppler so there shouldn't be anything to worry about." So I had my ultrasound and everything was perfectly fine and the heartbeat was nice and strong at 158. I asked the tech if she could tell what the sex of the baby was and she was pretty short with me and said that she wasn't allowed to tell me, that is my next appointment. Well as she was looking around making sure everything was okay I was checking to see if I could see anything. The baby was laying nice and flat and I could see his/her outline perfectly. I "THINK" I saw something sticking up nice and straight between the legs, but I could be making this up. I don't know why, but I want a boy. Well, let me preface that with I want a healthy baby first and foremost - boy or girl doesn't really matter. However, I have not associated this baby in my belly with a girl at all. To me he/she has been a boy. I will be thrilled either way of course, since this is something Adam and I have wanted for a long time, but I can't say we wouldn't be super thrilled if it were a boy!

My in-laws are headed to town on Friday to paint the nursery and an accent wall in my living room. I will take some before and after pictures to share with y'all! Needless to say I need to get up off of my behind and get this house together before company arrives!!

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!

Nursery!!!

Well I have been on the hunt for a decent furniture set for the baby's room. I wanted to buy something that can grow with the baby at a semi-affordable price. We have some money to work with since we had planned for and pretty much had all our IVF money (which all of it is pretty much going towards a down payment on a mommy-mobile). We looked at babies r us (cheaper quality, low prices), a specialty store in Atlanta (great quality, really expensive), and last night we ventured out to Rooms to go Kids. We hit the jackpot there! Great quality and great prices!!! They have a deal where you buy a dresser, chest, and night stand and get the crib for free. Yes PLEASE!!! So here is a picture of the set we'll buy, not decorated like that.

We are going to paint the nursery either the rain washed color or swan sea color (sorry it is a bit blurry). I'm thinking swan sea so it pops against the white trim a bit more. After we find out if its a boy or girl then I'll add some purples/pinks/yellows for a girl and for a boy not sure if I'll add navy and green or brown and tan. I know I won't be buying a bedding set since you can't use them in the crib anyway and I would rather spend the money else where. So that is the nursery update for now! Still cleaning out the guest bedroom so we (The Hubby) can get started on some painting in a couple of weeks. The majority of the stuff left in the room belongs to my dear husband the nostalgic pack rat. If it has to do with something related to his high school football days or something he "might" use someday it doesn't get thrown out...it is a bit frustrating. This weekend we'll hopefully get finished with that because I'd like to get my carpets cleaned before I go back to school at the end of July. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bargain Shopping!!!

I'm not always the best bargain shopper, but I really wanted a glider for the baby's room. I anticipate lots of late nights and reading in this chair. My husband, being the frugal man he is, refused to buy something as expensive as I was seeing in most stores, so I made it my mission to find a deal on a glider chair. Well folks, here it is (along with my furry baby, Scarlett), all $169 dollars of it! The ones I liked at babies r us were like 300 dollars, so I definitely got a deal. We are having a large baby shower, so I am not really buying much since I am anticipating that a lot of things will be bought for us. However, I am sure no one will be buying us furniture and the like.

We started our registry last night and I'll work on it again on Tuesday with one of my Mom-Experts! I am also getting much rounder. The buddha belly is definitely making an appearance...YIPEE!!!!! Doctors appointment on Monday. Hopefully everything is looking good. I'm feeling good, so hopefully that translates to the baby doing well, too!

Headaches...Solved!

After trying tylenol, sudafed, cold compresses, dark rooms, and extra sleep I decided to book a massage to see if that would get rid of my headaches. I found a lady who does massages from her home for a whole lot cheaper than if I went to a salon or spa. So I booked her for a half hour and told her to only focus on my shoulders, neck, and head. Halfway through the massage she asked me if I'd ever had any jaw pain. Which was kind of funny because about 3 weeks ago I did have some fairly bad jaw pain. I couldn't open my mouth very wide and had trouble chewing on my right side. She said that based on what she could tell from my massage I have TMJ, which can flare up during pregnancy. She said my headaches were probably being caused from the pain of my jaw moving down into my neck. So I had a fairly painful massage on the right side of my neck and jaw as she worked out all of the kinks. My headaches are GONE, my sinuses are definitely running now, and my jaw hurts a bit, but not worse than the headaches. I'm going to see her again this coming Monday so we can hopefully keep them away and she can work on my jaw a little more. My father is a dentist and he said the only things I can do is rub out the muscle, take tylenol for pain, and use warm compresses to keep the jaw pain down. It really isn't horrible pain, so I'm not too concerned!

I did some great shopping yesterday! I went to this big baby furniture store to scope out what they had and it was like a baby wonderland. I took a bunch of pictures and brochures and wrote down prices so we can get the best deal. I'll post some pictures in a few days. I also found a kids and baby consignment store that had some gliders for sale, so I went to check it out! I found exactly what I was looking for! I wanted a dark wood glider with light colored fabric to go over. It was so cheap, too! $179 with tax! At babies r us they were like $400, which is way out of our budget when we need to buy furniture and a new car at some point. We're going to pick up the chair on Saturday since I did not have the hubby's truck with me when I was shopping yesterday. We're also going to stop at the furniture store for Adam to see what is going on there.

I'm 15 weeks today and I think I woke up with an even bigger belly. I might be brave enough to wear some maternity tops today. I've been wearing some shorts, but haven't gotten in to the tops yet. We'll see how it goes!

2nd Trimester!!!!

I made it to the 2nd trimester! I never thought I'd make it here, but I did and I am growing! I officially can not wear any of my pants anymore. That is alright though since it means baby shu is growing and healthy, and it is summer so I don't have to go anywhere anyway! I have already grown 1.5 inches around my waist. I am taking pictures of my growing self every other week on even weeks. I will post them closer to the end of my pregnancy though, I think it will be cooler to see the progression over the weeks.

My 1st trimester was a walk in the park, but the 2nd is starting off not so great. I have been getting HORRIBLE headaches every day, and it is not fun! Hopefully they don't last too long. I am still sleeping great and napping wonderfully during the day. I know this will change as I get bigger, but I am happy with the status quo right now. Next doc appointment is on the 25th and I can't wait!

13 Weeks!

Hey y'all!! I've been in Ohio the last week and a half, so no blogging for me. Glad to be done with school and back home in Georgia getting ready for this little one to arrive. My house needs some serious organizing! However, I don't have the energy to attack my house and clean it like I could before I was pregnant. I got most of the kitchen picked up today and caught up on some bills today. The rest of the week I'm going to finish the down stairs, since the upstairs is where the most change is going to happen.

We decided on going on a babymoon! We are going to go to Hilton Head at the end of September for five and a half days. My aunt and uncle own a condo there so we are going to rent from them and enjoy a relaxing time before chaos arrives and our whole world changes (for the better!). This was our cheapest option since we only have to pay for the cleaning once we leave. We are super excited and it should be really nice around that time.

As for the pregnancy, I'm hanging in there! I'll be 13 weeks on Wednesday, and my tiredness is starting to subside. My breast tenderness is practically gone, too (YIPPEEE!!!!). My pants are definitely getting tighter, and my stomach is starting to feel harder to the touch, like I've obtained some sort of abs from doing no abdominal exercises. I do feel very much less attractive and bloated. I wish I could go from not looking pregnant to looking pregnant. I am not loving this chub stage, but I know it will soon move on to a baby bump! I'm still super thankful that God has given us this miracle and pray every day that this baby comes out happy and healthy! My next doctor's appointment isn't until June 25th, so I'll be anxiously waiting to get an update on baby's heartbeat and whatever else they will do at that appointment.

There's a Real Live Human in There!!!

Had the ultrasound today. I'm officially 10 weeks and 5 days preggers. This ultrasound was so much more fun than the last two. We heard and saw the heart beat (nice and strong), saw arms and legs, and EARS!! I'm happy to report that our little shu has ears just like his or her daddy...Adam's ears stick out just a bit! I swear if you look at the baby's head it is the exact profile of Adam's. So special!

Other than the ultra sound, the appointment was uneventful. I had some sickness yesterday. I was dizzy all day long. The doctor said to just make sure that I am very hydrated, especially now that the summer has arrived. So I parked my behind on the couch all day and caught up on TV shows and am finishing reading the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. I only have about 150 more pages to go! Super excited for all my summer reading now that there are officially 4 days of school left! YIPEE!!!!!!!

Rescheduled Ultrasound

I was supposed to have another ultrasound tomorrow, but received a message that the US tech wasn't going to be there and they had to reschedule. When I received this message I was PO'd. It is probably the hormones, but I want to see my nugget!!! I'm 10 weeks today. Still feeling good and haven't had an ounce of morning sickness.

I've been telling some of my close friends and it has been so fun seeing their reactions, especially because they expected to have heard about fertility treatments first. I have had some overwhelmingly emotional reactions and it means so much to me that my closest people care that much.

Hanging in There

I have not felt like blogging much lately. Probably because I am completely WIPED out! My in-laws were in town for the weekend to celebrate me getting my master's degree. So glad that I am done with school, especially now that I have a baby to think about in approximately 7 months. I have had a pretty easy first trimester so far. Just really tired and my boobs hurt. By the end of the day I feel like if I even brush my boob up against something it is going to sting in pain. Thankfully they haven't gotten much bigger, just fuller. These DD's do not need to go up in size! YIKES! Today I tried on some size 6 pants and there were feeling a bit tight. My friend is going to bring me some of her size 6 maternity pants so when they really stop fitting I have some back-up pants. I'm 9.5 weeks along so far, and we have another ultrasound on Monday. The regular OB/GYN is treating me as a semi high risk since it took us a good while to get to this point and with my progesterone being low. I can stop my progesterone pills after 12 weeks. So I will get an ultrasound at 10 weeks and he said something about another one at 12. I'm not complaining. More pictures of this little miracle the better! = )

I've been debating about creating another blog for talking about this baby growing in my belly. I can't help but to think of all of you readers reading this and hating me for posting about this pregnancy. You all are enduring so much to get to this goal, and I admire you and your strength. I (thankfully) did not have to go through IVF like we were planning, and I can no longer say I know how you feel. I don't know what it is like to go through crazy hormone shots, or sit on a table and have a embryos implanted in me. I don't know why it happened so easy for us once we consciously started trying again, but I just don't want to rub my happiness in your faces. That is not my intention. I am not sure if I'll start posting on a "baby blog" just yet, but if you can't bear to read about whatever I post, then I promise I won't feel offended if you stop reading.

I haven't been commenting lately, but I am still reading all of your blogs and will be catching up on comments in the next few days. Now that I'm done with this master's degree and I only have 10 more days with my 5th graders, I will have MUCH more time on my hands! = )

We Graduated!!!

Our fertility doctor officially graduated us from the clinic!!! Lots of tears were shed between Adam and I today, and we couldn't feel more blessed. We got to see our little nugget today and its heart beat. It was an exciting moment that we've been waiting a lifetime for it seems. I go to the regular OB this Thursday. Still praying that all remains normal and healthy!

Something is definitely brewing...

Our ultrasound went well yesterday. We saw the yolk sack, gestational sack, and fetal pole. Couldn't really see the baby yet since I am only 6 weeks along. The fertility doctor was VERY pleased and excited for us. She was happy with the measurements of everything and asked us to come back in 10 days to hopefully see some more.

It is still early and we are still praying and praying that God continues to bless and watch over this pregnancy. I am going to return to the gym on Monday for some light, low intensity exercise. If this is in fact going to last I'm goin to need some muscles in my arms and legs! = ) I also need to watch out for gestational diabetes with this PCOS crap. Hopefully the hormones are doing what they are supposed to - if the soreness of my boobs is any indication, then they are cranking out that progesterone and estrogen as expected!

God Does Answer Prayers

I am pregnant.

It is absolutely crazy to be writing those three words. I am pregnant. I have been waiting for a year and 9 months to say them, write them, and feel them. I am only 5 weeks along, so anything can happen at this point, and I am pretty scared. However, I am also very hopeful and optimistic.

I found out a week and a half ago. I took at pregnancy test that Sunday and it had a very faint line next to the thick line, and I didn't think anything of it. I was supposed to get my period that following Tuesday. Since I had been regular for the past 3 months I kind of expected it to arrive. It didn't. I didn't worry about it either since it was rarely ever consistent. On Thursday I decided that I'd take a test and if it was negative then I knew that my  period was just MIA for the time being. The opposite happened. It was positive. A POSITIVE TEST! Holy SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was my immediate reaction. My husbands was "that isn't true, what is the % effectiveness of this test, give me the box!" We were stunned. I decided to go an exercise as normal, and I took another test when I got home from the gym. Positive AGAIN.

I called the fertility doctor right away and they had me come in for blood work right away. My results came back, and indeed I was pregnant, but my progesterone was low. I kind of expected this since my PCOS means my hormones are already jacked up. So, I am taking progesterone 2x a day. My second blood test indicated that my HCG levels were increasing at a normal rate, and my progesterone was back in the range they want to see. My third blood test came back great, too. Hopefully this means that whatever is brewing in this uterus is here to stay. We have our first ultrasound this Friday afternoon. I am excited and nervous for it, but I have been saying my prayers and praying that this is mean to be.

As for how I am feeling. Oh, I am feeling it all so far. My tummy kind of feels like I'm going to be getting my period. Which I read about in a book, and that it is because there is a lot more blood going towards my uterus to support the baby and create the placenta. I am a pimple factory as well. Breaking out everywhere!!! I am exhausted and I even fell asleep teaching the other day. And last, but not least, my ladies are SORE!!!! Ouch! I am going to have to start sleeping with a bra on. I hope all of these symptoms mean I am on the right path to becoming a mom.

Lastly, I am feeling just blessed and extremely thankful. I am thankful God has given us this miracle. I am not sure how or what made this happen, but I believe in my heart there is definitely a reason. Hopefully everything checks out on Friday and I can let out a little bit of air and relax a little bit more and start enjoying this amazing gift that God has given us.

Prayer

Something has been floating through my mind lately. The act of praying and thought of prayer while you are struggling through a difficult time. Living in the South, it seems like so many more people are open to talking about prayer and offering prayers than where I grew up in the North. My family was never a prayerful family, we only worshiped on Christmas and Easter (C & E Catholics is what we are affectionately called), and were never taught to pray and thank God for our struggles or gifts. Then I married Adam, and his family was very prayerful, and were always offering prayers for encouragement, struggles, and gifts. In the last 5 years or so I've met a few women who have also been very prayerful and have taught me a lot about being a Christian and what it means to be a Christian. I'm continuously growing in my Christianity, but it has become a larger part of my life.

Adam and I have had our ups and downs. It seems like in our short 4 year marriage, that there have been more downs than ups, but the ups have been completely awesome. In these short 4 years I have found myself praying and thanking God even more about the life he has given us and have trusted that his plan for our lives is the greatest plan that there can be. When Adam was unemployed we prayed that he would guide us to a place where he could find a place that made him happy. I prayed a ton after both of Adam's seizures, and even more so after this last one. The infertility was also something we have both prayed about continuously that God answers our prayers and guides us to a place where children can be a part of our life.

Do any of you seek prayer as you struggle through the ups and downs of life, especially as you progress through your infertility journey? If not, how do you center yourself? Prayer has become such an important part of who I am lately in the chaos of everyday life, and I'm interested to hear some other points of view.

Tonight, I am praying for all the women and men out there that are desperately seeking motherhood and fatherhood and are having a hard time understanding why God would put them on this path of infertility. I know God has a plan for each and every one of us, I pray that we all have patience to wait for His answers to our prayers and that we find peace in those answers.

Sorry!!!

I've been a bad blogger as of late, life has gotten busy! The end of the school year is approaching so I've had a lot of after school obligations, namely the school talent show that I was in charge of with my friend. It was a great show and I am very glad that it is over! Now we are on spring break and my parents and brother have been visiting. It has been nice spending time with them, this is only the 2nd time they've visited us in the last 4 years we've lived here.

I've still be working out like crazy! My workout buddy is awesome and a great motivator for me. I didn't lose any lbs on my last weigh in at school, but that is okay. I feel great, my clothes fit great, and I'm getting healthier!

= )

"If we made a baby..."

I'm an optimistic person...I am rarely ever negative.

We are back to making a conscious effort to baby make. My husband has become way more healthy with the quitting of smoking (he was a pretty avid smoker), and no longer being able to drink alcohol (can't with his seizure meds), so I am thinking that this had an effect on his swim team and therefore he has better numbers (even though I have no clue about that).

I have lost 12ish pounds, on metformin, having semi-normal cycles which means my PCOS horomones are balancing out.

What I hate about baby making is the "If it works..." statements. If we made a baby three days ago then it'll be due in December. If we made a baby we can use all the IVF money for a family car. If we made a baby what do you want a boy or girl? It DRIVES ME NUTS, but I can't help it. I can't help being optimistic and believe that God has a plan for us and wants us to have a child without help. There is also a new Babies-R-Us down the street from us and I said yesterday "If we made a baby I can't wait to go to Babies-R-Us!" I'm a silly, silly girl.

Let's hope we made a baby the other day...if not, we'll have another month of having "fun"!

Hope the weekend was excellent for all of you blog friends! It was beautiful here in Atlanta!

LH BABY!!!

We've got an LH Surge!!!!!!!! Not on my birthday, but I'll take one day after. My left egg maker must've been working hard today because it was sore and crampy all day long.

I also was dead tired today and had NO APPETITE! I'm guessing my increased dose of Metformin is causing my appetite to be less. I'm okay with that! = ) All I had to eat until dinner was 1 cup of cheerios with skim milk and a banana, coffee, some crackers, an apple, and a cheese stick...for me that is NOTHING! haha.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! = )

Storks and Fairies

The metformin definitely messed up my tummy. I was going potty multiple times over the weekend, but that is alright. I know it is what I need, and with all this losing weight I kind of thought about it as losing an extra couple ounces! haha!

I am officially down 12.2 lbs in my biggest loser competition and I am feeling great. I went to my favorite store, Ann Taylor Loft and purchased some smaller sized pants since all of mine were getting baggy in the rear. I have a super flat behind, so that isn't a surprise. I also bought two dresses, one nicer one for some of the weddings I have this summer, and another casual wear to work cotton dress. I also found some cute black peep toe flats, and cream/beige peep toe wedges. Clothes are so much more fun when you like the way you look in them!

On the fertility front, nothing too new. I've been taking an ovulation test everyday for the past 8 to 10 days, with no positive results. I bought two boxes since my cycles aren't usually normal, so I probably ovulate ( IF I ovulate) at an irregular time, too. Getting pregnant is exhausting! I wish I had a baby making fairy to point her wand at my uterus and voila, A BUN IN THE OVEN! Or even a stork would be good. He could just fly up to my front door and say "here is your baby that you've been dying to have, enjoy!" Either scenario would work EXCELLENT for me! = )

Off to prepare for my monthly book club that I will be hosting tomorrow at my house. Which is super fun because it is also my birthday on Wednesday and I absolutely LOVE my birthday!!! One of the members is baking me my favorite, Red Velvet cake! DELICIOUS!!!!! (Don't worry friends, I'll be going to the gym for 2 hours prior to book club beginning!)

Metformin?

So I officially started my Metformin tonight. I am starting off with 750mg at dinner for 7 days then doubling after that. I am interested to see what happens and if I feel any different. If you are on Metformin can you tell me how you like it, if it has changed anything for you, and if you've had any side effects and how long they lasted.

I talked with our IVF nurse yesterday, and she said that it wasn't too necessary for hubs to go see an urologist since his numbers weren't horrible and they went up in his last SA. I may be getting ahead of myself and being over hopeful, but I kind of have a feeling that we are going to be able to do this without IVF. It could be wishful thinking, but I am thinking that we can do this. For our hubby's first SA he was smoking, drinking, not exercising, and eating not too great either. He was smoking less, still drinking, and starting to exercise for the last SA. Now he doesn't smoke, doesn't drink (his seizure meds prohibit him from doing so), and is the healthiest he has probably been since high school. I am officially out of the 150's and having a normal cycle. Things are just changing around here. In a way, I feel that God had my Adam have a seizure in order to get him healthy. Who knows, but that is what I am feeling!

It was 86 in Atlanta today and beautiful!!! We walked our fur baby Scarlett for 40 minutes after dinner tonight, and had great couple quality time. I am looking forward to our nightly walks with the dog now that the sun is staying out longer, those are the times we have the best conversations.

Happy Wednesday to you all!

We might as well keep trying...

Spring has sprung and I want a baby. It is funny how my mood changes about babies. Some weeks I am okay with not having one or being pregnant, and some weeks it is all I can think about. One of my good friends had a baby shower today and my mom called to tell me about it. I wish I could've been there, but I am kind of glad I wasn't...it would've been hard. She had to do IVF to get pregnant, so I can only imagine how excited she is. I just think a shower would've been hard. I want to be in her shoes, and right now that just isn't in God's plans for my hubs and I.

It might be though, so that is why hubs and I are back on the baby making train. For the last while I haven't been tracking cycles or taking ovulation tests to see if I am even ovulating. I've just been guessing and we've been sexin' when the mood strikes. We always hope it leads to something, but I haven't been tracking. Since I had a normal cycle last month, or at least a 28 day cycle, I bought some ovulation tests and praying that one of them is positive. I am also praying that those guys and girls in my hubby's possesion have been multiplying and moving even more. It would be an absolute miracle if we could do this without help.

So, here is to baby making without any fertility drugs, may we have success...and if we don't then bring on the IVF!

(Nearly) Healthy Living

Some of you out there have been wondering what my "diet" is since I have been revamping my life to live a more healthy one. Well folks, sorry to disappoint, but I don't have a specific diet like weight watchers, or south beach, etc. I am just eating and doing what all of us humans are supposed to be eating and doing the majority of my week. I am a food-a-holic, and pretty much think about eating all day long. I am always worried about what my next meal is going to be and where is my next meal dining out (I LOVE dining out!!!). I have had to really start changing my outlook on food. It is fuel to live, and I should not live to eat. I need food to power me through my work day, and my work outs. However, on Friday or Saturday night when my love and I do go out, I splurge and get something that I will enjoy. If I dine out during the week I try to stick to healthy options.

So, the plan that has been working for me is to eat more protein...I have a protein at every meal. Next, I try to eat all of my carbs and fruits before 2:00 in the afternoon. That way my body has the rest of the day to burn down those sugars. Before I go to the gym I will have an Atkins protein drink - I chose Atkins because I'm insulin resistant and it has few carbs and sugars. Some protein drinks can be loaded with carbs and sugars, and I don't need more of that in my body than I already get. If I need just a little more food before a workout I will throw in a low-fat part skim cheese stick and/or an apple. After working out or for dinner my husband and I make a lot of soups, recipes from cooking light cook books, and grilling. It is getting to be grilling season here in Georgia, so a lot of our meals will be grilled chicken, shrimp, pork, and flank and sirloin steaks. I have a food scale so I measure my meats from the grill to make sure I am eating the correct portion size. I will also measure things like my cereal, snacks, etc. to make sure I'm not going overboard as well.

As for exercising...I do it. You can lose weight and all if you just change your diet. However, you can lose it faster and have a better body composition if you exercise. I also use exercise to indulge in some of my non-healthy items....ugh hem...thin mints...wink wink. I do pretty intense exercise. A typical week looks like this...

Monday: Kickboxing and weight lifting class or yoga
Tuesday: Spinning class, or Cardio/toning class, or both....depending on my mood!
Wednesday: Break
Thursday: Cardio/Toning class and Spin, or 2 Spin Classes
Friday: Break

One day on the weekend, not both:
Saturday: Cardio/Toning Class or Yoga
Sunday: Running and lifting on my own

My husband and I have really dedicated our week nights to exercising. So it helps motivate me if he is there as well. I estimate that I burn between 400 and 600 calories most nights at the gym doing the classes. I also don't really splurge on those days. We get home from the gym late and I avoid sugars and sweeter foods before bed.

I have done weight watchers 3 times in my life and have had success each time...I just got sick of counting points and would just go back to my bad habits. I am having a slower weight loss this time, but am not stressed out about my "points". I eat as natural of foods as possible, no preservatives, and aim to get in as many fruits and veggies as I can. I have lost a total of 9lbs so far and the size 14 dress I bought (in December) for my friends wedding in July is HUGE on me! My size 8 pants don't fit, and my size 6's are getting larger on me as well. I usually have to wear large tops because I have a large bust, but medium shirts are fitting nicely - I will never be a small - the ladies won't let me!

I don't see myself changing anything in the near future. I have my days where I just suck at eating healthy, mostly when I am not working. A schedule keeps me on track. The summer when I am off from teaching is always when I gain weight. I'm trying though, because in the end I want to be a healthy pregnant woman with no issues of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, and I want those unborn children of mine to lead a healthy lifestyle, too. I know that if my husband and I don't live a healthy lifestyle, then my children won't either. Being a teacher I see so many overweight and obese children and it is so sad, because it isn't their fault. They don't do the grocery shopping and meal planning, their parents do. We are starting this lifestyle now and sticking to it so we know exactly what to do when kids come in to the picture.

So that is that on my new life style. There are so many ways to change your life to be healthier. I know my friend Kimberly - who just got pregnant after her 4th IUI, YAY!!!! Is eating a paleo diet and is loving it. I wouldn't have the support of my husband to do that, so it would be really hard for me. Her hubs is all in, so it is working for her.

What are you ladies doing to make your life healthier!?

Normal cycle? Could it be?

Dude!!! I had a normal 28 day cycle. First time in my LIFE on my own without any help from meds. YIKES!!!! For a second I was thinking that it has been awhile since I had a cycle, but then I remembered that I had one at the beginning of last month. I know that with diet and exercise a person with PCOS can regulate their cycles...it just never worked for me in the past, but maybe I really wasn't eating right and exercising enough. Maybe my lifestyle changes have really helped this time. I guess I'm going to go out and buy and ovulation test to see if, in fact, I am normal!?! Maybe we can get a baby without saving for another down-payment on a house!

Happy weekend to you all! = )

Fit and Pregnant

Since I've been on this fitness kick I have been doing really well. I was home all week from work last week and successfully demolished 2 full boxes of girl scout cookies, ate a crap load of pizza, had lots of fried fish for lent, and ate other bad things. I also worked out about 4 hours. I did not gain or lose anything last week.

My school is having a battle of the pounds challenge and I was the biggest loser 2.5 weeks ago with a 7.5lb loss. We weigh in this Friday, and I am not so optimistic....girl scout cookies ARE EVERYWHERE!!!!! I am seeing changes though, my gut is less "sticky-outy," my chest is looking slimmer - however my boobs are not going anywhere and I wish they would - and my size 8 pants are getting too big. All good things! As I was "eliptisizing" aka on the eliptical, I was watching a pregnant lady in front of me that I have been admiring for a few months now. She is just gorgeous. She is always at the gym lifting weights, on the eliptical, or taking a class. She has a beautiful bump, glowing skin, and she is everything I hope to look like when I finally get pregnant. I can't wait to get my positive pregnancy test so I can subscribe to the fit pregnancy magazine...I think it would be slightly weird to subscribe now, don't you think? I know that there are so many benefits to continuing an exercise routine once you find out you are pregnant and I plan on doing that. Not with the intensity I work out now, but I don't plan on stopping my healthy life style. I hope to be like the woman at the gym - Fit and Pregnant!

P.S. On an unrelated note I just about peed my pants when I found out how much we were getting back on our taxes. HOLY CRAP we have a NICE chunk of change to contribute to our baby fund! YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tax returns are the best! (when you don't have to pay, like we did last year!)

Nest Egg!!!

I think we have our nest egg!

On the way home from church today we were talking about our kid situation and time frames...it seems like time frames are always on my mind. I said if I have to wait, the latest I am willing to wait for IVF is next April or May. A little more than a year from now. My husband then informed me that we are financially where we need to be if one of us lost our job or had something bad happen. However, we don't have what we need to go on a shopping trip, vacation, etc. So we need to start saving for that, plus a car, plus a baby...we'll know how much to budget for cars when we figure out if we have multiples or not. Either way we have a nice chunk of change floating around, we just have to continue living a low key lifestyle - a saving life style. I feel a little weight off of my shoulders since the nest egg is there.

We are still going to have to finance some of this baby making, because it is ridiculous to think we are going to have as much as we need cash money, but hopefully we won't have to finance too much. God I hope it works when we go through with this...or even conceiving naturally...what a miracle that would be!

So on the fertility plate this week is:
- Go to the PCP to get my lab and ultrasound reports on my liver faxed so I can start metformin.
- Keep up with the exercising and eating healthy since I have been a bad bad girl during my winter break.
- Get our tax returns done and get ready to put a chunk of change into the savings account - HOPEFULLY!

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday and following week!

Difficulty Conceiving vs. No Issues Whatsoever

2 posts in 1 day! I'm on a roll!

I have been thinking about this quite a bit and would like all ya'll's (love my southern grammar!!?!) input/opinions. I find myself gitty, excited, and so thrilled and hopeful when I hear of someone conceiving who has struggled with infertility. It such wonderful blessed news that I can't help but feel ecstatic. However, when someone who seems to get pregnant in the normal time frame 1-6 or 8 months depending on their age, I want to scratch my eyes out with envy and frustration. Although I am thrilled for them, too, I am just not "as thrilled" as I am for my fellow brothers and sisters going through IUI, IVF, adoption, etc.

The thing with dealing with fertility treatments is that it is no longer about a hot night in the sack, but talks about saving money-basically a down payment for another home if you are planning for more than one cycle especially IVF...which come on people, we all are anticipating doing another round of something if it doesn't work the first time. We are definitely not a bunch of quitters! In addition to taking meds that make our horomones go nuts (so sorry for our hubbies that deal with our emotions!), I can't wait to see what they will do to me...er...uh...maybe I can wait. So not only are we considering money and emotional and mental state, but also taking on the "what ifs"....which are the absolute worst! What if it doesn't work. What if it works and I miscarry. What if we run out of money, but aren't done trying. What if we have twins, triplets, quadruplets...because looking at the statistics for my fertility clinic the chance of multiples for IVF is high, high, high!

So I guess I feel more validated, excited, and hopeful when those that deal with all of what I just wrote about conceive, than for those who have a couple glasses of wine, are relaxed, and doing the deed! They are truly blessed to have such worry free baby making. I imagine that when a couple that struggles with fertility gets pregnant they have a HUGE weight taken off of their shoulders. . I can't wait until I am in that position.

Getting Back to Normal

I have been sleeping. Thank God! I went to the therapist again on Tuesday and we discussed worry. I am worrying too much. I'm glad we talked about it, because I am finding myself worrying less now. I still jump up and am concerned when my hubby moves, twitches, breathes funny, but for the most part I am sleeping restfully - which allows me to function normally during the day.

Which means I am back to thinking about babies. I have been home all week from work, since the school at where I teach is on winter break (which is more like spring break since it has been 70 degrees almost all week!), and I find myself thinking about what it will be liking having a child. I was thinking that it might be nice to be a stay at home mom, which will definitely happen if I end up with multiples. If I have a singleton I'll be back at work. I wonder if I could even handle being a stay at home mom...I guess that is something I'll worry about when it happens for us.

We have been doing really well with our spending the last two months. We had no spend January where we did not buy anything for ourselves all month. We also did fairly well this month, too. I am finding that wanting a baby and saving for IVF outweighs anything that I "want." However, I have been losing weight, and I know I am going to want to shop here sometime soon. I have a ton of weddings coming up, so I'm going to wait until closer to the summer to do some shopping. If we continue to live like we have been living that means we get closer and closer to doing IVF!!! The question is since I am a teacher, when to go through with it? Ideally I would want to get pregnant in the spring or summer so if I only have 1 child I can take almost 5 months off to be with him/her...or just do it whenever we are financially able and deal with the 8-10 weeks of maternity leave...If I wait until the spring then we will ideally be better off financially, but can I realistically wait that long? who knows! Another benefit for waiting until next spring is that if we have twins or triplets we definitely will need a new car, which gives us more time to save for that car. Oh the things I think about when I have time at home to do NOTHING!!!!

I'm going to see The Vow at the movie theater with a friend today and then meeting my boss and his family at our church's fish fry for the first Friday of lent. No meat for me on Fridays. The hubs is also bringing home McDonald's filet o fishes for our lunch date! I don't even like them that much, but during lent it is a necessary evil!  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Update

Well, things are returning back to normal at home...for Adam. I am still having trouble sleeping and having a tiny bit of anxiety, so I thought I would try seeing a counselor/therapist. I had my first appointment today and I loved it. I chose a person who has her own practice, and doesn't prescribe drugs, and is a faith based counselor. I am not an extremely religious person, but I do believe in faith and a higher power, and that it has the ability to heal people. My therapist said some really great things that hit home with me about this whole seizure situation, and I feel a bit better. She also gave me some relaxation techniques, that I will definitely be trying. I would like to not have to take a sleeping pill to get to sleep, but I tried that last night and slept for 3 hours. So needless to say, I was an awful to goodness mess on this Valentine's Day. The hubs wanted to go out for dinner and I just couldn't do it. I need to sleep and rest. I go back to the therapist next Tuesday, and am really looking forward to it. Until then, my in-laws and grandmother-in-law are coming to visit on Thursday, so I am looking forward to the distraction they will bring to my weekend.

As for baby making, I think I may have ovulated this weekend. I am so sick of buying kits and tracking temps that I am just guessing based on the situation down there. I wasn't sure how our sex life was going to be after what happened last week, but hubs was ready to go, so we went! haha TMI I know, but I am glad that it isn't affecting that part of our life. I've been getting my liver checked out from getting back blood work for elevated liver enzymes, so I had an ultrasound today. The tech couldn't tell me anything so I'll just have to wait until the doctor looks at it. So that is that!

Well, that is all for now...off to a little more TV and sleeping pills for bed! = )

Anxiety

Well my thoughts have officially transferred from thinking about making babies to having anxiety about my husband and his seizure(s). I am usually a laid back, go with the flow kind of gal, but this latest happening in our lives has thrown me for a loop. I think I have been experiencing some form of anxiety the last 6 nights. I am fine during the day for the most part, but as soon as I get home it starts. My chest gets tight, I get all shivery, I can't eat - as in food just isn't satisfying and I start gagging - for example, we went to get Thai food last night and I absolutely LOVE pad thai, I probably ate about 8 to 10 bites and just couldn't get it down. My blood pressure also gets elevated at night...I'm usually at 100-114/70-98 and it has been going up to 130, 125, etc. I have also lost about 8 lbs in the last two weeks...the bulk of it being in the last 4-5 days. I've taken some unisom to help me sleep, it took me 3 hours to fall asleep and I was really groggy the next day, then my chiropractor gave me some herbal mix to relax and induce sleep, which works, but doesn't help me fall asleep. Finally I took a half of an ambien last night and I fell asleep in 1.5 hours which was great, but I didn't stay asleep. My regular doctor said he didn't want to give me anxiety meds until I tried the sleeping ones first, since anxiety meds can be pretty serious....UGH, I'm a hot mess!

I worry about if it is going to happen again, what the anti-seizure meds and his chantix meds are doing to his brain, how he is feeling emotionally/mentally, about him driving at any point of the day even though he is only prohibited from driving at night. I'm just scared for him. These meds are making him very drowsy. I sincerely hope that this anti-seizure med works and he never has to have another seizure again.

Do any of you readers have experiences with anyone in your family/friends of yours that have seizures? I am finding that it is more common than most think, it just isn't widely talked about. If you feel comfortable sharing please do...I'm not in the state of mind yet to go browsing the web for some support...

What else is He going to throw at us?

5 months ago my husband had a seizure in the middle of the night. It was so far, the scariest night of my life. I had no clue what was happening, called 911, went to the hospital, only to find out it was a seizure and there was nothing that could really be done about it, especially since it was his first one. He went through all kinds of tests during the following months and did not find anything. They said it could be just a one time occurance, or it could happen again. If it happened again, then we would take some further action. During the last 5 months I have had difficulty sleeping, since every twitch, or move, he makes I think it is happening again. Only just recently have I been sleeping better.

He had another seizure last night.

I was much more calm, understood what was happening, and he came out of his seizure much quicker than last time. However, I did not sleep a wink last night. My blood pressure (which is ALWAYS really low), was at 130, and I could not rest my mind. We went to the neurologist today and now he is on an anti-epileptic drug, can't drive at night for the next 6 months (if he has another seizure, then it will be 6 more months from that date), and has to have a 24 hour brain test in 2 weeks. I hate this for him. No one wants to be on a med for probably the rest of their life. And he is not so happy about me driving him at night. He likes to go to the gym for raquetball until later in the evening and now I have to bring him home, which means I have to change my schedule, too. I am happy to do this for him, since I am madly in love with him, and will support him in any way I can.

So not only are we dealing with the frustrations of fertility, we now have to deal with seizures. Grrr. I know God doesn't throw things at us that we can't handle...but geeze can't he just give us a break!!!

Hope you all in the land of PCOS and fertility meds are doing well!!

Stupid PCOS

I got my freaking period today. What is up with that!!??!?!?! For a second I was excited, because I didn't think it was going to come. During all of my rounds of clomid it came at about day 30, and for the last 3 months after I've been done with clomid, it still came at or around day 30. We are on day 39-40 right now. I'm so sick of tracking when I may or may not ovulate, since I know the chances of us having a child naturally are so slim. Hope keeps me going though, because I know we are supposed to have a bambino of our own.

I'm super exhausted. I taught a kickboxing session today after work and all of my colleagues that attended had a great time. It made me feel good, but now I can barely keep my eyes open. However, I still need to bake my chicken for my lunch tomorrow. Gotta stay healthy and eat my protein. I did bad tonight, though. I had pizza hut and OD'd on pizza...but it was SOOO GOOD and I did exercise so I don't feel too horrible. Back on track tomorrow!

No Period = ACNE!!!!!! GRRRR!!!!!!!

Well, since my wonderful Clomid has finally worn off, I can say goodbye to my period and hello to the PCOS symptoms. In talking with other women, their symptoms show up in different ways. Unfortunately mine show up with bad acne and hair. If I didn't pluck my chin every gosh darn day I'd have a beard....no joke. Not something I readily admit to people, but it is the truth. Once I have my IVF babies I WILL get laser hair removal.

I hate acne. I'm 26 in one month, 27, and I should be done with this crap! GRRR!!!!

No Period, but not Pregnant

Overall, I have been super positive and had an awesome week! I really don't have to whine too much today! I exercised 4 days this week, which is excellent, and lost 3 pounds! For once I have lost weight by not "dieting," but from doing what I should be doing which is eating healthfully 80% of the time and exercising at least 30 minutes a day - I did 6 hours of working out this week and so I met my requirement plus some!

I thought I'd get my blood tests back from earlier this week, since I now know who my nurse is and she is pretty much on top of things. Maybe on Monday. I'm interested to see how much my change in lifestyle will affect my liver numbers. Once I get the blood tests back I'm supposed to be going on Metformin. I'll just add it to my pill buffet of vitamins!

I should've gotten my period on Monday, and now it is Saturday with no signs or symptoms of it coming. I expected this because I didn't really ovulate to my knowledge, so no egg = no period for me. Well, just in case, I took a pregnancy test...I haven't taken one in awhile so that excitement and feeling of possibility was there, but was quickly gone when it came out negative. I didn't really think it would be positive, but it would've been fantastic if it was! Hopefully this metformin will get some of my insulin resistance in order to make my body start functioning a little more normal, and will make me ovulate. And maybe the hubs one lucky swimmer will make it! That would just be all the answers to our many many prayers!

Have a great weekend! I'm off to the gym for a couple of hours so when I go eat at Mexican tonight with our friends I can be okay with eating what I'm going to eat!