The World According to Monica

We have a plan!!

2010-02-23T08:11:00.003-06:00

Well, it looks like we finally have a plan for the next year or so. It's still unofficial so it's possible that it could change. But for now, this is what we're looking at.

As soon as medical declares Josh LIMDU (limited duty, though there is some issue of if and when the Captain will do this), his current orders will be cancelled, and he will be given PCS (permanent change of station) orders to Pensacola for 6 months. The detailer will continue to give him orders there in 6 month increments until he is healed. Then he will have to negotiate for new orders. Since they are PCS orders, they will pay for me and our stuff to go out there with him, and he will get housing allowance based on Pensacola's rate.

Josh graduates from his school in Friday and has a meeting with his surgeon on Monday. Assuming everything works out the way it's supposed to at the moment, Josh will then take leave for a week or so and fly back to TX. We will load up everything that is left in the house and drive back to FL! I am so excited about the possibility of seeing Josh again in about a week!!!

The only major issue now is selling our house. I don't know how we're going to afford to rent a place in FL while still paying our mortgage here. We had thought about waiting here until it sells, but we really want to be together soon. Besides, I need to be able to be there to take care of him after his surgery, and I had already given notice to Sarah's daycare and they have already filled her spot so we wont' have childcare after the 12th.

So please continue to pray for us as we're still navigating these unknowns.

Cycle -1

2010-02-13T10:26:00.003-06:00

AF has come to visit. This is my first real Flo since getting pregnant. I'd forgotten about cramps! I'm calling this cycyle -1 because Josh is still in Pensacola for training. His class is supposed to be over at the end of the month.

The problem though, is he re-dislocated his shoulder. The Navy doctor says that he is now non-deployable. We're supposed to be moving to WA after his class, but being non-deployable means he can't go to the ship. So they're going to do surgery again to fix his shoulder. Then he'll have about 6 months of recovery time when he's LIMDU (limited duty). We're not sure if they're going to postpone our orders and leave him in Florida until he's better or if they're going to change our orders completely. If they change our orders, they might send him on to wherever that will be and have them do the surgery there or still keep him in FL for now. Regardless, they're picking up our household goods next week, and we're still trying to sell our house. If he's stuck in FL, I'm going to go there to help him after his surgery. Or he may take some leave to come here the first of March before his surgery. I really hate this not knowing!!!!

So if you're into praying, we could definitely use some during this time of confusion.

12 month appt

2010-01-26T21:36:00.001-06:00

Sarah had her 12 month appointment today. 23.5 pounds and 28.5 inches! My little girl is growing up :)

It's time!

2010-01-08T22:27:00.002-06:00

Josh and I have talked about it, and I'm getting my IUD removed next week! Of course, he's out of town for a couple more months and then we're moving. But I'd like to get my cycle back on track before we officially try. This is going to be an interesting TTC journey as Josh will be going back out to sea so we'll have to take a 6 month break in the fall. I know I don't post here that often anymore, but that'll probably change as we progress. I like having a place to write that stuff that is way TMI for social networking sites. But I know you ladies get it :)

BTW

2009-10-14T16:13:00.002-05:00

Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm on FaceBook quite a bit so if you wanna see more of what's going on more frequently, find me over there. My nickname there is madee25

Yes, I am alive

2009-10-14T15:02:00.006-05:00

I just don't seem to really be into blogging anymore. But if there's anyone out there that still checks up on me, I'm doing well. I'm still working part time at Home Depot. It turns out Josh won't be going to the Horn of Africa. Instead, he will be assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln stationed in Everett, WA. He will be detaching from Goodfellow in Dec and we will be visiting family. Then in Jan, he will be going to school for 2 months. We are supposed to report in WA March 16.

Sarah will be 9 months old next week. I can't believe how big she's getting. She's now crawling and pulling herself up and can even "walk" if I'm holding onto her hands.

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since my last post!

2009-05-06T09:30:00.003-05:00

Wow, I really do need to post more.

Sarah is now 3 months old. She is getting much better at sleeping through the night. She normally sleeps at least 5 or 6 hours. There've even been nights like last night where she slept 8 hours! Developmentally, she seems to be right on track. She's smiling and giggling along with her babling. She likes to try to sit up and can sit pretty well when supported. She also likes to try standing. When we went in for her 2 month appointment,she was 14 lbs and about 23 inches. The PA thought her soft spot might be too small so she wanted to see her again at 3 months. She is now 15 pounds!!! She's also been a little sick :( She has a bit of a runny nose, but it's all clear, and a bit of a cough from the post nasal drip. She had a bit of a fever and she pulls on her ears some, so I think she might be teething.

About a month ago, we found out that Josh was selected for orders to the Horn of Africa. Unfortunately, it seems like the Navy is out of money so they can't give him written orders yet. So we're not sure when he'll be leaving or how long he'll be gone. It could be anywhere from 8 to 14 months. And that may not include any training which will probably be at least 3 months before he goes. It's going to suck for him to be gone for a year or more. But the good news is that I won't have to move for a while longer and he'll be getting extra pay and all his pay will be tax free while in a combat zone. I'm also glad that he'll be in Africa, where he'll be fighting pirates and doing humanitarian missions, as opposed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Here's a video of Sarah watching her mobile. I've attached some pics but you can find more here.

Where does the time go?

2009-03-09T11:11:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that Sarah is already almost 7 weeks! She is growing very well. At her one month appointment, she was right at 11 lbs and 22 3/4 inches. That put her in the 90th %tile for weight and 70th for length!! The thing I'm loving the most is that she is starting to smile. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get photographic evidence. She's also getting better at sleeping at night. She now almost always will sleep for 3 or 4 hours in a row. She's even slept for 6 straight hours a couple nights!!

We finally started going back to church now that she's old enough for me to leave in the nursery. We also left her with a friend so that we could go to dinner and a movie to celebrate Josh's birthday. It was kinda sad leaving her the first time, but I was okay. We also found a child care center so that I can go back to work. I really wish we could afford for me to stay home with her, but that's not possible right now. I've got an interview with the State School today. I would be working with the mentally retarded. I also have an interview tomorrow with Home Depot. I've heard they're paying $10/hr for cashiers. So I'll be leaving her in childcare for the first time today.

Well, I need to get some lunch before my interview so I'll leave you with some pictures. These are a little while ago; I haven't gotten ones off my camera since she was one month.

I'm still here

2009-02-09T19:43:00.004-06:00

I'm still around, just haven't been online too much. I'm sorry I haven't been commenting too much on blogs. When I checked last week, I had around 30 posts in Google Reader that I hadn't read. There's probably a lot more now. I've just been spending more time trying to sleep and relax lately.

Things are going pretty good. Like all new moms, it's been hard getting sleep. Sarah has decided that she likes to sleep during the day and stay up most of the night. Josh is awesome in helping me when I need it. He even does stuff without me having to ask! My mom came to visit for about a week. But then she got sick so she wasn't able to help take care of Sarah too much. Josh also got a bit of whatever she had.

Sarah's starting to wake up now, so I'll quickly add some new pics, but then I've gotta run:

The story and pics

2009-01-24T16:20:00.003-06:00

My labor and delivery were pretty uneventful. Around 6:45 on Tuesday night my water broke--not gushing, just a little squirt. I wasn't totally sure if that's what is was so we waited around the house until I got another squirt a little before 8. When the nurse examined me around 8:30, I was 3-4 cm, but she still felt the water sack so they took a swab to test it. Sure enough it was amniotic fluid so they put me in a labor/delivery/recovery room and started an IV. My contractions weren't incredibly painful, but I went ahead and took the Staydol (sp?). The plan was to give me pitocin around 5am if I wasn't laboring on my own. Around 1:30, my contractions were getting a lot worse and when she checked again, I was at 5cm so by 2:30 I had my epidural. A little before 6, I was 9cm and fully effaced. When they checked me again at 8, I was fully dilated and started pushing at about 8:20. By 8:45, Sarah was born and was being cleaned. I was a little upset that the doc cut the cord without giving Josh the option, but Josh was grabbing the camera to start taking pictures. There was some issue getting my placenta delivered, but I wasn't really paying attention because I was watching the nurse with my daughter. I think I also tore a little and they had to put in one stitch. Overall, it lasted about 14 hours

Without further ado, here are pictures for your viewing pleasure:

She's here!

2009-01-21T16:33:00.002-06:00

Sarah made her appearance this morning at 8:43 Central Time! She was 7lbs 15 1/2oz and 18 1/4 in. The winner of the online poll game was Elana!

I'll update with pictures and the full birth story later :)

At the Hospital

2009-01-20T23:21:00.002-06:00

This is Josh typing for Monica. Her water broke at about 7pm, and we went to the hospital around 8:30pm. We moved to the labor/delivery recovery room at about 10:30. Right now Monica is on some drugs and is going to have Sarah either tonight or tomorrow morning. She's going to be getting petosin(sp) at 5:00am if she isn't in full on labor yet.

I must just say that for a woman in labor at the hospital, I am amazed how the first thing she wanted me to do was update her facebook page and this blog. Take care everyone.

Josh

(Monica's hubby)

39 week appt

2009-01-19T16:48:00.001-06:00

Still only 2-3 cm dilated and 80-90% effaced. Doc says if baby's not here by next week we're going to have to do something to get this labor jump started. So it shouldn't be much longer now. But we'll see.

More false labor

2009-01-17T13:18:00.002-06:00

I'd been having more cramps and pains most of the evening last night. Then around midnight or 1am, I started having more regular contractions. Though sometimes I'm not sure if it's really contractions I'm feeling or just Sarah moving around. I just know it's uncomfortable and a little painful. So I took some Tylenol PM and drank plenty of water. I also decided to try a warm bath. That seemed to alleviate some of the pain, but it still kept coming every 5-8 mins. But it didn't really seem to be intensifying too much, so I didn't think it was real labor. Finally around 2am, I took a warm shower and went back to bed. The Tylenol must have really kicked in because the cramping/contractions lessened and I went to sleep. I now have a headache and am having a bit of cramping. I am so ready for her to get here!

Single digits, baby!

2009-01-15T17:56:00.001-06:00

Nine days till my due date. Ack!!

I think it'll be earlier than that though....

38 week appt

2009-01-12T17:12:00.002-06:00

Another fairly boring appt. BP was up to 130/80. Weight was up about 4 more pounds. So I'm now about 5 or 6 pounds above my prepregnancy weight. I'm still only 2-3 cm dilated, but am now 90% effaced. I asked him about the 50% that the nurse said the other night. He said he wasn't going to argue about 30%. Next appointment is next Monday assuming she doesn't come this week. Josh's mom is here now and is really hoping Sarah makes her appearance before she leaves on Saturday. My mom is coming the 28th and is hoping she waits till then to come. So my guess is she'll come next week while no one is here. Oh, I forgot to ask the doc, but I had some mucus that was kinda jelly-like; is that part of the mucus plug, maybe??

Nursery before/after

2009-01-11T20:30:00.005-06:00

It's done! Well, almost anyway, probably about 90-95%. I've still gotta put up some wallpaper trim and the ceiling fan. I also still need to put clothes and toys away and finish straightening the bookshelf.

Here are the before shots (I'd already painted since I knew it was to be a nursery someday, but we'd pretty much been using it for storage):

Here are the after shots (1-wall next to door, 2-left wall, 3-right wall, 4-walking in the door):

False Alarm

2009-01-11T01:32:00.002-06:00

Well, the contractions got within about 6 minutes so we went to the hospital. They had me pee in a cup and hooked me up to the monitors. I was pretty dehydrated so they gave me water and some Tylenol for the pain. I was only 2-3 cm dilated, at -2 station, and only 50% effaced. So now I'm thinking I musta heard Dr S wrong when I thought he said 80% on Monday. They monitored me for a couple hours and checked my cervix again. No change so they sent me home. I'm kinda disappointed, but am glad I'll get to sleep in my own comfy bed instead of being up all night. It's now 1:30 in the morning so I'm going to take some Benadryl and go to sleep.

Baby Shower and Contractions

2009-01-10T22:03:00.003-06:00

I had my baby shower today. It was actually a dual shower for another Navy wife and me. Her due date is the day after mine, but she's having a planned C-sect on the 19th due to placenta previa. Hopefully I'll get some pics soon and can post them. It was a really nice shower. We only played a couple games--the one where everyone wears a clothespin, but you lose it if you say the word "baby" and one where we had to remember as many items on a tray as possible. So it wasn't a bunch of silly games that made everyone feel stupid. But the coolest part was all the moms gave words of wisdom/advice about what to really expect.

Shortly after getting home from the shower, I started feeling bad. Then I realized that contractions were starting to come about every 25 minutes. That was about 3 or 4 hours ago. Now they're down to around 15 minutes apart. Dr S told me to come in when they're 5 mins apart. So we're keeping track of the time and waiting to see. And Sarah has decided to start kicking harder. I'm thinking she doesn't like her home squeezing her.

new belly pic

2009-01-06T15:09:00.000-06:00

on sidebar. Don't I look pregnant now?!

A week to 10 days!

2009-01-06T08:12:00.002-06:00

That's what Dr S is predicting! I had my 37 week appt yesterday. It began with the same general routine--BP is up just a little to 124/80, weight up a pound or two, urine's good, baby's HB good (not sure the exact number), fundus right at 37. (Oh funny thing about the fundus measurement. After we got home, I was talking to Josh's dad about the appointment and Josh made some comment about 37 inches. Then he was like, wait a minute, that's 3 feet. That can't be right. That would mean she could walk in the shallow end of a swimming pool. So I had to tell him it was cm, not in!)

Then Dr S did the vaginal swab for the Group B strep test. He didn't do a rectal one for which I'm thankful! Then came the pelvic exam. Not comfortable, but not too bad. He estimates that I'm about 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. That's why he's predicting that I'll go into labor in about a week to 10 days!

He also gave me the option of inducing about a week early, if I go that long. He's going to be out of town just before my due date. So I have the choice of either inducing early to make sure he's the one that delivers or just wait for Mother Nature and allow one of his partners to deliver. I told him I'd rather just wait. But again, he's not expecting me to have to wait that long anyway.

I can't believe I've got such a short time left. I've still gotta get the nursery put together. I've gotten all the crap out--well, most of it, there's still some stuff on a couple shelves but that can wait. Now I've just gotta get the crib and changing table put together. I think Josh is supposed to help me with it tonight. It's just been so hard with me feeling bad and him with only one arm. We're going to have to wait on the ceiling fan that needs to be installed and the border I'm planning on using for trim. I don't want to be on the ladder that much and Josh needs both hands.

I think we've also got grandparents' visits planned. Josh's mom will be coming the 20th through the 28th. Though now that Sarah may be coming earlier, Josh's mom will probably try to get here earlier too (we're just a 5-6 hour drive). My mom will be flying in on the 28th and staying for about a week. Dad's not coming b/c he hates to fly (he's claustrophobic and a smoker), and the drive from FL is just too long (he's got a bad back). She wanted to be here for the birth, but didn't want to take the chance of coming early and then having to leave before the big day. Unfortunately, we can't really change her ticket without it costing a hundred bucks or so. Josh's dad and stepmom are going to wait until the end of Feb and come out for a long weekend.

Full-term

2009-01-03T18:42:00.002-06:00

I can't believe I'm 37 weeks! I am so ready to meet little Sarah, but there is still so much left to do before her arrival.

I have been completely exhausted the last week or so. I've been sleeping in until 9:30 or 10, but then by 1 or so I'm ready for a nap. I then force myself to stay up until 9 or 10, though there've been a couple nights where I haven't actually gone to bed until almost 1. Then I wake up several times a night. I guess it's just my body's way of getting used to not getting much sleep at night.

I've also been throwing up again. Not every day like I was, but every 2 or three days at least. I've been feeling really achy and sore (and sometimes dizzy) whenever I try to do very much. So I haven't gotten anywhere near as much done on the nursery as I've wanted. It's funny though. Josh seems to have gotten the "nesting instinct" as he's started some spring cleaning around the house, just not the nursery.

I don't want this to sound like a complaining post. Believe me, I know just how blessed I am to be having a healthy pregnancy. I truly am happy and excited about becoming a mom.

There's still time

2009-01-02T23:06:00.001-06:00

If you haven't already done so, there's still time to play:

Also, if you guessed "boy" you should still be able to change your guess if you want to.

Busy week

2008-12-28T13:21:00.002-06:00

This is going to be a random grouping of topics because there've been several things happen since I last blogged. Okay, maybe not a lot, and not that exciting, but enough. Also, I'm not feeling very well today so I hope it even makes sense.

~I had my 35 week appointment on Tuesday. Everything was totally normal. BP was like 118/80. Weight was up maybe another pound or so. According to my scale at home, I'm still down about 2 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Sarah's HB was around 150. With the holidays and since everything has been progressing normally, my next appointment isn't until after the new year. I'll be 37 weeks and 3 days when I go in again. I'm still having trouble believing that I'm only a week away from being term! I've had a feeling that Sarah's going to come early. But now that I've said that out loud, she'll probably be 2 weeks late or something!

~Josh's mom came to visit last week. She brought 2 or 3 boxes of girl clothes for us. Some of it is hand-me-downs from my niece who is now about 2 1/2. That's one of the good things about having a girl even though that's what most of the rest of the family has. I've also got a big box of clothes that my mom had saved from when my sisters and I were babies. Now, I've got a lot of stuff to go through to see what I actually have and what we still need--clothes and blankets wise. My shower will be in a couple weeks so then we'll see what else we'll actually have to buy for the nursery and toys and stuff.

~Christmas was really nice. It was kinda weird not visiting family though. Ever since I can remember I've spent some of the Christmas holiday with either my or Josh's family. This year we decided not to go anywhere with me being so close to my due date and Josh's shoulder still bothering him from his surgery. Our closest family is about 5 hours away. On base, any servicemember E6 and below can get a free turkey dinner for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since it's just the two of us, we didn't sign up for it for Thanksgiving, but someone signed us up for it for Christmas. So I made my first big turkey dinner this year. We still have so much turkey left over!

~Friday night, Josh took me to see the movie "Marley and Me." We haven't gone to a movie in so long. We used to go all the time, sometimes even 2 or 3 a weekend--especially if they were playing anything good on base where it would only cost us about $10 for the movie and snacks! I think the last movie we went to see was either Prince Caspian or Indiana Jones. I just hadn't felt like going out and trying to sit for 2 hours or so without having to run to the bathroom or being able to stretch out. But I'm really glad we went to see this one. I highly recommend it. Though I will warn you that it's not just a cute funny "family" movie the way it looks in the commercials. It's a real movie that deals with grown up issues. I don't want to give too much away, but you'll need some tissues. Also, as fair warning, there's a particularly emotional scene that will be hard for those dealing with IF or loss.

~I ordered some nursing bras and got them in the mail the other day! But I do have questions for all the BF moms out there. I went to a BF class so I have a basic understanding of how nursing works, but how does it work practically? I mean, I get how you can do it if you're wearing a button down shirt or something. But how does it work if you're wearing a t-shirt or something? Do you just pull your shirt up and stick the baby up under your shirt or what? Also, when do you start pumping and using bottles? The lactation consultant here suggested not using bottles until nursing was well established--like 4 weeks or so. But I've seen some mention pumping much earlier so that dad can help with the feedings. Do you make enough milk to pump and to BF at the same time? How often do you pump once you've started back to work? Do you have to take your pump to work with you?

Okay, so this has gotten really long. And it's been a while since I've gone through Reader so I'm sure I have several blogs to catch up on. Happy New Year's everyone!!

34 weeks

2008-12-13T23:10:00.002-06:00

I had my 34 weeks appointment on Thursday. Everything went well. BP was 112/80. Weight was up about 2 pounds. I'm currently about 3 or 4 pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight. Sarah's HB was about 160. I asked Dr S if he could tell how big she would be. He's estimating (based on external measurement) that she's probably close to 6 lbs now, but shouldn't be much more than 8lbs when she's born. Beginning at my next appointment (the Tues before Christmas), he'll start doing pelvic exams so we'll have a better idea how she's growing.

Tonight was Josh's command's annual Holiday Party. It was a lot of fun, but I ate way too much! It was also the first time that I've had someone reach out and feel my belly. It was kinda weird having someone pressing the belly feeling for baby. As you can see by my new 34 week belly pic, my belly is starting to stick out more and look more preg. Sarah's been kicking and squirming a lot more tonight. I also think I've really felt a contraction or two in the last few days.

I can't believe I'm only 6 weeks from my due date! There's still so much to do, ack!

Childbirth Class

2008-12-07T17:04:00.002-06:00

We had our all day childbirth class yesterday. I'm really proud of Josh and being able to sit through most of it. He's still in some pain and on narcotics. And the chairs in the room really sucked. He also has issues sometimes when learning the ins and outs of how the body works. So actually seeing a baby being born in the video was a bit rough for him.

Over all the class was really good. There was a lot of info. But I feel better about knowing what's going to happen when I go into labor. I know a lot of people have differing views on the subject, but I'm definitely planning on getting an epidural. I don't do well with pain. Though I'm going to do my best to avoid any narcotics.

I can't believe I've only got around 7 weeks left! I can feel Sarah moving around a lot more. She's not kicking as much, but she's definitely squirming. I don't think I've really had any BH contractions so far. There've been a few times I thought that maybe I was having one, but then I realized I just needed to go to the bathroom. This is probably TMI, but it's so weird how I go from times of constipation to times where I have to poop every time I go to the bathroom.

Well, I gotta figure out something for dinner. Have a great week!

Surgery

2008-11-30T19:37:00.002-06:00

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers on Friday. We got to the hospital around 8am. Around 10:30, they took Josh to the OR to start his anesthesiology which took about an hour before they started the surgery. They used a neuro-block to help with the post-surgery pain. When they got in there, not only did they find the labrum torn, they also found rotator cuff damage. Around 2pm they finished the surgery and moved him to recovery. We finally left the hospital around 5. Josh is recovering okay, but he's still in some pain so he's on some pretty strong painkillers. He's got a follow-up with the surgeon in a couple weeks. We'll have to call the office in the morning to schedule it and find out exactly when he's supposed to go back to work.

Thoughts and prayers please

2008-11-26T20:43:00.002-06:00

Remember back in July when Josh dislocated his shoulder? Well, it's still not better. In fact, it seems to be causing more pain lately. So he went back for another consult with the orthopedic surgeon. They did an MRI and found that there is a tear in the labrum (the cartilage around his shoulder joint). So they scheduled him for surgery next month. He got a call yesterday saying they could bump him up to this Friday. It will be arthroscopic so he'll be in and out the same day as long as there are no complications. If everything goes according to plan, he should be fully recovered in about 3 months. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers this weekend.

Free Carrier

2008-11-25T15:36:00.000-06:00

Enter to win:

Win a Free Organic Embroidered Ergo Baby Carrier Hands Free System from Along for the Ride

picture

2008-11-21T20:36:00.003-06:00

Rebecca, here's the pic I was telling you about. This was around Christmas time about 4 years ago. We were visiting some friends of the family who had a couple little girls who were entertaining themselves by dressing Josh up. I guess he's going to have to get used to stuff like this once Sarah starts growing up :)

BH contractions

2008-11-21T20:18:00.002-06:00

What exactly do BH feel like? I've read some about them, but most of what I read talks about how to know the difference between BH and real labor. I feel so much down in that area, but I'm not always sure exactly what I'm feeling. I'm just guessing sometimes when I say Sarah's moving or kicking or hiccupping or whatever. Part of it is probably a result of being plus sized so I can't feel things as easily or as early on.

Funny

2008-11-20T22:12:00.001-06:00

This has got to be one of the best "news" stories I've ever read:

Man tries to pay bill with spider drawing

30 week appt

2008-11-20T19:12:00.002-06:00

Well, it's almost 31 weeks, but I did have an appt today. Nothing exciting. Just the standard. I've actually gained about 3 lbs! Finally. I guess I'm finally gaining because Sarah's gaining weight and I'm not throwing up anymore. I've been a bit sick with a cold or something this week so I haven't felt great.

Josh is reenlisting in the Navy tomorrow. He'll be signing another 6 year contract. This means real job security for for him and it pretty much sets him up to continue serving until he can retire at 20 years. I'm taking off work so I can go to the ceremony. Then there's a commmand Thanksgiving potluck. Oh that reminds me....I need to finish making those deviled eggs.

I also have a question. What do you know about cord banking? I'm not really looking at paying a lot of money to save my own cord blood, but I was thinking about donating to a public bank. When I asked Dr S about it, he said they would do it, but I'd have to do all the research and get the collection stuff myself. And he said I might have to still pay for the collection! Any ideas or suggestions????

almost 30 weeks

2008-11-13T10:33:00.002-06:00

I can't believe Saturday will make 30 weeks already. That means 75% of this pregnancy will be done. It also means only about 10 weeks left! I'm starting to freak out a little about whether I'm really ready for this whole mom thing. But then I think about a lot of the other moms I know and I figure if they can do it, then I definitely can.

Josh and I went to out infant care class on Tuesday. They spent a lot of time talking about car seat safety. Then we watched a video about what to expect right after delivery. Next was diapering. I was kinda disappointed that they just had one volunteer demonstrate instead of having individuals practice. I've changed many a diaper, but I don't think Josh has ever had the opportunity. We also watched a baby CPR video. Then the nurse showed us how to bathe an infant. Overall it was a good class. We've got the breast feeding class on the 3rd and then an all day childbirth class on the 6th.

And the results are in

2008-11-04T16:35:00.004-06:00

Well, I had my appointments today. I drank my glucose drink which wasn't too bad. I had my blood drawn when I got there. Dr S said no news is good news regarding the results. If the screening shows potential for diabetes, then I should hear something within a couple days. My blood pressure and weight were about the same as they have been. Baby's heartrate was 140. Overall, it was a pretty boring, routine appointment. I have graduated to appointments every 2 weeks now though.

2nd appointment--I had to go in with a full bladder and then I had to wait about 15 minutes after my appt. time. So by the time I got in there, I really had to pee! The tech did the ultrasound to check the placenta's position. Turns out it is at least 8.5 cm from the cervix area. I'm supposed to call Dr S on Thursday to go over the results, but the tech said it was good. So no worries there! After the initial u/s, I was able to empty my bladder bfore doing the 3-D. After checking a few angles to get a good face shot, the tech checked the gender. And as many people predicted, IT'S A GIRL!!! So introducing Sarah Lynn:

2 appointments tomorrow

2008-11-03T15:47:00.002-06:00

My first appointment tomorrow morning will be just a standard appt with the added fun of the glucose screening test. Then at 2, I'm having an u/s to check my placenta. I'm supposed to go in with a full bladder--they said to drink 32 oz an hour before the appt. I've gotta pee enough as it is, not sure how I'm going to last with that much fluid in my system. Then we're doing the 3-D u/s. We're hoping to find out the gender, but I'm really hoping that I don't have gestational diabetes or placenta privia.

T - 3months

2008-10-24T12:32:00.002-05:00

I am officially 3 months from my due date! It's hard to believe this pregnancy is 2/3 of the way through. I've started my Target registry. I just called and signed up for childbirth, infant care, and breastfeeding classes. I can now feel Peanut move several times a day. This is actually real! Now I've just gotta get around to clearing out the nursery and putting stuff together. But right now, I'm working on cleaning the rest of the house. Josh's dad and stepmom have decided to come visit for the weekend. I've had the last couple days off, but I've been feeling like I'm coming down with something so the house is still messy. They're supposed to be here around 4, but fortunately they're not actually staying here. Well, Josh just got home and it's lunchtime. So I better get going for now.

WOW!

2008-10-17T16:48:00.001-05:00

I just noticed, I'm down to double digits!! Less than 100 days till Peanut is supposed to make his/her big debut :)

Navy Ball Pictures

2008-10-16T19:00:00.005-05:00

I finally got the pictures from last weekend's Navy Birthday Ball off my camera and onto my computer. We had a really good time. Though I was a bit jealous of another girl at the table who was drinking margaritas. Enjoy the pics!

25 week appt

2008-10-14T17:45:00.002-05:00

It was pretty uneventful. Weight was down about 5 pounds, but I knew it was going to be. BP was 108/77. Baby measured at 27 cm. Heartbeat was 141. My next appt will be 3 weeks from today. I've actually got 2 appts that day. In the morning, I'll have my normal appt with the added fun of my glucose test. In the afternoon, I'll have a 3D u/s which will include a look at the placenta to check for the potential of placenta privia (sp?).

I know, I know, I should post more often

2008-10-09T19:46:00.003-05:00

It's been a crazy few weeks in my world. I've been undergoing a lot of stress and pressure at work. I've also been experiencing a lot more morning sickness. I think the stress has a lot to do with it.

So I've decided to resign from my job. I'm going to go back to subbing until the baby is born. It's going to be a lot less money, but I think it will be better for me physically and emotionally. I turned my resignation in last Monday, but since I'm under contract, I have to wait for them to find a replacement. My principal is supposed to be doing interviews next Wednesday. It's kinda frustrating because the interviews were originally scheduled for this past Tuesday and then rescheduled for next Monday. Now, they're pushed back even further. It's just irritating because now that I've decided to resign, I am so ready to be done.

I haven't updated my belly pic in a while either. On weekends (when I normally do belly pics), I normally don't feel like getting dressed or going anywhere. I'll get more pics up eventually. I still think I just look fat rather than pregnant. The good part about that is that I don't have people wanting to rub my belly. It's really cool now that I'm feeling baby move more often. Not that much fun when I'm being kicked, but the moving is interesting. Josh kinda freaks out whenever I let him feel the kicks.

This weekend should be fun. Josh and I are going to the Navy Day Ball in San Antonio. Fortunately, I have a nice dress that still fits! So I didn't have to spend a lot of money on a new dress that won't fit after baby. I love that I still haven't had to switch to maternity clothes yet--guess that's one of the advantages of being plus sized and pregnant.

My next appointment is Tuesday afternoon. Should be fairly routine though. Doc wants me to have another u/s between 26 and 28 weeks to check on the placenta position. So I'll probably schedule that for a couple weeks after this appt. We're still planning on doing the 3D. I'm guessing that should mean that we'll finally have a definite gender answer in a few weeks. Oh, I think Josh and I have finally come to a compromise on names. He's wanting Will for a boy and Lindsey for a girl. I like Charlie for a boy and Sarah for a girl. So we came to the decision that if Baby is a boy, we'll name him William Joshua, but if she's a girl, we'll name her Sarah Lynn.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. I'll really try to blog more often so my posts don't get so long and winded. Thanks for checking on me!

100th post

2008-09-16T17:51:00.002-05:00

I've been kinda holding off posting too much b/c I wanted my 100th post to be somewhat special.

I had my big u/s appointment today. First off was weight and blood pressure. Weight was up about a pound or so. BP was down to around 107/75 or so. I forget exactly, but it was lower than normal. Then we went in for the actual u/s. We had brought in a video tape to record it, but the VCR was broken so we didn't get to do that. The nurse measured the abdomen, the head, and the femur. I didn't get the actual measurements, but everything is normal. The doc came in and let me know that the CF and spina bifida screenings I had done on the last visit were negative. Then he did the scan again. The only real problem was that placenta was in the back and they couldn't tell exactly how far down it went. If it goes far enough that it covers the top of the cervix, it can lead to vaginal bleeding and probably make a Csection necessary. I'll have to have another u/s at around 26-28 weeks to check on it.

Unfortunately, we also didn't get to find out the gender. When we have our next u/s, we're also going to have a 3D one. So we're disappointed we didn't find out, but we're glad the baby's healthy.

Still Alive!

2008-09-10T21:51:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know I'm still around. I'm just really busy with work right now. We had a great time in San Antonio over Labor Day, but it's been a lot of work since then. I took my 20 (well 20 1/2) week pic today and will post it soon. I still think I just look fat as opposed to preg, but that's okay. Less than a week till my big U/S. It's Tuesday afternoon. Hopefully, I'll be able to update afterward. It'll be nice to find out the gender, but I'll be happy as long as s/he's healthy.

Outta town

2008-08-29T16:30:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's been a long week. First week back to school. It'll be good once I get back into the swing of things. So far it looks like I've got a good bunch of kids. We'll see.

We're going to San Antonio for the long weekend. It should be fun. The only problem is it's supposed to rain. But we do need the rain. It'll at least be nice to get out of town and relax for a while.

Oh, you'll also notice that I finally added my latest belly pic. I was a bit late with it, sorry. And only 2 1/2 weeks till the big U/S :)

Maybe, just maybe??

2008-08-21T20:02:00.002-05:00

I mighta felt Peanut moving for the first time tonight. But then again, it was shortly after having sex. So it coulda just been aftershocks from orgasm. It was kinda cool though

sleeping positions and other stuff

2008-08-19T12:04:00.002-05:00

Okay, I know they say you're supposed to sleep on your left side during pregnancy. But sometimes, it just feels much more comfortable sleeping on my right. Sometimes, it's even comfortable still sleeping on my belly. Is that weird?

I'm now more than 17 weeks pregnant, but still don't always feel like it--except the throwing up part of course. Josh says that he can tell by looking, but when I look in the mirror, I still don't see it. When I look at pictures, I can kinda tell there's a difference. But I haven't noticed that much difference. I guess it's b/c I was already big to begin with. I haven't even had to switch to maternity clothes or anything like that yet.

This is something that's hard to say, but I've been thinking about it for a few days now so I figure I'll just put it out there. I know that everyone says that once the baby is born, it'll be worth all the struggles to get preg and morning sickness and everything. But right now, I just don't know if I'll be able to do this again. Josh and I have talked about 2 or 3 kids, but I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. I also know that not every pregnancy is the same, but what if the next one is worse??

a bit disappointed

2008-08-15T15:11:00.002-05:00

Well, we didn't get to see the baby today. So I'm a little disappointed. But I knew it was a big possibility that we wouldn't get an u/s. Our next appointment is on Sept 16. That will be our big appointment. As long as peanut cooperates, we should know the gender then. Hopefully, anyway.

My weight was up about a pound. The doc wasn't too worried about my m/s since I'm still maintaining weight. I totally missed what the nurse said my blood pressure was, but it's normally great. We did get to hear the heartbeat with the doppler today--157bpm. Dr. S assured us it didn't necessarily mean girl, in fact he said it gave us a 50% chance of it being a girl ;)

Can't wait till tomorrow

2008-08-14T19:04:00.003-05:00

I have my next doctor's appointment tomorrow around 11am (central time). I'll be just a day short of 17 weeks, so I'm hoping that we'll be able to find out the gender. So this may be your last chance to enter my online poll (see left sidebar). We're also going to be screening for CF and spina bifida.

So far it looks like my new job is going to be good. We've been doing a lot of work getting ready for the new school year. I think it's going to be a good year. I am still fighting m/s though. Hopefully, it won't affect work too much.

I've been a bad blogger (trigs)--long

2008-08-09T08:15:00.003-05:00

I just realized how long it's been since I've blogged. There's been a lot of stuff going on that I should have blogged about but haven't. So this is going to kinda be a mish/mash of stuff--some good, some terrible (you'll notice I actually added trigs to my title).

So let's start chronologically. 3 weeks ago, I had my OB appointment. My weight was down even more since I hadn't been able to keep anything down for a few days. So my doc has prescribed Zofran. Finally, the good stuff. The only problem is that it's so expensive, my insurance will only cover 15 tabs in 30 days, but I'm supposed to take 1/2 to 1 tab every 12 hours. So I've been trying to just do half a tab each morning. But I didn't realize the 15 tab rule until I went to get a refill (they only give you 8 at a time). So now I have 1 tab left to last me a couple weeks. I'm still on Reglan as well, and I have the Phengran (sp?) suppositories, but I don't care for those too much (though they do help with constipation). Everything else went okay. My blood pressure is still great 119/80 or something like that. The doc couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler, so I had to get another u/s, which I didn't mind of course. This was my first abdominal u/s though so no more monkey wand! I have a picture, but I haven't scanned it yet b/c it's not that good. Peanut wouldn't stop moving.

TRIGS--2 weeks ago (and this is the tragic part so if you're not up for it, you may want to skip to the next paragraph), my cousin Angie was crossing the street with her 5 year old daughter and her daughter's 4 year old friend when a car fleeing from the cops hit them in the crosswalk. Angie's little girl died at the scene, and the other little girl died at the hospital a little while later. Angie suffered some broken bones and of course a broken heart. The only good thing is that her son (2 or 3, I think) was spending the day with his daddy so he wasn't with them as well. They caught the guy who hit them and along with several other counts, they've charged him with 2 counts of murder.

Last weekend I went to Josh's stepsister's wedding. It was a really lovely wedding. Nothing too elaborate, but beautiful just the same. I still need to get the pics off my camera. The only bad thing was that since it's a 3 1/2 hour drive from here, we actually drove to Josh's mom's which is 2 hours past where the wedding is so we'd have a free place to stay and we wouldn't have to kennel our dogs. So that made for a lot of driving in one weekend. Josh normally does all the driving, unless it's a really really long trip. But his arm was bothering him so he needed to take his vicodin and I had to drive part of the way. Not much fun when you're still fighting off morning sickness.

Monday, I interviewed for and was offered a job teaching 5th grade! I'm so excited to finally have a "real" job again. I still have to figure out what I need to do as far as maternity leave, but I've still got time. I had a day of new teacher training yesterday and have another on Monday. Then on Tuesday, we start staff development and teacher work days. School starts on the 25th.

Today makes 16 weeks! wow, 2/5 of this pregnancy is done. I'm still fighting morning sickness so I guess I'm one of the unlucky ones that has it throughout pregnancy. I think I've also developed rhinitis of pregnancy where I'm constantly having to blow my nose. I get to see the doc again next Friday where they'll do the screenings for CF and spina bifida. I'm also hoping we'll be able to find out the gender.

If you made it all the way here, I'm impressed! Thanks for taking the time to read it all. I'll try not to wait so long to post next time.

Much sympathy and encouragement needed

2008-07-22T20:58:00.002-05:00

A good friend of mine, Jewels, found out she was pregnant just about a month after I did. Today, at almost 9 weeks, she woke up bleeding and cramping. She had an ultrasound that showed the worst had happened. She is in need of much support and encouragement right now. If you have any words to offer, please stop by and show her some support.

The poor me post....

2008-07-10T21:17:00.002-05:00

Okay, so a friend on a message board asked where I've been lately since I've been pretty quiet. I answered her there, but figured I'd post my response here as well since others may be wondering as well. I don't really like to write "pity me" posts, but I guess since this is my blog, I can post whatever I feel like. And I really don't need or want pity; this is just what's going on and where I've been. So here was my response:

I'm around. I'm still reading, just not posting as much. I've actually been feeling pretty lousy lately. I just really don't like to complain much, especially about anything pregnancy related b/c I feel so blessed to finally be here.

I've got bad morning sickness--my nurse had me on Reglan, but it hasn't seemed to help much lately. So she just prescribed Fenegran (sp?) suppositories. I haven't thrown up today so that's a good thing. But I did get really dizzy and light headed shortly after lunch and had to go home early. I'm also exhausted most of the time.

I feel bad b/c our house is a mess and Josh is having to do like everything cause I'm just not up to it. And now he's injured so I feel doubly bad. His mom is coming to visit tomorrow, but she's just going to have to deal with a messy place.

I'm also at the point where I really don't like my job. We don't have enough staff to cover everything so even when I'm feeling like I can barely move, I still have to go in. I'm also so over-qualified for this job, it's not even funny. I miss working with older kids--I'm used to middle school so one year olds are a big change. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a regular teaching job in this town, so the closest I'll get to teaching is subbing or daycare. I've thought about trying to find some type of reception job or something but there's no where that will pay as well as what I'm making now. I think I will go back to subbing this fall though. That way, I get to choose my own schedule and can take off if I need to for dr's appointments or whatever.

I'm really close to 2nd Tri so I'm hoping things turn around soon.

Trip to the ER

2008-07-05T20:43:00.002-05:00

We had to make an unexpected trip to the ER on Wednesday. No, it wasn't baby related. In fact, it wasn't even for me.

A little background.....Since gas is now almost $4/gal and we're trying to save money for baby and such, Josh has been biking to work. It's about a 4 mile ride each way. He loves it b/c there is less stress, there's a nice wind blowing in his face, and it's an easy way to get in his exercise everyday. We do live near a busy road, but he has found a couple routes that keep him mostly on residential streets. There is one spot though where he has to be on the main road because it goes over the river and there are no other ways to get across. He is very safety conscious and wears reflective gear and helmet and even has a pulsing light on the front for when it's darker out.

So on Wednesday, he leaves for work around 6:30 am. The sun is beginning to come up and it looks like it's going to be a nice day. As he's going down a hill on the busier road, he notices a big white truck start to pull out of a gas station, but it stops so he figures the driver has seen him. He gets about 15 feet from the truck when it pulls out and starts to make a left. Josh slams on his brakes, but it's too late. He hits the truck and falls to the ground. The guy rolls down his window and asks if he's alright. Josh says, "I think so," so the guy leaves. Josh gets up and calls me to give him a ride to work (it's now about 6:45 and I normally don't get up until around 8). So I rush out of the house in my pj's. I have to call him to make sure where he is and he tells me he can't lift his arm and feels like he's going to pass out. So now I'm freaking out. I pick him up and throw his bike in the back of my truck and rush him to the ER.

We get there and I drop him at the door and go to park. When I get inside, there's no one around behind the counter. The girl finally comes out and do all the triage stuff. We go back to the room where they do some Xrays. Fortunately, the shoulder is just dislocated, and we were only there for a couple hours. He is supposed to do a follow-up with an orthopedic surgeon next week. He's still in some pain, but he's got ibpropren and vicodin so he's okay. He's also wearing an immobilizer sling so he doesn't pop it back out. The bad thing is that it's his right shoulder and he's right handed so it's been interesting watching and helping him try to do stuff one handed.

Ultrasound results take 2

2008-06-26T21:06:00.004-05:00

I had my 2nd ultrasound today. It was much cooler than the first b/c we actually got to see "Peanut" move. And now Peanut actually kinda looks like a baby not just a blob. The nurse didn't count the heartbeats, but we did see it flicker on the screen. With all the moving, she said there was no doubt there was a good heartbeat. But anyway, here's the latest picture:

wedding

2008-06-25T18:40:00.002-05:00

I'm supposed to go to my step-sister-in-law's wedding in August. I'm trying to decide how big I'll be by then. Will I need maternity wear by 15 weeks? Or should I be okay with loose fitting normal clothes. I looked at my friend Nancy's belly picture comparisons. But she's on the thin side so I'm not sure how it will be for a plus size pregnancy. Any ideas????

I created a new site

2008-06-16T21:48:00.002-05:00

It's a site so that I can see the progression of belly pics and ultrasounds. It's also a place for me to put all my other baby related pictures. I've already set my sidebar belly pic to link to the baby pic gallery. The overall site is http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/joshnmon/. If you scroll down you will see the links to my photo galleries.

8 weeks

2008-06-14T10:50:00.002-05:00

Well, the morning sickness really hit me hard this week. I actually had to take off a couple days from work b/c I just couldn't move without feeling like I was going to hurl. So I called the nurse and she gave me a prescription for Reglan. It's helped a lot. I'm still a bit nauseous here and there, but am doing better. I actually had the energy for a bike ride and taking the dogs for a walk last night.

Thursday was Josh's and my 4th anniversary. We had planned on going to a Japanese steakhouse, but he came home from work with a migraine so we went last night instead. It was nice to get kinda dressed up and go out. My 8 week pic is actually 7w6d, but I felt pretty so I went ahead and made Josh take it a day early. After dinner we went to Blockbuster to rent some movies. We ended up getting "Semi Pro," "The Other Boleyn Girl," and "The Assassination of Jesse James." We started watching "Semi Pro" but it was incredibly stupid so I went to bed.

I also had my first official appointment with my doctor yesterday. The u/s appointment I had last week was with the nurse. He did his routine exam and gave us information about a couple of prenatal screenings for spina bifida and cystic fibrosis and maybe some other stuff. I think we're going to do it. Not that we would get rid of a child if there's the possibility. I'd just want to prepare myself. He also said that my lab results from the previous week were good. He's going to be out of the office the first couple weeks in July, so I'm going back to get another u/s in 2 weeks. I can't wait to see my little peanut again!

7 weeks (oops, this got kinda long)

2008-06-09T20:36:00.002-05:00

I don't even really know what to say here. I'd feel like the biggest traitor to the IF community to even think about complaining about anything pregnancy related. I LOVE being pregnant and I know how extremely lucky I am. But, OMG, this morning sickness thing is for the birds. I'd thought the nausea was bad before. I know other people have said they didn't get it until around week 7, but I thought I'd started it early. But I've been miserable since Thursday. I didn't even feel like getting out of bed for most of the weekend.

Okay, so enough complaining. A friend of ours suggested that while we still are good with finances, we should start buying diapers before we get strapped for cash. So we actually bought diapers and wipes this weekend. I know there is still so much that can go wrong, but this is starting to feel real and I'm getting really excited about it.

I think we also came to a conclusion about going back to work after the baby is born. We figured that it will cost us about $500 a month to have our "peanut" at the daycare where I work. That's just a little more than Josh's car payment. He's planning on re-enlisting in October and should be getting enough of a bonus to pay it off. So we should be okay on that front. As much as I'd love to stay home with my baby, I really don't know how we'll be able to really make it if I don't work. So I'll probably take off about 6 weeks until the baby can get into daycare and I feel well enough to go back to work.

Eat or Sleep?

2008-06-05T13:39:00.003-05:00

That's the question. I left work early today b/c I was feeling so nauseated. If I eat something, it will probably make me feel better. But everytime I think about eating something, I want to hurl.

And I'm soooo tired. Just sitting here, I feel like I could go to sleep. If I want to sleep, I should go to bed. But I'm just too tired to get up and go to the other room.

I could watch something mindless on TV, but Josh likes to turn off the power strip to save electricity and I forgot to turn it on when I got home. So again, I'd need to get up. And then there's all the stuff I need to do like clean the living room, put together the bookshelf I bought 3 months ago, put together the crib and changing table, etc.

= /

Ultrasound results

2008-06-04T21:32:00.004-05:00

Okay, I would have posted earlier, but I'm just now getting the chance. The appointment went really well. The nurse (who I just found out is certified in RE) did my u/s, took family history and ordered lab tests--they took both blood and urine samples.

The u/s showed just one embryo which looked just like it should. We were able to see the heartbeat (128 bpm). The really cool part was that they had this technology that took the flashing of the heartbeat and transferred it to sound waves so we could actually "hear" it. So very cool. The only problem is that I have a corpus luteum (sp?) cyst on my right ovary. But she didn't seem to think it was a big deal.

Well, without further ado, here's what you've been waiting for:

Oh, and Josh has decided the baby looks like a peanut so that's what he's named him/her.

Wednesday's u/s

2008-06-02T20:13:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I'm pretty nervous about my u/s on Wednesday. I've got all these what if's going through my head--what if there's no heartbeat? what if it's twins? what if I imagined it all? what if it's ectopic? what if there's some other problem, I haven't even thought of yet? So here I am trying to maintain some balance of calm when I get this email from my sister (trigs):

"Just to get your wheels turning before the appointment, I have to tell you the story H. and D., friends of ours from church in GA. H, conceived last year on Clomid (Her first child, (then 4), was a natural surprise, her second child,(then 2), a Clomid baby). Soon after a confirmed blood test, her husband D. had to go away to AZ on business. While he was gone, a little cramping and spotting sent H. rushing to the emergency room where the doctor assured her that everything was ok and ordered a "just in case" u/s to check for twins (high progesterone levels, I think). What they found was

(are you ready for this?)

SIX
EMBRYOS!!!

Yes, SIX!

Imagine having to call your husband across the country to let him in on the big surprise!!!!! Anyway, as, I guess, is the natural order of things, H. and D. ended up giving birth to two healthy babies, a boy and a girl."

As if I wasn't freaking out enough as it was!!

6 week update

2008-05-31T19:19:00.005-05:00

Symptoms: about the same as last week. Fatigue, tender breasts, lower abdominal pain, nausea.

Appointments: I have my first appointment on Wednesday, where I'll also get my first ultrasound.

Total weight change: up 1 pound

Purchases: I'm really trying not to buy much, but I can't help checking out the baby aisle at Walmart, Target, Penny's, Sears, etc. And darn that eBay.

I got this more masculine diaper bag for Josh for about $14:

I also got this Noah's Ark bassinet for $45 (we're doing a Noah's Ark theme):

5 week update

2008-05-27T22:16:00.005-05:00

Symptoms: Sore breasts, exhaustion, lower abdominal pain, nausea. I've thrown up once, but I'm thinking it may have more to do with the chili cheese tots rather than pregnancy.

Weight change: gained about 1 or 2 pounds

Purchases: We bought our crib and matching changing table. I know it's a bit early, but knowing us, it will take 2 or 3 months to get around to putting them together. We spent about $250 at Target. We got the convertible crib. One of the cool things we liked about it is that it includes a mobile that will somehow vibrate the mattress and has a night light. This is what it looks like, but the color may be a little different--I think this one is honey, but ours is cognac. I had a hard time finding a pic online:

funny story

2008-05-26T09:38:00.002-05:00

So last night, I read the 5 weeks update on baby development. I showed it to Josh. One of the things it mentioned was "Your baby is about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human."

So later, I was lying in bed and started having some cramping. Josh looked at my belly and said, "You better stop that, Tadpole, or you're grounded. If you keep doing that you'll spend the next 8 months in there."

Confirmed!

2008-05-19T18:16:00.003-05:00

I went to medical today and got a +blood test!! It was just a qualitative test as opposed to a Beta, but it still means pregnancy. I also got my referral to the OB I was seeing for infertility. The nurse has already set me up for an u/s on June 4. Also, we couldn't wait to tell people so we went ahead and told our parents last night and have started telling other friends and family.

Oh and I just wanted to thank you all for your love and support! I really appreciate it.

15dpo (trigs?)

2008-05-18T16:05:00.003-05:00

A few days ago I started spotting, but then it went away. This morning made 15dpo so I decided to take a test. I knew I had a IC somewhere that I had gotten free when I bought my preseed on eBay. I thought I saw a faint line, but figured it was probably an evap line b/c I wasn't sure if there was any real color to it. But it was the only test I had.

After going to IHOP for breakfast, we stopped at Walmart to pick up some stuff including tampons. I decided to go ahead and pick up some hpts anyway. I also bought some water. We went to Best Buy afterwards and I went to the bathroom there not thinking about saving it. When we got home, I decided what the hell and POAS anyway. I didn't have much pee and I'd finished my water on the way home.

Results:

We're not telling anyone IRL until after I can get a blood test and u/s. So please don't say anything on myspace or anything like that.

Relay for Life

2008-05-15T21:38:00.001-05:00

I've decided to take action against cancer by participating in the
American Cancer Society Relay For Life(r) event right here in my
community. Relay For Life(r) is about celebration, remembrance, and
hope. By participating, I am honoring cancer survivors, paying tribute
to the lives we've lost to the disease, and raising money to help fight
it.

Please help support me in this important cause by making a donation. It
is faster and easier than ever to support me by making a secure,
tax-deductible donation online using the link below. If you would
prefer, you can send your contribution to the mailing address listed
below.

Whatever you can give will help - it all adds up! I greatly appreciate
your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

To make a donation online, visit my personal page
vision?px=6824895&pg=personal&fr_id=6459>.

To send a donation, make all checks payable to: American Cancer Society
3228 College Hills
San Angelo, TX 76904

Grasping at straws

2008-05-12T18:16:00.003-05:00

I've had a sore throat all weekend. So I went to see the doctor today. He did a strep test which was negative. But before he gave me antibiotics, he wanted to make sure I wasn't pregnant. So he did a blood test. Of course it was negative. I'm only 9dpo, so it's still possible implantation hasn't occurred yet, right? I know, I'm reaching, but I really don't want to give up on this cycle quite yet =/

My 2 year anniversary and Mother's Day

2008-05-11T08:00:00.003-05:00

I knew it was getting close, but how ironic that Mother's Day is my 2 year TTC anniversary! And since it's Mother's Day, I decided to PIAC just for the heck of it. I had gotten some freebies when I ordered some pre-seed. Of course it was a BFN, but I figured it would be. I'm only 8dpo. If you look at my chart, you'll see that my temps have been kinda crazy. But it's only b/c I've had a very light fever. So who knows what's really going on.

I posted this on myspace, but since there are some mothers who may read this, I'll post it here as well:
I just wanted to wish all you mothers a happy mother's day. I hope your kids and husbands/significant others make you feel completely loved and adored. And when your children are getting into trouble and making you want to pull your hair out, I hope you remember just how lucky and blessed you are to be a mom.

Setting myself up for heartbreak

2008-05-05T08:52:00.002-05:00

Since this is the first cycle I've gotten to actually try this year, I feel like I'm really vested in it. I've got a feeling in my gut that this is it. But in my head, I know that it's probably not. I guess I'm just back to feeling almost like a "newbie" again with all this hope. I just hope I'm not completely devastated when AF shows in about 10 days.

My new baby

2008-05-02T18:29:00.002-05:00

No, I'm not pregnant. But I do have a new "baby." I got it Wednesday night. I'm so excited! I love my baby. Now I just need to come up with a name for her.

Cycle 26

2008-04-27T22:16:00.000-05:00

Since this is the first time I've had a cycle where we've gotten a chance to try this year, I feel like it's just gotta work. I'm doing all I know to do to help: clomid, prometrium, preseed, etc and Josh is taking fertility blend vitamins and has switched to boxers instead of boxer briefs. I really don't know what else to do.

Another thought occurred to me today. Josh and I had been hoping to have at least 2 kids while he was on shore duty where he wasn't supposed to deploy anywhere. That way we could try and he'd be here for the births and such. In about 18 months, he will probably be back to sea duty which means he'll be gone a lot again and it will be really hard to actually try. 18 months--barely a chance for 2 pregnancies and that's only if I get KU this cycle and the cycle immediately after I deliver. So yeah, no real chance. As much as I'm hoping this cycle works, I really doubt it will. I'm thinking I'll be lucky if I get one baby out of this tour. But then again, I do hear of a lot of women who have deployment babies (where they get preg while hubbies are on leave from long deployments). So who knows??!!

good news, bad news

2008-04-12T08:20:00.002-05:00

Well, great news actually. Josh is coming home tonight!!!!! As long as his flights don't get cancelled :-/ I am so freakin excited. The house won't be as clean as I wanted it to be when he got here, but he probably won't even notice till tomorrow cause we'll be pretty busy for a while ;)

The not so great news is that I'm pretty sure I O'd a few days ago. My schedule has been really off this week, so my chart's not that accurate. But my CM has dried up and my nipples are sore, even more so since I keep pinching them to see just how tender they are. Oh well, this gives him another month of using Fertility Blend vitamins to help improve his count. Between those and the switch to boxers from boxer briefs (finally!), I'm hoping his count goes up significantly. I'm going to talk to my doc about getting another S/A and a referral to a urologist.

Bad weather

2008-04-10T19:47:00.000-05:00

We had major thunderstorms with thunder, lightning, and hail early this morning. There was also a lot of wind. We've still got a lot of wind today. Around midnight the tornado sirens started going off. I think the storms passed right over San Angelo. About 5 or 6 miles away from our house, a couple cars and a tractor trailer were turned over. Someone who lives on my side of town said she lost some shingles from her roof. Another girl who lives about five streets over lost half her fence. I'm not sure if the tornado actually touched down anywhere, but we did have the strong winds from it.

how fun

2008-04-08T22:31:00.002-05:00

I'm stealing this from Nancy who was going to steal it from someone else. It looked like fun so I thought I'd try it.

Go to Google Images
Type your answer into the “search” box.
Pick an image from the first page.
Copy and paste answer into blog.

Here you go:

MY NAME IS:

(Monica)

MY RELATIONSHIP STATUS:

(married)

MY FAVORITE COLOR:

(blue)

MY CELEBRITY CRUSH:

(Patrick Dempsey)

MY FAVORITE PRINCESS:

(Princess Jasmine)

MY FAVORITE ADULT BEVERAGE:

(margarita)

MY DREAM VACATION IS:

(Ireland)

WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO BE:

(adored)

Six Days!!!!

2008-04-07T00:03:00.001-05:00

I can't wait till Josh gets home. Oh, I just noticed it's after midnight so that means only 5 more days :)

I guess I'd better get to cleaning......

Totally crazy

2008-04-01T22:20:00.001-05:00

"A group of third-graders plotted to attack their teacher, bringing a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items for the job and assigning children tasks including covering the windows and cleaning up afterward"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080402/ap_on_re_us/children_s_plot

St. Jude fundraiser

2008-04-01T19:36:00.002-05:00

My Tae-kwon Do school is sponsoring a board breaking fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Hospital. We are asking for donations that go directly to the hospital. I'm going to try to see if I can set up some type of online giving thing. But until then, if you would like to help us out, you can send it along with your name, address and phone number to me (madee25@yahoo.com) through PayPal. Thanks for any and all support.

11 days

2008-04-01T18:34:00.000-05:00

till Josh comes home!!! I can't wait.

To Do List

2008-03-24T18:21:00.003-05:00

Okay so I was tagged by both Kat and Tammy.

Rules:

Step 1. reference back to the blog that sent you.
Step 2. make a list of 5 things you have to get done this week, no matter how small.
Step 3. tag two other people

To Do List:

1) Do the laundry
2) Do the dishes
3) Change the litter box
4) Pay some bills
5) Clean the living room (can you tell that my house is a mess and I don't like cleaning?)

Now I'm going to tag Colleen and Katie

C25

2008-03-24T18:15:00.002-05:00

Well, another cd1. I can't believe that it's been almost 2 years.

So as far as the math thing goes....Josh gets back on CD20. So we'll have to see whether or not I O before then. So I may or may not get a chance to try this cycle. :-/

Nancy said I needed to post more........

2008-03-14T18:43:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm trying to do the math.

I'm currently about 3dpo. Based on my "normal" non-medicated cycles, I'll probably get AF around next Friday (the 21st). That would put my next O somewhere between the 8th and the 10th. Unfortunately, Josh doesn't get home until late on the 12th. That means another wasted cycle.

But, if I take my Prometrium, I should be able to extend this cycle until next Monday (the 24th) or so. Then, if I don't take my Clomid, it just might be possible that I won't O until either the day he gets back or the next day.

So the question is whether or not I should put my body through all the s/e of Prometrium. It's such a small chance that it will actually help. But on the other hand, this is the closest thing to a shot I've had in several months. Thoughts?

wow

2008-02-27T20:18:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I've been thinking about how many people I've seen get BFP's in the last couple years. Since I just found out that a friend just had her baby, I decided to sit down and make a list. I found that at least 10 women that I know of have gotten pregnant and delivered since I started trying. And I know of at least 5 others who are currently KU.

Antonia (former co-worker)—Victor Keith born Feb 5, 2007

Molly (webMD)--David Henry born Aug 2007

Karen (Josh's co-worker)--Elizabeth born summer '07, pregnant again

Colleen (friend)--Rachel Elizabeth born Oct 10, 2007

Jessie (friend)--Peyton (girl) born Nov 2?, 2007

Rebekah (step-SIL)--Lilly born Jan '08

Becky (webMD)--Brandon Joseph born Jan 30, 2008

Amber (former co-worker)--baby born Jan/Feb 2008

Amy (college friend)--Cassie Rose born Feb 8, 2008

Jana (college friend)--Emma Morgan born Feb 27(?), 2008

Steph (webMD)--Gwendolyn Elizabeth due Feb 28, 2008

Jessi (webMD)--Quinlon due March 25, 2008

Katie (college roommate)--C.J. (girl) due April 29, 2008

Jen (webMD/batcave)--due Sept 29, 2008

Steph (webMD)--due Nov(?) 2008

And the Truth is.....

2008-02-23T16:16:00.001-06:00

Well, everyone was half right. I guess I'm not that good of a liar. Tammy and Mel were spot on.

1. I lost my viginity when I was 26.
TRUE--like a good church girl, I had planned to remain a virgin until my wedding night. And since I wasn't really dating anyone, it wasn't really an issue. After about a month of dating Josh, we started messing around and then after 2 months, we finally did it. A couple months later, Josh moved in, and then 2 months after that we got married. So even though I wasn't married, my husband was my first and only. And since AF decided to come to the wedding, I'm kinda glad we didn't wait.

2. I took ballet lessons for 6 years.
FALSE--I've never taken ballet. I never really took any lessons when I was a kid. I took piano for a little while, but then the teacher moved. Maybe this is why I don't have a lot of stick-to-itiveness for things now. I've been taking Taekwon Do for a couple months now, and sometimes it's still a struggle to make myself go.

3. The first movie I remember watching in a movie theater was E.T.
TRUE--I was about 4 1/2. I remember bawling all the way back to the car after watching Drew Barrymore say goodbye to ET. I also remember seeing Return of the Jedi in the theater.

4. I own well over 400 DVDs.
TRUE--Josh and I are both movie people. We buy a lot of movies used from Blockbuster or cheap ones from Walmart or Best Buy. But when there's ones that we really like that we've bought new. We're trying to cut back and rent instead of buy. I've also got 50+ VHS and have just started my BlueRay collection.

5. Josh and I met online.
TRUE--we met on ya.hoo personals. We chatted for about an hour or so one night and then met up for coffee at Starbucks around 9:30. We talked until a little after midnight and then walked to Denny's. Josh walked me home that night and actually called the next day. And the rest is history.

6. We honeymooned in Ireland
FALSE--I would still love to go to Ireland. That's part of the reason I'm hoping we get stationed in Europe. Since we were living in Hawaii and moved the wedding up 6 months, we didn't really have time for a honeymoon so we spent the night in Waikiki. A year later, Josh was on a ship and they pulled in to Sydney, Australia for a few days. So I flew out to meet him there and we had our honeymoon/1st anniversary in Sydney, not Ireland, but still a great honeymoon.

Finally, some good news

2008-02-22T16:09:00.002-06:00

I just got a call from the CDC (Child Development Center) on base about my application. She's going to submit my application to the human resource office so they can do my background check and paperwork. But it sounds like a really good chance I'm going to get the job! It's a flex position which means they can't guarantee any number of hours, but she said they've got a couple people quitting so I should be able to get as many as I want. And I'm qualified for the highest amount that they're hiring for, which is like $12 something an hour. If I can get close to 40 hours, that will be almost $25K a year. Not great, but much better than what I'm getting now. She's submitting the paperwork on Monday, so hopefully I'll hear something really soon! I'm really excited :)

truth and lies

2008-02-20T20:41:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I've seen this on a couple blogs now, including my friend Jenn.

I'm going to list 6 "facts," 4 of which are true and 2 are lies.

1. I lost my viginity when I was 26.

2. I took ballet lessons for 6 years.

3. The first movie I remember watching in a movie theater was E.T.

4. I own well over 400 DVDs.

5. Josh and I met online.

6. We honeymooned in Ireland.

Now your job: Decide which are true and which aren't and comment me your guesses. I'll post the truth later ;) Next, if you haven't already done so, it's your turn to join the game.

Oh, only 10 days until I see Josh again :D

and the verdict is......

2008-02-12T11:54:00.000-06:00

Upper Respiratory Infection.

I got to the clinic at 7:45 this morning, knowing I needed to be there early. There were about 6 or 7 people ahead of me. Of course we had to wait outside until 8:05 (yeah, they're supposed to open at 8) until they let us in. So then finally, I got called back around 9:45. 20 mins later, I was on my way out with a prescription for an antibiotic, cough suppressant, and nasal congestion.

Man, I hate medical here

2008-02-11T17:12:00.001-06:00

So I've been sick since Thursday. I took mucinex, dayquil, nyquil, etc and figured it would go away within a few days. Last night, I called the after hours number for medical b/c it just wasn't going away. The after hours number pretty much is just an answering service so they paged the on call doc. She calls and asks what's wrong so I go through all my symptoms. Then she asks "what do you want me to do?" I'm thinking, "you're the doctor, what should you do?" So I asked her about getting me an appointment for this morning or giving me a referral for the medi-center. She said she couldn't do anything since everything was closed except the ER and it wasn't an emergency.

So I called the appointment line this morning about 10 mins after they opened. I was on hold for almost half an hour. But of course, since pretty much all the docs but 1 are deployed, they didn't have any appointments. So she leaves a message for the nurse. This is at 7:30 this morning. I go back to sleep and wake up again around 10:45. I call to see if they've done anything and she says they've looked at it but haven't done anything about it. Finally, the nurse calls at noon to say it's probably something viral so she puts in the referral.

I'd never been there before so I wasn't sure where it was so it took me awhile to get there. When I get there, I tell the registration woman that I have a referral and she tells me that they aren't taking any more patients. In fact, they stopped taking patients at 11 this morning and still have 20 something left to see before they can leave. I was so upset. I mean, if I coulda gotten a referral when I first called, I coulda already seen the doc and had some real medicine to make me feel better. So I call the nurse back to let her know, and wait a couple more hours for her to call and let me know that I need to get a new referral in the morning! I just think this is completely ridiculous!!

yay!

2008-02-09T15:41:00.000-06:00

I'm going to see Josh at the end of the month for a few days. I was able to get a flight for about $250. We're going to cheat and stay in his barracks room instead of getting a hotel. I can't wait!

Go in peace

2008-02-08T22:46:00.000-06:00

I was reading my friend Tammy's blog where she was discussing the song "Count Your Blessings." She was talking about how hard it is to continue to remember all His blessings when we're praying for one more. In it she asked for a sign that she wouldn't be relegated to a life without children.

As I was reading, I was reminded of the story of Hannah. Back in the day, it was seen almost as a curse from God to be barren. Hannah's husband's other wife would make fun of her. Her husband didn't even understand why she was so upset about not having kids. She was totally devoted to God and kept praying. But she was in total anguish and grief. Finally, she was praying with such earnestness, the priest thought she was drunk. When she explained the situation, he said "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." Then she goes home, has sex with her husband, gets pregnant and eventually gives birth to Samuel who goes on to become one of God's greatest prophets and advisor to kings.

When I read that, it really hit home. It was like God telling me, "it will happen." I don't know when or how, but I do believe it will. I don't pretend to believe that I can just sit back and wait on God to make it happen. I know that it's going to take some work on my part as well. But I no longer feel discouraged or despair. When I remember how many women who were well past child bearing age got pregnant, I know that miracles can happen.

"And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." Luke 1:45

I've been thinking.....

2008-02-07T23:11:00.000-06:00

Josh is supposed to be back on April 10, but he's hoping to be done a week early. If he does, then he'll be here just before I O (assuming my next couple cycles are around 28 days).

I know we're supposed to be TAB for financial reasons, but I was curious. Also, it's so hard TAB from something I want so bad. I might still do Clomid and Prometrium, just not IUI.

I also want Josh to see a urologist when he gets back. I mentioned it to my GP when I saw him for my ankle. He seemed to think it was a good idea. And if there's a problem that can be fixed, I wanna see what we can do about it.

Bored

2008-01-31T18:25:00.000-06:00

Your Candy Heart Says "First Kiss"

You're a true romantic who brings an innocent hope to each new relationship.
You see the good in every person you date, and you relish each step of falling in love.

Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a romantic dinner your sweetie cooks for you

Your flirting style: friendly and sweet

What turns you off: cynics who don't believe in romance

Why you're hot: you always keep the romance alive

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors.
You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius.
Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way.
While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme.

Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

You Are Brownie Batter Ice Cream

You've been known to lick *everything* clean

What Flavor Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Are You?

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart
Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome
Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand
And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

Your 80s Hunk Is

Kirk Cameron

Who's Your 80s Hunk?

Your Love Life is Like Titanic

"Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless."

You think that you only really have one true love in your life. And that you better to anything and everything to be with that person.
You tend to be very nostalgic about past loves that didn't work out. There are many secret feelings that you keep to yourself.

Your love style: Deep and emotional

Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Bittersweet

What Movie Is Your Love Life Like?

Famous last words....

2008-01-31T18:15:00.000-06:00

Okay so I saw this quiz on someone else's blog. Didn't think it would really give me much insight since there were only 3 questions. But I loved my results :)

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"I dunno, press the button and find out."

What Will Your Famous Last Words Be?

I got tagged!!!

2008-01-31T17:31:00.000-06:00

Okay, so my friend Nancy tagged me. I'm supposed to tag at least 3 other people. Unfortunately, I don't know too many bloggers that haven't already been tagged. So I'm going to start with my college roommate Katie and add others when I find someone else who hasn't been tagged. (Trigs--by the way, Katie's about 28 weeks preg).

Onto the game ...

The rules are simple: link to the person who tagged you, list the rules in your blog, share six non-important quirks about yourself, tag at least 3 people, and leave those you tagged a comment so they can play too!

1) Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite foods. Sometimes, I just eat mac n' cheese for dinner, but I often add chicken or tuna, along with peas, corn, and/or broccoli.

2) After Josh proposed, we went to Denny's for dinner. Sounds romantic, huh? But actually, it kinda is. We first met at Starbucks and stayed there until about midnight. By then, we had gotten pretty hungry so we walked to Denny's. We even got the same table as we did on our first date.

3) Speaking of our first date, Josh and I actually met on Yahoo! It turns out that he was living in the exact apartment I almost moved into a year before hand.

4) When I was younger, I absolutely loved Nancy Drew mysterious. I can't even begin to count how many books I've read.

5) 99.9% of the time, I have my toe nails painted. But I rarely paint my finger nails.

6) I love to buy new cookbooks because I love to cook. I have almost an entire shelf filled with them. The only thing is, I rarely do cook. Normally, I blame that on Josh because he's such a picky eater.

So I'm on crutches now

2008-01-31T16:52:00.000-06:00

Okay, for those of you who don't know, I started taking Taekwon Do a few weeks ago. Josh has been doing it for a while and he got me into it before he left. I'm kinda lazy so I haven't been going as much as I should. I'm also taking aerobic TKD (kinda like cardio kickboxing). Both are a great workout. And I'm learning self defense.

Tuesday night, we were having a great class. Then we started doing some jumping drills. Our instructor laid some punching bags in a row and we were jumping side to side over them. I was kinda nervous, because I'm pretty klutzy. So I started and was doing really good. But then on the last time (the bags had gotten moved as people went through), my right foot came down on the bag and I fell. I knew instantly that I had twisted it. I didn't think it was broken or anything like that.

After class, one of the other instructors (who is a certified accupuncturist) gave me accupuncture. It was a bit painful, but I think it did help. I spent all day yesterday with my leg propped up waiting for the nurse to call back. She finally called with an appointment scheduled for this morning. Since it was still swollen, they did an X-ray. Just as I suspected, it wasn't broken, just badly sprained. I can actually walk on it much better. But the doc gave me crutches so I can stay off it when I have to do much walking. I'm also supposed to exercise it much for the next week (which means at least another week before I can go to another class).

Such a cruel, cruel joke

2008-01-28T21:38:00.000-06:00

It just seems so ironic that at the time of the month when we are the most emotionally vulnerable is the exact same time that we find out that our hope for having a baby is totally destroyed.

I'm done

2008-01-24T22:56:00.000-06:00

Well, my temp has nose-dived (see my chart) and Spot came to visit today. So this cycle is done. Since Josh is out of town until mid-April, we're being forced to TAB.

Unfortunately, I think it's going to be a while before we really try, even when he gets back. It really pains me to say it because I want a baby so so bad. It's just that right now, we're not doing that great financially. I mean, we're self-sufficient and able to pay our own bills, but we've had to use a lot of our savings recently. We're trying to limit our spending and budget better. So until either I get a better job (I'm making about 1/3 of what I should be making) or we build our savings back up, I really don't think we can afford to care for a child--much less all the procedures we'd have to go through to get there.

This really sucks because this was supposed to be our time to have our kids while Josh is on shore duty and not having to deploy all the time. And now it looks like it'll be another 6 months to a year before we can really try. We're only here until Nov of 09. After that, he's thinking of going to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year. So even if I do somehow get pregnant before he leaves, I'll be alone for the pregnancy and/or first year. Even if he doesn't go there, he'll probably be back on sea duty which means he'll be gone about half the time. So I'm thinking it may be another 5 years or so before we actually have a baby. Sucks, but such is life.

well it's official

2008-01-10T18:35:00.001-06:00

Josh is gone :( He'll be in Georgia until April. So I'm on my own until then. This is the part of being a military wife that SUCKS!
He flew out at 2 this afternoon and is in Atlanta now. He should be in Augusta in a couple hours.

Pretty Good Meeting

2008-01-10T18:25:00.000-06:00

So I met with the Assistant HR Director today about my email. Though he did say that he thought using the discrimination word in the email was somewhat unprofessional and implied that he wasn't doing his job, he did assure me that they have shown my application and resume every time I've sent in a new letter of intrest to apply for a new position. He said I wasn't doing or saying anything wrong during interviews and couldn't really explain why I haven't been hired. He also gave me a few pointers to improve. And the best part was that he said there was the possibility of an opening soon--the only thing is that it is only for the rest of the school year and there's no guarantee for a job next year. Right now, I'll take anything I can get. The only bad part was that I get emotional pretty easily so I kinda broke down in his office and cried. I hate it when that happens!

I'll probably not get a job now

2008-01-09T18:04:00.000-06:00

I read an article in our paper about how the new semester started with 22 new teachers, district-wide. A couple of the new teachers just graduated in December. So I emailed the 2 human resource directors:

"Hi. I was reading the article about the 22 new teachers in the newspaper, and it got me to wondering if you still had my application and resume. I have applied for every elementary and middle school position listed (though I don't remember seeing all of the schools who have new teachers). I don't understand how teachers fresh out of college with no experience are better qualified than someone who has a Master's degree and almost 5 years experience. It almost feels like I'm being discriminated against because I wasn't born in San Angelo or because my husband is in the military. It is just a little frustrating knowing that I am an excellent teacher with excellent credentials yet still can't seem to get an interview! Sorry, I guess I'm just venting."

One director emailed me back saying that I have had interviews which is better than other applicants and that I should just "keep trying." Then I got a call from the HR secretary saying the other director wants me to come in for a short meeting tomorrow.

New Year, Same Old Song and "Dance"

2007-12-31T19:57:00.000-06:00

In about 4 hours it will be 2008. But I'm not forseeing any real changes from 2007. I'm really hoping that I'll get a new job and a baby, but I'm not counting on it. I don't make New Year's Resolutions, per se, but I do plan on going to the gym more, eating better and getting more involved in church.

On the TTC front, I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is that AF found me yesterday. But the good news is that we've got one more chance before Josh goes to Georgia for 3 months. It's a small chance, but we're going to give it a go. Josh will probably be leaving on CD12 so we're going to have to do a lot of BDing in the hopes that I'll actually O on CD14 or so (I'm on Clomid again) and some of his "sailors" will still be around to meet the egg. With Josh being gone for the next 3 months, I probably won't be, but I'm really hoping that all my "batcave" girls will be new moms this time next year.