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31 October 2010

Happy Halloween here's a BFN!

I don't know what more I can say other than the title ~ I just wanted to update.. I really don't have my hopes up anymore, but my spotting stopped when I thought it was AF on the way and I was confused. FMU after about 9 hours sleep and BFN. I guess now I just wait some more....

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30 October 2010

Happy Halloween!

Here is a few free Halloween graphics! Right click and save to your computer to keep their transparency :)

 A happy little ghost!

Witch's Hats (with & without shadow)



Until later! Anne Marie
  Would you like a free tarot reading? Click here.

27 October 2010

Think positive thoughts

All the girls on the board are going nuts. i am having an amazing cycle. My post O temps on my chart are steady (ish) and going UP.... apparently my worries about my BBT earlier in my cycle were unfounded. I dare say that if it goes up again and/or stays up I may see a triphasic pattern. (bi-phasic is when temps go up after O.. triphasic is IF they go up a second "step".) Good pregnancy charts do this.. some don't.. some non-pregnancy charts do it.. it's totally random IMO. But in the world of charting, It's pretty :)

All this leads me to happy thoughts, but guarded ones. After a year TTC, I have no more "gut" feelings that scream "I'm PREGNANT!" a week before testing, but I can say that I like the positiveness of my chart. Pregnant or not it is a bonus. My body is trying to do what is it supposed to, not being all wacky.

If I am, well HALLELUJAH!! If I'm not, at this point it's no big shock... I'll buy a six pack of the Mike's Hard PINK Lemonade I've been wanting and I'll move along :)

We'll see in a week. I am remaining guardedly hopeful. Because at this point in the game, hope is what gets us through.

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23 October 2010

CROSSHAIRS!!!!

I has some.

WOOT!!! For those of you that don;t understand that means that Fertility Friend has decided that I have indeed ovulated and put the pretty red lines that indicate this on my chart.

Now.. we wait....

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22 October 2010

Ovulation achieved!

Sometimes my post-o temp spike leaves me wondering...
Hmmm.. is that 3/10ths spike gonna stay up?
Nope, went down 1/10th today.
Ooo.. it went back up!
Oh wait, yep FF gives crosshairs at 3dpo, so i guess I did.
Did I really ovulate?
Wow, low coverline.
Is my progesterone high enough?
This month there is no wonder. It's simple.
My temperature rose  by  a full 1/2 (.5) of a degree overnight.
Yes. I ovulated.
It also rose ANOTHER 2/10ths last night. Definitely a clear thermal shift! I wish it was always this simple.

We have definitely reached maximum BDing for the alloted time, so all we do now, is sit back, share some more of the awesome intimacy we've got going this month, and wait a few weeks to test for pregnancy.

Halloween Morning.. .COME ON BFP!

Baby, when you read this, I'm sorry for all the crap you don;t understand LOL! Simply put.. I definitely ovulated. This is good :) refer to the sidebar if you would like abbreviation help :) I love you!

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20 October 2010

Temperature confusion

With a positive OPK Monday and a negative yesterday, I surely thought I would see a temp spike today indicating I ovulated at some point in the last 24 hours.... only I didn't. GAAAH!!

I mean let's face it, sex isn't the issue. I'm getting plenty of it and getting it goodly. And it doesn't look like we're stopping any time soon LOL! It's just the confirmation of ovulation I am after. And before any of you (Patty!) yell at me for not checking CM - I CAN'T. I'm having so much sex I wouldn't recognize CM if it was running down my leg.

Anyway, I have been at 97.1 for a few days, and only 97.2 today. The one higher temp I discarded was because I had woke up squashed between George & Kae and sweating my ass off  LOL! I'm beginning to wonder if my thermometer needs new batteries. I haven't changed them in years.

I'm going to keep using OPKs another 2-3 days to make sure the line leaves just so I know my surge is gone and it wasn't a fluke surge/positive OPK that didn't lead to O. Since I'm not sure if I can trust my thermometer, that's all I can think to do.

Any other suggestions?

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19 October 2010

CD13 FTW!






Well yesterday's OPK was..... POSITIVE!! (pics on the "Save me" page!)


Since we're well into our marathon, I'm not overly concerned but I am exciting to see that my cycle will probably be NORMAL this month, not insane and long like last month.

My temp was still low this morning so I expect another positive OPK today and maybe a temp rise tomorrow. At the latest I think I'll get my temp rise by Thursday and IF the hubs needs a break I'll give him one Friday LOL! Maybe... naaah!

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15 October 2010

Broccoli Shrimp Casserole



  • 1 lb shrimp
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1tsp mrs dash
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp Tony's
  • 2 tsp tomato chicken bouillon
  • 1 cup rice
  • 2 1/4 cup F/F chicken broth
  • 12 oz bag frozen broccoli cuts
  • 3 tbsp olive oil 
  • 1 cup frozen seasoning "blend" of choice (onions, bell pepper, celery, carrots)
  • 1tsp chopped garlic (1-2 cloves)
  • 1 can F/F cream of chicken
  • 8oz shredded colby jack cheese, DIVIDED
OK this seems like a lot but bear with me it was SO simple!
  1. Preheat your oven to 325.
  2. Peel and de-vein your shrimp. I was using 51-80s so I cut them in 3. This is up to you and also depends on the size of your shrimp. Put your shrimp in a bowl that has a lid, add the dry seasonings- paprika, Mrs. Dash, cayenne, seasoning salt, & bouillon. If you can't find tomato chicken bouillon, check your "ethnic" foods aisle. I usually find it with the other Mexican seasonings. If not, use chicken boullion. Not a huge thing here.
  3. Put the lid on the bowl and put it aside if you are cooking NOW, but you can fridge it for 1-2 days if necessary.
  4. Put your rice and the broth in a pot with a lid. Bring it to a boil. Put the lid on it and set it to simmer. Don't touch it for 25 minutes. At all. Don't open the lid. Don't stir it. Leave. It. Alone. Trust me. Until I did this I ruined every pot of rice I touched.  Incedentally if anyone knows how to cook a pot of BROWN rice... I'm all ears!
  5. Throw the whole bag of broccoli in the microwave and hit 5 minutes. It doesn't matter if it's regular and not "steamable" I promise.
  6. Heat the olive oil in a non stick skillet over medium and saute the seasoning blend and garlic until it is tender. Add the shrimp and continue cooking 3-5 minutes until the edges begin to curl. Add the cream of chicken soup and stir it all together.
  7. Pour your cooked rice into a 13x9 casserole dish and stir in a hand full of the cheese. Pour the shrimp mixture over it
    and mix it all together well. Spread remaining cheese over the top and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Bake 25 minutes, uncovering the last 5 to brown the cheese.
SERVE WITH:
Garlic bread. YUM!!!

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Download the single page printer-friendly HTML version HERE!

14 October 2010

Our 30 day challenge

So the hubs and I have decided on a 30x (having sex) in 30 days challenge.

We've tried this before and failed miserably after the first 2 weeks. We're hoping to keep up this time. We've got a pretty good head start. We figured the easiest way to keep track would be to use my chart..

We're not doing bad since we actually started after AF left on the 9th.. we're up to "7in5" If we keep up the 2 per weekend day I think we'll beat the 30!  I think that would add up to 31 before October is even over! And we'd technically have 8 days of November left!

Did I mention we're making some of the girls on the board jealous??

I'm confident that his boys aren't the problem (even if they don't ask for directions...), so I'm not worried about him having sex every day being detrimental to conceiving. Hell, if anything it will prove that my lady bits are the issue somewhere. Can't blame it on poor timing or lack of BDing this month!

Even though we're doing this daily, I'm still charting so that if we DO have to take a break for whatever reason (worn out bits??), we know if my fertile period has passed. My OPKs still have not arrived (accidentally ebayed them from china) and my left side is twinging like MAYBE my ovaries are perking up??? Eh.. we'll see.

Anyway.. 7in5 and counting.. I think I'll add a ticker under my chart ticker HA!!

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13 October 2010

happy musings on a disgruntled blog

My husband is the most amazing man on earth. He helped me cope with some crazy (not good) feelings I had never had before and made me come out not only feeling better, but feeling like a better wife. I love him.. like this:



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Things to talk about...

Thing 1: Halie will be 13 in less than 24 hours. Where has the time gone?

Thing 2: My husband is the most amazing man on earth. He helped me cope with some crazy (not good) feelings I had never had before and made me come out not only feeling better, but feeling like a better wife. I love him.. like this:

12 October 2010

Congratulations to a wonderful friend!

Since I just invited you to my blog, I know you'll be here reading soon. So I am dedicating a post to you.

We met late last year and immediately created a bond. Women against the world.. you - working towards beginning your new life as a wife, and me - an old pro at the game, but with a common goal. Convince the men we love to grow our families. And amazingly we succeeded at the same time and move don into the amazing but frightening world of TTC. There our bond has grown stronger and we have been with each other each nervous or heartbreaking tear of the way.

Until today...

Today you posted the most amazing news I can imaging for someone I care about so much. You're pregnant!!!!! I can't even explain the amazing feelings of love, luck, and prayers that are pouring from my heart for you.

Finally - our paths have branched off. I cannot follow you into this new realm that is widely unknown to you, but I will still be there every step of the way.

Yes, the tears are bittersweet, because you moving on means one less person in our "us against the world of infertility" group, one more person to succeed and leave us behind..... but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love you, Sweets! I pray you have an amazing 9 months. Can't wait to follow your progress!
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11 October 2010

Sex on Demand after a breakdown

So George and I discussed the plan this weekend. Sex on demand from CD10 until I ovulate.Then we taught each other the meaning of "on demand". It's better than the fucking cable button, I swear!

Aside from that we've come to the realization that TTC has really taken it's toll on the "funness" of our sex life. We used to be the ones that made our friends blush.. or run screaming for the hills... and lately it's become so perfunctory that Buddhist monks would laugh and point fingers. The sad thing is that it took a near mental breakdown from me (about something totally unrelated to TTC) for us to realize this. I don't do good when my little head snaps.. especially over stupid shit. AH well. He fixed it.

Moral of the story is that we have to get back to being us: fun-loving, spontaneous, supportive, and above all back to being a couple that COMMUNICATES with each other.

We went a log way towards working out a funk our relationship has been in for practically a year... in just 2 days. Amazing what talking to each other will do.

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Amazing blog Angela found

One of my internet besties, (Angela over at "Trying to Believe") found this blog and I must say it is right. on. point.
 Check it out!



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08 October 2010

Cycle 13

Starting all over again. I feel better about how I feel because I finally sat down and talked to George about it. I need answers, and without insurance it is going to come down to saving a shitload of money to get the testing done I need.

The first thing I want to do is get an HSG done. That's a test to see if my tube is blocked. If that is the problem.. well I'm done for. I can't afford a surgery to unblock it and I sure as hell can't afford IVF. If that is the problem well.. there will be a long drawn out rant about the unfairness of life and my TTC career is officially over.

If it isn't a blocked tube I need to do blood work for my thyroid again, test for PCOS, stand on my head? Maybe a real FSH level test? I used the one that came in my box of First Response pregnancy tests and "passed" but it's an indicator only. I'm not "old" but I'm pushing "advanced maternal age". I'm willing to test anything at this point.

Maybe my baby maker is just on it's last lap.. fun to drive but otherwise not very practical?


It can't be just plain old stupid bad luck.. I'm not THAT cursed!

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06 October 2010

The “TTC almost a year” blues…

I’m sorry I haven’t posted more often lately. I’ve been in a serious TTC funk.
So October 24 is one year TTC. What does that mean for THIS cycle, my 12th since beginning TTC. That means I’ am 12 dpo and scared to death to test. I don’t want to see a lonely single line this month. I think I may just fall to pieces if I do. Any other month I’d have been testing since 8dpo.

My chart is okay this month (ticker is a link). I ovulated close to a week late, and my post-o temps are really fluctuating. But I’m not taking any supplements and my LP is still more than 10 days so I guess that is a bonus, especially since I went 100% natural this month with no supplements at all to help O or my LPD (luteal phase defect). Maybe my body is straitening out just a little??

How do the women who TTC for 2-3-4-5 years do it!! I’m pushing one year and I am so ready to just give up!

Can everyone who is so inclined throw a little positive baby dust and prayers my way??


01 October 2010

Mexican 2 ways in 2 days!

CLICK HERE FOR INGREDIENTS & PICTURE until I get it transferred over :)

Night 1: Nacho & Tacos!!
Layer it! Wrap it! Do it however you want!

I like to season my taco meat with Alton Brown's Taco Potion #19. Use what you like.

Night 2: Mexican Pasta!!
~ Saute your leftover onions.
~ Add in the leftover meat and a jar of salsa.
~ Simmer on low while you cook your pasta to al dente.
~ Drain pasta and add into sause mixture.
~ Serve with a sprinkle of cheese, dollop of crema, and a side of chips for some crunch!

Simple but OH! SO! YUMMY!

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