Sunday, September 29, 2013

Like a Lobster

We just got home from our trip. It was *exactly* what the doctor prescribed.


Since you know I'm all paranoid about internet security, I'll show you photos of things similar to what we did on vacation.


There were some of these

A bit of this
Some of this:
And a lot of this


Unfortunately there was also a lot of this

Because we were sharing a suite on the ship with my mother. We warned her before the trip that we were working on a grandbaby for her, LOL.

I promise to post a legit trip update once I'm rested up and have uploaded my photos. You still won't get any face photos of us, but Bermuda really is too pretty to not make a huge brag post about. 




Saturday, September 21, 2013

Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away With Me

Leaving for vacation in the AM, so I'll be away from the blog.

8 blissful days of no internet, phone, or computer (except for the petsitter in an emergency)



Enjoy the first day of fall tomorrow. I'll be on my way to the pink sandy shores of Bermuda

Friday, September 20, 2013

What's in your Oven Friday: Cranberry Pork Roast

I'm in love with this recipe. I originally found it on Mama and Baby Love, and it's become a staple in our freezer and our crock pot! It's a great recipe to make the same day as the better than sex chicken since you'll have the maple syrup out!

Photo Credit: Nana's Empty Nest


Ingredients
2 pork roasts
2 12oz packages of fresh cranberries
1 cup fresh minced ginger
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup water

To Prepare

Separate all ingredients except for water into two 1-gallon ziplock bags
Put in freezer.

To Cook
Dump contents of bag into crock pot
Add 1 cup water
Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until fully cooked.



Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

DIY Wednesday: Blessing Bags

Today I bring to you the blessing bags

Photo: Joy's Hope


This is a project that I've done many times over the years, but something I frequently do now that I'm working in a city plagued with poverty. I will not give money to a homeless person on a street corner, as oftentimes they use that money to fuel an addiction. I'm not opposed to helping them with non-financial support. Some days that means stopping at a fast food restaurant and grabbing a few burgers, and sitting and praying with the person while they eat. Other days it means giving a Blessing Bag.

I carry 3-5 of these in my car daily, and normally hand out all of them by the end of my work week. I include the following things, depending on what I can find on sale/free with coupons

Bar soap
Travel sized shampoos
Granola bars
Bandaids
Neosporin
single-packs of tylenol
Toothbrush & toothpaste
hand sanitizer
cough drops
chapstick
socks, mittens, or a hat (during the winter)
pack of tissues or a hankie
single-use laundry soaps
Beef Jerkey
peanut butter crackers
a list of local rescue missions & soup kitchens with addresses


Assemble everything into a gallon zip-lock bag, and keep in your car (within easy reach of the driver's seat) for those moments when you see someone on the corner in need of a blessing.


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Ultrasound Tomorrow

I can't wait. I honestly can't freaking wait. I have high hopes for this Femara cycle with the crappy symptoms I've had, so we'll see tomorrow.

I leave on a work trip tomorrow evening, so I'm hoping that my ovaries will cooperate and that my O timing will line up with when I see my hubs again (on Friday).

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow

you're only A DAY AWAY! 

I've got a long drive down to Tennessee (again- 3rd trip this year for work) and a long drive home (because my boss couldn't find a cheap flight) for a ONE DAY in-service. 


And I'm leaving in the middle of the night to avoid having to pay for an extra hotel because our program budget is tight.

Hello coffee. I'll take the one on the left please

And somehow I'll have to dig deep to find the energy to bump uglies with DH when I get back on Friday. All before leaving for vacation on Saturday. 

I've got my toes in the water, ass in the sand

Not a worry in the world, a cold drink in  my hand...
Life is good today! 



Clearly my brain is in vacation mode already. Though (hopefully- follies willing) I won't be able to enjoy any of those delicious fruity drinks onboard our cruise ship as I choose to not drink in the 2WW, there are great things ahead.

I just pre-booked spa passes for my DH, mom, and I. Sure, DH won't be able to enjoy 90% of the spa due to the heat and his MFI issues, but you know what...

I WILL enjoy it. I will enjoy the heated lounge chairs and the aromatherapy showers, and the infinity pool. I will enjoy every last second of that blissful, CHILD FREE oasis. 

Now we just have to get our hands on the VIP adult sun deck tickets and life will be perfect.


The bags are packed, I've got a handful of new books to read (which will probably last all of two days) and I even removed the hedges for DH as a surprise (I haven't done that since our wedding over two years ago!)

All that stands between me and 7 days of vacation bliss is one pesky work trip! 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Oh Hey Femara!

It's Monday. It's not a terrible Monday either!

The Good: After 9 long days, AF is finally gone
The Great: Femara is AWESOME

I've had almost zero side effects. No extreme hot flashes, no mood swings, no tears, no depression, no headaches, and no wanting to eat everything that isn't nailed down.

The one side effect I have had is the fatigue. I've been in bed E-A-R-L-Y most nights, wake up between 1 and 2 AM, blog, write, or hang out on pinterest (or try to find some quiet housework) and then go back to bed around 3, and wake up at 6.

It's slightly obnoxious, but I've had worse, so I'm not complaining.


I've got a follie check on Wednesday, so we'll see what happens! Fingers crossed for 1-3 great looking follies ready to trigger. I'm going to be out of town on business on the day FF predicts my O, so I'm hoping that I can delay until I'm back with my hubs.

We leave on vacation Saturday, and we are sharing a (large) stateroom with my mother on our cruise, so we'll have to work *something* out to do the deed and not be interrupted. Perhaps the old sock on the door trick is in order

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Life Hack Sunday

Sundays are normally my day off from the world, so anything that I can find in life to make it a bit easier instantly becomes a Sunday favorite.

So in the spirit of sharing, I present Life Hack Sundays- a guide to making life a bit less busy



This has become one of the most valuable hacks in my life. I go through an iphone cord about once a month, and that's an EXPENSIVE habit.

The best part- this actually works! I haven't broken a cord in two months at this point! 

Friday, September 13, 2013

What's in your Oven Friday

As I alluded in my post last week, I'm breaking out my crock pot and recipes again, and I want to share the ones that work out well!

On the menu this week: Better Than Sex (aka Man Pleasin') Chicken

Photo from Debby's blog, A Feast For the Eyes
(www.foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com) 



This was one of the first freezer crock pot recipes that I tried, and it definitely delivers. I'm not a fan of mustard or "exotic" spices, so the fact that I loved this chicken should speak volumes. You can prepare it and cook it in the oven (450* for 40 minutes) but it works SO well as a make ahead crock pot meal. If you do want to make ahead and freeze, I suggest doubling the recipe and dividing into two one-gallon freezer bags. You won't regret it!

This recipe was adapted from the "I <3 Trader Joe's Cookbook"

Shopping List

Chicken Thighs- 1 package (approximately 6)
Dijon Mustard
Maple Syrup
Rice Wine Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Rosemary


To Prepare

In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup dijon mustard, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar.

Salt and pepper the thighs, and then place thighs into the gallon zip lock bag. add the mustard/maple syrup marinade. Make sure the thighs are all fully coated in the marinade. Freeze until ready to cook in crock pot.

To Cook
Transfer contents of bag to crock pot. Cook on high for 6 hours, or until meat thermometer reads 165*.

Plate the chicken, spooning the extra sauce from the pot over top. Garnish with fresh rosemary.




Thursday, September 12, 2013

Finally- a solid answer

I've posted several thoughts on my concerns about ADHD and pregnancy, and how I was going to deal with 9 months without my prescription, as it is a pregnancy category C.

I even had to fire my primary care doctor because of the absolutely disgusting way his nurse treated me when I told her I wanted to discuss adderall during pregnancy. I was treated like a junkie, told I didn't "actually need" the medicine, and that I would be "just fine" without it.

Excuse me, but no. I have a medical diagnosis that necessitates medication. I'm not just taking a controlled substance for shits and giggles. And the fact that this nurse left me a voicemail where she said (word for word) "you don't actually need it, so you you know, you should just stop taking it now" was the breaking point with this doctor's office.


So I called my RE. Left a message with the nurse for my doctor. Told her to tell him that I'd like to discuss the risk vs benefit, that I have done my research and I'm comfortable with the relatively low risk because I'm on a very low dosage to start with.

RE called back this morning. He told me no worries, there was no need to discontinue!


I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy right now!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

DIY Wednesday: $30 a year laundry soap

Welcome to the first of what I hope to be a weekly installment into my DIY projects. I've always been crafty, thrifty, and adventurous, and I wanted to share some of that with my faithful readers.

I'm on my 3rd batch of this soap. We are only a family of 2, but I don't like wearing anything more than once without washing, and with my bleeding issues earlier this year, we were doing undergarments and sheets quite frequently. Add in a dog with occasional urine leakage, and we've got a lot of wash! I find this recipe lasts our family about 8 months, and we do at least a load of laundry per day.

This recipe was originally posted on One Good Thing by Jillee (http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com) and I've tweaked several times and am quite happy with my current recipe.

3 bars soap- I use Ivory for Men, as I can frequently find it free with coupons
1 box Borax (76 oz box)
1 box Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
2 small boxes Baking Soda
7 pounds of OxyClean (either two small containers from Dollar Tree, or one large box from the grocery store)
1 container purex crystals for fragrance. We use the lavender.


Grate the 3 bars of soap. We use our large Hamilton Beach food processor to grate it down first, and then use a smaller black & decker processor to get a finer grate to the soap. I've found it's best to mix in 1/2 cup of oxy clean and 1/2 cup of the soap into the smaller food processor- it gives a quicker, finer grate.

Then dump all of the above ingredients into a 5 gallon bucket, snap the lid on, and roll it around your living room/laundry room/back yard to mix well.

We use 1 tablespoon for a small load, and 2 tablespoons for a large load.

Depending on the color soap you use and the fragrences you pick, and how fine you grate it, it should come out looking something like this:


All in all, this recipe normally costs me between $25-$35 to make, and I honestly love it more than just about any other laundry soap.  We used to spend $13 every two weeks on detergent, so it's been a big money saver for our family!

Nothing to complain about


Today, I have nothing to complain about



The pain of menstrual cramps, the frustration of infertility, the battle fatigue of this battle I am fighting?


It's nothing compared to what 2,996 families are going through today. 




I have a survivor in my family. We are one of the many families who through sheer dumb luck got to hold our loved ones again the week after 9/11.

 The person in the cube next to my loved one did not make it out. 

Sheer luck is the only reason my loved one made it home. 






Monday, September 9, 2013

Crushed. but with a game plan. and AF

No response on Medicated Cycle #1

Not a single useful follie. Nothing.

I officially have the laziest ovaries in the history of the world


So they sent me home with a script for provera and a script for femara. The plan was to hold off on the provera so that I'd get AF while on my business trip, and that we'd be set for our mid-cycle monitoring the day we got back from vacation.


My body had another idea. AF reared her ugly head Saturday morning.

And HOLY SHIT. I forgot how much this hurts. I spent most of the weekend asleep on a couch with a heating pad.

While I'm glad my body's doing what it is designed to do, Fertility Friend is now predicting my fertile window while I'm on my work trip.


So we're looking at a cycle with crappy timing.


But at least there's vacation at the end of this dark tunnel! HOORAY!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Fall means CROCKPOT TIME

So I've gotten away from one of my true loves- my crock pot. Prior to my kitchen remodel I never used the damn thing, but being sans kitchen for several months forced me to re-evaluate how I prepared meals.

I was BIG into doing the once a month freezer batch cooking, and I've gotten away from it. It's SUCH an awesome time-saver, but the prep time sucks. I won't lie. Taking a full day of the weekend once a month to do nothing but shop, chop, season, and freeze is b-o-r-i-n-g. Especially during the summer when there are so many things to be done outside.

But now that the weather is turning, I'm back to spending tons of time on pinterest and looking forward to a Sunday date with my freezer bags soon! Once I'm pregnant, my goal is to have a few of my gals over sometime late in 3rd Tri and have a big ol kitchen food prep day and bag up 60-70 freezer meals to last me most of my maternity leave.

But for that to be possible I need to test drive somewhere in the range of 90-120 freezer meals to find 60-70 that I like!

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

The Spunk is Junk

Figured it was time to address the fact that we're now dealing with MFI and my IF issues.

Over the past week I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and DH got his SA results back

Count: 56.6 million
Motility: 39%
Morph: 4%

Originally DH told me that the motility was 4%- to which my response was "your sperm is lazier than you are!"

Probably not the most supportive reaction on the planet, but he got the news about his SA on the same day as my thyroid diagnosis.

The plan is still TI for this cycle and we'll see how it goes.

Monday, September 2, 2013

The stick says "time to screw"

Last night I got my first faint line on an OPK. Yep, I know it's not positive yet, but until now I had nothing but stark nothingness on OPK's.  And I got a bit over excited.

DH was in the man cave, and he heard me hollering from the bathroom. He RAN up the stairs, worried something was wrong. When he got to the door he asked if everything was ok.

My response: TWO LINES MEANS ITS TIME TO FVCK!

And then I proceeded to remove his shorts right then and there




I'm not scheduled for another follie check until Friday, but if my OPK gets any darker this morning I'm calling the clinic and getting in ASAP.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Hot and Cold

As I mentioned last Sunday, our sex life has been.... nonexistent since I'd say January or so. Provera and Megace both killed my sex drive, and I've spent quite a bit of time not wanting to have sex simply because I felt defective that I could no longer get pregnant.

It's been a SERIOUS sticking point in our marriage. I'm going to be honest, BRUTALLY honest. We've fought nonstop about sex, porn, and having our needs met for the past 3 months. No matter how hard I tried though, I just couldn't get into sex.


Welcome to Clomid Sex. I still haven't been totally "in the mood" but at least I feel like sex can be productive and there's a chance in hell that this month might be the lucky month. In my dream world we'd be having ED sex... and maybe even a few two-a-days for fun.

*gasp* I said it. Sex for FUN again.


And now DH doesn't want it. It's like pulling teeth to try and get laid. We were snuggling on the couch, and I was running my fingers up his thigh. He went to grab my hand, and I pulled away.

The conversation went like this:

DH: Baby, what's wrong
Me: nothing [/sarcasm]
DH: I thought you would want to hold my hand. You've been bitching about not being physical lately.
Me: (exasperated) I don't want to hold your HAND. I want to hold your PENIS... IN MY VAGINA.


And then I cried.


I just want my sex life back at this point.