Monday, June 28, 2010

THE NEW HOUSE!

I may have mentioned this a million few times, but we are moving into our new house in T minus 3 days!!! I am so excited and can barely contain it anymore.
  "Oh, I wanna dance with somebody, wanna feel the heat with somebody. Yeah I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me..."
While I do know that "I'm so excited" would have been the better lyrics to add right there, but I have always loved Whitney more than The Pointer Sisters. I mean really is that even a competition?

Anyway back to what I was saying...
Living in a small two bedroom apartment with an 16 month old and 2 large dogs, is just not my thang (yep, I said thang, T.H.A.N.G, Thang.). It would probably be more manageable if we had our own stuff, but this is a furnished apartment. So nothing is "comfortable". The pots and pans are not ours. They are the cheap kind that burn everything that you put in them. The cheap couch that is so stiff that you sometimes prefer to sit on the floor. The scratchy towels, the starched bed sheets, and my personal LEAST favorite is the tiny miniture 3 oz wine glasses. I, like every infertile on an off cycle, need a big gulp size wine glass. What were they thinking when they bought those?

I don't mean to sound ungrateful. We have ALOT and are VERY fortunate. But it's just not home!!!

This is home...


And this my kitchen.


The refrigerator is not in yet, but you get the idea.

 I didn't take many pictures of the rest of the house because London was acting crazy, actually HORRIBLE!!
I did manage to capture this moment of cuteness though. 



Oh and the pictures are courtesy of my NEW CAMERA...
I am still trying to learn how to use it and only had it about 45 minutes when I snapped these pictures. I am still trying to figure out this thing. There are just so many buttons! Don't worry I will get the hang of it soon. Alot more pictures to come!

One more thing before I go. This post is brought to you courtesy of MY NEW LAPTOP!! Yes, you heard me correctly, on top of getting a new house and camera I also got a new laptop. My old one was all but fried and after many visits to the shop, we decided to get a new one. We talked to all the employees at B.est B.uy and they all agreed that this was the best computer for me.

This is the company that makes the physical computer for Apple, and they finally decided to make their own. So it looks and feels just like a Mac, but it runs with the ease of a PC and has Windows 7. I LURVE IT! (No, just saying "I love it" is not enough.) 

Yes, in case you are wondering, my husband is amazing! He bought me my own camera and laptop and it is not even my birthday. I am such a lucky gal!

Friday, June 25, 2010

New Blog Friday-Lora

Welcome to the first edition of...

This week I am featuring a VERY AWESOME lady. Lora over at My Camo Kids (An Army Wife Life) is one of the most awesome women I have ever met (and I really mean that). Lora started out as an IRL friend long before either one of us ever had a blog. I met Lora  in 2006 when Mike was only a 2nd LT and we were headed to his very first unit. Her husband was moving on in the Army (by way of Afghanistan) and Mike was taking his position. I will never forget the first time I met her, we were at a minor league baseball game. She was wearing the most beautiful little girl. She was tiny. I am pretty sure she was only about 4-5 months old but to me she could have been a newborn. She had two ridiculously cute little boys (about 8 and 5) running around beneath her feet, tugging on her and cutting between her legs as she walked, but she never even broke her stride. She was a professional.
Lora quickly became a friend. While we never hung out as much as either one of us would have liked, we always knew the other was there if we needed something. She listened to me whine and cry about infertility and miscarriage.While she is anything but infertile, she never uttered a single insensitive word or suggestion to relax. She showed up at my baby shower with the biggest smile on her face and a HUGE basket of goodies for Mr. London.
We are now hundreds of miles away from each other, but Facebook and Blogger have enabled us to stay current in each other lives. She now has a new baby boy, who looks just like his big sister. Not only is Lora a rocking blogger, but she is a pretty awesome lady in general.

Please go show Lora some love!




A little message from Lora:


Hello out there, bloggy friends! My name is Lora and I am SO excited about this opportunity here at Infertility Overachievers to share a little bit about my own piece of the interwebs.
I am a 28 year old mother of 4 (Yes, my oldest is nearly 11. Feel free to do the math. Math is fun!) ranging in ages from nearly middle-school to barely teething. They provide me with endless entertainment and limited sleep, which creates the perfect environment for blogging in my opinion!  My husband is an officer in the United States Army, and being a military family has influenced every aspect of our lives in ways that I never could have imagined. He is currently serving his second tour of duty overseas; his first was to Afghanistan for all of 2008 and this go-around he’s in Iraq.  
People outside of the military often speculate, “I don’t know HOW you do it!”. I hope that through my writing I am able to show them a glimpse of the real “how”: how things get done (or not done), how its ok to be strong and still have weak moments, and how to find the silver linings in this way of life. It’s not always easy, or pretty, but we are all definitely learning and growing each day. I hope you will take the time to come on over and see what our adventures are all about!  
Here is her linky one last time in case you missed it above! LORA at My Camo Kids (An Army Wife Life).

Thursday, June 24, 2010

New Blog Friday!

So who doesn't LOVE finding new blogs to read? And what new blogger doesn't love a little new attention?
So in an effort to show some love to the new bloggers out there I have decided to start...

NEW BLOG FRIDAY !!! 


What is New Blog Friday you may ask (especially since today is Thursday)? New Blog Friday is a day to give new bloggers a minute in the spotlight, or at least the small spotlight that my little blog can give them. Each week I will showcase a new blogger on...you guessed it....FRIDAYS!!! 

I am really excited about this because I have found so many really good blogs recently that don't exactly get the attention they should. The new bloggers will NOT all be infertility blogs. Believe it or not, I actually really enjoy reading about things other than infertility. My hopes are that the blogs I showcase will be about a wide range of topics. From the single life blogs, or those about fashion, weddings, marriage, parenting, pets, or just general life. All blogs are welcome on New Blog Friday!

Here are the rules:
You must have less than 50 followers and have been blogging for less than one year but more than 3 months. A few exceptions can be made for bloggers who are changing topics (Ex: Wedding to Pregnancy) or bloggers who started out as family blog and now want to move into a more public viewership. Basically email me with your blog info and I will make the call. Don't be shy!
Please keep in mind that not all blogs will be chosen. Some blogs may not be appropriate for my readership (like blogs that use alot of profanity or those of the sexual nature).  I will be the judge of what blogs actually make the cut. Don't worry I'm not too strict haha! :)

If you are interested in being featured on New Blog Friday's please email me at: 

Newblogfriday@infertilityoverachievers.com 

Please include the following info.
Your name, your blog link, and a brief summary about you (and your blog), and how long you have been blogging. I don't need an essay, just a brief summary. . 

I have a few friends that I would like to showcase this friday but after that my fridays are WIDE OPEN. 

I remember being a new blogger and not even knowing where to start to attract readers, so in the words of  Jerry Maguire,
"Help me help you!!"

If you are an established blogger, take a minute and grab the New Blog Friday button and help the newbie's get a little traffic. 


Previously Featured on New Blog Friday:
Erin: Our Heart's Desire.
Erin:  Baby Love.


Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The What If Game

What if? I am sure I could say that about 50 times a day. What if I didn't stay up so late last night? What if I married my high school sweetheart instead of Mike? What if I didn't buy those ridiculously cute shoes sitting in my closet and instead invested the money? What if? What if? WHAT IF?

What if I was not infertile?  

How would my life be different? How would FERTILITY have affected my life?

Now let's just take a step back and analyze MY life with infertility. Mike and I tried to get pregnant for 2 years before we decided to do IVF. We had 3 miscarriages, 7 failed Clomid cycles, 1 Femara cycle, 4 injectible cycles, and 3 failed IUI's. I do not claim to be the most infertile woman around, but that does not make our journey any easier. I quit my job, among other things, because of infertility. There were just to many appointments for me to keep a full time job. I devoted my life to trying to have a baby. I lived my life in two week increments. I was either waiting to ovulate or waiting to know if I was pregnant. I was always WAITING. I am sure this is an "Oh to familiar story" for all of my infertile readers though. I am sure you have all been-there-done-that.

What if that very first baby had stuck? What if I had a 4 year old today? Where would my life be?

The fact of the matter is that you can't always live in the What if's. I would probably be finishing my family right now with baby number 3 or 4. I would be joking with all of my friends and family about how Mike and I get pregnant if we even bump into each other in the hallway. I would be ignorant and would probably accidentally tell a friend that she would get pregnant if she would "just relax." I would still love my kids don't get me wrong, but would I really appreciate them for the miracle that they really were? I am not totally sure that I would.

Let's abandon the What If's for a minute and revisit the What Is....

I have the most adorable little boy, that I never would have met with out infertility.
I appreciate that little boy more because I remember the blood, sweat, and tear that went into getting him here.
I am a much more kind, compassionate, and understanding person than I ever would have been without infertility.

I am a better person because of infertility

This is easy for me to say now that I can stare into my little boys eyes. However while I was in the middle of my infertility journey, it never seemed like a blessing to be infertile. Now that we are going through all of this again, it still doesn't seem like a blessing. Having a baby does NOT cure infertility. It does NOT make it all better, but it  has at least made me more gracious for what I have.

When I am done having my family after (God willing) another 2-3 kids, I will finally be able to look at infertility for what it really is. In the words of the great Adrian Monk,

"It's a Blessing and a Curse."  

As for today, it will continue to be my curse. I am excited about the day where I don't think about our fertility. I am excited about the day where I can just sit around and enjoy what we have been given. Mainly...

I am just looking forward to looking back.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Yoga 4 Fertility Review and Giveaway! xxClosedxx

Do you recognize this woman?
You should, it's Mary Alice Young Brenda Strong from Desperate Housewives!

Did you know that Brenda struggled with infertility? I didn't. I knew who Brenda was because I am an avid Desperate Housewives watcher but I knew nothing of her struggle with infertility.

A few weeks ago I was contacted about doing a review and giveaway for her Yoga4Fertility DVD and Fertility Ball. I was extremely excited to be given the opportunity, and even more so excited to try it out.

According to the Yoga4Fertility website:
"Yoga4Fertility™ was created by Brenda Strong who has undergone secondary infertility and through her teaching and research over the last 15 years, she developed a gentle and effective Yoga program for women trying to conceive. (She has worked with The Mind Body Institute since 1998 at UCLA and Newport Beach teaching her yoga method). Hundreds of women have successfully used Brenda’s method to get pregnant and it’s helped couples to face the emotional and physical stress of trying to conceive.
Brenda’s Strong Yoga4Fertility Classes are unique because she offers participants expert instruction in Yoga asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathing techniques) that nourish the reproductive organs, calm the nervous system and relax the mind and body, helping to release accumulated anxiety and stress. She teaches the Four Fields of Fertility© which enables students to understand the innate connection between the mind and body as they learn specific techniques that will help them shift away from fear based anxiety to empowered presence and the ability to embrace their inherent ability to receive Life in all it’s forms of fertility. She also has developed specific breathing and visualization techniques specifically for fertility."
I am going to be completely honest with this review. When I first popped in the DVD, I have to say the opening scene was pretty cheesy and they could have left that part out. Once we got past that part Brenda started talking and I nearly fell asleep--but for yoga that is a good thing. One of Brenda's main points in the DVD is to focus on relaxation. Trust me there is no one who has a more calm and relaxing voice than Brenda Strong. I immediately felt right at home with her as if she was talking directly to me while sitting indian style on her couch in a nice warm sweater. As a yoga beginner, I especially liked that she started at square one and even took the time to teach me how to breathe properly.

Once we got past the introduction and entered into the yoga section we both moved to the mat. At this point I realized how amazingly out of shape I am. Brenda looked beautiful with her every movement planned and purposeful. I, however, looked like one of those rolly-pollies that you would find on the side walk and poke with a stick as a child. I will admit it, I fell a few times and even curled up into a ball at one point. BUT I finished all of it.

When I was done, I felt a sense of relaxation. I didn't feel the need to plop down on the couch like I usually do after a work out. I was instead on a mini high. My body felt loose and I was ready and excited to start my day. All and all, I really enjoyed the DVD. It made me feel amazing and gave me satisfaction knowing that I was taking action to boost my fertility.

Am I more fertile today, you may ask? I don't know. I do know that I am a little sore though, so it obviously worked something. Overtime the program will "help increase circulation to the reproductive organs, balance hormones, and reduce stress." I can definitely see how all of those things could help increase your fertility, and basically just make you a healthier person. Good health is very important especially when you are planning on a pregnancy.

Is this DVD going to get you pregnant? Perhaps. If you are a seasoned veteran on your 4th failed IVF, then probably not. I am a firm believer that infertility is a medical condition. All of the relaxing in the world is not going to cure Endometriosis, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, or Ovarian Failure. No, this DVD is not magic (and no one including Brenda is claiming it is) but it would be a great way to help you relax and recenter yourself during those emotional and stressful infertility treatments. This program is not called Yoga4INFERTILITY, it's call Yoga4 FERTILITY. It is not just for the infertile, and can help everyone who is even thinking about having a baby in the future. Take care of yourself now and hopefully you will never have to experience INfertility. If you are trying to conceive, thinking about trying to conceive, or have unexplained infertility, then this DVD is definitely something worth purchasing. This DVD is a great tool as you attempt to achieve your dream of starting (or completing) your family. I definitely recommend it!!


Now on to THE GIVEAWAY!


Yoga4Fertility was kind enough to send me a copy of the DVD to giveaway to one lucky reader. Here is how you can win. Giveaway will end June 30, 2010 at 12:00 am EST.


The Rules:
1. Leave a separate comment for each entry.
2. Leave an email, or make sure it is listed (and easy to find) on your blog or twitter page so I can contact the winner.

How to Enter:
1. (Mandatory) Because I am so inspired by Brenda speaking out about her infertility journey, I want to hear about yours. Leave me a comment briefly describing your journey through infertility, trying to conceive, or plans to try to conceive.
Example: 3 years, unexplained infertility, 1 successful IVF, several failed IUI's, trying to conceive in August, etc...
2. Follow Infertility Overachievers blog, and let me know if you already do (1 entry).
3. Follow @IFOverachievers on Twitter (1 entry).
4. Visit Yoga4Fertility website and take a look around at her products, let me know what you find interesting. (1 entry).
5. Tweet this message: “Test the "relax and it will happen" theory by entering to win a Yoga4Fertility DVD at @IFOverachievers #giveaway http://bit.ly/aRlP07" (1 entry per day, leave links for verification)
6. Blog about the contest (please leave a link to your post) (5 additional entries)
7. Grab my button for your blog. (5 additional entries)

I'll draw a winner using the Random Number Generator and announcing the winner sometime on Thursday (July 1, 2010). This giveaway is also listed on my giveaway blog. Comments to enter will be merged with those comments to pick ONE winner.

Thanks for entering and GOOD LUCK!


Disclosure: I was provided free of charge a copy of Yoga4Fertility to try out and review. My opinion was not influenced in any way by money or any other type compensation. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Savannah, GA!

I just wanted to check in with all of my blog friends really quickly. The reason I have not been around over the last few days is because I have been in SAVANNAH!! For those of you who don't know, Savannah Georgia is my hometown. I was born and raised here. I was 25 when I married Mike and the Army moved us far far away. Ok so maybe it was only as far as Columbus Georgia, but trust me it was far enough.

Mike is away at a his best friends bachelor party this weekend, so London and I took this opportunity to come visit our family and friends. We will be here until Sunday afternoon when Mike comes home. I will be sure to update on Monday so I can show off the gifts that we got Mike for Father's Day. Thanks for ll of the ideas!!

Until then, I will be enjoying the beach and spending time out on the river. I will be sure to have a "Call A Cab" for all of you. (And if you know what the means, you might just be my new best friend!!) I LOVE SAVANNAH!!!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Decuplets???

10 babies?!?!

On the tail of announcing our plans to start IVF # 2 this coming winter, I had a CRAZY nightmare dream about it last night. I know, I know. Nothing is more boring than when someone says "OMG, let me tell you my dream".  I mean, let's be serious people, I wasn't there when you were running from that 5 headed armadillo. I wasn't emotionally invested in the situation, so please don't expect me to care that it was so "real". I feel like dream telling always ends with "It was weird, I guess you had to be there", and if it doesn't end like that I can guarantee that the person listening is thinking that.

With that said...OMG, you need to hear this dream, it felt so REAL!

Last night I had a dream that we had done IVF #2 and decided to put only one embryo back in for fear of high order multiples. Well wouldn't you know it, that one embryo had split into 10 babies. Decuplets, which is what I learned they would be called this morning thanks to a pig breeding website. By definition most things only have one best part, but without a doubt this one had TWO!
The Best Part #1) They were all Boys!!
The Best Part #2) I didn't find out until the 20 week ultrasound that there was 10 of them.

Why are those the best parts?

#1) I want a little girl. This is not exactly a secret. Most Mom's want girls, and Dad's want boys. It's what you know. It's what you feel comfortable with. I have a little boy, and I would not trade him for the world. But if I had a little girl first, you can bet the bank that I would want a little boy right now. I really want at least one of each. I want to experience parenting both boys and girls. I am currently flexing my muscles in the art of getting dirty and playing with trucks. I would also love to one day demonstrate my amazing skills in dress up and nail painting departments. We have never actually had this talk, but I am pretty sure that if we had 10 boys Mike would not want to have anymore children. Actually I am pretty sure, I'd be done too. 11 boys?!?! I think even the Duggar's might would stop after Decuplets. Maybe I could adopt a girl? Lets just imagine the money it would take to feed 11 growing boys. No way I could fund an adoption.

#2) Can you imagine at 20 weeks after thinking you had a perfectly normal singleton pregnancy, you get the news that you are actually carrying TEN babies. WHAT?!?! I can not even imagine the logistics of ten babies. We thought Kate had it hard with 6, and then we gasped at Nadia with 8. Aly and Mike would have 10 though!! I am overwhelmed just dreaming about it. Have a I mentioned how petrified I am of multiples this time around. When we were trying to get pregnant with London, I was thrilled at the idea of multiples. I begged my RE to put 3 embryos back in at my ET. I more more afraid of a BFN than I was multiples. When we found out that I was pregnant with twins, I was ecstatic. I felt like we had hit the "buy one get one free" baby sale. This time, I. AM. SCARED. TO. DEATH. In my eyes, twins would be difficult but manageable, however just the thought of triplets or more makes my head hurt. We decided while making our Infertility Plan, that this time we will only put two embryos back. I know we put three back the first time and only end up with London. This time I am more way more scared of multiples than I am a BFN though. I went into preterm labor with a singleton. I can't imagine how my body would react if I was pregnant with 3 or more.

This one dream managed to hit on two of the fears I have with through another IVF cycle. These two fears have been pushed to the very back of my subconscious though. Probably due in part to how petty they are. Would I be upset if I had another boy? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I would LOVE for London to have a little brother. I love my boy and get giddy just thinking about being able to say  "my little boys"  Would I be upset if we had multiples? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I would be scared to death but definitely not upset. So how is it that these 2 silly little fears made it into my dream?

Who knows, but it was weird! I guess you have to have been there.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

IVF- The Sequel.

Thankfully things have finally calmed down with the move. We are still living in a temporary apartment, but our house closes on July 1st, so we are very excited about that. The one good thing about moving is that Mike and I had a lot of time on the road to talk. We spent some of that time making a Fertility Plan.

As you know, we have been really hoping that another IVF cycle is not in our future, however we are starting to accept that it probably is. IVF was not easy on us, but this time we are a little more prepared. We know what to expect and have the financial aspects of if covered. As it stands right now we are planning to do IVF #2 (AKA: The Sequel) sometime between November and January, depending on when I can get into a cycle. The timing seems right for us, so if we are going to do it we should probably do it now. I turn the big 3-0 in February, and my eggs are not getting any younger. I mean after all I couldn't get pregnant at 26, so I doubt it is going to get any easier in my 30's. Don't get me wrong, we are not throwing in the towel of getting pregnant naturally. I am still hoping for that surprise BFP on a natural cycle. In the mean time will keep trying on our own, but no more wasting time, energy, and money on infertility treatments that have never worked for us in the past. This time before I cycle, I would really like to limit my time spent on infertility drugs. I have a toddler  this time and I value my sanity too much these days. If there is one thing that I remembered while doing my last injectables and timed intercourse cycle, it's how CRAZY infertility drugs make me. When we did our last IVF, I had pretty much been on some some sort drug for 15 months straight. It was horrible. I want this time to be different. I want to enjoy the months leading up to my treatment. Not many people are able to do that, so I definitely want to try.

Why November? Well, My best friend and Mike's best friend are both getting married in September. One wedding will be in Chicago and the other will be in Virginia,  and only one week apart. So it is going to be a very exhausting exciting time for us that month. I don't want to have to worry about anything infertility related while all of that is going on. It can be like our last big bash, before jumping back on the IVF train.

Also if we are successful, London would be 2 and a half by the time the new baby was born. I think that is a great age difference for the kids. If I am forced to be on bed rest again at any point during my pregnancy, I would have to put London in at least part-time day care. I have always said that I didn't want him in daycare until he is at least 2 years old. So, again, the dates work out well there too.

Basically, for a lot of reasons that I won't bore you with, this is the timing that works best for us. Hopefully it works the first time and we don't have to do multiple cycles. But we have accepted the fact that just because it worked the first time doesn't mean it is going to work again. We are trying to stay positive and realistic at the same time, but sometimes those two things don't mix very well.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

While Mom Is Away...

...the boys will play.

I often wonder what goes on when I leave London at home with Mike. Do they do manly stuff? Does Mike even pay attention to him? Does London have fun? Does he miss me? Well I found my answers. While uploading the photos from the camera the other day, I found these. 






"I don't know Dad, Mom doesn't usually let me play with markers, much less draw a mustache. Are you sure this is OK? "


"Wait a minute, you're not trying to get me in trouble here are you? You're sure you talked to Mom and she said this was OK?"

"OK your right, I do look pretty awesome in this green mustache. This is fun"
                                    

"Your turn Dad. What color do you want yours to be? Dad? Wait! Dad, where are you going? Awww, Man. YOU GOT ME! I look like an idiot, don't I? I'll get you back don't worry. Actually now that I think about it, I feel a poop coming on, so break out your gloves, this is gonna get messy." 

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Father's Day???

OK Blog readers, I need help! (Shocking, right?)

As I am sure you already know, and if you don't please allow this post to serve are your reminder, Father's Day is June 20th. Between moving, trying to unpack, sharing a car (Mike's is in the shop), and taking care of London I have done NOTHING to prepare. Last year it was easy. Mike was deployed, and London was only 3 months old. So we made him a care package containing a bunch of junk food, a card in which I recorded London cooing, and this picture.

This year is not as easy. This year Mike is not being held hostage by the Army deployed thousands of miles away. This time he has all of the major conveniences that the local 7-11 and Walmart can offer. He also gets to see London in all of his toddler into-everything-bad attitude-fit-throwing glory on a daily basis. Sometimes he probably gets to see London a little TOO much. 

I know what the above sign says, but since he was gone last year this is actually Mike's FIRST Father's Day. I want to do something special for him. Of course I could just buy him a gift but I want it to be meaningful. I believe last year I threw an Ipod shuffle into his package and called it his "gift", but really what does an Ipod have to do with being the awesome father that he is? I want something that lets him know that I couldn't have chosen a better Dad for London, even if I tried. I want something that lets him know what an amazing job he is doing at this whole fatherhood thing. And not only is he doing an awesome job, but I want him to know that I notice that he is an amazing Dad. I just want him to know that he is appreciated. 

I am sure you can tell that I am putting a lot of pressure on myself. I mean it is just a day, right? However with all the chaos going on in our lives right now, I would really like to just take one day and celebrate something. 

So what are you doing for your husband on Father's Day? Keep in mind, I will probably be stealing your ideas, so if this bothers you don't comment :)

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Where I've been?

OK well since you asked, 
I've been in 

VEGAS!!!


Our trip was amazing! I won some money, then lost a little, then won some more. I came out pretty much even. Which in Vegas is a WIN!

We went and saw 
Cirque du Soleil

And let me just tell you it was AMAZING!!!! It was quite possibly my favorite part of the whole trip, well that and all the free wine you can drink while gambling. Actually on second thought my favorite part was definitely the wine. :)

I missed London terribly but he had a lot of fun with his Abuela and TiTi.  I came home to a very happy little man. I can not thank them enough for keeping him for us.

On a side note we have officially moved. We just got here today and let me just tell you it was CHAOS! It took us A LOT longer than we expected to get moved out and get the house cleaned and ready for the renters. We were running around like crazy people. Allow me to explain how crazy. I walked off  and left about $5000 worth of Gonal F in the refrigerator (infertility medications for my non IF readers). Seriously, how could I leave that? We are not doing a cycle right now, but I will definitely be needing it again in a few months. Thankfully Mike called the new renters and told them not to throw it away and my AWESOME friend Sierra is going to mail it over night (on ice of course) to me next week. Disaster Averted!!!

I finally have internet back so I will be updating on here a lot more now. The last week has been exhausting and I desperately need to recharge. It's bed time for me now!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Blog Hop Against Bullying


This may not surprise you but in highschool I was not exactly the most popular girl. Don't get me wrong, I had plenty of friends, but we were FAR from the popular crowd.With that said I was very lucky to never have been bullied.  However, that is not always the case for children across America. School is hard enough with the added stress that comes with being bullied. I can only hope London won't have to experience any of this when he gets older. Click on the linky above to help support The Blog Hop Against Bullying.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Guest Blog: Making Babies Military Style

I am sorry I have not been around very much recently but between the trip to Las Vegas and moving, I have had ZERO time to actually sit down and write anything. Hopefully by tomorrow, I will have time to write an actual update about our life right now. It has been pretty crazy and exciting, but does not involve a BFP sadly enough.  I guess we are technically taking the month OFF, but I was kinda hoping for an oops. If you know what I mean. 
My very good friend (in both real life and the bloggy world) Erin from over at The Unexpected Army Life was kind enough to do a guest blog so that Infertility Overachievers won't just sit here stagnant any longer. She is a fellow military wife, and while she does not suffer from "infertility" she has had her own struggles both getting and staying pregnant. Go visit her page here http://erinlive13.blogspot.com/

Here are her thoughts. 

Making Babies: Military Style.

From the time my husband and I were dating, we talked about having a family. We had a plan of how old we wanted to be and what we wanted to have accomplished before kids. Get this, I even had the time of year picked out that I would like to be pregnant. We wanted to wait until we were 29ish, he would have made Major and I would have gotten my graduate degree. Oh, and we would make babies in late summer/early fall so that I wouldn’t have to ever be pregnant during the Summer, Life would be perfect.

Six years later, and those fantasies have long ago been thrown out the window. What we have is the most amazing 12 month old daughter a parent could ask for. But we are still a few years off from 30, my husband is not a Major, I do not hold a Masters degree, and we still haven’t taken that European vacation. That said, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

However, the point still remains. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to procreation, I prefer to do it on my own time. Thank you very much. However, the reality is, I don’t make babies on my own time, I make them on the Army’s time. Or if you want to look at it less harshly, we make babies on the time that would work best for us given what the Army has in store.

If I were to say that the Army didn’t have a say in the timing of our daughter, I would be lying. Two years ago, my husband had recently returned from his second deployment and because of various training programs, we were looking at least two years of dwell time. We decided to go for it. That’s not to say that we didn’t feel ready to expand our family, but it may not have been the timeline we would have optimally chosen were we not on a military schedule.

What about when you want to have a baby and the military hinders your plans? As it turns out, the Army doesn’t plan their training and deployment schedules based on my fertility cycle. Shocking, no?

Getting pregnant is hard enough, add into the mix training missions, deployments, and trips to the field. It is like being at the Masters and having your only chance of winning is to get a hole-in-one. Good luck with that. Let me tell you, there is nothing more frustrating than wanting a baby, realizing that it is prime time for fertility, and knowing it is impossible because your spouse is 3000 miles away. Last time I checked, sperm doesn’t travel that far.

And what about when you suffer from infertility or have a miscarriage? My husband and I recently suffered an early miscarriage while trying to get pregnant with our second child before he deployed. Going through that is heartbreaking enough, and it is just an extra kick in the ovaries knowing that your time to try again is limited, has to be put on hold, or is non-existant.

I guess if the military wanted you to have a family they would have issued you one. Well too bad, Army! You have taught us military spouse anything it is to thrive off turning lemons into lemonade. So we will have our babies…even if it is on your time. The military might win that battle, but we will win the war.