From the Pregnancy Files

Breakfast this morning would probably gross me out any other time: Whole wheat pancakes with syrup on a plate ... chili w/ cheese and sour cream in a bowl ... Never the two in my mouth at the same time, but I did eat them both in one sitting. And finally feel full and satisfied. And oddly, NOT nauseated.

Geeze ... This little bean is taking over my body!!! I guess I should have expected that ... They do take it over for a year or two (longer if you nurse full time).

Owell. I'll take the weird foodness if I can have a healthy baby!

1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes.
2. Have you ever smoked heroin? No ... I've never done drugs. Oddly.
3. Do you own a gun? No, although my brothers and dad wish I would buy one ...
4. Your favorite song? Um ... don't have one.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Depends -- if it's a checkup, not usually. I did get very nervous when I was having all those new doctors dealing with my heart last year though.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Ew, although I'm sure at some point this baby will want me to eat one.
7. Favorite Christmas song? I rather enjoyed the video of the men's group singing the funniest 12 days.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Water, OJ.
9. Can you do push ups? Not since my surgery.
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My engagement ring.
12. Favorite hobby? Aside from "watching" movies with DH, I like to crochet.
14. Do you have A.D.D.? No.
15. What one trait do you hate about yourself? That I am lazy.
16. What is your middle name? Fatoush.
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment...I feel like I'm going to puke, I need to work, and I have no idea how all the bills are getting paid.
18. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink. Water, OJ, milk. Hot chocolate and egg nog in the winter (the best kind of egg nog is Southern Comfort -- it's nonalcoholic and delish)
19. Current worry right now? The pregnancy
20. Current hate right now? Nausea
21. Favorite place to be? In DH's arms
22. How will you bring in the New Year? *hoping* DH is really up to visiting family so they'll watch kiddo overnight so we can have some alone time ... "watching" movies ...
23. Where would you like to go? East Coast and see Grampa, or Europe, OR I'd like to visit DH's island of birth.
24. Name three people who will complete this? No idea -- CC might, Kip might, DAWN will probably steal it.
25. Do you own slippers? Yes ... but no idea where they are
26. What shirt are you wearing? A pink 3/4 sleeve top and a microfleece top over it. I'm cold.
27. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Never have. I'd rather have flannel in the winter.
28. Can you whistle? mhm
29. Favorite color? Green, blue, purple ...
where are 30, 31, and 32?
33. Favorite girl's name? NO ideah, which is bad since I'm PREGNANT.
34. Favorite boy's name? (see above)
35. What's in your pocket right now? No pockets in my jammy pants
36. Last thing that made you laugh? Munchkin being silly.
37. Best bed sheets as a child? ... no idea.
38. Worst injury you've ever had? Various broken bones. But the surgery, while not an injury, was the worst to recover from.
39. Do you love where you live? I love my condo. I don't like snow. Too bad we live in Utah.
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two, unless you count the portable DVD player, in which case it is 3.
41. Who is your loudest friend? ... I'm probably the loudest one, actually.
42. How many dogs do you have? None and won't unless I want DH to eat it.
43. Does someone have a crush on you? Just my husband.
44. Favorite book? The scriptures? No ideah.
46. What is your favorite candy? Currently, cinnamon bears.
47. Favorite Sports Team? bah.
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Whatever is fitting.
49. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Finishing work.
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Wondered if DH was going to make it home in the exploder. he was late. (He did)

So, I quit spotting ...

Yeah, I started spotting? sort of on Sunday. Had some light pink discharge. Took it easy Monday, had one more that night, and then it went away. Still told my family about the baby, just told mom I was having this problem and was having back cramps and needed prayers. Felt just fine Tuesday and DH was feeling frisky that night ... so ... yeah. Anyway. Had brown spotting Wednesday morning and more pink discharge. When I mentioned to the midwife that we'd played Saturday night, too, she said no nookie for a while. *sigh* Owell, I haven't had any spotting since Wednesday, so I guess we'll survive without the nookie. We have to if we want the baby to be okay, and we really do want this baby to be okay.

So last night, DH left for work on time. About 20 minutes later, the garage opened up again. Apparently, one of the tires blew out on him just before he got on the freeway. He had to drive on it about a mile to get it to a parking lot, so I was panicked about the rim but very glad he was okay. He got to work about an hour late after having to stop and put air in the explorer's tires. *rolling eyes*

He's been crashed the last couple days anyway. One of his friends has been a very bad word this week and DH doesn't deal well with people backstabbing him. So, the tire thing ... was too much. We'd planned to go to lunch with my folks, but he was too out of it, so I had them come get kiddo and me and we went to lunch. Then my dad changed the tire and we got it fixed (the rim was fine) and ran a whole bunch of errands, including getting groceries and going to the bank (two of them) and the post office. I'm now exhausted and have quite a bit of work left. At least Munchkin got to hang out with me for a while today ... gah ...

It's official: I'm pregnant!


So the day of my last post, 12/03, I passed out for two hours in the afternoon snuggled up with DH. Didn't think much of it until the next morning, when I got up at 6, worked for a bit, went out to help kiddo get ready for school, laid down on the couch, and the next thing I knew it was an hour later and she was late to school. I decided I had to take a test because that's just not normal! lol. We also had some drama with dh's job that same day/week -- which made me go, "I bet I'm pregnant." So I took a test as soon as I dropped her off.

There was a very faint line. I was only 12DPO, so I wasn't expecting it to be flaming positive, but still didn't believe the tiny line. I bought a digital test, which DH hid from me to take 15DPO, but I couldn't wait. I bought 4 more $tree tests and took one 14DPO, which had a darker line, but it was still light. The digital test said Pregnant! though, so I was thrilled. I made an appointment with my CNM for January 4th! I still took another test 16DPO just to see, and it was slightly darker. The one 20DPO was VERY dark, and at that point a friend of mine mentioned she was late. I gave her the last test so I wouldn't have to take it, too. She's pregnant as well and due the day before me!

We decided not to tell anyone just yet. DH told his family a week ago, but I wanted to tell my folks in person today, then announce it to the rest of my sibs. My sis went to lunch with me two weeks ago and noticed I didn't eat much, and then last week, well, because I'm me and have these genes, the baby is already making my tummy poke out, so I told her so she wouldn't just wonder. lol. Sorry you're all having to wait. I also ended up tellng mamabear because she has us for Christmas and called to say she was shipping something, so I asked her to ship her maternity clothes, too (thanks!!!).

In retrospect, I had been having weird cravings from about 9DPO -- ate part of a can of French's Fried Onions right out of the darn can. In bed. While DH was at work. He was kind of annoyed when he got home and crawled into crumbs. We also had some cherry pie filling in the cupboard, which I wanted to eat right from the can, too, but didn't let myself. I made a cherry crumble, and it turned out pretty well.

I am nauseated, tired, boobs/nipples hurt like mad, I'm bloated, constipated, frisky as all get out at random points throughout the day (never when DH is available, so I'm also frustrated!), emotional, surviving on saltines and ginger ale, etc. etc. etc. I'll take every symptom though because it's a good sign for the bean being stuck in there.

So, today (12/18) I was snuggling with DH in bed, and he said, "this is something I'm going to miss." I said, "What?" "When you get too big to snuggle me like this." Which made me laugh -- when we were dating, he loved to cuddle and kiss and all that stuff, but after we got married, the amount of time we spent doing that stuff started making him feel claustrophobic (since he's not a snuggly person by nature), and he started asking me to NOT snuggle him in bed so much. It was a little weird/hard for me, but I guess after a little over a year of marriage, he's enjoying the time we've been spending, just snuggling, which has increased again to where it was when we first got married. I reminded him and he got a tad embarrassed and said, "things change." And we just kept holding each other and snuggling. It was nice.

My folks came here on their way down to Springville, and I gave them their present: Hand made paper ornaments ... and one of them had the last pregnancy test attached to it. lol. Mom flipped it over to look at the back, and I said, "no, you need to look at the white stick again." She did and said, "IT'S PINK! Does that mean it's a girl?" hehehehe. She and dad both laughed and were quite reassured when I told them Munchkin had me wipe it off with antibacterial wipes before we gave it to them.

Merry Christmas! Baby is due 8/15, which is 12 days after Munchkin's birthday and one week before her own due date. So she's excited to get a baby for her birthday. hehehe.

It's official: I'm pregnant!

So on 12/03, I passed out for two hours in the afternoon snuggled up with DH. Didn't think much of it until the next morning, when I got up at 6, worked for a bit, went out to help kiddo get ready for school, laid down on the couch, and the next thing I knew it was an hour later and she was late to school. I decided I had to take a test because that's just not normal! lol. We also had some drama with dh's job that same day/week -- which made me go, "I bet I'm pregnant." So I took a test as soon as I dropped her off.

There was a very faint line. I was only 12DPO, so I wasn't expecting it to be flaming positive, but still didn't believe the tiny line. I bought a digital test, which DH hid from me to take 15DPO, but I couldn't wait. I bought 4 more $tree tests and took one 14DPO, which had a darker line, but it was still light. The digital test said Pregnant! though, so I was thrilled. I made an appointment with my CNM for January 4th! I still took another test 16DPO just to see, and it was slightly darker. The one 20DPO was VERY dark, and at that point a friend of mine mentioned she was late. I gave her the last test so I wouldn't have to take it, too. She's pregnant as well and due the day before me!

We decided not to tell anyone just yet. DH told his family a week ago, but I wanted to tell my folks in person today, then announce it to the rest of my sibs. My sis went to lunch with me two weeks ago and noticed I didn't eat much, and then last week, well, because I'm me and have these genes, the baby is already making my tummy poke out, so I told her so she wouldn't just wonder. lol. Sorry you're all having to wait. I also ended up tellng mamabear because she has us for Christmas and called to say she was shipping something, so I asked her to ship her maternity clothes, too (thanks!!!).

In retrospect, I had been having weird cravings from about 9DPO -- ate part of a can of French's Fried Onions right out of the darn can. In bed. While DH was at work. He was kind of annoyed when he got home and crawled into crumbs. We also had some cherry pie filling in the cupboard, which I wanted to eat right from the can, too, but didn't let myself. I made a cherry crumble, and it turned out pretty well.

I am nauseated, tired, boobs/nipples hurt like mad, I'm bloated, constipated, frisky as all get out at random points throughout the day (never when DH is available, so I'm also frustrated!), emotional, surviving on saltines and ginger ale, etc. etc. etc. I'll take every symptom though because it's a good sign for the bean being stuck in there.

So, today (12/18) I was snuggling with DH in bed, and he said, "this is something I'm going to miss." I said, "What?" "When you get too big to snuggle me like this." Which made me laugh -- when we were dating, he loved to cuddle and kiss and all that stuff, but after we got married, the amount of time we spent doing that stuff started making him feel claustrophobic (since he's not a snuggly person by nature), and he started asking me to NOT snuggle him in bed so much. It was a little weird/hard for me, but I guess after a little over a year of marriage, he's enjoying the time we've been spending, just snuggling, which has increased again to where it was when we first got married. I reminded him and he got a tad embarrassed and said, "things change." And we just kept holding each other and snuggling. It was nice.

My folks came here on their way down to Springville, and I gave them their present: Hand made paper ornaments ... and one of them had the last pregnancy test attached to it. lol. Mom flipped it over to look at the back, and I said, "no, you need to look at the white stick again." She did and said, "IT'S PINK! Does that mean it's a girl?" hehehehe. She and dad both laughed and were quite reassured when I told them Munchkin had me wipe it off with antibacterial wipes before we gave it to them.

Merry Christmas! Baby is due 8/15, which is 12 days after Munchkin's birthday and one week before her own due date. So she's excited to get a baby for her birthday. hehehe.

Our Tiny Christmas Tree

Long story short, we bought a new tree this year: A *yittle* one. Hubby asked for it instead of either of the big ones because our house is crowded (true), so I picked one up. Munchkin made the topper, which is hard to see, but has a star on it, and she and I picked out the ornaments at The Evil Empire yesterday: Reindeer, teddy bears, santas, snow flakes, and the gold balls, with a garland to match. We decorated it last night, hubby even helped, and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. The cord is too short to reach an outlet where it is, so it's not turned on yet, but we're getting an extension cord so it can be! YAY! We all feel more like Christmas is here now. :)

awww, It's Christmas!

So, hubby doesn't love holidays. In fact, he hates them. His birthdays and the holidays always sucked. Until me. lol. Actually, last year things were tough -- he'd ask for something and then want something different. *sigh* This year ... I've done better as far as gifts go, but I've been so busy lately I haven't done *any* holiday baking or decorating. We usually have the tree up by the end of Thanksgiving weekend, and I start baking then too. Not this year. So the other day, hubby was talking about my toffee cookies ... so last night after he went to work, I made him a batch. He came home this morning and didn't even see them, and I said, "I made you a surprise, go look on the stove!" He started eating one and said, "awwww, it's Christmas!" hehehe. He's so cute. He may not want to do something with my ENTIRE family, but at least he's enjoying *something* about the holidays!

Dentists, drugs, and hangovers!

Kiddo went to the dentist for a filling yesterday. Because she suffers from such high anxiety, he cranked the nitrous all the way to the top. Within about 30 seconds, she was very calm and started being silly. A few minutes later, the assistant turned down the nitrous. Munchkin kept saying things like, "I feel goooooooooood," and trying to wave at everyone who came in the room, nearly poking people's eyes out because she was so uncoordinated. She didn't fight any of the work after that, and it didn't take too long to finish her up.

However, as soon as they turned off the nitrous and sat her up, she started crying from a horrible headache and whined the entire time home! She felt like she was going to puke and ended up sleeping it off (which gave me the opportunity for a well deserved and well needed nap myself!).

Being the mom that I am, we had a talk about drugs and alcohol and WHY people do the things they do (because it makes them feel good temporarily), but that they always feel like that afterward. I told her I hope she never has to go through that again, whether it's from a medication at the doctor or choices she makes as an adult, and she agreed.

This on the heels of the sex talk the other day. I guess kids have been talking about it at school. She's in third grade!!!! Gah. At least now she knows where babies come from.

So my normal mantra of "no drinking, no smoking, no drugs, no boys, i love you" as she got out of the car to go into school this morning made more sense to her. hahahaha.

Amazing.

Hilarious. Fantastic.

Enough.

Random Tears

RS/Priesthood were combined today and ran a few minutes over. The lesson was pretty good, but all thoughts of it flew out of my mind within a couple minutes. One of my friends came in at the end and said "your daughter is waiting out in the hall, I told her class was almost over." No biggie, right? Munchkin is the LEAST likely kid to take off or hide, she's so responsible it's scary sometimes. So I go out in the hall after the prayer. No Munchkin. Up and down the hall both directions. No Munchkin. Same friend sees me frantic, starts looking as well. No Munchkin. Primary room? No Munchkin, even though she had gone back in there and told the Primary pres she wanted to wait in there since she didn't want to be alone. The primary pres starts looking with me, I'm starting to Freak out. No Munchkin. Back into the gym (where my class was instead of the RS room). She sees two of Munchkin's friends and asks them if they've seen her. "She's looking for you!" I said, "If she comes back, tell her to stay HERE." The primary pres runs across the gym and grabs Munchkin as she's headed out the other side again. I start bawling my head off. lolol. Geeze. Munchkin has agreed that if I'm not in the RS room, she's to go back to the primary room and STAY THERE. We had this whole talk about how if you're lost, you need to stay in one place so someone can find you. Yeah, she insisted she wasn't lost, that it was ME who was lost. *sigh* So I said, "You stay put. Let the grown up (me) find YOU." AAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

SUGAR

Munchkin has some strange eating habits. She's not exactly a vegetarian, as she avoids eating vegetables, but she doesn't prefer to eat meat usually either. Basically, she doesn't like anything but carbs and LOVES sugar. We've been cutting back on her sugar intake because of this, and her daddy is pretty strict about when/how much sugar she can have. Obviously, all of this is on her mind, because last night, when I was putting Munchkin to bed, she asked what sugar is made of. I told her sugar cane or beets. She asked what beets are. "A sweet red vegetable." "A vegetable? WEIRD!" Yeah, so then she asked if you had to beat them to get the sugar out. I told her I didn't know, but it was made in a factory. She then asked, "So, if the sugar is from beets, doesn't that count as eating a vegetable?" hahahaha ... I laughed. Then I said no.

I jacked it from Dawn!

What. Turnabout is fair play!!!

On a separate sheet of paper, write out your full name. Then, extract all the vowels and write them in order here to get your aloha name.

Eeyeaouaeaa

How old are you?

31 (ha, i'm younger!)

In fifteen words or fewer, describe yourself as a child.

Smarty-pants. Bossy. Stubborn. Brilliant. Oblivious. -- huh, seems Dawn and I were the same child.

In fifteen words or fewer, describe yourself today.

Bossy. Stubborn. Tired. Brilliant. Nauseated.

What did you eat for breakfast?

I *think* I had cheesy hashbrowns and an egg before I started feeling sick ...

What kind of clothing (or lack thereof) do you sleep in?

Underwear in the summer, fleece stuff in the winter.

Think back: in reverse order, what color have you worn for the past five days, including today?

Green and pink, black, black, ... no idea? (going with the dominant shirt color only, in case you were wondering. -- me too)


If the Talent Fairy flew into the room, what skill or talent would you request from her?

Flight.

Favorite flavor of milkshake?

Probably chocolate or raspberry if made with real berries.

Favorite kind of pie?

Pumpkin, although this week I wanted cherry ... and I REALLY like buttermilk.

Favorite kind of donut?

Glazed. Or the coconut covered ones at Macey's.

Favorite cocktail?

I used to like screwdrivers ...

What is your favorite TV show?

I don't watch TV.

Finish this sentence: All I want for Christmas is ___________.

What I already got ... and if hubby can figure out a way to make all of my wildest dreams come true, that'd be cool, too.

Look out the nearest window. What do you see?

A parking lot.

What's the last thing you purchased?

Groceries (including ice cream).

What would you rather be doing right now?

Sleeping. -- Amen, sistah!

What is the last non-communication (email, blog) website you visited?

PROBABLY a trying to conceive message board. Wait, that doesn't count? Yahoo.

MEME!

1. Where where you 3 hours ago? Making and eating dinner: Broiled salmon, noodles, mixed veggies.
2. Who are you in love with? My husband and my child(ren).
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon? Probably.
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? My Kleenex box and a medical reference book.
5. When was the last time you went to the mall? A few weeks ago for a failed laser hair removal treatment. I cried through it, so we ended it.
6. Are you wearing socks right now? No, I can't find my warm ones!
7. Do you have a car worth over $2000? Yes, and one that is not.
8. When was the last time you drove out of town? May to Park City for a getaway with hubby. I need another one.
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? No
10. What was the last thing you had to drink? Water. And hot chocolate.
11. What are you wearing right now? capris, a black T-shirt, and a gray hoodie.
12. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? I let hubby do it.
13. Last food you ate? Cherry crumble.
14. Where were you last week this time? Probably in the same place: glued to this chair, supposed to be working.
15. Have you purchased any clothing items in the last week? No, but I returned some to Old Navy yesterday.
16. When is the last time you flossed? Not recently enough.
17. What is the last TV program you watched? I have no idea.
18. What is your favorite animal? Kittens.
19. What sign are you? Taurus.
20. What is your favorite dream vacation? Somewhere warm in the winter. Like Hawaii.
21. Last person's home you were in? I'm assuming you mean besides mine. Probably my in-laws.
22. Worst injury you ever had? Broken legs, probably.
23. Do you miss anyone right now? My mom.
24. Last play you saw? I have no idea.
25. What is you secret weapon to lure the opposite sex? I go to bed naked. He usually responds.
26. What are your plans for this evening? Work, send hubby to work, work some more, and sleep.
27. Next trip you are going to take? I *think* we're going to Cali next summer, but that's kind of up in the air.
28. Ever go to camp? Girls camp, yes.
29. Were you an honor roll student? Yeah. I don't know how though.
30. What do you want to know about the future? Really, I just want to know we're all okay and hubby stays on his meds and at some point I'd really like to be able to quit my job and just be a mom, but we'd still need a roof over our heads and a reliable vehicle and food on the table before I can do that.
31. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? No.
32. Are you due sometime soon for a doctors visit? Probably should see one in the next month or so.
33. Where is your mother? On an airplane, probably about to land in Milwaukee (not the one in Oregon, but I can't remember how to spell the BIG one).
34. Do you have a tan? It's December. No.
35. What are you listening to right now? I *should* be listening to the voices in my head.
36. Do you collect anything? Not so much. I collected stickers as a kid though.
37. Who is the biggest liar you know? ME. :P
38. Last time you got stopped by cop or pulled over? Five years ago this month -- right before I moved to Utah.
39. What is the weird exotic food that you like? I like sushi. NOW. I never did before I got married though.
41. Last time you took a shower? So gross. Yesterday morning.
42. Sesame Street Character you most identify with? Snufflupugus. Some days I feel invisible, too.
44. What is your heritage? Some European stuff, and Lebanese.
45. Are you rich? NO. Some months we're more comfortable than others though.

I hate being in that one week wait, where you *could* be pregnant, but might not be, and your mind starts playing tricks on you OR your body is gearing up for AF. My boobs are HUGE, I am super tired, and I started getting nauseated a couple of nights ago. I am 11 DPO today and will not test until this coming weekend unless AF shows up. Seeing BFNs bums me out worse than when AF gets here. Yeah. *if* my LP is only 13 or 14 days, AF should be here Wed or Thurs, but if my CL stays around 30 days, AF should be here Saturday. But all of that is up in the air from the Clomid.

YES, I am obsessed! although not as much as some people on the TTC forum I go to ... at least I didn't start POAS 6 DPO.

Basketball

WHY oh WHY do sports get used as analogies for SEX???

BA, sadly, Parker is not the only one who has done this.

Although, saying "he shoots, he scores!" when talking about a man rendering his wife pregnant is a little different ... but still.

Even DH said, "is it time to shoot darts yet?" Geeze ...

that is all.

Deep Breath

Some of you know ... Hubby was on meds for his bipolar disorder over the summer. He got pretty crazy while he was on them, but we figured out that the body building stuff he was taking was interacting with the medication. So he quit taking both.

Things have still been hard, but not nearly as stressful as they were. His new shift at work is going okay. Small Fry isn't coming out for Christmas, which we're both fine with. The biggest thing right now is that Clomid has made me mildly crazy, and I can't take my herbal antidepressants because if I *do* get pregnant, they can cause miscarriages.

He's been crashed for two days after my last episode of Clomid Crazies. So he decided last night to go back on the medication.

I'm just a little scared, but told him I'd support him. So he took a dose this morning. He's feeling pretty good right now; hoping that continues. Reminded him probably none of the body building stuff will work with it; he's taking it in stride and goign to avoid it all. So that's good.

Christmas SURVEY!

Swiped it from Bobbie. Thought it might get me in the mood ...

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate. Egg nog makes me gag unless it's diluted with milk or sprite, but I still prefer hot chocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Most are wrapped, unless they're in a stocking or too bulky/big to wrap.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I prefer white, but I think my tree that *isn't* broken is colored ...

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope, don’t need any (ditto) (hehehe! me too)

5. When do you put up your decorations? I used to follow my mom's tradition of putting them up on Black Friday or the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, but since I got married ... it's not set in stone. Probably ought to do it next weekend though.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Oh boy ... I just like food. Right now, I'm craving more sweet potato casserole ... might have to make more ... I love the honeybaked ham thing we buy once a year (costco's is the best next to the real HBH, but the costco one costs a lot less), cheesy potatoes, any of the homemade goodies I made most years ... toffee ... mmmmm ...

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: I dunno. My folks always tried to make them special, even when they were broke. I still find myself doing things just because that's the way they did things. Like oranges and peanuts in stockings -- only we skip the peanuts, and I changed to chocolate oranges because our Munchkin won't eat oranges! hehehe

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yep, from Babushka.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? With ornaments and lights. How do you do it? (lol)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Need it! It better start snowing soon or we will have a bad summer next year. (no kidding)

12. Can you ice skate? Yeah, but not like figure skating ...

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I think it was my digital camera last year from Hubby. Or the year I got to tell my family I was expecting Munchkin ... or her first Christmas the next year. That was a blessed Christmas. I was single, and broke, and didn't have a coat. Someone in the ward dropped off a card just before Christmas with $200 in cash in it and a note to buy a coat for myself, signed "a sister in the Gospel." Never found out who it was, but THAT was awesome.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with family and friends (ditto)

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pumpkin pie this year. Or the sweet potatoes ... dang. I like GOOD food. The things I only make at Christmas, like shortbread, toffee, peppermint chocolate, toffee cookies, pumpkin bars and rolls ... Yeah, anything GOOD.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Reading Luke 2 and Babushka (thanks Kirstie) Christmas Eve.

17. What tops your tree? ... An angel, but I need a new one.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Honestly, I'm really bad at giving gifts to certain people. Everything I've given my mother has been dubbed "cheesy" (not necessarily by her). I've bombed out on my gifts to my husband, although I'm hoping the darn massage mat goes over well.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I like most of them, but one of my favorites is Candlelight Carol -- have sung it with my mom several times.

20. Candy Canes? Yes

21. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? It can be. I try not to make it that way at our house.

Owie.

Munchkin called me about 20 minutes ago with a really bad migraine, crying her eyes out. So I picked her up. As we're leaving the school, she tells me it's not a migraine (what???) but her head does hurt really bad 'cuz a kid on the playground was running really fast and smacked into her, skull into her cheekbone. OWIE. She's had ibuprofen and has ice on it, and she's snuggled up in the corner in my office on a little mattress with blankies and my jacket watching a movie with headphones on. Oy.

And I just wanted to point out there is some irony in the below post about my sweet husband and our relationship. I posted it on a day that usually has me in hysteria -- it was the day I married my ex 10 years ago. There's a date in October that gets me the same way ... don't remember reacting that day either, and it's usually worse for me! I didn't even remember until Monday when I started working and realized that both dates had passed. This is very good progress!!!!!

Happy 200th post! A survey!

Who eats more? DH, I'm sure ...
Who said "I love you" first? He did.
Who weighs more? I think it's a toss up.
Who sings better? ME!!!
Who’s older? Me
Who’s smarter? We both have our strengths. And our weaknesses
Whose temper is worse? Um ... yes?
Who does the laundry? mostly me, some DH.
Who does the dishes? mostly me, some DH.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me
Who plays golf better? I don't think either of us plays.
Who’s better with the computer? Probably him in some ways, me in others.
Who pays the bills? Me
Who cooks dinner? Me
Who drives when you are together? Usually him, unless he's really tired
Who pays when you go out to dinner? He does.
Who is the most stubborn? Definitely not me.
Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? He is, since he's always wrong. Just kidding. I think he does well admitting when he's wrong ... and he admits when I'm wrong.
Whose parents do you see more? His
Who named your pet? We don't have one
Who kissed who first? Hubby.
Who asked who out? Our first date my BIL and sis asked us out. After that, it was all him.
Who’s more sensitive? Yes.
Who’s taller? Hubby
Who has more friends? um ... me?
Who has more siblings? It's a tie, unless you don't count his brother who passed away in infancy. Then I win.
Who wears the pants in the relationship? We're not perfect, but we try to give and take. Of course, he knows to keep me happy and not crying I have to get my way sometimes, but at the same time, he gets his way and gets quite spoiled. His dad told me I spoil him too much, his life is too good now, but then in the same breath said thanks because who knows where he would be if he hadn't married me. lol

*happy dance*

Just had my first +OPK test. Ever. I'd quit using them in July when I ran out since I never got a dark test line. I'm almost as excited as if it was a pregnancy test, but hey, at least I'm gonna ovulate!!! Happy happy joy joy joy, trying to wait another hour to tell hubby when he asked me to wake him up for the day instead of waking him up early. lol

All I want for Christmas ...

So, shopping for hubby for Christmas or birthdays or anything is really hard. I love seeing when he's happy, but I have failed miserably a couple of times with gifts. BUT he is getting a massage pad for his computer chair for Christmas. It's the only thing he's ever specifically asked for, so I bought it and hid it a couple of weeks ago. Then today he came in the bedroom and said, "Y'know what I really want for Christmas?" Enter my heart sinking, just knowing he was going to ask for power tools or something. "I want you to take the money and spend it on yourself." WHAT??? "I love watching you and Munchkin on Christmas, opening gifts and being so happy, and I have everything I need and want in you and Munchkin. We have a house, clothes, food, jobs ... I don't want anything else." What a sweetie. I told him tough cookies, I'd already bought his gift, but that he totally made my day. :)

HAPPY 100 POSTS!

And the Clomid Crazies continue ...

So I had an appointment for laser hair removal today. It's never fun, and I never do it near my period because the hormones make you more sensitive to the laser. We did that once, and I decided never again.

Well, guess what?

Clomid makes your body's hormones go a bit wacky, too. I *CRIED* through the first 5 minutes, so she stopped and said, "we can reschedule for next month." I was like, "okay. *sniff*" Yeah. I've never cried before. She is 7 months pregnant and said, "Well, honey, with the Clomid, you have more hormones going through you than I do right now." She's an APRN who used to work at planned parenthood. lol. So yeah. She knows. She marked today as "no treatment" and rescheduled for the week before Christmas. Hopefully I get pregnant and won't be able to go in, but damn, that was the worst one EVER, including the treatment where I ended up BURNED.

I called hubby, and he was somewhat sympathetic and apologized (since I'm doing the hair removal at his request and expense), then I went to Costco with my DisGrace, Dizzy, and Bru, and by the time I got home, I was near hysterical. Hubby gave me a hug and when I burst into tears, he very gently said, "why don't you have a nap?" yeah. sweet, huh? And he told me last night when he did finally wake up that he loves being married to me and is thankful we've stuck it out and feels like things are settling down now. geeze, enter Clomid Crazies. I slept, but then got mad when I woke up because he said he was going to bed and I had asked earlier if we'd get to spend some time together. We didn't get our date this weekend because he slept through the time we were going to, and then he got mad at me Sunday night for not waking him up for a movie (I *tried*, but he was too stinking tired and told me to let him sleep some more). Anyway. I picked up kiddo and we went to the store for a couple of things (shudder, i hate grocery shopping the week of thanksgiving). When I got home, he was in bed but not asleep, just depressed, and I apologized for being nuts, told him how much I hate Clomid, and he said, "you're just so confusing right now!" I laughed and said, "Imagine how it feels being on this side of things." He laughed too. I *think* we're okay -- we kissed and made up, and he seems to be sleeping well. But man ... Clomid is of the devil. At least it's not like the IUD with everyone telling me I shouldn't be feeling any side effects from the hormones. With the Clomid, everyone goes, "Man, that has bad side effects," including the APRN at the laser removal place who then said, "do you need a doctor's note for work? i'll write one!" LOL.

At any rate. Hoping it does the trick this cycle ... if not, I think we'll work on the testing side of things in January when our flex spend can help cover things. BUT ... I just have to have faith in the revelations I've had and the Priesthood blessings I've been given that promise I'll have more children ... when it's time. Sitting in church Sunday, the thought came to mind that if the Lord promises something, it WILL happen if we are living worthily. So I have some work to do, and sometimes the Lord needs us to play an active part in making those promises come to pass, but I will have more kids. When it's time.

Clomid Crazies, Continued

So I had an appointment for laser hair removal today. It's never fun, and I never do it near my period because the hormones make you more sensitive to the laser. We did that once, and I decided never again.

Well, guess what?

Clomid makes your body's hormones go a bit wacky, too. I *CRIED* through the first 5 minutes, so she stopped and said, "we can reschedule for next month." I was like, "okay. *sniff*" Yeah. I've never cried before. She is 7 months pregnant and said, "Well, honey, with the Clomid, you have more hormones going through you than I do right now." She's an APRN who used to work at planned parenthood. lol. So yeah. She knows.

I called hubby, and he was somewhat sympathetic and apologized, then I went to Costco with my DisGrace, Dizzy, and Bru, and by the time I got home, I was near hysterical. Hubby gave me a hug and when I burst into tears, he very gently said, "why don't you have a nap?" yeah. sweet, huh? And he told me last night when he did finally wake up that he loves being married to me and is thankful we've stuck it out and feels like things are settling down now. geeze, enter Clomid Crazies. I got mad when I woke up because he said he was going to bed and I had asked earlier if we'd get to spend some time together. We didn't get our date this weekend because he slept through it, and then he got mad at me Sunday night for not waking him up for a movie (I *tried*, but he was too stinking tired and told me to let him sleep some more). Anyway. I picked up kiddo and we went to the store for a couple of things (shudder, i hate grocery shopping the week of thanksgiving, which is why i went shopping last week, but got a phone call and an email asking for a couple more things for thanksgiving and flowers and money for Santa). When I got home, he was in bed but not asleep, just depressed, and I apologized for being nuts, told him how much I hate Clomid, and he said, "you're just so confusing right now!" I laughed and said, "Imagine how it feels being on this side of things." He laughed too. I *think* we're okay -- we kissed and made up, and he seems to be sleeping well. But man ... Clomid is of the devil. At least it's not like the IUD with everyone telling me I shouldn't be feeling any side effects from the hormones. With the Clomid, everyone goes, "Man, that has bad side effects," including the APRN at the laser removal place who then said, "do you need a doctor's note for work? i'll write one!" LOL.

In other news, Santa fell down the stairs and broke his leg. Munchkin kept asking me when we were going to visit, so we went today after school. He's a friend of my dad's -- they worked together at the prison for a long time, and he has the long white beard and plays Santa every year for children in hospitals and family Christmas parties, including ours. He gave us a really nice waffle iron for the wedding (which, oh boy, I think I'm making waffles this weekend) and has come to every family event we've had lately. He told me today he asked my MIL if she was hubby's sister and he thinks he offended her with that. I laughed. I plan to ask her Thursday. hehehe.

We're having Thanksgiving dinner with the in-laws on Thursday, then another one Friday with my siblings. It'll be fun. Or at least tasty. Our families don't have all that much drama these days -- it's the fireworks at home that keep me on my toes. I do have the one brother-in-law who is schizophrenic, but he's even more stable and cognizant of his surroundings whenever we're there now, and MIL told me today he just keeps doing better. So that's all good. :)

Hugs and happy Turkeys.

An update

Again with the foot zones. This one wasn't as bad. Last week was excruciating since I had just started my period, but wow, this one only hurt where she was being more aggressive with the trigger points. She did tell me just to keep trying to get pregnant since everything was looking better and she's not worried about risking an ectopic, so that made me feel better. I did tell her we tried Clomid (didn't tell her I took my last dose this morning) and she didn't really say anything about it. So there's that.

Had such a bad day Tuesday with hubby's bipolar crash and my being mean to him and moody and irritable ... made his crash worse, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Her Royal PITA and go to work that night. (note: i didn't show him the gijoe thing ...) My CNM wrote him a note to excuse him for missing work. So yeah. Kind of strange for a man to take a note to work to excuse a missed day from a midwife when his wife isn't having a baby, but whatever. He just has missed a lot of work this year and has to take a note in if he misses anything for the next few months.

Work is okay -- Boss is out of town, I'm in a new account on a new platform, trying to remember everything. Still messing up sometimes, but hey, that's life. At least I have a job, hubby has a job, the bills are getting paid (even if one or two are late ...). It's better to be here and not freaking out than having extra money and still freaking out about lack of money (like I did all last year ...). GAH. We're doing okay though. Still intending to list the house in the spring, hoping it sells quickly, which is iffy in this market. But ... if/when I do get PG, the work sitch has got to change. *sigh*

So there's an update.

AUNTIE VOODOO #5

Again with the foot zones. This one wasn't as bad. Last week was excruciating since I had just started my period, but wow, this one only hurt where she was being more aggressive with the trigger points. She did tell me just to keep trying to get pregnant since everything was looking better and she's not worried about risking an ectopic, so that made me feel better. I did tell her we tried Clomid (didn't tell her I took my last dose this morning) and she didn't really say anything about it. So there's that.

Had such a bad day Tuesday with hubby's bipolar crash and my being mean to him and moody and irritable ... made his crash worse, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Her Royal PITA and go to work that night. My CNM wrote him a note to excuse him for missing work. So yeah. Kind of strange for a man to take a note to work to excuse a missed day from a midwife, but whatever. He just has missed a lot of work this year and has to take a note in if he misses anything for the next few months.

Work is okay -- Boss is out of town, I'm in a new account on a new platform, trying to remember everything. Still messing up sometimes, but hey, that's life. At least I have a job, hubby has a job, the bills are getting paid (even if one or two are late ...). It's better to be here and not freaking out than having extra money and still freaking out about lack of money (like I did all last year ...). GAH. We're doing okay though. Still intending to list the house in the spring, hoping it sells quickly, which is iffy in this market. But ... if/when I do get PG, the work sitch has got to change. *sigh*

So there's an update.

Not a good day

I feel as if I were a child's plaything, a toy, possibly a GI Joe from the dollar store, to be played with for a week, maybe two. Then a new toy or game will snag your attention, and I'll be dropped in the dust under your bed, soon dismissed from your memory as if I had never existed. Then the next time you want a few minutes with GI Joe, or need something to remind you of the good times you had, you'll look for me and search until you find me, dust me off, and you'll play with me as long as I can hold your attention. Even if GI Joe needs to save the world, I stick with you when you need me. But then something else shiny and new shows up, you're gone again, and I'm left in some long-forgotten corner of your closet with shoes that are no longer worn, an outdated computer, a jiu jitsu uniform that was worn twice, and other remnants of your past.

*****

I hate Clomid. Moody, hot flashes, tired ... but if it gets me pregnant (y'know, with hubby's help if he gets off the computer long enough to give me the rest of the baby-making ingredients), I'll quit complaining.

CLOMID

Took my second dose of the stuff this morning, and I've been burning up all day. Can't decide if it's the bug we still have or the medicine, but whatever. It's November and I want the AC on! hehehe

W00T!!!!

Got an email from my boss yesterday directed to the whole team. We have to get permission to work Thanksgiving and Christmas apparently -- which means I might get them both OFF for the first time. To get people to volunteer, they are offering an incentive, but they already filled the spots for the one account I wouldn't mind working on the holidays (I edit/proof that account). So yeah. I've already been given permission to have Black Friday and that Saturday off. If I can have Thanksgiving off, that'd be awesome -- hubby is off that whole weekend, too. I haven't gotten approved for the two days after Christmas, but I'm still hopeful I will -- they never have enough work the week of holidays. Ever. Even though we're behind right now, we'll be caught up shortly. So yeah. YAY for holidays off!

Auntie Voodoo #4

Saw her yesterday -- lotsa pain. Guess having a period makes it worse. My cramps didn't let up until late last night, but at least they're gone for now! While I was there, my cousin called. Her husband has some teeth that are abscessed and his whole left side of his face swelled up -- she needed her mom to watch their kids, but they also needed another Priesthood holder to help Auntie's husband give him a blessing. So I called DH and he came, even though he's also sick (fluish). Awww ...

Today's TMI

When I started getting body acne last week, I got a huge one on my boob. it got bigger and grosser and hurt REALLY BAD and infected apparently, since it just drained and was NOT a zit, but an INGROWN HAIR. Gah. Sometimes I hate being Lebanese.

I also started my period. Insane cramps, lotsa pain, Midol not touching it. *whine* *whine* *whine* *whine* *whine* *whine* *whine* *whine*

*sniff*

Period showed up this morning. On to the next cycle. Had a meltdown a couple days ago but I'm okay today. Going to drop off my Clomid RX this morning and get that going this week. Maybe we'll get twins.

BFN first thing this morning -- no period, nauseated, huge boobs, acne like crazy, smells make me sick, etc., but still having really bad cramps (5 days in a row). So the negative test is a struggle for me. I've been crying much of the day -- makes it hard to work that way, but ever so grateful I work at home.

Hubby was very sweet when I burst into tears just now. He hugged me and said, "think happy thoughts; it'll help your body do what it's supposed to. invite the Spirit honey." I sure love him. Even on his bad days. And especially on mine.

Another Week

Training actually wasn't that bad after all. I feel like I had a mini-vacation. lol. I trained last wed and thur, worked fri, and had saturday off for hubby's birthday.

Hubby turned 30 and realized it made him feel old, but when I turned 30 just 18 months ago, he told me I wasn't old. but now he knows how I felt! lol. We watched Bee Movie (which was good, if a bit political/granola), then had Chinese for dinner. He played WoW a good bit, which is fine. Sunday I wasn't feeling well and he had been up half the night being sick, and it was "baby Sunday" at our ward, so we didn't go to church. We were feeling better in the afternoon, so we did, however, take 3 racks of ribs (basted with a rub, slow cooked at 300 for 3 hours, then glazed with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and roasted at 250 for 2 more hours), homemade baked beans (in the crockpot), and 2 buttermilk pies to his parents' house for dinner. It's what he wanted for his birthday. I wasn't gonna argue; he wanted to get out of the house. We made 4 racks and (oh my gosh) he and I shared the fourth for lunch today. Delish.

Kiddo was determined she needed to buy a present for daddy, so we went to the store friday and went shopping. I asked if she wanted to look at the toys and she gave me "the look". "He needs tools mom!" So she bought him screwdrivers. (the computer was the gift from his brother and me).

I'm so sick right now. *sigh* I need to work and was all excited to get to it tonight, but here I am, feeling gross and not wanting to. Owell, gonna anyway.

Started having cramps a couple days ago, like heavy enough I should be having my period, but I'm not. They lasted for like 12 hours, and when I woke up yesterday morning, they were gone. They've come and gone a few times since then. *sigh* This whole process is just rather sucky.

I was really frustrated last night, tired, not feeling well, etc. Apparently I have a tummy bug which kept me running to the bathroom for a while. I had hubby give me a blessing, which helped my mood immensely, and let me know it'll happen when it's supposed to, and I'll understand why when it does happen. So ... I try to be patient, but it's hard when I'm wanting a beautiful little Polynesian baby right now. :)

At any rate, I keep charting and temping and loving my family, being grateful for my awesome kid and stepkid, and my fantabulous hubby.

*mwah*

Training at Work

*yawn* Two days of this? Seriously? At least I get paid for it ... And I didn't have to travel, unlike the last time I had an extended training session, which the company paid for (trip to VA nearly 5 years ago, saw my aunt and her family while I was there). AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I'm ready to start typing on a real account now, TYVM.

CD 24 of my 30-day cycle ...

Yeah, this is totally becoming my TTC blog. hahahaha!

My new theory is that TTC makes smart people stoopid and irrational. I want a baby, therefore I am pregnant, even when you don't know you are. I'm not nearly as nauseated as I've been some months, but my boobs hurt and I'm flipping exhausted -- I think I slept 10 hours each Friday night and Saturday night and Sunday night ... And would have happily done so last night if not for work. That's not normal for me these days. So today, I picked up some progesterone cream -- put some on my inner thigh. Hopefully it doesn't trigger a flare of body acne, but what the heck, I'm already having one. The last time I had acne like this on my body and face, I had the IUD. In my whole life, I didn't start having acne issues until I was pregnant with Munchkin, so having the acne already before the progesterone cream made me think maybe I'm pregnant, and then thought maybe I should get some cream and try and help the bean stick.

Anyway. If AF shows up next week, I'll start the cream much earlier next cycle -- after ovulation. I started temping around ovulation time this month to get in the habit of doing it, and then someone told me vaginal temps were more accurate -- which I can totally believe because the nights I'm cold my oral temp drops a lot, and the nights I'm warm, it shoots up, so it's not giving me a good idea of anything at all ... so today (a week into temping) I changed to vaginal, which of course is higher, but at least I'm getting into habits of doing this stuff *just in case* I'm not pregnant this month. So my chart means *nothing* this month, but at least I'm doing it! Makes me feel better at any rate.

Back to work.

Garlicky Goodness

So, I've been eating very well lately, aside from the chocolate pumpkin massacre. Fruit, veggies, chicken, fish. No red meat in the house. The last few days, I have been absolutely craving it. Oranges and apples and lettuce only stick for so long, y'know?

We had a steak in the freezer. I made it, ate it with brown rice and brown gravy. I even shared some with hubby.

Two days later (today), I'm still craving RED MEAT and wanting grease and garlic in the worst way. I've never had cc's recommended garlic burgers, but man, they sounded good. So I went to the store today -- garlic, red meat, whole wheat hamburger buns, tomatoes, mushrooms ... and since I'd promised hubby I'd use the avocadoes in the fridge instead of letting them go to waste, I made guacamole -- mashed avocado, lemon juice, salsa, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, a little fat free sour cream. Then I diced the garlic, sauteed it in butter, tossed it in a bowl with the meat, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and mixed it all up. Made 4 giant burger patties and one small one, cooked thoroughly, topped with cheese and let melt. Sauteed the mushrooms in the garlicky pan. Sliced the tomatoes. Oh my gosh ... garlic burger with garlic mushrooms and garlic guac and a tomato slice ... we're all oozing garlic, but man ... I'm full and satisfied for the first time in DAYS. and Princess Picky said "yum!" to the burgers (hers was about one-third the size of ours on half a bun), and she ate the whole thing without arguing or complaining), then stuffed herself silly with guac and chips.

Yum.

Last night, I made a huge salmon filet (topped with melted butter, lemon seasoning salt, dill, parsley, and lemon juice, then broiled). That was good, too, even if I wasn't completely satisfied after dinner like I am right this minute!!!

Auntie Voodoo, visit 3

Well, my reproductive parts are doing better apparently. The rest of me is still fubared, but whatever.

I have gone walking a couple of times -- out to the bus stop, deliberately parking farther away in the parking lots, etc. I need to keep it up, and I need to be doing yoga and other stuff, but my brain has been sucked out by the 2WW (two week wait) of my cycle before I can test for pregnancy. See, it was sucked out for a few days while we BD'd during my "fertile" time, and now it's sucked out while I wait until the day I can test. I'll actually probably test early since hubby's birthday is next Saturday and I'm not due for a period until after that, but ... i have no brain and no desire to wait. lol. anyway. This is what occupies my mind quite a bit of the time now: Pregnant or not pregnant, that is the question ...

Confessions of a Girl

1. Is it cute when guys kiss you on your forehead?
If by "guy" you mean DH, then yes.

2. A big poofy dress or a short party dress?
Uh ...

3. What would you do if you received a long love letter?
Put it with the rest of them. :)

4. Group dates or single dates?
Single dates with DH ... We have group "date night" with his gaming friends, where we all game. I'm not kidding. I need a DATE with him, away from the house, TYVM.

5. Do you hate it when guys act different around their friends?
yes!

6. Are diamonds a girl’s best friend?
Nah, but they're sure nice to get!

7. Is your hair up or down today?
Up ... like most days.

8. Do you straighten your hair?
Sometimes

9. Favorite mascara?
One that doesn't make my eyes itch

10. Do you get your nails done?
No.

11. Small or large purses?
Yes? I have some of both and medium, too.

12. In your purse, what are your must haves?
Phone, keys, camera, wallet, lip gloss ... sunglasses ...

13. Jeans or sweats?
Jeans, if I can find any I like.

14. Do you wear clothes/shoes/jewelry that’s uncomfortable?
sometimes

15. Do you text message a lot?
not so much

16. What would you do if you got pregnant?
I'd probably be thrilled, since we've been trying for ... 9 ... months.

17. What’s your favorite color?
Green? Blue? purple? all three.

18. Heels or flats?
Flats. I'm old. I do wear heels, but mostly pumps, not spikes.

19. Did you ever cry during a romantic movie?
Yep

20. Would you ever leave the house without make-up on?
Yes, frequently do

21. Walmart or Target?
Depends. What am I buying? :P

22. Do you wear collared shirts?
No ... actually.

23. Do you like preppy boys?
No

24. Do you think lip gloss is the best!?
The best!? Maybe close to the best. I sure like it.

25. Do you own any big sunglasses?
Not so much. Need new ones.

26. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
If I'm going somewhere besides dropping off the Munchkin, about 30 minutes. If I"m taking her to school and coming straight home, about 5 seconds.

27. Do you like to wear band-aids?
No

28. Do you like skater boys?
No

29. Do you often wish there was something you could change?
Yes

30. Gold or silver?
Silver/white gold

31. Do you like to receive flowers?
YES

32. Do you like surfer boys?
No

33. Do you dress up for the holidays?
Sometimes

34. Do you like to wear dresses?
Sometimes

35. On a scale of 1-10 how much do guys confuse you?
3

36. In the last 48 hours have you hung out with a guy?
hubby ... the gamers online ...

37. Would you date a guy shorter than you?
I have. Not anymore though, since hubby is taller. :P

38. Do you like to hold hands?
Yep

39. What is the youngest you would date?
... hubby.

40. What is the oldest you would date?
... hubby.

41. What do you notice when you first meet a guy?
BUTT, eyes, smile

42. Is it hott when guys sweat?
it depends on what he's been doing. -- Amen, sistah

43. What is the best feature in a guy?
Kindness

44. Do you like making eye contact?
Yep

46. Would you kill for chocolate?
Not today.

47. Did you ever spend all day/night getting pretty for a guy?
YES. And an entire weekend before the wedding!

48. On a scale from 1-10 how fun is shopping?
Depends on what I'm shopping for and if I'm pressed for time and if I have kids with me. Usually, it's a 3. If I'm having "Stewie" time and can really SHOP, an 8.

49. Do you freak out if you miss your favorite show?
I don't watch TV

50. Do you yell a lot?
Only once a month ...

51. Do you wear sweatpants/pajamas to school/work?
Yes. I work in my house, and am frequently wearing PJs or G's.

52. Have you ever dressed unlike yourself to impress a guy?
Maybe?

53. Do you write a lot of mushy love poems?
NO.

54. What makeup could you not live w/ out?
Eyebrow pencil and lipgloss

55. Do you fall in love easily?
No.

56. Do you have cramps?
Not today.

57. Do you think you have the bestest friends ever?
Well, if I didn't think they were the best"est", they wouldn't be my friends. :P


*****

On the news front, preggo SIL in Japan is in the hospital. She started hemorrhaging over the weekend. They were able to stop the blood and amniotic fluid leak, and she is now stabilized and out of her "emergency" (ICU) room. Baby bean is still swimming around in what little amniotic fluid is left. Hopefully she can go home soon, even if she's on bedrest, but we're all just glad she's still alive. And we're glad the baby is okay, but since she's only toward the end of first trimester, she has a long way to go.

Saw Auntie Voodoo again today. Things are progressing.

Work is *okay*. Wish I could get more focused again. Gah.

AND, today is my mommy's and cc's birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday!!!

Pumpkin Muffins

This is a zucchini bread recipe, but you can use pumpkin or applesauce in place of the zucchini. It was my friend's mom's recipe, who gave it to my mom when we lived in the same ward when we were kids. A couple of years ago for Enrichment, we made all three kinds plus some other quick breads for the refreshments, and it went over quite well. Works well for muffins, mini muffins, or bread.

1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
1 c oil
3 eggs
2 c grated zucchini (or pumpkin puree or applesauce)
3 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
12 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped nuts*
1 c raisins*
1 c chocolate chips*

*is optional; i only use the chocolate with the pumpkin. i wouldn't use all three in any of them. ew.

Preheat oven to 325. Beat eggs; gradually add in sugars and oil. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to first mixture alternately with zucchini. Stir in rains/nuts/chips and vanilla. Pour into two slightly greased and floured 9 x 5 loaf pans. Bake at 325 for one hour. Let stand 10 min before removing from pans.

*I did mini muffins, spraying the pan with pam in between each batch. They only took 14-15 min to cook each batch, and they turned out beautifully. Probably made 4 to 6 doz mini muffins, hard to know since I made a double batch and they disappeared as soon as they were out of the oven, and I gave away 4 dozen.

*****

Munchkin (the pickest eater EVER) gobbled them up. So mamafjord, I'm not so weird. :P

Friday Fave Five!!!

*snort* made you look. It's Tuesday/Wednesday, but I'm in a mood.

1. Sinus Rinses. MONTHS ago, maybe even a year ago, I was looking up a product for a report I was typing, and thought, "I should try that." I even told DisGrace about it, who bought it and has been using it. I never did anything about it ... until now. I bought it yesterday when I was at the pharmacy picking up my BBT thermometer, and used it this morning and tonight. It is so nice to be able to BREATHE. I can breathe deeply through my nose for the first time in recent memory, AND I didn't have to take any allergy meds today. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! It is weird to do, but oh my stars ... I'm sure I'll post again whether it gets better, worse, or stays the same. But for now, I can BREATHE!!!

2. Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. They are oh, so good, but evil.

3. Warm socks and a space heater. Office is cold.

4. My SIL in Japan is still alive. She's having really serious complications with her pregnancy, but so far she and the baby are both still alive. She's still in the hospital even as I type.

5. Hubby has been helping around the house again. GO HUBBY!



I have the funniest kid ever. She's going to be my WoW toon for Halloween. Try explaining that to A) A third grade class whic has never heard of WoW, B) Your in-laws who don't know you play because they *hate* videogames, C) Your friends who also hate WoW and don't know you play, and D) Random people in the grocery store asking her what she's going to be.

I told her to tell them all she's a witch ... wearing red and white robes, a black pointy hat, carrying a wand, and holding a black cat. The thing is, it's Halloween in WoW, and they celebrate by doing fun things ... My toon now has a pointy hat and a Siamese cat and rides a broomstick. She's always had a wand. Close enough, right? GAH.

Embarrassing Moments

So, on our company forum, somebody asked if anyone had had laser hair removal. Not thinking anything of it, I said yes, and I loved it. So then she asked, "how long until you could go out in public again?" She was thinking she wanted it done on her face. At that point, I should have messaged her privately, but noooo ... I had to admit I'd been undergoing Brazilian hair removal and rather enjoyed the results. She then asked, "Why, do you swim a lot?" LOL. Yeah, I swim, we have a pool, but that's not why I got it. I should have just said, "Yep," and shut the heck up. I didn't. I said, "Hubby wanted me to get it and he was very persuasive." Which he was. So the conversation continued with her saying, "EW! I don't think I'd want my hoohah naked!" LOL. About this time, two other ladies came to my rescue and said they had theirs laser Brazilianed and loved it, too. And then another gal came on and said, "What's a Brazilian?" I explained it, but am not going to here. Look it up on wiki if you don't know and want to, but there are naked pictures. :P

So today I said that was probably a very embarrassing moment for me, having to explain all of this to these ladies, even with two other hairless wonders in my corner, explaining that it's easier to keep clean and that there were various other bennies to having it done, and another gal posted the following:

"For a good laugh and an embarrassing moment: I went out and bought some wax strips last night because this thread had me curious. Shaving is torturous for me..I hate it. *whispering* When I was all done, my butt cheeks were sticking together because I couldn't get all the wax off. Now I can never show my face around here again... "

hahahahahahahaha ... oh how mortifying ...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I'm driving myself crazy.

I started feeling weird "flutters" in my belly the last couple of weeks. One time, I was lying on my side and felt something rub against the part of my belly that was on bed, like it was trying to push the pressure away from it.

Now, I know I'm not pregnant. Okay? I got that. It just FELT like a baby. Then I thought, "You know Stewie, if you hadn't lost that baby in May, you would be feeling a baby moving right now." And realized it was just that part of my brain that was rebelling against all evidence to the contrary.

Since then, I still feel weird things: Things that feel like feet or hands pushing on a spot on my tummy, then moving away again, or flutters down in my lower pelvis. It's insane. Talk about delusions, right?

Anyway.

Apparently, this is becoming a baby and diet/weight loss blog, since that's all that's on my mind.

Bought a BBT thermometer today to check my temps to track my ovulation in case we don't get knocked up this month.

Haven't done so good in the food area the last couple of days ... tired, cranky, sick of feeling all weird for no good reason. Bah.

Saturday SIX!!!

I never get my Fridays in these days. Owell. Here's SIX.

1. This is funny.

2. Hubby decided he's going to increase his work schedule again, to 36 hours, but since 5 of those hours are on Sunday morning (going in Saturday night), he'll get paid double time for them. And, thus, he'll be getting paid for 41 hours. Hopefully he can keep it up and still get school going and all that, but honestly, the budget needs it.

3. Halloween celebrations on WoW. I readily acknowledge that I am a geek, but there is something hilarious to me about being able to trick or treat with various characters, with tricks being turned into snakes, cats, toads, little diablos, etc., and seeing a giant pet bear (vicious creature, attacks your enemies) following the tiny housecat into which my hunter has been transformed. It also cracks me up that my head got turned into a pumpkin, and that I can ride a broom once in a while, too. Crazy stuff.

4. I'm glad my FIL and DisGrace's hubby are both better and out of the hospital. It has not been a very good week.

5. Birthday parties for kiddos! So fun to see Dizzy covered in frosting and Bru loved the Magnetix we got him (which Munchkin didn't want to give over -- little does she know hubby and I already decided to get her and Small Fry their own sets after they fought over the neighbors' this summer).

6. TGIS. I'm ready for a day off.

And seriously, I had an embarrassing thing happen this week. Someone on our company forum asked about laser hair removal, and I said I'd had it done and loved it, and she said, "how long until you could go out in public?" WELL, I then had to say something about how getting a Brazilian doesn't stop you from going out in public. She then freaked out -- "I wouldn't want my hoohah naked!" Fortunately, a few other ladies on the forum said, "Hey, I had mine done and I love it, too." Woooooooooooo.

Derf

I have been eating so much better lately -- fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein ... I haven't had any dairy for a few days and no cheese for over a week. When I was a baby/toddler, I had milk allergies, and when I was a teenager and in my early 20s, I didn't do dairy at all in the fall months because it flared my other allergy symptoms even more. So I decided that might help the allergy symptoms and stuff, and I'd been feeling sooooooo much better. Until I took Munchkin out for breakfast this morning, thinking no big deal, right? I had a breakfast sandwich with American cheese on it, and I feel like CRAP. guess there is something to eating healthier after all ...

ADDICTION

But I can quit anytime ...

You Are 69% Addicted to the Internet

In your opinion, life without the internet is hardly worth living. Could be, but you probably need a bit more fresh air and sunshine to think clearly.

Are You Addicted to the Internet?

Auntie Voodoo again (and no, she doesn't know I call her that!)

Walked over there and back -- about 3/4 mile each way. Foot zone didn't hurt quite as much this time. Tubes are better -- no blockage, normal texture. YAY! Thyroid is still out of whack, but that's okay -- it'll get better. I am off of dairy for a while, hoping it helps. I'm a bit less congested today, so that's always a good thing.

I'm not dropping weight a whole lot yet, but I *am* shrinking out of my fat shorts I bought this summer. That's a good feeling.

Saw the midwife this morning. She's a certified nurse midwife (CNM) who works in an OB/GYN office attached to a hospital. I really like her -- my mom really likes her, hubby likes her but says it's most important I feel comfy with her.

We talked about the past 8 months of TTC (trying to conceive). They don't think I'm truly ovulating every month since the my stripe on the hormone test strips isn't as dark as the control stripe, so I'm probably surging, but not enough to trigger ovulation every month (which could be another reason I don't feel pregnant every month!). She wants me to try Clomid for one cycle and see what happens, and if I'm not pregnant by the time my December period is due, I'm s'posed to go back in for testing. I'm comfy with that plan. I haven't told hubby the plan yet since he's finally sleeping. I'll tell him later.

I didn't tell her what Auntie Voodoo said about my tubes or anything, and I don't intend to tell Auntie about the plan with the Clomid. Auntie Voodoo told me to wait a few more months, but the longer we wait, the more urgent I feel like we're not supposed to be waiting. BUT because I'm too late in my month to start the Clomid this month, she has a few more weeks to do her majick before I take the Clomid.

And as DisGrace put it, maybe it'll get me twins and I can be done being pregnant that much sooner, and I'm comfy with that too -- Boy howdy it'd be hard, but I'm so ready to have a baby ...

I don't intend to really blog much detail about this every month, but wanted to post the plan for now for all who are curious. There ya go.

Infertility

Saw the midwife this morning. She's a certified nurse midwife (CNM) who works in an OB/GYN office attached to a hospital. I really like her -- my mom really likes her, hubby likes her but says it's most important I feel comfy with her.

We talked about the past 8 months of TTC (trying to conceive). They don't think I'm truly ovulating every month since the my stripe on the hormone test strips isn't as dark as the control stripe, so I'm probably surging, but not enough to trigger ovulation every month. She wants me to try Clomid for one cycle and see what happens, and if I'm not pregnant by the time my December period is due, I'm s'posed to go back in for testing. I'm comfy with that plan. I haven't told hubby the plan yet since he's finally sleeping. I'll tell him later.

I didn't tell her what Auntie Voodoo said about my tubes or anything, and I don't intend to tell Auntie about the plan with the Clomid. Auntie Voodoo told me to wait a few more months, but the longer we wait, the more urgent I feel like we're not supposed to be waiting. BUT because I'm too late in my month to start the Clomid this month, she has a few more weeks to do her majick before I take the Clomid.

And as DisGrace put it, maybe it'll get me twins and I can be done being pregnant that much sooner, and I'm comfy with that too -- Boy howdy it'd be hard, but I'm so ready to have a baby ...

I don't intend to really get into to much detail on the blog about this every month, but wanted to post the plan for now for all who are curious. There ya go.

Innie versus Outie

In typing a medical report today, I had to look up the spelling of "innie" just to be sure I was correct in my spelling of this slang term. Yep, really.

While doing so, I ran across a website for people with belly button fetishes ... and soon found myself wanting a survey on BELLY BUTTONS.

Hi, I'm Stewie, and I'm a survey addict.

So, is yours innie or outie and do you prefer either in the opposite gender?

Mine's an innie, hubby's is an innie, and I rather like it, tyvm.

Seven Deadly Sins

WRATH
Who did you last get angry with? Hubby
What is your weapon of choice? Silence
Would you hit a member of the opposite sex? Have
How about the same sex? Have
Who was the last person who got really angry at you? Hubby
What is your pet peeve? whining
Do you keep grudges, or can you let them go easily? Depends on the topic at hand. but I usually try to let it go.

SLOTH
What is one thing you're suppose to do daily that you haven't? Cleaning my house
What is the latest you've ever woken up? In the last year, probably 10
Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't? Jen and/or Stephanie
What is the last lame excuse that you made? This isn't a good time
Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through? Yes.
How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock this morning? Once

GLUTTONY
What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice? Um ... I don't drink them anymore, but I do make chocolate breakfast drinks and add either coffee-flavored or chocolate cherry flavored ginseng juice. tastes like an iced mocha.
Are you a meat eater? Yes
What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting/outing/event? I don't recall, probably several screwdrivers
Are you comfortable with your drinking and eating habits? I no longer drink alcohol, so that's covered, but I do eat too much, although I am also working on that.
Do you enjoy candy and sweets? YES.
Which do you prefer: sweets, salty foods or spicy foods? SWEETS.
Have you ever looked at a small house pet or child and thought, "lunch"? EWWW.

GREED
How many credit cards do you own? ... *counting* 5 or 6, but only two have balances, and one of them is medical.
If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? Tithing, bank, house, bank, clothing, bank, brand freaking new Town and Country with the revolving seats and the kidtainment system. --- hahahaha ... DITTO
Would you rather be rich or famous? Rich. -- Ditto
Would you accept a boring job if it meant that you would make megabucks? Yeah.

PRIDE
What's one thing that you have done that you're most proud of? Being a success as a single mom, with a happy, well-adjusted child, owning a home and paying the bank for a car, and then meeting a great man and still having all of the above. And staying true to the gospel. hehe.
What's one thing you have done that your parents are most proud of? Probably the same.
What thing would you like to accomplish late in your life? Possibly going back to college.
Do you get annoyed by coming in second place? Depends.
Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors? Probably
Have you ever cheated to get a better score? Probably
What did you do today that you're proud of? ... oy. I am a diva -- the choir director asked me to sing in the choir (apparently, I need an engraved invite), because they needed a soprano. Well. It was a descant no one else in the choir could do, and during the last verse, Munchkin and hubby could hear me over the choir/organ/piano. And they were sitting in the very back row. Not that I was louder than the whole choir, just my voice carried very well, and everyone complimented me. One person (hehe) told me I'm opera material which just made me laugh. Ahem. Moving on.

LUST
How many people have you seen naked (not counting movies, family, strippers, locker rooms)? ... three or four ...
How many people have seen you naked (not counting physicians, doctors, family, locker rooms, or when you were a young child)? three or four ...
Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a person of your chosen sex during a normal conversation? yeah.
What is your favorite body part of a person of your gender choice? my husband's butt
Have you ever had sexual encounters (including kissing/making out) with multiple persons? not at the same time, no. -- ditto
Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute? No.

ENVY
What item of your friends would you most want to have for your own? item... or body ...
Who would you want to go on "Trading Spaces" with? I have no idea.
If you could be anyone who existed in the world, who would you be? I'd still be me. -- ditto
Have you ever been cheated on? Yes, I think.
Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own? Hello.
What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself? high metabolism -- ditto

What deadly sin...
Do you do the most often? Envy
Do you do the least often? Greed or Wrath
Is your favorite to act on? Lust

Fave Five

So, I realize I haven't done this in for-freaking-ever. But here's my five fave things from this week:

1. Oranges. I'd forgotten how much I love them. I get to eat a lot of them these days.

2. A rational discussion with mamabear about politics -- it was brief, but nonetheless there were a lot of things we (surprisingly) agreed on, and no one hurt anyone else's feelings.

3. My boss asking me to proof 20-25 hours a week (during my night shifts and on Saturdays) and type the rest of the time. My wrists and hands are already happier, and I'm able to focus more mostly, so I'm making more money per hour again. Yay.

4. The time I have spent one-on-one with my husband.

5. Cuddling Munchkin and watching Twitches Too (Disney channel movie) and the premiere of their new series. Mostly just kicking back with her is the best.

I wouldn't say I *enjoyed* my zone treatment or the cardiologist appt Thursday, but at least they both gave me hope for my future health, so that's good, too. And being able to pay the bills but also have some fun with some of the money is also a bonus. YAY! Still budgeting, but doing a lot better.

Also got to chat with my SIL the other day, which was good. Her SIL (the one with the breast issues after her baby was born) is now home with her baby and doing much better. She has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but she's happy to be home and feeling better.

AND, if I were to include LAST week in my five for this week, I'd have to include time with CC and BA last weekend. It was good to see them -- even if I did act like I was on drugs. *mwah*

Survey! only ...

I changed/deleted some of the questions because they were STUPID. Who cares what kind of birth control I use or if I've gotten naked at a party or had sex in a very inappropriate place??? GAH.

1. Do you know anyone in prison? My ex may or may not be there.
2. Have you ever logged onto a boyfriend/girlfriend/crush's myspace? I don't know that I've ever logged onto myspace ...
3. When is the last time you ate peanut butter and jelly? a few weeks ago.
4. Do you have a desk in your room? had one in my bedroom, but it is now back in my office!!!
5. What kind of car do you have? 2005 PT Cruiser. and a 1991 Exploder.
6. Are you named after one of your parents or grandparents? My middle name is my great-grandmother's maiden name.
7. Does your first significant other still live in the same town as you? Actually ... he lives in Highland or American Fork, which isn't that far from me. My brother and SIL see him once in a while. My second SO was his best friend (yes, really) and I think he still lives around here, too, but my family never "updates" me on him because they hated him, and the first one wasn't so bad.
8. Do you throw up gang signs? Uh, no.
9. Have you ever broken a rib? Nope.
10. Would you rather be a girl or a guy? As my mom pointed out when I was a teenager, I wouldn't want that "thing" to get stuck in my zipper. EVER.
11. Who is the most spoiled person you know? Probably my kids ... or me ...
12. Would you rather have a million dollars or true love? Why does this have to be a CHOICE? I want BOTH.
13. Do you watch the Grammys? No
14. Would you ever work for the border patrol? No
15. Which one word would describe your last/current relationship? hahahaha ... Awesome.
16. Would you rather date someone 2 years older than you or 20 years older? I've done both, would rather have my current husband than anyone, which is why we're married.
17. Have you ever had a eating disorder? Yep. Anorexia/bulimia as a teenager, overeating as an adult.
18. How many proms have you been to in your life? None. Got dumped by my then-boyfriend (the one my family hated) just before the prom.
19. Have you ever been in a interracial relationship? um ... yes ... I'm in an interracial marriage.
20. Is your birthday on a holiday? No, although sometimes Easter is close.
21. Are you old enough to vote? I'd dang well better be with an 11-yo and an 8-yo.
22. Do you have any friends or family in the war right now? Maybe? Hard to keep track of 50+ cousins.
23. Where are you? In my office.
24. Do you worry about global warming? Sometimes.
25. Do you like polar bears? Yes, especially the neurotic one at the Portland Zoo.
26. Have you ever been cheated on? Ex-husband claimed he didn't, but his family said he did.
27. Are you an atheist? NO.
28. Did or do you think your childhood dreams will come true? I'd like to think some of them will ...
29. Do/did you wear your sweetie's clothes? I have -- too bad I outgrew his HUGE jeans ...
30. What do you think of gold diggers? They get what they're looking for but will never be truly happy.
31. Are you a country or city girl/boy? a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll ...
32. Do you want to hit something? The creator of such a dumb/lame/13-yo girl survey.

Even easing into it this week and yesterday's junk fest, I'm down to 239.8 (fully clothed but no shoes), which is still less than I was a couple weeks ago before the period bloat. I feel pretty good, too. I'm planning to hit it a bit harder next week though, and try and start exercising again. Getting through some of the dairy this week so it doesn't go bad, then cutting that out next week, too. which will only help hubby with his goal to quit eating cheese, wince his body hates him when he does it and punishes him, even with lactaid. gah. Changed my tracker down there to reflect what I started at this week.

244.2 this morning, but uh, today was a very hard day and we ate out. Twice. JUNK FOOD. Crapola.

Had a foot zone treatment by my aunt today. She said we need to wait a few months while we work on the foot zones and the antiestrogenic diet (only she said no dairy for a few weeks, too) and exercising more. All of it should help my girlie parts function better before we try and get pregnant again. Apparently, she says that my tubes aren't normal: One has a blockage and the other is sort of mushy and flat. The sperm are getting through the mushy/flattish one, but the fertilized egg isn't moving back through fast enough to implant into the uterus in the limited time it has to do so. Which is why it's not every month I feel pregnant -- only one side is able to get the mommy part and daddy part together (which is sort of how I explained pregnancy to munchkin when I was single when she was a toddler and she kept asking for a baby brother or sister ... told her we needed a daddy for that, 'cuz we need daddy parts). Auntie is surprised we haven't had a tubal.

This last month was a replay of May, so we decided we needed to go ahead and try some stuff to see if I can get a bit healthier so we can bring our babies to this world. We've both seen them in dreams, so we know we're s'posed to have them. Off to the midwife next week for hormone checks. Yay me.

Hoping I keep feeling better with the dieting. Gotta exercise and take supplements, too, but I'm really doing MUCH better than I had been. Until today. But it's one day, not the end of the world.

Yearly Heart Checkup

Well, today I was s'posed to see my cardiologist and have the yearly echo done to make sure the membrane that was in my heart stays gone. I panicked yesterday for a bit because Chrysler's auto strike meant the parts for my PT Cruiser got stuck in Denver, and we couldn't drive it. The parts got there this morning and they hustled and got it done just in time for us to go to the appointment (although it's still making noises ... just not the really bad ones). The Exploder is just not a happy car and we didn't want to take it to SLC. Hubby was s'posed to go with me, but something happened at work this morning with some other Tongans being horrible to him (he doesn't speak Tongan but he understands it, but they figured it was okay to bad mouth him and call him horrible names in Tongan because he wouldn't understand). It caused a bipolar crash of course, so he wasn't sure he could go but in the end, he went with me, even if he was a Grumpy Wumpuss the whole time.

Took Munchkin to my SIL's and then hubby and I grabbed sandwiches at Arby's and headed for the hills ... er, Sandy to the heart doc. Their Sandy office is sooooooo much closer than the one at LDS Hospital, and it wasn't nearly as busy, so we got done a LOT faster. I think we were there for 3 or 4 hours last year, but we were done in about 1-1/2 hours this year.

My heart is fine. Everything is good except my lipids, which they told me not to be on the meds last year since they can cause birth defects and we're hopeful we might get pregnant some time this milennium. They haven't checked them since then, but whatever. They just encouraged lifestyle modification, and the doctor (who is so cute my mom has a crush on him) said he hopes next time he sees me I'm holding a little baby. lol.

So, I brought hubby home and, well, he was still being a stinker, so I left and picked up Munchkin. On my way over to SIL's, I called the dealership again and the guy said, "bring it in and we'll do a test drive so we can hear what you're hearing." And then my PEPSI (which I wasn't s'posed to be drinking, but only had a few hours of sleep last night) exploded all over me and the car, so I called him back and said I'd come another time and then went to my SIL's. Cleaned up the car and myself a bit, and then every time I tried to leave, she brought up something we needed to talk about. So I was there for a couple hours. I love her, don't mind spending time with her, and I was hoping it would give hubby a chance to get some good sleep before we got home. Not the case. Took Munchkin to Wienerschnitzel for chili cheese fries (wasn't s'posed to eat them either -- NOT a good day), and when I got home hubby was still watching anime instead of sleeping. Mind you, he didn't sleep much yesterday and he didn't sleep at all today, and he had less than 5 hours before he was s'posed to leave for work. We sort of got into a tiff but he did go to bed. I'm gonna go snuggle up to him in a minute.

BEFORE the car and the heart doctor, I had my auntie do a foot treatment on me. It's like reflexology, only different. And it hurts like mad, not soothing like a foot rub. I don't think I've had one done since before Munchkin was born. After Munchkin was born, she was having problems with constipation and her meconium never really came all out, and she was really jaundiced. Had auntie do a treatment on her when she was a month or so old, and her next poop was the rest of the meconium. She still had some constipation, but she was a lot better after that. So on me today, basically, if you believe all that stuff, most of my organs are not functioning right, and my fallopian tubes aren't normal -- one was blocked and the other was "mushy" and sort of flat, so even though sperm can get through them, the fertilized eggs are having a hard time getting back down, especially in time to implant. She's very surprised I haven't had an ectopic pregnancy yet, and it explains why nothing is implanting. My thyroid is basically inactive ... my digestive system is sluggish ... lotsa stuff. So she said with the antiestrogenic diet I'm working on, and exericising, and getting a foot treatment every week, in about 3 months I should be functioning a lot better and can then try for pregnancy. I've been really emotional all day and obviously turned to comfort foods, but it could have been much worse. So yeah. There's my day.

Gonna go snuggle and have a nap or something, then either take hubby to work and get to work myself, or let him go to work and then work myself. *mwah*

Antiestrogenic Diet

Okay, this wasn't my idea. It was cc's. But I figured it can't hurt. I'm going to probably buy the book this weekend, but the gist is to go organic, avoid sugar and caffeine (although that is a little tricky since I sometimes need caffeine to get me through my shift), load up on fruits and veggies throughout the day with organic yogurt and eggs for protein, eat beans and whole grains and only fish for meat at night for the first two weeks, then add in other proteins gradually.

I started Monday, but I started my period Sunday, so I'm not sure where my weight is, but Sunday I was 247.6 and today I am 244.6, so whether that's from period bloat going away or the diet or both, that's better than I was. I'm not perfect at this, but I *am* eating better than I was.

Since I'm so darn sensitive to hormones, it occurred to me that the hormones in the food I eat could be negatively affecting my fertility. I'm talking to my homeopathic auntie about the diet tomorrow. She mentioned to me that my hormones may be out of whack, and if I don't have enough progesterone I won't be able to carry a pregnancy. She'll do a foot zone treatment and hopefully trigger some more of this stuff to release. I have an appointment with my midwife for next week to get my hormones checked and stuff, so hopefully something will help me release some of this baggage and get pregnant sometime soon!

Cars and Work and Kids, Oh My!

Hubby took the Cruiser in this morning and they dropped him off just as I was hanging up from my conference call. They need to keep it overnight because they need parts and it's not entirely safe to drive -- wheel bearings going bad in both front wheels.

Thank heaven I got the extended warranty on that thing. Bad wheel bearings in both front wheels can be very expensive to replace due to the labor costs -- having to remove brakes, rotors, drums, whatever, just to get to the bearing. So yeah. Happy dance, prayer of thanks, etc.

But the Exploder has a tire leaking air and hubby still needs to go to work tonight. We haven't driven it since my brother brought it back in August ... which is just over two months (although my math in my head just a minute ago said three ...). So I took it to the gas station and put more air in it (bro had done the same while he'd had it for the weeks they were here). We'll have to deal with it more permanently later -- still wanting to sell it, but right now, I guess I'm glad we didn't yet.

Other than that, the conference call went well this morning -- nothing bad dropped on us, at any rate. Not really any good news, like closing down India, came in, but that's okay. I didn't really expect it to.

Munchkin went on a field trip to the Timp Cave a few weeks ago. It was a pretty big deal and turned out well. Today, they took a field trip to a grocery store and a library and a park. They ate lunch while they were out. She has gotten so grown up about some stuff, like when they asked who wanted school lunch the week before the field trip, she stood up so she got counted. Before this year, she would have panicked and not known what to say. lol. But she's good. Happy.

I'm sleepy, but need to get a bit more work done before she gets home from activity day. then i'll make dinner and have a nappy. yay.