Ahhh, success.

So the bachelorette party for Lucky went swimmingly... the cabin we stayed in was FABULOUS. I have a ton of pics, so I'll get those up shortly. It was just an all-around great weekend. It ended up storming most of the time we were up there, but we had planned a girls' night in for the main event, so it worked out well. The rain was actually a bonus. Lots of laughs, a ridiculous amount of food and booze - a lot of which we brought back with us - and TONS of fun.

But I gotta say, I was worn out once I got home. It's not like we did anything crazy. We did stay up late (OK "late" for me is like midnight) and got up early both mornings, but it was still a very chill weekend. Though I did get up at 4:30am Friday to get everything pulled together. I was on my feet ALL day Friday. Literally, the only time I sat down was while I was in the car. So all that combined makes for a very tired girl come Sunday afternoon. But the event was a huge success and kuntry bride and I had a total blast putting it together.

Also last week, which I've yet to catch y'all up on... we met with my doctor on Wednesday. To save myself from typing the same info over again (cuz it's rather exhausting), I'm just going to copy and paste the email I sent to my parents Wednesday afternoon after we got back from the doctor. I gotta run out the door, but wanted y'all to have the latest. Back soon with pics and more deets! Here's the email...

Well we had a very lengthy information-filled appointment! Long-story-short, Dr. T wants to do one more IUI cycle on Femara and then move to IVF if that doesn't work.

He wants to first do one more Femara IUI cycle since my lining did show improvement. He thinks it's definitely worth one more try since all our numbers were good last time. We would pretty much do the exact same thing as last cycle but he'd have me start taking estrogen earlier. During this cycle, he wants me to have a SHG (I think that's what it's called - [the hub] has the folder!) - it's a type of ultrasound - to see if I would need to have a 3rd surgery if we had to move to IVF.

So if that test is abnormal or shows enough residual septum that concerns him, and the IUI is not successful - we'd do a 3rd surgery - but it would only need to be hystereoscopy (probably spelling that wrong) vs. hystereoscopy AND laproscopy (spelling that wrong too I'm sure). So, less invasive than my others.

Learned a lot about IVF and that there are ALL different kinds of "protocols" as far as medications, so it's very tailored to your situation and needs/issues. Like several people I know or have read about had to go on birth control or take other meds before their actual IVF cycle to do whatever... but I won't have to do that. I basically would go on injectable meds right when I start my cycle, be monitered that first half (much like IUI) and then they would do egg retrieval around day 12ish - just depends. That's an actual surgery, done at RBA, but much less invasive than what I'm used to. [The hub] does his thing and they put the boys and girls in a dish. They let some try to fertilize on their own, but then others they'll actually inject the sperm into the egg, forcing it to fertilize. Lots of info...

Once fertilized, they give the embryos 3-5 days to mature before implanting back in the uterus. After implantation, you're just on the 2-week-wait to see if it worked. He did bring up the whole issue about what if we get pregnant with more than 2, are we OK with having to remove the extra embryos. Again, I forget the terminology - it's all in our folder. I said I do not want to be put in that position... so it may be that we end up only putting in ONE egg if it comes to that, b/c they can split. It's a slight chance, but it can happen. And he does not think I could carry more than twins. The success rate is significantly higher when you put in two eggies, but it's something we have to think about. Because there's like a 20-30% of twins when you put in two. And if they split? Dear me.

ANYway... we can worry about all that if and when we need to. Just wanted to give you the gist of what we learned today. :-)

Happy Birthday to me!

Look what got delivered a la casa yesterday! I'm in love. We've been wanting a freezer for a long time now - ours is always overflowing because I buy meat and stuff in bulk when it goes on sale. And I live off Lean Cuisines at the office - also like to stock up on those when on sale. So yeah, not a ton of freezer space in our standard fridge.

I'm pretty sure asking for a freezer for my birthday shows my age. But I gotta tell ya, it's pretty damn exciting. Thanks, Mom and Dad! OK so my birthday's not for a couple of weeks, but I enjoy stretching it out - in both directions - for as long as possible. I love my birthday.

Stop raining on my parade!

If anyone has seen the sun, please let him know he's skipped over our city for like 10 days straight now. Is he slacking? I've seen you in the Jimmy Dean commercials, Mr. Sun. Get your butt to work and make this rain go away! My poor dog's gonna get a blatter infection. Saw this on someone's Facebook page and it cracked me up, so kudos to whomever made it...

We got tons of rain up by us but luckily no real flooding - at least in our immediate area. And my drive to and from work yesterday was totally fine. Gross, but fine. I don't have to go really far, so that helps. I've been here all my life and I really cannot remember a case of "flooding." I mean just last year we were in a drought and couldn't water our yards - like ever. So I'm really feeling for those who have homes under water and whatnot - and especially those who lost their lives. My goodness... I think we forget how very powerful water is.

And of course - as trivial as this is - we've been waiting for a "sunny day" (what is that?) to take a picture of the Lexus to sell. Because a rainy, cloudy picture of a car is kinda depressing - who wants to buy that? Well... we're still waiting.

In other news... we're off to see my doctor tomorrow about the whole baby thing. Not sure what direction he'll want us to go in, so I'll let you know what we find out on the other side. Now seriously, somebody send us some SUN!

Phew.

What a week, y'all.  We made it past the 15th at work!  Not that y'all care or know, or care to know, but that deadline was extra tough this year because the Feds decided to make EVERYTHING due that day, starting this year.  Basically it's the final extended deadline for all corp, partnership, and trust returns.  You kids still have till 10/15 to get your returns in, but everything else had to go out this week.  So yeah, a little tougher this year.  But we survived...

 

So work has been busy, but my weeknights and weekends have been crammed lately too - I feel like I've just been running around like a mad woman.  This week my new girls' small group met on Tuesday.  We've also been serving with the 2-to-1 ministry at our church on Wednesday nights.  I don't really talk about that on here because God forbid one of our engaged couples find my blog and think I'm going to post about them or something!  Other than to say we're involved in it, I won't ever really talk about it on here - for that reason.  Anyway, so that's Wednesday... and tonight our couples' small group meets.  So like Monday was going to be my only real night at home to get to do anything domestic, but I ended up working late.  And I've been getting up extra early trying to get a couple of invitation orders out the door - so I'm really just exhausted.  We have no plans Friday night and I'm SO glad.

 

So I think the women's small group is going to be really fun.  There are 13 of us.  It's my first *official* women's small group through church, so it's an interesting experience as compared to our couples' groups (which we've been in on-and-off for years now).  Some of the girls already started telling their "stories" and it's funny how much more in-depth women go with their stories in a group of women versus a bunch of couples.  It's not like it gets all sappy but I think we just open up more and are a bit more vulnerable - which is cool.  Like one of the girls just came out and said "I don't have a relationship with God.  I want one but I have no clue how to go about it."  I thought that was wicked awesome.  To be able to say that in front of a bunch of girls you don't know in a "church-ish" setting - so cool.  I have to say I love the first few meetings of a new group - I love hearing everyone's stories because people come from so many different places.  And of course we automatically have these preconceived ideas of who these people are before they open their mouths - and I'm always surprised by what I hear them say.

 

I do know a few of the girls in the group, including the leader, so it's not like I'm totally in the dark here.  I am (of course) the ONLY one of the 13 without kids.  Welcome to my life!  Ha!  But that's cool - I totally expected that.  I certainly don't know everyone's story yet - so I know there's something for me to learn here.  Though I'll probably pass on our first "social" gathering - a trip to the pumpkin patch next month with our "families."  That's a great place to go with kids and all, but what the hell would me and the hub do?  I'll catch the next one.  And speaking of pumpkin patches, has anyone else noticed that going to the pumpkin patch in the fall is like THE thing to do now with kids?  Seriously ALL of my friends with kids have pumpkin patch pictures each fall.  I don't ever remember going to a pumpkin patch when I was a kid.  I think our pumpkins came from the grocery. 

 

Moving on...  so this weekend is also pretty busy, but it's a fun one.  The hub and I are going to see Dave Ramsey on Saturday at the Civic Center!!!  OMG, so excited.  It's his Total Money Makeover Live event - which we attended for the first time last year.   And as y'all know, we've been drinkin' the kool-aid ever since.  It's not really any new information for us, but he's just SO fun to see that we didn't even think twice about going again.  Plus it's good to get a a pep talk from him to re-energize our efforts.  I can't believe it's been a year since we sold the townhouse - remember this post?  And it was this time last year that Dave was in Atlanta.  God has amazing timing, you know.  His perspective is a little more clear than ours.  We were so fired up - we immediately started an FPU class the very next day.  But anyway, y'all have heard me ramble on here about my love for Dave and his ministry.  It's certainly changed our lives and empowered our marriage.  His "program" is nothing new... it's not some "get rich quick" scheme or anything like that.  It's about living on less than you make, getting out and staying out of debt, and building wealth so that you can live like no one else, give like no one else, and ultimately change your family tree.  He just calls it "grandma's advice," but like I've said before, he is blessed with this amazing ability to communicate this info in a way that gives people hope and really gets them fired up to make a change.  Love it.

 

Oh and while we're talking about money - I've got two quick things for ya.  One - I totally returned those Pottery Barn flatware sets I mentioned and, hell yeah, they gave me a store credit!  No questions asked.  What's even funnier is that the price per set had gone up $5 since we got married (ahem, 7 years ago), so we actually made money.  I am genius!  I really do like a $250 giftcard in my hand over 5 unopened boxes collecting dust in a random kitchen drawer, don't you?  And hellz yeah if I didn't already buy some Christmas gifts with it.

 

And number two - this is a biggie, actually.  We got a new car!  Totally random, I know.  Turns out my dad decided he wanted a new car.  And once my dad gets his mind set on something, he is like ALL about it.  So when my mom told me they were going to look at cars last Saturday, I knew they'd probably come home with one.  So anyway, I was on my way down to Piedmont Park to meet kuntry bride and my mom calls me and tells me that she and my dad talked about it and decided to offer their old car to us.  Even though we love our little beaters (Phoebe, do not take offense to that - it's a term of affection, really), my mom - the ultimate worrier - worries about us having two cars with like 200,000 miles on them.  "They could break down any minute!"  Like when we go on a trip out of town she always insists we take her car.  But we love our little paid-for cars.  And we'll drive those kids till the wheels fall off!  Which according to my mom, is "ANY minute!" 

 

So anyway, they offered to GIVE us their old car - a 2003 Honda Element.  And my dad takes excellent care of any gadget he has - from desktop radio to a car.  So it's in as pristine condition as it could possibly be for its age.  The car, not my dad.  OK, my dad too - he looks great.  Anyway, the car also has less than 100,000 miles on it.  AND it's a great doggie mobile.  We gave up our doggie mobile, if you remember, solely to get rid of the debt and monthly payment.  And sure, we can cram our three crazies in the back of either of our cars, but it's a little tight.  Belly always ends up sitting on poor Charlie's face or something.  "Because I can," she'd say.  Oh and did I mention the car's free?  I was like, "OK maybe y'all should see what they'll offer you for it at the dealership - you might change your mind!"  But my parents had already made up their minds.  We of course said, hell yeah!  We loves free!  And we offered to give them cash from whatever we sold our Lexus for (yep, the Lexus will be going - Phoebe's staying).  But they said no.  So not only are we getting a free car, but we're able to sell our Lexus - it's like free money.  And we think we can get more than what we paid for it.  The hub got a really good deal on it and we also had a new transmission put in earlier this year.  So all that was just an amazing and unexpected blessing this past weekend.  Granted, my dad's car is a little goofy looking.  It's an orange box.  But heck if we care.  It's free.  His old-busted is our new-hotness.  And it frees up a lot of cash for us to be able to make even more progress.  What's not to love?!

 

OK but just to give you a great and very real comparison between the new coupon-clipping-money-saving-debt-busting me and the old hey-that's-cute-OMG-let's-buy-it-and-the-$200-shoes-to-match me...  A few years ago, before we bought our townhouse, it was time for the hub to get a new car.  We had only been married like maybe a year.  His car was about 11 years old and truly was on its last leg (unlike Phoebe who's almost 12 and is still kicking ass and taking names).  My mom was also getting a new car around the same time.  Just like this past weekend, they offered up her old car to us.  For free.  It was a periwinkle Pontiac Grand Am - I don't remember the year, but it wasn't that old.  Older, but certainly not old.  But instead of taking the *FREE* car, our idiot we-think-we're-so-smart selves went out and bought a NEW car with payments.  Because we were too cool to drive a purple Pontiac, I suppose.  So let's go into debt and get something flashier!  Awesome plan, Betty!

 

Well you know, all you can do is laugh.  Sometimes you have to get drug through the mud and learn things the hard way.  I wouldn't change anything - it's part of our story.  I mean this whole financial journey, along with all the infertility shit, has taken my relationship with God to an entirely new level.  I probably should not say "shit" and "God" in the same sentence.  Anyway, I'm truly a new person because of it all and I've grown SO much and in ways I'd never had imagined.  So no, I wouldn't change a thing.

 

Gosh, this post has totally gotten outta control and terribly long - thanks for sticking with me.  Alright, I'm outta here, ladies.  I'll come back with a pic of our new car, who I'm thinking of naming "Ross."  If the hub lets me.  OK peace out!  Back later... xoxoxo  Oh! And...

 

 

Be sure to enter my Dwell Baby Giveaway by Friday, September 25th!

Dwell Baby Giveaway!

Totally busy, y'all. But 9/15 is here! Ugh, I was at work yesterday till 10pm. Ready for a break! Just doing a fly-by post here inbetween projects... but wanted to alert y'all to my fab giveaway I just posted over at Make Room for Style. It's a delicious bib and burpee set by Dwell Studio. Hop on over to enter - you've got until Friday, the 25th! I'll be back later when I can breathe a little bit...

Back to the drawing board.

Hey all! Hope you had fabulous Labor Day weekends. Mine was really good - Britney was awesome on Friday! Our seats were great and it was extra awesome considering it was *FREE*... and the funny thing was my boss called me that afternoon to tell me he had two spare tickets and wondered if I wanted them. Of course I would've snagged them had I not already been going. I was just destined to go, wasn't I?! The show was pretty much the same, as expected. But she did change up all her costumes! All but one... it's pretty sad that I know them so well, but yeah, I knew which pieces were repeats and which ones weren't. OK but another new addition that honestly freaked me out was one of her true "circus freaks." I hate to call this girl a freak, but for purposes of the show, she was a real circus freak. She basically had no legs. Which, OK that's not all that off-the-wall, but it wasn't like they were cut off at the knees... no, she had NO legs. Lucky and I were trying to figure out if she had a crotch or not. She was doing trampoline tricks with another dude who was tossing her around. Maybe I can find a picture... OK no luck, sorry. You'll just have to go catch Britney and see for yourself!

What else... my parents' party went really well on Saturday. The Georgia game? NOT so well. We'll just move on. Ahem. The hub's parents were in town for the party and stayed with us Saturday night, so we had a nice visit with them. And Sunday was pretty chill. We took the doggies to the lake and that was about it.

I went in to work Monday to set up my new office and I'm so glad I did because my computer was MIA for a couple of hours. We found it though in someone else's office and my dad helped me put together all my computer junk. I took it all apart (OK, unplugged it) but I wasn't about to try to put it back together by myself.

And also on Labor Day, we took a pregnancy test... I thought the fact that we'd be testing on "Labor Day" might be a good sign. You know, *labor*... haha. Right. Well, not so much. Looks like this 3rd IUI cycle was a bust, but that's OK. I've been the most care-free about this one for whatever reason, so maybe God was just helping me prepare for the answer I didn't want. I of course (duh) was really hoping this one would work out because we're not sure what our next steps are. So many unanswered questions... What are we gonna have to do? How the heck are we going to pay for it? When is it going to freaking happen already? Did you notice I'm AGING here?!? Well our plan (with my doctor) was always to do only 3 IUI cycles before moving to IVF. But since my doctor switched me to Femara last cycle, I'm wondering if he'll want to try IUI again a time or two. Whatever the answer is, I think we've decided to chill this next cycle. Being at the doctor every week starts to really wear on you. As soon as Flo arrives I'll be calling to set up an appointment to lay out our plan, but yeah we'll probably cool our heels for a bit.

Work has been super busy, especially with the move to the new office, so that's kept my mind off things. This whole week is going to be bizzy. Shoot, this whole month is bizzy. But it's all good. Alright... I've got to call it a night. I'm exhausted!!! xoxoxo

Oh P.S. Who else is freaking excited about the premiere of Glee tomorrow?!?!?! We'll be out but my Tivo is SET!

Just like a circus.

Oh, be jealous girls. Tonight's my date with Britney! OK, so there may be like 20,000 other people there, but whatever. I saw her back in March and the show was awesome (hop over here for my full report), but this time we'll be in a suite! I've seen a couple of shows at Philips from suites before and it is totally fun. What's not to like? Then tomorrow my parents are hosting a BBQ / garden party type thing so the hub and I will be helping out with that. Sunday I've got a paper order to work on plus a million other little things, and then it looks like I'm going to have to work on Monday (groan). I know, on Labor Day. But 9/15 is a huge deadline for us and with our office moving over the weekend, today is pretty much killed since they're taking the network down. And with my job, there's nothing you can do without the 'puter. We're mostly packing up our offices and heading out today, so I guess I still get a 3-day weekend sorta. Just too much to do next week and honestly I'll feel better if I can come in Monday and knock some things out. No big.

Last night was our first meeting with our small group and it went really well! I actually attended solo because the hub has been feeling really crappy the last couple of days. I knew if my spinach dip couldn't coax him into going, he was truly ill. Anyway, it was a very casual first meeting and everyone seems really cool. We'll start telling our "stories" at the next meeting which is always really eye-opening - you get to know people pretty fast that way. That's usually how all our groups have started off and it's just really interesting to see where people came from and how people got to where they are with the God stuff. Most of the couples do have young kids and naturally, the "mom club" quickly formed and everyone was suddenly talking about what Star Wars character their kid was into. And then, as always, they turn to me and ask, "do you have any kids?" "No, just doggies right now," like I always say. And then it's that awkward couple of seconds where they smile and don't know what else to say to you because you're not a parent. Oh, but I was totally expecting these moments last night so it sure didn't throw me for a loop or anything. But one of the good things is, our group leaders are a little older and don't have kids (nor do they want any), so they kinda help keep things on track and I don't feel so alone in being foreign to kid world. But any awkwardness aside, the group seems like it will be great and I'm really looking for the getting to know these other couples with the hub.

Well I'll be running around a lot this weekend, so not much time for the 'puter. I hope you gals have a FAB Labor Day weekend! Be safe and enjoy! xoxoxo

The dirt on baby registries.

Hey there... I'm so totally busy today at work but wanted to pop in supa fast to tell y'all I FINALLY posted my baby registry basics over at Make Room for Style.  Thanks to all the sweet mommas who participated in my survey (like a million months ago).  You all gave me some great info and I hope the newbies will find my post somewhat helpful.  Hop over here to take a look, mommas!