I should start by saying that when I got the automated appointment reminder on Tuesday night, I almost cried.  I remember making the appointment last year and knowing (or thinking I knew) that that setting that appointment was really a technicality.  I was sure that I would have either given birth by this date in 2012 or I would be pregnant, at least!  So here I am 365 days later and I am no further than I was when I made that appointment.

May 2012

May 2011

These boys made each of those 365 days so bright though!





I took a deep breath, shaved my legs and off I went.   

The receptionist greeted me with an enthusiastic and welcoming smile.  Suddenly I wasn't feeling so awful about being there completely unpregnant.  I was called back and the nurse asked me the standard questions about heart disease and high blood pressure stuff.  When she asked about prescriptions, I mentioned that I have taken Clomid but it isn't an ongoing thing.  She asked me, "Is that something that you take only when you need it?"  It took me about 3 seconds to realize that she had zero clue about the whole world of infertility.  I gave my OB's nurse a crash course on infertility and infertility drugs. 

Finally after a long wait for the doctor to come in, in walked my favorite OB in the world.  My OB has one daughter who is a young teen.  She had a couple of miscarriages and decided to give up and be happy with the one she has.  So, she kinda gets it.  She gets me.  Then after a little cry (thank you fake HCG) my doctor explained something to me that makes so much sense!  Apparently 200 years ago, they believed that if a woman was educated it would cause blood to go to the woman's brain instead of going to her reproductive organs and would cause infertility.  Light bulb!  This completely explains the "Can I get pregnant if he put it in my ear?" posts.  They ARE more fertile, after all.  I am strongly considering spending my weekend watching all of the Jackass and Jim Carrey movies to see if it might help dumb me down so I can get pregnant! (If you know of any dumb movies please tell me in the comments.  I might turn this into a stupid experiment! LOL)



My OB went on to say that when she was doing her residency, her and her peers decided that the way to get pregnant was to get chlamydia and do a lot of drugs.  This is not an experiment I am willing to conduct.  

Back up to the front desk I go to schedule for next year.  The lady says, "Let's schedule you for next year and then if something pops up we'll deal with it then."

Because of my history of irregular PAPs, I thought that is what she was referring to.  So I quickly said, "I hope nothing pops up."

"You will have to talk to Doug about that!" she said.

"OH that!"  I hope that pops up!  We are trying for THAT!" I clarified.

Then, because I brought it up, the office staff all started chiming in with their experiences.  One woman said she had triplets and without even a pause I asked her to rub her uterus on me.  I did.  A woman I have never met before.  See what infertility has done to me?!  So then, while we are all giggling and sharing, their office phone rings and they exchange eye rolls and more giggles.  One of the women tells me that this woman has called 3 times today but promised that this would be the last time.  I can only hear one side of the conversation but no joke, I heard the words "be careful", "use condoms", and "No.  You can't use it if you ran over it with the vaccuum cleaner!"  I was confused and puzzled so someone clarified that they were talking about her birth control getting lost.   Nice.

So when she was done on the phone, I said, "Do you all want to know who is going to get pregnant before me?  That girl." gesturing toward the phone.



The only thing that stinks about this appointment is that it is going to make the decision to deliver with a midwife so much harder!  I love these ladies!

Cycle Update: I am 4 days past ovulation and 6 days past the trigger shot.  Hopefully by this time next week I will be able to share some news.  I just hope it is good news. 

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On Friday I got my trigger shot and I ovulated either Saturday or Sunday.  My chart isn't really clear but the truth is... it doesn't matter.  We did everything we can do and now we just wait to see if it is our time. 

Speaking of our time, here is an interesting coincidence... In 2007 I had a period on May 13th.  About 26 days later I got the wonderful news that I was expecting our first child.  Gavin was born on February 14th, 2008.  My current cycle started on May 13th.  Can lightening really strike twice?  Could I get to celebrate another Valentines Day in a hospital pacing the hallways and buying chocolates from the vendors?  (This has become a bit of a tradition for me.  When I was pregnant with Joey, I went for genetic counseling in February and they had the same delicious treats in the lobby!) 

I know some people avoid during the months where they might conceive a child due when another child has a birthday or when there is a major holiday. Me?  Not so much!  I'll take a baby any day, any month, any moment that God wants to send one.  Plus, I figure even if I have the same due date, it doesn't mean they will have the same birthday. 

Do you have any duplicate birthdays (or close to it) in your family?  Did it seem to bother anyone?  What about on or near a holiday? 

I love having flowers around my house in the spring and summer months.  One thing that I hate is taking up so much of our growing area with things that aren't edible.  So, here was my solution!  A pallet garden!  Since it stands vertically, it won't waste more than a few inches of ground space and it adds tons of colors and dimension in an otherwise bland space.  I also love the rustic and re-purposed look!  


Step 1: Find your pallet that you want to use.  If it is important to you, you can try to find ones that haven't been chemically treated.  I just used what I had on hand.  Be sure to remove any stray nails or sharp edges.  You will need two large bags of potting mix and some landscape cloth.  Also (not pictures) you will need a staple gun or other way to secure the cloth to the pallet like hammer and tacks. 


Step 2: Decide which side will be front and cover the back of your garden.  Mine isn't as pretty as it could have been but I figured... what the heck.  Who is going to see it anyway?  Using my staple gun, I fastened the cloth to the back taking sure to attach it on both horizontally and vertically. 



Step 4:  Start with planting in what will be the top first. 
Step 5:  Then plant the other rows.   Be sure that there is plenty of soil packed around each plant.  While tempting to stand your garden up and admire it in all of its beauty, your pallet must remain laying down for a week.  This will give your plants adequate time to take root and hold everything together.   






And Done!  After you have waited patiently for a week, you can set your pallet up and place it where ever you'd like!  We put ours in our "flower beds" where we plant our edibles, but these work great on patios, balconies, and anywhere you want to make feel more alive.  This was my first one and it was really very easy!  If I could do it over, I might have had a fourth row of flowers.  Also, my goal for the next ones would be to have them be all purposeful plants for eating or that have medicinal value.  Overall, a fun and easy project!  Great for kids too that like to get their hands dirty! 

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This morning started like most others.  I rolled out of bed and rushed into the shower before Joey's, "ma-ma-ma-ma" turned into "MAAAAAAM!"  (Yes... He now calls me like how I imagine a teenager would.)  One good thing about trying to conceive is that it guarantees that I shave my legs at least once a month.  I must admit that since I was in a bit of a hurry that I focused more on the sides that the doctor would be exposed to while giving me the ultrasound.  I jumped out of the shower and into my clothes and it was time to start the day.

After the boys were fed, I sat and played with them until I needed to finish getting ready to go.  I talked to my mom and told her that my appointment was at 10:15 if I remembered correctly.  I decided that I should probably double check the time... you know... just in case.  I looked at the appointment card and saw staring back at me that I was to be at the office at 9:15 not 10:15!!  I had 30 minutes to get my mom to my house, and drive the 20 minutes to my appointment.  My mom showed up about 5 minutes later and I was able to jump in the truck about 2 minutes after that.  Plenty of time. 

Then as I am cruising... nah... flying up the freeway I notice in my rear view mirror that I completely forgot to take out the double stroller.  Great.  I didn't want to leave a $150 stroller ripe for the picking in my vehicle, so after I pull into the parking lot at 9:12, I grab that bulky stroller like She-Woman and heave it into the backseat.  After some more pushing and maneuvering, I am able to close the door.  Then the speed walk to the office.

I walk in and am greeted by the always fantastically sweet receptionist with a wave and a grin.  I have a seat in the empty waiting room and as soon as my butt hit the seat they call me back.

"Wow!  You guys are on it today!"

"Yeah.  We had something come up.  You obviously didn't get our phone call.  We tried to reschedule." she said kindly.

"I am so sorry!" I say with almost a tear in my eye either from my suddenly hectic run to the appointment or from feeling like I had screwed up again today.

"No big deal!" she smiled. 

Now while most people would have been okay with that I sat on the table feeling so horrible.  The doctor came in about 15 seconds later and before we even had a greeting I asked, "Is everyone here just because of me?"

My doctor explained that he had a last minute meeting this morning and that if I would have showed up 5 minutes after I did, he would have been gone.  He wasn't angry with me at all but I still felt awful and appreciative that I checked my appointment card when I did.  Five minutes later and this post would have been completely different!

So, after all of the crazy running this morning, I learned that I have two "biggies" on my left side and one "too small one" on my right.  The nurse gave me my trigger shot and we plan on having a busy but fun weekend.  When I told Doug about the follicles, he said, "So we need to aim for the left side."

I am excited and hopeful.  I appreciate all of the love, support and baby dust you all have been sharing with me.  

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How to know if my friend is pregnant? my friend is sorta worried that she is pregnant possibly 2 or 3 weeks she said she had sex with her boyfriend twice a two weeks ago and he didnt ***, last weekend they had sex and when he pulled out and made it up to her face he cummed...but she is on birth control and she had a tiny bladder problem and she has dirreha so whats wrong

 First lets start with the fact that I have no idea what the relevance of him doing his thing on your friends face is.  That is just gross.  Second, try not to make fun of your friend's tiny bladder.  Bullying hurts.   


 

How can I tell my boyfriend I stopped taking my birth control? ? I'm tired of taking them, we had sex already but I haven't told him I stopped taking them. He's going too think I'm doing it on purpose that's why I haven't told him.. HELP..

You have a couple of choices.  You can either say, "Guess what?!  Your a daddy!" or you could say something like, "Hey, sweetie! Condoms or fatherhood?  You choose."  Good luck with that. 

Will i possibly get pregnant? Me and my boyfriend had sex yesterday, (monday). and we used a condom , but it kept coming off,so when we finished..he looked on his penis and didnt see it. And i pulled it out, so it was off the whole time we were having sex. I dont know if im pregnant yet i havent checked. So is it a possibility?

While I enjoyed participating in your little scavenger hunt for the missing condom, you could have just written, "I had unprotected sex.  Am I pregnant?"  So my follow up questions would be, are you unmarried?  Under the age of 18?   Making "plenty of money by babysitting?"   If yes to any of these then, yes, you are probably pregnant. 

 Had sex on ovulation day a week befor my period and im having craping?????

I have to recommend trying a gluten free diet.  I used to have a lot of crapping too.  It sucks.

Pregnancy test question?

so i took a pregnancy test this morning, I am 8 days late for my period and the pregnancy test said negative after 10 seconds.. I moved the pregnancy stick around will this affect my results if i moved it around instead of laying it flat on the table?

Thanks

Take it from an expert: You can hold onto a test, do the cha cha, carry it with you as you put away laundry, and put it in your car as you take a trip to the grocery store.  You can even throw that son of a bitch in the trash can, go have a martini, come back 2 hours later dig it out (or pick it off of the top where you layed it strategically so that you could look at it again later) and it will still be mocking your efforts to get pregnant.  Or maybe that is just me. 

I started my period may 1st thru the 6th. I had sex from may 3rd to the 7th. I no its early for pregnancy an I kno its early for ovulation, but I have been having wayyyy more discharge then usual. Its pure white, creamy an there's so much I can feel it leaking out. I no that's it can't be pregnancy so what do u think?

You had sex for 5 days straight?!  I hope you were drinking Gatorade and took a break for a granola bar or something.  Sheesh.  Do you think that 120 hours of intercourse may have something to do with all of that discharge?

What makes or sperm stay in longer ? Is there pills that make stay longer in ?

Installing a disco ball that hangs from your cervix and offering cocktails (no pun inten... no wait... pun totally intended) might get them to stay for a little longer.  As far as pills... I don't know about you but I could go for a Valium. 

Ive Ben haveing in protected sex whit my hubby I'm in my husbens account since about a week he dose not ejaculat in side sorry TMI he pulls out I'm wating for my period in 3 days is there a chance I can be Pregnet I have that pink pad app and it says my flowers was blooming on 1st 2ed 3rd 4th so I dnt think I was ovulating HELP Lastnight me and my husband had unprotected sex and he came in me. Can i still get pregnant if i started my period like right after? We have one son and we're not ready for the second one yet, should i get the day after pill or am i fine?

I'm confused.  Because you husband doesn't ejaculate inside of you you are using his account?  But the best part is that you said that your "flowers was blooming".  I don't know what that means but it makes me laugh!

How do I know if my sperm is any good?

When I pull milk out of the fridge and I am not sure if it is any good, I sniff it.  

 Am i PREGNANT or not ? plzzzzz help me :(? ok i know my date for periods is far away , (22,23 may ) but 2 days b4 yesterday , i vomit twice, im feeling very weak and have alot of headache til now, and yesterday i waz feeling pain in stomach. im really afraid im a pregnent ? :( i cant even tell my mom or any 1 ...plz help me wot to do !!! i cant do home pregnancy test or any thing like dat ... and its about 10 days in my periods date... im dying for dem ...i dnt knw i will spent this 10 days :'(

 i had sex about 1 or 2 week ago....he used condem but some times he rub penis on me....im worried abt dat :(

Wait.  So what you are saying is that you think you are pregnant from your boyfriend rubbing his penis on you.  Unless by "on you" you mean "on or near the entrance of your uterus" you aren't pregnant.  In the future can you ask your boyfriend not to rub his penis on you.  I mean, really, it is kinda creepy. 

Now check out part 1, 2 , 3 , 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8!

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