Unintentional Lie

o I have O neg blood...which is gold for the blood drives. They call me...often...to get me to come in. DH and I decided that while we are going through this process, it would be best for me to keep all of my blood. So yesterday, I got a call from the RedCross begging me to come in. This is the 3rd call this week so I was getting a little tired of it. So while on the phone with this women I did the math and thought 'well how long will I need to not donate if this cycle works'. So I asked her to remove me from the calling list for about 9 months. Not thinking that this is usually what people say when they are pregnant. So the women goes "Oh my goodness, that is so wonderful. Congratulations. Is this your first?" I didn't have the heart to tell her no lady, I'm infertile and going through IVF....so instead I responded "yes." Then she proceeded to congratulate me some more.

After I got off the phone I felt just awful about going along with a lie. It stung pretty bad to tell a lie that I wanted so badly to be reality. Hard lesson learned.

Wedding Recap ("borrowed" from Sew Infertile")

Thanks for the idea Sew Infertile!  Love it!

1.  1. Where/how did you meet: We met at the University of Miami.  I was an undergrad and he was my TA.  Scandalous!

2. 2. How long have you known each other: 7  years

3. How long after you met did you start dating: We met a year before we started dating.  The following year…during band camp (yes, yes I know…it was this one time at band camp) we started dating after a hurricane party at my house. And yes, when you live in Miami, you have hurricane parties the second that school is cancelled.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged: We dated for a year and a half 

5. How long was your engagement: 1 ½ years…he wanted a long engagement…I didn’t.  He won.

6. How long have you been married: Almost 3 years

7. What is your anniversary: May 19th

8. How many people came to your wedding reception: 110

9. What kind of cake did you serve: Key lime cake with key lime frosting….and I can’t remember what the other 2 layers were.

10. Where was your wedding: Key West, Florida.  We wanted a destination wedding so that we would have a smaller guest list.  FAIL!  Everyone we invited showed up.  Guess everyone loves Key West as much as we do!  We were married on a dock over the water and had our reception outdoors at a place called Kelly’s (which is the old PanAm headquarters)

11. What did you serve for your meal: Everyone knows brides don’t remember what the food was…but I think guest could choose from steak, coconut shrimp, or a pasta dish

12. How many people were there in your bridal party: 5

13. Are you still friends with them all: Absolutely

14. Did you or your spouse cry during the ceremony: No, we both were choked up though

15. Most special moment of your wedding day: Seeing his big smile when I came down the isle and having my daddy give me away.

16. Any funny moments: My husband surprised me by having the college mascot come out at the reception.  He was drunker than ten Indians!  Nothing like a gigantic ibis stumbling around the wedding!

17. Any big disasters: I cried my eyes out while getting my hair done because it looked like Helen Keller did it…nothing like the picture. Thank god for veils right?

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon: We did a tour of Costa Rica…we went to San Jose, La Fortuna (home of an active volcano), Jaco, and Tamrindo (where we stayed at an all inclusive resort…well a hut really.  We were one of maybe 4 couples there.)

19. How long were you gone: 7 days

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change: 2 things…my dress…the boning did some crazy things and looked ugly by the end of the night….and definitely have a new photographer…because she turned out to be a scam artist who’s house “caught on fire”….amazing that it has “caught on fire” for all of the other brides weddings she did.  Thank god for facebook and digital cameras.

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on: furthest from the door  (ditto)

22. What size is your bed: Queen

23. Greatest strength as a couple: Communication and trust

24. Greatest challenge as a couple: without a doubt, infertility.  I can’t say our marriage has been perfect.  We had a few months that were really rough about a year ago (nothing divorce worth), but we have built such a great foundation moving forward that I don’t know what I would do without him.

25. Who literally pays the bills: He does….he takes care of all of our financials.  I really need to be better about helping him, but he is wonderful for managing our household in that manner. 

26. What is your song: Good Morning Beautiful by Steve Holy

27. What did you dance your first dance to: Good Morning Beautiful

28. Describe your wedding dress: see pics.

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding: My bouquet was mostly star gazer lilies.  It’s the flower my husband first gave me while we were dating.

30. Are your wedding bands engraved? No.

Holy Lupron headache and some good news!

Last IVF cycle I didn't get any headaches while taking Lupron. This time around, I have woken up with a headache every single day that I've been taking it.  They get worse as the day goes on and there is nothing I can do to make them go away.  I feel so bad for my poor hubby because the only thing I have energy to do between the headaches and the sheer exhaustion is make dinner, watch 30 minutes of TV, and pass out.  I've been a terribly hormonal wife lately.  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful supportive husband that has put up with me throughout this whole process!

And now for the good news!  AF finally came today!  Thank the AF god: )

PS-that is hopefully the last time you'll hear me say that!

Waiting for the AF fairy...

Well sort of.  I went in for my suppression check yesterday.  U/S was all clear.  Lining was 5.1 (which they said is a little thick, but I haven't had a period yet).  My E2 came back at 32 so I am completely suppressed!  Yay!

I still haven't start AF.  Some spotting here and there, but it always stops.  This might be the first time I am hoping AF comes!  The RE told me that if I don't start by tomorrow, which is when I am supposed to start Estrodial Valerate shots, to call so we can figure out what we are going to do.  I pray pray pray that it comes before then because I REALLY don't want to delay our FET any longer!

In other news, last night I made vaca frita for the first time.  It's an amazing cuban dish (and even though I am a super white girl, I am actually half-cuban).  As a bonus, I even found frozen plantains at Publix (which are next to impossible to find in Tennessee).  It was delicious!

Top 10 ways to get away from pregnant people

So after a fun encounter with a certain co-worker today who LOVES to talk about her pregnancy and show me her Bella Band (even though she’s only 4 weeks pregnant), I’ve decided that I should come up with a list of ways to shut her up.  Feel free to add!

1.       When she makes a comment, comment back with something completely unrelated to the conversation.  I.e. “So I am getting fat, look at my Bella Band.” “Did you know Rhinoceroses’ ejaculate 70 times a day.”

2.       Begin the conversation with a graphic description of the consistency of your vomit last time you threw up.  Talk about the smell, how their were pieces of spaghetti in it.  Maybe throw in how the dog started licking it up before you were able to clean it.  She’ll eventually have a pang of morning sickness that will leave her running for the bathroom.

3.       As soon as she enters your cube, begin silently farting while acting very engaged in her conversation.  It is essential to be sure you ate beans and other foul smelling foods the night before. Eventually, she’ll politely excuse herself.

4.       When she approaches your desk begin to cough uncontrollably.  When she asks what’s wrong tell her you have tuberculosis or the swine flu.

5.       Cover your desk with pictures of episiotomies, bloody placentas, vaginal tears, a birthing table covered in feces.  When she asks what all of this is, explain to her that your “friend” just gave birth and sent you all of these pictures.  Begin to describe the pain and embarrassment that said friend experienced during her grueling birth.  For good measure throw in anal fissures.

6.       Next time she shows you pictures of her diaper bag she bought or the new crib they plan on buying, bust out your pictures of your embryos and your husband’s frozen sperm sample.  Be sure to go into great detail about how much each of them cost.

7.       Find out where she lives…print out the sex offenders report for her area.  During the next conversation, act terribly concerned and hand her the list.  Then throw in “since you are having a baby and all, I thought you might want this.”

8.       Make yourself a fest of caffeinated coffee, beer, tequila shots, hot dogs, and un-pasteurized soft cheeses.  While eating comment about how good everything tastes and how you couldn’t live without it.  Be sure to offer her some.  At the end be sure to top off your meal by popping a Motrin because why hurt if you don’t have to!

9.       Talk about how your Great Aunt Mildred stretched so bad when she was pregnant that she’s got a pocket of saggy skin that she has to tuck into her pants.  For an added bonus, talk about how bad the fold of stretchy skin smells.  Double whammy if you can get the pregnant girl to puke.

10.   During the next conversation about her ultrasound or OB appointment talk all about how much fun you had and how drunk you were the past weekend.  Mention all of the great cocktails you had and how life is so much better when you can unwind with a drink!

[Disclaimer: Use these at your own risk]

I <3 Nashville Walmarts

That's a woman in case you were wondering.  And yes, I am a heinous bitch.  I accept that.  Enjoy!

You want to put what where?

So....I had a hydrosonogram today.  I understood the jist of the procedure...spread em, put a catheter in, shoot some water in there, take a picture.  But, when I arrived for my appointment today, the room was adorned with chuck pads...as if I had just shown up to the set of a bad porno in which girls shoot all kinds of weird liquids from their lady business (sorry for the graphic...but that's what it felt like).

Seriously!  Was all of this necessary?

So the nurse opened the door to the room and all I could think to say is "Well this looks painful."  Then she said "well I just don't want to clean the floors." and walks out.  Then I was left to sit in the room alone to visualize women with their feet in stirrups shooting saline from their vagina's like a jet boat.

Fortunately, it wasn't like that at all (thank God, because I had devleoped this fear of shooting water all over my doctor based on how the room looked!)  It was about as painful as I imagined....REALLY crampy. They had the same problems they did at our last embryo transfer with my cervix...not opening at all.  So they used some "numbing" cream which felt like scalding water on my insides and then a cervical tenaculum (and yes, it is as scary as it sounds) to spread open the cervix to slide the catheter and balloon in.