Weekend in Pictures

So I realize the holiday weekend isn't actually over yet, but I have taken so many pictures of the last two days I felt that it was time to go ahead and post them. I am working today and tomorrow, so besides watching the UK vs UofL game today with some friends, I am pretty sure I am going to just relax until Tuesday. Isn't that what Labor Day is for?? Anyway, settle in as my amazing weekend passes before your eyes...(seriously, settle in, we are talking about three separate events in pictures all packed into one fun filled post!)

First, Friday night we went to a wedding! What, you have never been to a Friday wedding?? Well, this was my first but they saved a lot of money and I still had my entire Saturday to do what I wanted (will be shared later in the post) so I gotta say I am a fan of the Friday night weddings!

Here is Nick's step-sister Victoria looking all adorable

Nick and I at the church ( I am having a really skinny weekend in all the pics! Gotta be the Wii Fit doing its job! (haven't really worked out in a while...but whatever...))

Sister in law Candice (Maid of Honor!) with her boyfriend Davis

Nick with his dad and Candice...can you see the family resemblance??

I just think this one is funny...looks how surprised she is that her bouquet only went about two feet...not the best showing there, Victoria!

Victoria dancing with Dale. Notice the dress change! That's right, she had TWO wedding dresses...amazing!Me and Nick chillin' at the wedding. The hot flashes gave me some serious issues, but besides that we had a wonderful time!and because Michael should be included too, here is a final shot of the bride and groom!

Now, usually that would be the end of the post, but I thought you all might rather get all the pictures in one big post, soooooo....Saturday was my grandpa's 75th birthday!

Here are my mamaw and pa!

and my pa with two of his brothers

my mom with her sister and aunts. My mom (in pink) looks so happy in this picture! She loves having people over to their house!

me and my sisters just hanging out by the fence

being ridiculous (okay, we got a little crazy with the picture taking...like I seriously think we took about 100)

Me and Nick (see, skinny weekend!)

Nick trying to take a funny picture, but I really like it!

Me by the fence

Missy...by the fence

Boo and Chris still hanging out at the fence, but aren't these pictures great! We should take a lot more pictures with the fence involved....

All the cousins that were in attendance at the birthday party!

My mom did an amazing job with the entire party and everyone had a great time. Thanks for putting it all together mom!

Now for the final event of the weekend (yes there is one more, but only a couple pic's this time!!) We left the birthday party to go to sweet little Mandy's personal shower!

Here is the bride-to-be with Missy

Missy with her two best friends Mandy and Becky

And finally the adorable little bride to be.

Thanks for looking at all the pics! Wait...is anyone still even looking at these? Anyway, I think I have had my picture fill for awhile, so I will be back to boring words tomorrow! Hope you all are having a great holiday weekend!

Starting Gate

Well, I gotta say that the month of August has flown by at an insane pace. I just knew it would drag...feel like the longest month of my life. Another month of waiting. Now that we are at the end...I gotta say that it wasn't THAT bad! I went to see Doc today for my ultrasound and blood work to see if I will be able to join the September group for IVF. The nurse managed to send me into a little bit of a panic when I arrived in the ultrasound room. I informed her that I had not had my period yet, and she said "hmmmm" *worried look on face* "Well, if your lining is really thin, we will still be able to move forward, but it needs to be REALLY thin...otherwise, we will have to cancel again" For the record, I had called and ASKED about this, and they said sometimes on Lupron girls didn't have a period and it wasn't something to worry about...

Turns out the phone call answer was the real one, at least for me. When Doc came in he told me that the Lupron will keep my estrogen so low that I may not have a period, and he isn't worried about it. He did the ultrasound and said my lining was "incredibly thin" (love those words!) and that both my ovaries looked "perfect". He said that he sees no reason for my estrogen levels to be elevated (but he said that last month too) and that we should be good to go. They will call me if the blood work comes back bad...

So, we are at the starting gate waiting for the buzzer. Hoping the phone doesn't ring this month, that we are truly ready. He bumped up my starting Folistrum dose to 300 since it is clear my body requires a little more meds than the average gal. Assuming we don't get a call today, we start stems on Monday and go back to check the progress on Friday...now I just need the phone to NOT ring!

Me vs. The Copy Machine

I hate our copy machine at work. HATE IT. Every time I think I have the hang of it, it eats my report, shreds my paper...basically ruins my life. Today...the battle finally came to a head. I tried to make some labels. Innocent little labels. I ran the sheet threw the copier...and of course...a jam. I open all the little secret doors and find my sheet of labels. I pull...and the page of labels rips right along the perforated edge. My hand holding half the sheet of perfectly made labels, the other half completely eaten by Rosie (I didn't name the copier such a sweet little name...the bitch came with it...).

After a solid fifteen minutes of laying on the floor trying every conceivable angle to get the paper out (including taking out the toner, which then got EVERYWHERE) I caved and went for help. Tarp came to the rescue. We both worked and pulled. We used pliers and tweezers...another thirty minutes goes by. I am basically just watching Tarp work, but finally I get antsy and jump in to help. I get my set of tweezers and start pulling with him. That's when it happens. A very clear "pop"....and I break a metal piece off the copier. Tarp and I both stare at it with huge eyes...OH GOD. I have actually MAIMED Rosie!!

Tarp assures me he can get it back on, but gives me a slight look to back away from the machine. I listen...for a while. Then I jump back into the action, not thirty seconds later we hear another "pop"...another piece of metal broken (I didn't know my own strength!!). Tarp takes the tweezers from me, and gives me this look. He then says, "You are FORBIDDEN from touching the copier again!!" He turns to get back to work, and I let out a loud sigh. He turns back to me (I am pretty sure there was pity in his eyes...I had a little toner on my face) and he said "Please, don't ever be a dentist"

A solid thirty minutes later Tarp (with the help of Justin....no more help from me)got the entire thing working again. There are a couple of labels stuck inside, but they don't seem to be doing any harm. He just set the two broken metal pieces inside the machine...hopefully they aren't to important...I will be avoiding Rosie from now on!

Call me Anything, I will Answer

I was at work yesterday and Tarp told us a story about his weekend. Apparently he was introducing some people around the table and he gets to his friend Bart. When he says, "and this is Bart" Bart says, "actually, it's Raymond". Tarp was so SURE his name was Bart! So sure in fact that he thought poor Raymond was joking...we are laughing about it, and Tarp says, "how could he just let me call him Bart!" And then I remembered...this has happened to me, and it might be a good enough story to tell you all.

So I went to a really large University. I would pop off with some number, but I really have no idea how many students were there. We are the state school, so we are huge. Classes with two hundred people kinda huge. Needless to say, you don't always get to know people in your classes. You come and go, seeing faces, but never taking the time to learn names. One day my senior year I am sitting on this couch in the biology building waiting for my next class. I am studying hard(reading People magazine) when I hear a guy say "Hi Rachael!!" there were several people in the little lounge, so I look up to see the exchange between this Rachael and he friend. I don't know them, I am just extremely nosey. As I look up, there is a guy staring at me with a big smile on his face. I smile back, a little confused, and he sits down to talk to me. Apparently we have classes together....who knew! (I am commonly unobservant of people around me...) After a couple of minutes he stands up and says, "well, see you in ecology Rachael!"

I freeze. I just realized that the guy saying "Hi Rachael" was THIS guy...and he was talking TO ME! With a split seconds hesitation I just say, "BYE!" and smile. What do you do?? I mean, clearly I had unintentually answered to Rachael when he first walked up! (so damn nosey...) and now, I just couldn't embarrass him (and me). I figured it didn't matter. I had never spoken to him before, this is a huge school, I am sure it would never come up again...

A few days later I walk into a lab and there he is...I realize I have no idea what his name is, but it seems rude to ask seeing as how he clearly knows my name...I mean, he THINKS he knows my name. He gets a huge smile on his face and says "Hi Rachael! How was your weekend?" I realize I am trapped. I have answered to Rachael too many times. It would be CRAZY to say "hahaha...actually, just call me Sarah...that Rachael thing...I...not..." so I decided to roll with it. Over the next few weeks I realized this guy REALLY liked me. I would see him across the street and he would give me that big over head wave and yell "RACHAEL!!" I was with a friend once when it happened and she gave me this "that guy is calling you Rachael..." look, I just gave her a little shrug of my shoulders like, "what are ya gonna do?" (she may have given me the "YOU ARE CRAZY" look back....I was to busy waving back at No-Name) Then of course there were the times he tried to get my attention, but I didn't notice because he was yelling someone else's name!

Our last semester it came to a head. We had a small class together. A small class where we had to give presentations. When it was my turn and they said "SARAH" and I got up...his face...I wish I had a picture of it. Pure confusion. My PowerPoint clearly had my name on it...no Rachael in sight. When I sat back down he looked at me and asked, "why does the teacher think your name is Sarah, Rachael??" I shrugged and said (WHY) "I go by both". I just COULDN'T tell him that I only go by Rachel to him....but I think he realized. He never really talked to me again. Which...really, was much better.

Anyway, the point is that sometimes these things just happen. Yes, I should have told him right off the bat, but once you DON'T say it, then you are stuck! I could really feel for poor Bart in Tarps story...he probably was just being nosey when Tarp yelled "Hi Bart!!!"...

Impressive...

I am on my hour lunch break. I have successfully completed the following tasks.

• gone to the grocery story to get food for Matt and Tori. Not full grocerys, but still milk, bread, eggs, pop, chips and dip, brownie mix...enough to need the full size cart
• Made myself a salad at the Kroger salad bar
• Ran into a friend from Kappa Delta and chatted for five minutes (damn that five minutes, it will come back to bite me)
• Drove home.
• Put away groceries.
• Made Brownies, got them in the oven.
• Made Ranch dip, put it in the fridge.
• Wrote welcome note to Matt and Tori telling them where all food is and that we will be home at six.
• Ate salad.
• Ate three miniature Reese's that I got for Matt and Tori...
• Licked the bowl from the brownies
• Loaded and started the dishwasher.
• Wrote a blog post with the extra five minutes I have while I wait for the brownies to come out of the oven...

I will be about five minutes late to work. I need to leave now, but the brownies need just a couple more minutes. Still...pretty impressive for an hour, right??

Home Sweet Home!

Well we are officially home! We had a an amazing weekend spending time with our family. There was tons of talking and laughing. I could not have been luckier with the family I got to join when we married. Nick did point out to me at some point on the trip that I might be a touch nicer to his family that I actually am to him (impossible...I am perfect). We were shopping and they had a bin of stuffed animals. Nick picks one up and says, "Look, a walrus!" I roll my eyes and say (in that voice that is completely calling someone a fool) "THAT is not a walrus! IT IS A MANATEE!" *eye roll to show how OBVIOUS this is* Ten seconds later Sally (my MIL) walks up and picks up the Manatee...she says, "LOOK, a walrus!!"...I say... "Um...actually..." *smile* *shrug shoulders*" I think that MIGHT be a manatee, what do YOU think?" She looked at the tag and said, "Oh yeah, your right!"

Nick's eyes might have actually fallen out of his head. He couldn't seem to understand how he gets the "OBVIOUSLY" eye roll and his mom get the "maybe...could be...not positive" smile. I informed him that it is what makes me a great daughter in law! (and a realistic wife!)

I failed miserably at taking pictures over this trip. I carried my camera with me...with big plans to photograph everything...wanna see what I got?
Here is Ellie in the bed that Mawmaw put together for her. She was in dog in heaven! Okay, the bed was a little small for her, but she still appreciated the effort!
Next we have Nick and Matt at the going away party. Did I get in a photograph? nope. Did I get Matt and Tori together at their going away party? Nope. Did I get ANYBODY besides these two?...no...*sigh*. Still, it's a cute picture and you can kinda tell we did something!
Next...we have a family portrait from the trip home. We ended up taking the scenic route through Tennessee and stopped at this over look for a quick picture. I gotta say, I am looking a little dirty here, but it was a travel day...also, not pictured is my mother in law...because I suck.

That's it! Three pictures of the entire weekend adventure! I will try to snap some pictures tomorrow with Matt and Tori while there are at our house on the first leg of the road trip to Portland! Hope you all had a great weekend!

Hitting the Road

Nick and I are hitting the road for South Carolina! We are driving the six hours (along with my MIL) for Nick's favorite cousins going away party. He is moving to Portland on Monday. His first overnight stop along the way? Our house. SO....we will go to the party in SC, then basically rush home so he has a place to stay Monday night! Works for us. We will take as much time with him as we can while he is still on this side of the US!

I will be staying with Mawmaw, who thinks the idea of a computer is ridiculous, so needless to say I will not be blogging again until we are home on Sunday. If you are just dying for some Bio Girl posts*, go ahead and check out some archives...I used to be kinda funny. In the lamest attempt of pulling together some good posts, I will now link to a post where I already did that...those posts are still worth reading, right?? I would look for new enjoyable posts, but I DON'T HAVE TIME! My MIL will be here in nine minutes and Nick isn't packed, the bed isn't made, and we have nothing together for Ellie! So...hope you all have a great weekend! I am sure we will!

*What? You could care less that I am out of town and are happy your reader will not be full of my daily ramblings?? (that stings) You have no desire to go read about my old foolishness?? I can't even hear you. I know you will miss me...I can feel it!

Something Else...

I went to my physical with my PCP last week. Our work actually gives us a discount on insurance costs for keeping up with a yearly physical, so I am pretty good about going. A few months ago work announced that you only had to go every other year for the physical to get the discount...I am assuming the concern about our health was decreased when the price of everyone's physicals was released...anyway, when they called me last week to confirm the appointment I was going to cancel it. Surely I have seen enough doctors lately. I am only 28, and I am POSITIVE a bi-annual physical will keep me covered. I picked up the phone to cancel, and waited. Nobody ever answered. Not the normal machine telling me to hold...nobody. After a couple minutes I threw my hands in the air and said, "Well, I guess I have got to go then!!" Tarp found it hilarious how easily I just gave up...

I got a letter in the mail yesterday from my PCP. He said everything looked good...except I had an elevated Thyroid level. He isn't worried about it...just come back in two months and we will look at it again. I will give you three guesses as to what an elevated Thyroid level is linked to...bingo. Infertility and miscarriage. I called up Doc to see what he thought and he was very concerned. I faxed him over the results and he came to the same basic conclusion as my PCP...just slightly elevated. Keep a close eye on it, but nothing to do about it now. Then he threw in that although he doesn't see this level causing me any problems in the fertility department, he is very worried about miscarriage after pregnancy. Apparently women who have a slightly elevated level commonly spike during pregnancy. Soooo....after a positive pregnancy test they have plans to keep a very close eye on that pesky Thyroid...

So to say I was annoyed yesterday with this new found information is an understatement. How was it possible that SOMETHING ELSE is wrong with me?? If you listened to me complain on the phone, email, gmail chat or Twitter (I don't think I really need so many outlets to complain...) I am really sorry. Sometimes I need a day to process things. I am really okay with this. The thing is, apparently I have always had a chance for an elevated Thyroid...it's just that now we know about it. Nothing would suck worse than getting pregnant, then having a completely preventable miscarriage. We are so lucky to know...so lucky I went for the unneeded physical. I would rather know exactly what we are up against any day of the week...it is being in the dark that really sucks. Lets hope that now that we know, it isn't going to be an issue at all!

Actually Missing the Wait

Had I not had that stupid high estrogen level (or maybe had I been remotely normal at all...) this blog would have been full of updates on hormone levels and injection schedules over the past two weeks. You would have heard about the egg retrieval numbers, fertilization numbers, frozen numbers, implanted numbers....lots and lots of numbers. I would have had days of bed rest and days full of worry. I would officially be in the two week wait of our IVF cycle.

The dreaded two week wait, which every single infertile hates...and I am sad I am not in it. It's sick really. The thing is, the one thing an infertile gal hates more than a two week wait, is the feeling that there is no reason to wait...no reason to hope this time....just two more weeks of nothing. As painful as the waiting is, especially since it usually (always so far) comes up negative, you still get to hope. to plan. to really believe this might be it...so here we sit, with our daily Lupron injections, just waiting to start waiting again. I go in a week from Friday for the first ultrasound and blood work-up for the September cycle. Let's hope it comes back telling us we are allowed to hope while we wait this month...

Write it Down...

August 16th will forever be remembered as the day that I actually met the American Idols. That's right people, not only did I see them in concert, but I met them. I am actually pretty sure I would have been hanging out on the tour bus based on the way Chikezie was looking at my little sister if they hadn't had to hit the road at midnight for North Carolina...damn the road! I have tons of pictures, some of them downright TERRIBLE of me and my sisters (okay, sister...Missy always looks great) that I will still share with you because THERE ARE AMERICAN IDOLS IN THEM!! *HEART EXPLODES* I should tell you that we did not get to meet David Cook...I KNOW. I was so very very sad, but he has family from Kentucky (of course he does...now we can stake some sort of claim him!) and spent the after show time with them...what a family man! Okay, now to my day in pictures...

First, it is very important to note that my perfect little sister came into town for the concert!! We have missed her so much since she moved to Tennessee, and it was great to get to spend time with her again! Here are all three of us at the show.

Now, I took pictures of all the top ten on stage, but I don't want to overwhelm you all so, I will pick out my favorites to share! Here is sweet Jason...He was absolutely adorable!

Then we have David Archuleta, who was precious in his own seventeen year old way...

But of course...the one I went to see...my favorite, David Cook. I will tell you that during his first song I started waving like crazy, and I don't think there was anybody else waving around me...and I was in the isle...and then he grinned and gave a little wave back in my direction. THAT'S RIGHT. DAVID COOK WAVED AT ME! I don't care what you say about him maybe just waving at the audience...I saw him look at me, and you will never convince me otherwise!

The entire show was awesome. Michael Johns, Carly Smithson, Brooke White and Jason Castro were all highlights, but the Davids made the show. David Cook has an amazing stage presence and when it was over, I was nowhere near ready to go home. There is no doubt I will go see him in concert again when he will get to be the entire show...he was amazing!

So once the show was over me Boo and Missy sat down to take a look at our pictures and wait for the crowd to die down. No need to rush out just to sit in traffic, right? So we are just chillin when some lady comes up to us and asks us to move so they can start cleaning. We say no problem, then she smiles and says..."You know...they are meeting fans and signing autographs around back until midnight!" I could have hugged her! What wonderful information!! So, we ran around to the back of Rupp and waited. Soon enough they started rolling out to meet us!

First we got Kristy Lee Cook (meh...). Missy did make her laugh out loud (as seen here in the fuzzy pic) when she told her she was pretty in real life. After she walked away, we realized it might have sounded like she was not actually pretty on TV...oops....Next we got to meet Carly! Of course, I took this picture and then my camera's battery totally died. I KNOW! So I don't have pic's of all the Idols that we met. I did get it to jump start by taking the battery's out and putting them back a couple of times...but I wasn't risking it unless we were meeting someone great! This means that I have to picture of us meeting and chatting with Brooke (she is so sweet and talked all about how much she loves Kentucky) and Syesha (she lost her voice after the show...so she just did a lot of smiling)Next we met Chikezie! Like I said, he was a fan of Missy and spend lots of time talking to us and even took his picture with us! (totally worth turning the camera back on!!) Just ignore the second chin...not my best look, BUT I AM WITH CHIKEZIE!!!

(now for the worst picture of Boo EVER. SERIOUSLY. I Look bad in this (and Missy yet again looks adorable), but Boo looks...well...crazy. She is such a good sport to still let me post this, but I must remind you to look back at a regular pic of her to see what she actually looks like...because this isn't it!)So next we got to meet Michael Johns!!! How adorable is he? I know...we distract from the picture, but still...he was so great! So sweet with his little Australian accent! ( I cannot stop laughing at this picture...every time I look at it..boo...oh, I am sorry...)Next we met David Archaleta! The camera was really giving me trouble, but I did manage to snap a (really close) shot of him! He was also ridiculously nice considering it was midnight and he gave Missy a high five and talked to us for a minute....she loved it.Here is some proof of our made autograph acquiring skills...we got seven of the ten. Along with David Cook, Jason and Ramiele did not come out to meet the fans...sigh.and then one last look at my favorite!

Friday Off

Well I had a wonderful day off work today...can't beat that floating Friday off! I had lunch with a friend (mmm....thai food), then ran some errands (I tried to get a trophy for our fantasy football league. I picked it all out and then she informed me it would be $50! What the hell? For a cheap ass trophy?? I laughed, then said I would have to think about it and walked out...Nick says he will make one for us!) then I came home and (sorta) picked up the house. Once things were (kinda) in order my best friend dropped off this little guy for a visit while she ran her own errands...
I couldn't believe how old he looks in this picture! He took a dozen trying to get one where he still looks like my baby (for example here, or even here!) but I got nothing. He just kept looking like a little boy. What happened?
Finally he got annoyed with the picture taking and told me he had much better plans for our time together...
the boy knows what he likes!

Correspondence

Dear Acne,

WHY? Do I not have enough to deal with these days? I know how you love to plague teenage girls, but seriously, I am 28! This hardly seems appropriate. I am actually washing my face and yet you still arrive (yes, I know I am typically lazy with washing my face, and yes, I know that is gross...but I can't help it). I hear that you commonly invade peoples foreheads...how kind of you! They can then at least cover you with hair...attempting to avoid people noticing that they under attack. Unfortunately with me you have chose my chin...a low blow acne. A low blow...

Your arch Nemesis,
Sarah


Dear the Weather Man,

I would like to thank you for the 60-70 degree days. I realize that maybe it is not you that is responsible, but it seems wrong to write a slightly sarcastic letter to God (plus, I might have more important things to say to him...), so I am hoping you will pass along the message. I gotta tell you, you have outdone yourself this time. Our normal weather is in the hundreds right now, and yet I feel like we are in the middle of October. I am not sure I could survive the hot flashes in the 100 degree heat...so I really appreciate the global change!

You biggest fan,
Sarah


Dear China,

That's right, a letter to the entire country. Do you not realize what an opportunity you are wasting. Everyone was saying what an amazing opening ceremony...the best ever. Then we hear that you had the girl lip sync the national anthem because the real singer wasn't pretty enough to represent your nation! We hear that you are forging documents so that underage athletes can compete! Do you not realize that if you do 99% of things the right way, and then 1% the wrong way, the world will remember the wrong? It's a bummer, but it's true. Just thought someone should tell you...

Hoping to prevent anymore stupid ideas,
Sarah

Try It Tuesday...Design Your Own Handbag!!

Well, for the first time in my blogging life I am going to jump on a band waggon (my aunts none the less) and do one of those advice-post-where-you-link-back-to-one-site-and-they-tell-you-were-to-go-to-get-all-the-other-good-advice-for-things-to-buy type posts (technical term for them....obviously). I know I have seen lots of the blogs I read participate in "Works for me Wednesday" and "Fight the Frump Friday", so I am thinking you all know how this works. My aunt is now hosting the Try it Tuesday, which I am sure will be full of wonderful advice every single week!

I have never done one of these things before because...honestly I am a blog off the top of my head kinda girl. I lack any form of planning style to my blog posts (what? can you tell??) and as soon as I give myself a deadline I begin to avoid it. Therefore, I will not be participating in the Try it Tuesday every week (the pressure...I can't take it), but I will be sure to save my advice posts (Like for the Wii Fit or even a good book series) for Tuesdays. I am sure I can handle at least that much structure! Now, I know lots of my readers are much better with participating in these sorts of things, so go on over to Mrs. Who's Open Book and add your own post about what you want people to try!

Now, to my personal Try it Tuesday advice... Designing your own handbags! I first heard of the little Chicago boutique 1154 Lill several years ago. A good friend of mine got me one of their purses for me as a Christmas gift. It was amazing how she was able to choose the design and materials for the bag, making it look so personal and exactly like what I would want! I still carry the purse on a regular basis and it has held up better than any cloth purse I have ever owned. The one that she made for me is reversible, so you can actually have two purses in one!

When I was in Chicago for work this past winter I went to visit my childhood best friend and the first thing she said was, "GREAT, now we can FINALLY go to Lill!!" We went over there, and let me tell you, seeing the shop in person made me love this company even more. The small house like shop is full of the different styles of purses, bags and totes, but then also covered in all the different options for fabric swatches and materials. They help you with what fabrics compliment each other, and will walk you through the design of a bag that will be uniquely you. While there I got a new make-up bag, but I still cannot wait to go back and get a new tote next time I am in town!

If you can't make it to the actual shop in Chicago (or Boston, Philly, or Kansas City) then you can always design and order your custom purse right online! I can spend ours on their site looking through all the options. The bag's are not cheap (from $50-$200), but like I said, they seem to last forever. Plus, in the end you will have a new bag that will suit you perfectly...because you got to make it yourself!

PS...while working on this post I designed ALL the bags that you now see...now I just need to decide which one I want to order!

I'm a Big Ball of Overheating Emotions...How are you?

First off, let me tell you all that I managed to figure out that I had indeed forgotten my shot on Friday and it was the right (if possibly not the brightest) decision to stick myself with more hormones in the middle of the night. How did I figure this out you ask? Well with some super sleuth detective work...which included me turning the sharps container upside down and shaking like mad until all the needles fell out, then counting them. I DID have all the covers on the needles, and had I been stuck (which I wasn't) it would only be my needle sticking myself...but still, it wasn't my proudest moment. We printed out a calendar to mark off the days so we don't get confused again...

All in all we had a good weekend around here. I have having some serious Lupron side effects. The hot flashes are getting ridiculous. I was on the verge of tears at work yesterday because I was so miserable ( I was working alone, so that makes it a little better if I had broken down into sobs). We have to keep the lab at 78 degrees at all times due to the living cultures, and...well...it was more than I could handle. I eventually got a fan and pointed it at my head on high and it made it bearable. Really hoping the temperature issues get under control on their own and not just when the Lupron stops. That is still a long way away...

I am also a big ball of emotions, which is always pleasant. The Olympics always bring out my Proud-to-be-an-American-lets-cry-because-they-achieved-their-dream-of-gold side, but the four hundred free style relay last night was just more than my drugged up hormone self could take...I am tearing up at the drop of a hat and have to keep telling myself to take deep breaths and calm down...it is the hormones talking...THIS IS NOT WORTH CRYING OVER! Then, of course the good old hot flashes come on due the the surge of emotion...which then makes me want to burst into tears even more. All the lovely side effects of injecting hormones into my body...it will be worth it in the end (I hope, I hope) but as of now these side effects are killing me.

Finished!

Well I am finally done. I have read the entire Twilight series, along with all the outtakes and extra scenes she has written and posted on her website. I feel that I can officially get back to my normal life. I am not doing any kind of a book or series review here, because...well, lets be honest, you all have picked up on the love I have for these books and I don't think I need to tell you to go out and buy then again. I will throw out there that I know they are about vampires, and yes, that sounds kinda silly. All I can say is that it isn't. I rolled my eyes at first too...but it isn't a normal vampire story (not sure what a normal vamipre story is, but I promise you this is not it). Give them a chance and I really don't think you'll regret it!

Now that I am done, I feel like a weight is lifted. I didn't realize how out of touch I was getting due to the obsessive reading (2500 pages in about a week...it takes basically ALL the free time). My sister-in-law called me to see if I wanted to go in on a gift for my ex-step-sister-in-law's bachelorette party (we have an complicated family). I agreed and we discussed what to get. I figure she doesn't seem like the scandalous type, so we are going simple and classic for the gift. I then say, "So this think is next Saturday, right?" and she is silent for a second...then says, "Sarah...it's tonight!". Well, I'll be damned, it IS the 9th, isn't it! An entire WEEK has gone by without me even noticing! When I said they were a good distraction, I am not sure I had any idea how true it was actually going to be!

Another unfortunate side effect of being this disteracted...I am not sure if I took my Lupron shot twice last night or not...how bad do you think that might be?? Here's what happened. I woke up in the middle of the night, and was like "DAMN! I forgot my shot!!" I stagger to the kitchen and give it to myself without thinking twice. Then a memory comes back. A memory of Nick maybe sticking me last night after all...I can't be sure. When you take the shot every day it is hard to tell one memory from another! I thought and thought, but I honestly cannot remember. I was so wanting to get my book finished when we got home from dinner at my sisters that I don't really remember anything else. I will ask Nick...maybe he will know. If he remembers then I will just cout the early morning shot as my one for today. If he can't remember...what harm can one extra shot be in the whole scheme of things?? (please say no harm. please say no harm. please say no harm...)

Skillet

I have been a little distracted from my normal house upkeep these days. It's clear when you see the number of take-out containers in my trash, the piles of laundry in my hamper, and the amount of dog hair in serious need of a vacuum. I simply throw my hands up and claim "emotional overload...can't handle it right now!!" but really I am just extremely addicted to my book series (page 320 of book four...so near the end!) When Nick got home on Tuesday he looked around and a little grin creeped over his face. He said, "Baby...that isn't the bowl from the pancakes we had before I left, right??" I sheepishly smiled back and said, "It wouldn't fit in the dishwasher!!! I TRIED!" he laughed and we sat down to watch some TV and hang out (and of course eat more take-out for dinner). After about an hour he looked at me and said "You really want to read, don't you?"....I hung my head. "Yes" He cracked up and went to play his computer game.

Last night I knew I could do better! I was going to actually make dinner, and NOT pick something up! I was going all out (As I like to do when I get around to cooking) and making fried chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies...you get the picture. I was working away, thinking a touch about Edward and Bella, when...being myself, I burnt the shit out of my right forearm! I actually leaned it right onto the electric skillet. I have this two inch long burn on my arm....everyone likes a girl with scar's right? Sometimes you can't win! Should have just picked something up...

Back on Track

Yesterday I got a call at work. One of the guys that works here needed one of us to meet him at the hospital to pick up his work truck and samples. He fiance was having emergency surgery. When I got there to get the keys he said she was having a D&C, they they hadn't told anyone they were pregnant again...because they had just had a miscarriage in the winter and really wanted to make sure everything was working first. The pain on his face...they want this so much. I realized there are way worse things than a high estrogen level. A delay. That's all it is.

I am doing better, but my heart is hurting for their loss. I am good with where we are. Nick got home last night (did I tell you all he was in Pittsburgh for work? Left Sunday back Tuesday. No big deal except our IVF was canceled in the middle...). It was nice to be back to normal. He wont be traveling again for a long time. I am now looking ahead. Thinking of September and hoping that is our month, but knowing that if something else goes wrong it will just take time to work out. I trust Doc, and know he is one of the best. I have faith in him and his decisions to get us there...maybe not on my timeline, but get us there eventually.

Now if I could just do something about these damn hot flashes! I thought it would get better because the Lupron dose was dropping, but now I am on 10 units until the end of August...gonna have to get that fan from you Charing! Thank you all for your sweet words of comfort. The comments, emails, texts and phone calls truly helped me through Monday. I can never explain how much it helped.

No Go

I went in this morning for my first ultrasound and a blood draw to see how things were looking for our cycle. Assuming everything was in line I would be starting my stimulating hormones today, and we would really be rolling. My ultrasound looked good, but my blood work came back with a high estrogen level. He said that we had to cancel the IVF. That he knows a high estrogen level decreases the success rate with IVF, and he wanted to make sure everything was at its best before we do this. I stay on the Lupron until the end of August, then go in for another ultrasound and blood draw. We are now shooting for the September cycle. I know it is best, but I am heart broken. truly heart broken. We are so ready, and to be told that we have to wait...it is just more than I could take. I left work for the day...I should be better tomorrow. And then we can look forward to September. For today I am just so disappointed and sad.

Perfect Distraction

I have always loved reading, and I have always been a sucker for a book series. When I was in the sixth grade I was OBSESSED with the V.C. Andrews Flowers in the Attic series. I think that was the first true series obsession, and honestly now in hindsight those books seem a little adult for 12 years old.... Anyway, since then I have developed a serious love for series like Shopaholic, the Stephanie Plum Number series, The Left Behind series, and OF COURSE the Harry Potter series. Once I start with a good series, I will use all free time, and a great deal of sleeping time, to complete every book. Then I will commonly go back and read them again, because once it's over...I miss them a little.

With this history of series addictions, I am not exactly sure how I didn't think of this before, but what I needed was a distraction from the IVF. Honestly nothing distracts me as well as a great book. Even better if it can be a series because I am a fast reader, and I grow incredibly attached to these characters. I am not sure why it took me so long to go out and buy the Twilight series. I knew I would love it. To many people were hooked for me to question that...so I guess it was just laziness. I am now so glad I waited. I get four uninterrupted books of these characters that I love during a time in my life when I am in real need of this great of a distraction. I finished book two, New Moon, last night. It was nearly one in the morning and it took everything in me to NOT let myself pick up Eclipse. I will be buying Breaking Dawn today...

I am not much of a book reviewer. I am so afraid that I will give things away that a reader doesn't want to know, so I will just say this. These characters are amazingly well written. From the start of the first story you care about them, about their lives and their happiness. I ache with them in heart break. I cannot fight a grin as I read about their success...their love. These are love stories, but they hold an amazing storyline. If you like series, if you like a romance and a fantasy, then go buy them. You wont regret it and you wont be able to put them down. They will provide the PERFECT distraction. They have for me! Now...to Eclipse....

**Yesterday my sister Boo was having a rough day. I told her to come over and hang out with me. She came with a bag of school work and I told her to put it away. I had a book for her to read. She pulled a book out of her bag and said she wanted to finish it first. I am a touch pushy and told her to put it away and read this. She listened (I have always been pushy...she has learned there is no point in fighting). She was hooked. She stayed until eight reading, then I got a text from her at 12:45...it just said "FINISHED!" We have the same series obsession...must be in our blood!**

UPDATE: I just looked at my sisters blog she wrote basically the same post at the same time with THE SAME TITLE....we are just a little creepy sometimes...

Blogger Issues...Just Testing

I can't seem to log on to my blog...it started last night and has continued to the morning. It automatically says that Internet explorer cannot open this page. I have noticed it on all the other blogger blogs I have looked at, so apparently they are having issues. I will be back to my random updates once blogger works out the kinks. Between now and then I will get back to reading the incredibly addictive Twilight series...on book two now. It has already made me cry (It could be the hormones...but I don't think so) and I am loving every word!

Just so I know, are you all having issues if you try to open my blog? I guess it will be hard to comment and tell me yes if you can't see this, but still...if everyone can open it but me, then that is just a totally different issue!

Update: Knock on wood, but I think the problem is fixed! It is sad how much it bothered me for this site to be down. Now...back to the Twilight series!