Giveaway!

Okay everyone! Time for the Blizzard Baby Giveaway :) I hope this will instill in him/her the idea that giving to others is alot of fun :) Pay attention, baby!

Here is the great product that the great folks at All Modern are allowing me to give away! (Remember to check out the great dining room furniture at another of the online stores (Dining Rooms Direct) that is part of the CSN Store collection of web stores. See my favorite here!)

For all you wine-lovers, this will be an awesome addition to your wine cabinet! It's a set of a decanting pourer (left) and a vacuum stopper (right)!!

I am not a huge wine-o, but from what I do know, decanting your wine will allow the flavors to all mix around together and therefore enhance the taste of your wine. (Also if you have sediment at the bottom of your wine bottle, it will make the sediment stay out of your glass- bonus! You don't have to eat your wine anymore!) AND, the vacuum stopper (which I probably need more than the pourer) enables your wine to stay fresh for longer after you open the bottle! That is particularly desired in households (like mine) where only one person likes wine (me), and on normal occasions I don't drink a bottle of wine by myself in one sitting ;-) Ha!!!

So here is the deal :) To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite Christmas tradition! I will take comments until Monday at 10PM Tuesday at 9AM (EST), so be sure to leave your comment ASAP!

I'll randomly pick a winner (or I'll get Mr. A to help me), and then I'll announce it Wednesday! Then the winner will need to email their address info, then I will pass that along to my contact, and then it will be shipped to you! Enough "then"'s for you? Haha :)

I will start off the Christmas tradition list with three of my favorites:
1. For the last three years, my sisters and I have met at an outlet mall in early December to go Christmas shopping!
2. Mr. A's family goes to church together the evening of Christmas Eve, eats a big dinner, and then we all watch "A Christmas Story" together and inevitably all fall asleep in the living room...
3. We tease my mom endlessly about the hassle of this tradition, but it is a neat one- each Christmas (or Thanksgiving, now that we alternate being with them) at the big meal, she goes around with a bowl of honey and traces a Cross of honey on our foreheads to remind us of all our sweet blessings from God. Of course everyone ends up with honey dripping down their head and then you wipe your forehead and forget that honey was there, and so now you have honey all over your hands and your forehead, but it has been in her family for many generations, and someday I'll get up the guts to carry it on when we're having our own celebrations!

PS! Tell all your blog friends about the giveaway! Feel free to link here, etc.! The more the merrier, and it will be so fun to read about everyone's traditions!!

PPS. I am extending commenting for this giveaway until 9AM Tuesday morning to give more people time to enter!

PPPS. Need some bar stools to shimmy up to your home bar?

Blizzard Baby(s)

That's right folks. I am officially calling our prospective offspring our blizzard baby(s)! Isn't that cute? We woke up to snow this morning, and it has steadily accumulated to about 4" right now! I think estimates are around 8" for this snowfall, but it looks like it is tapering off. Banana hates the snow (where is the grass to poop on?!), so she is less than excited, unlike me who is completely stoked that it's snowing! Our area is just breathtakingly gorgeous under a blanket of snow.

ANYWAY, by the grace of God, we arrived safely at the RE's this morning (the interstates were a bit slushy/slippery, but no snow on the road thankfully). And safely home, obviously. Mr. A is again the star of the day, as his part of the event this morning went really great! :) I feel like I was gearing up to ovulate early this morning (pretty bloated/gas pains), so I'm pretty excited about the IUI timing! During the IUI itself, I had some cramping, and I am cramping right now, too, as well as still feeling kind of bloated. I have way less spotting than last time.

I am praying our blizzard baby(s) will find a place to snuggle in!! Baby, it's cold outside!

(It is totally not a real blizzard. Which makes me calling them our blizzard babies even more hilarious because every time I call this a blizzard, Mr. A emphatically expresses how ridiculous I am being!! HA!!!)

The coolest part of the morning is that in between Mr. A's appointment and the IUI itself, we went to look at wood stoves! We are hoping to have one installed in January in front of our fireplace, since wood stoves are more efficient than fireplaces. (And since Mr. A has a ton of friends with property so we can get free firewood, this would drastically decrease the cost of heating our house in the winter.) I think we picked one we both like, and I'm pretty sure Mr. A is going to order it on Monday! He's actually meeting up right now with my sister and her hubby to clear some trees they have down on their swim club property. (Yes, somehow he convinced them to meet up while it is snowing!)

It was really fun to go wood stove shopping :) Much more fun than running a red light and crying in the Burger King parking lot like last time!!! I think the wood stove is going to look great in our family room and do a wonderful job of heating!!

I am going to write up the Giveaway Post this afternoon and have it publish tomorrow. Basically, all you will need to do to enter is leave a comment on tomorrow's post (I'll cut off comments Monday at 5pm EST), and then I will randomly pick a winner! But I'll be more specific in tomorrow's post. I also wanted to mention that I'm not getting paid to do this or talk about their site- I just thought it would be a fun thing for you readers!

Hope everyone is staying cozy today! Thank you all for your prayers :) Here's praying (begging) for a week-before-Christmas BFP and a late August little one (or two, haha)!!

**Edited to add this verse my friend T emailed me this morning- I love how powerful and comforting it is, having waited for such a time already!!!

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." ~ Habakkuk 2:3

Fun Times

Last night for dinner Mr. A and I had the other portion of the ravioli my sister and I made a while back! The ravioli's were just as good as I remembered them! I am asking for the pasta maker mixer attachment for Christmas so I can add homemade ravioli to my list of fresh foods in the freezer that become quick and easy dinners!!

While we were eating dinner, Mr. A leaned back to give Banana a pat on the head, and apparently the armrest of the chair is not a spring chicken anymore, and so Mr. A almost fell out of his chair...ha! Needless to say, I almost lost a ravioli. Ha! It was pretty funny. But it sparked our discussion (did I say "our discussion"? I meant "my monologue"...) about how we need to get a new kitchen table. The one we have was given to me 7.5 years ago from a coworker right after I started my job- her family was getting a new kitchen table and they heard my straight-out-of-college apartment was only furnished with just an old couch and a computer desk from I.kea.... So our current kitchen table and chairs is probably at least 15 years old. And it's kind of retro looking, so lest you think I'm giving a classic, timeless wooden set the boot, don't you worry. Our set has served us well, but it's time to keep our eyes out for something new. (Never mind the hilarious fact that Mr. A just exchanged his broken chair for one of the two that we never use, since it's a 4-chair table, and there's only two of us... Lord help the person who sits in that chair after we forget it's broken! Ha!)

Which is pretty convenient, because a few days ago I received an email from CSN Stores, saying that they want to let me do a giveaway to you girls (guys?)!! I was surprised and honestly a little skeptical, but I asked some not-so-subtle "are you for real?" questions and requested other examples of giveaways, and as sure as I can tell, you readers are in for a treat! Luckily the guy was not offended by my "are you a scammer?" inquiries...

Anyway, back to the kitchen table situation. I found some great casual dining room furniture at one of the online stores (Dining Rooms Direct) that is part of the CSN Store collection of web stores. This is one of my favorites (pic from website):

This is just one example of the wide variety of furnishings you can find in their online stores, so go check it out! (Edited to add: I have in no way, shape, or form convinced Mr. A to buy this table! Just a dream of mine! Haha!)

I've decided I'll be posting about/doing the giveaway this weekend in honor of our IUI! So stay tuned! Here is a hint: those of you who enjoy a glass of wine will definitely want to enter to win! And even if you don't like wine, I'm sure you know someone who does, no?

(PS. As I've had more email conversations with this marketing guy, it cracks me up that he'll be checking my blog, complete with gory IUI updates and dpiui information, to see how the giveaway is going... ha!)

(PPS. That trigger shot just kicks my butt. I am exhausted this morning! Can I please go back to bed???)

Spilling the beans

Leave it to the infertile to spill the beans about her 13-wk pregnant cousin to all the rest of the cousins.

OOPS.

Since my parents knew about her baby, I thought everyone did, and that I was just way behind the times. So when my cousin was the only one to still not have sent me her picture for the calendar yesterday, I "reply all"-ed to everyone and said "Go get on [cousin] because her baby picture is the only one I'm missing!!"

Apparently I'm not the only one who was behind the times...

OOPS.

Darn "reply all"...

I emailed her my profound apologies, and she responded that she also thought everyone knew, what with the family grapevine of news that normally lights up. Guess the grapevine is out of order this time! I cannot believe she is not more upset. I really lucked out, if she truly doesn't mind my speaking out of turn. Can you imagine the wrath I could be experiencing?!

Is it some sort of cosmic joke that the infertile spilled the beans about somebody else's baby? HA!

got hope?

Does God really go around putting "got hope?" message-bearing bumper stickers on cars and then making them pass me on the interstate?

In response, I said to God: "YES LORD, I sure do have HOPE! I probably have more than recommended actually, but I can't BEAR to NOT HOPE!! God, I pray you will use this IUI to bless us with our first baby(s)!! PLEASE! I actually would love to have MORE HOPE, but I'm not sure my heart can manage the already bubbling-over volume of HOPE I have stuffed within me. God please FULFILL the desire of my heart to conceive and bear our first child(ren)!!! My HOPE is based in YOUR mercy and love, Lord, and I pray that it's Your will that my HOPE will not be misplaced this cycle!!!"

Resume twanging along with Joh.nny Cash's version of Silent Night...

And thus you would have found me driving back from my u/s this morning.

Which, by the way, was great. I even had to drive to the actual hospital, instead of the normal satellite office, because my RE has an egg retrieval and an embryo transfer and another surgery scheduled for the rest of the day there. Busy guy! I was a little nervous (aren't hospitals hard to navigate around?), but the whole time I felt completely at peace. I was exactly on time and where I needed to be, and the u/s showed two beautiful follicles that are 18mm, two beautiful ones that are 16mm, and one that is 12mm. (Three on right, two on left.) WHOA. (!!!!!!!!!) I am officially hoping for happy and healthy twins in August 2010. Ha! Did I just write that??

After the u/s, I could not shake the happy feeling. I tried not to smile because I felt like a complete goofball, but I just wanted to smile. I think my doc is also really happy with the response this time, and I am just praying that the Lord will bless at least one of these follicles to become our first baby!!

I met my friend O for tea after the u/s. It was such an awesome time for fellowship with her!! We had such inspiring conversations about our volunteer work at respective pregnancy centers- it is such a neat thing to share with someone else!! She has a heart for volunteering there especially since her daughter's birthmom considered abortion and then decided against it, choosing life and to make an adoption plan instead. So powerful!! I am so thankful for the friendship God has provided me through her!! She is so excited for us, especially after the u/s results this morning! She was telling me how great and fun motherhood is and just beaming the whole time. I felt so loved by her and that she is praying so hard for us!! It was so neat to see, and it made me all the more excited about being a mom! I just can't wait. Well, you know, I can. And I will, but you know, I just can't wait!!!

My RE's nurse just called- IUI will be at 9am Saturday!! Somebody wipe this smile off my face! (Good luck- Bra.d Paisl.ey Christmas is the CD that's playing!!!!!)

(Updated: Nurse just called again and we're moving the IUI back to 10am on Saturday...)

Back in the Saddle

How do people get back up to date with all the blog friends' stuff after being gone for almost a week?! I promise I'll get around to everyone soon... I have read up and will be praying for you all, even if I don't get around to commenting for a bit!!

We had an awesome Thanksgiving at my parents'. Among a ton of other things, I am so thankful that my sibs and all our significant others get along so well- we just have a blast when we're all together! We had our annual contentious Mono.poly game (e.g., new rules include alliances and co-op's), we invented "nu.t po.ker" (e.g. a walnut=$1, a pecan=$0.50, an almond=$0.25, and a filbert=$0.05...), and we played corn.hole, which I renamed "but.thole" because that is what I immediately think of when someone says corn.hole, but we always used to call this game "the bean bag game" when I was little. The roasted turkey turned out PERFECT...probably the juciest white meat I've ever had (hint: use herb butter under the turkey skin)- and I had so much fun cooking in general. And I didn't hit any deer on the way there and back- bonus!!

Just had my u/s... I have FOUR follies!! Two on each side, if you can believe it: the right had a 16 and a 14, and the left had an 12 and an 8. My RE wants to give the left ones a chance to be good and mature, so I'll be on follistim 200iu for another three nights, with another u/s Wednesday morning...and probably trigger Thursday night if everything continues on the same track. That means IUI on Saturday morning!! I am so excited that the increased dosage has caused some production on the left side. (I am also excited that the resident who gave me the u/s last Monday, who apparently has not had the "how to do a gentle vag. u/s" class yet, was not there today...yowie..). Oh yah, my lining is 10mm, so my RE is very happy with that :)

It's a good thing that everything is looking good down there, because my cousin who got married 2 months after we did emailed this morning that she is going to email me her picture for Grama's Christmas calendar after her 230pm u/s. Oh, hadn't I heard that she was pregnant? Oh, yah, they are pregnant!!

Pff.

Apparently everyone else except me knows, too, and my mom said she didn't tell me because she didn't want to upset me. While I appreciate her sensitivity and the "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situation it puts my mom in, it's not like it is any easier to hear that someone is pregnant if they are further along. At least my cousin is due in June, not, you know, in February or something. I'm doing okay really, it's just another occurence where my mouth gapes open and all I can think is "REALLY? Seriously?!".

At least I have opened up the Christmas CD case. That provides a helluva lot relief right there! There is nothing like singing along with Josh Groba.n to "Little Drummer Boy". Mr. A got our tree yesterday and as I was having so much fun decorating it and the rest of the house (while belting out the "Joy to the World" with Whitn.ey Houston), I was thinking to myself what a fun season to conceive. Here you are, walking around signing all the time with a big smile on your face, what better time for a baby to be snuggling in. Let's just hope that my fantasies come true.

It is so easy for infertiles to identify with Advent, what with all the waiting and anticipating and joy at the end. I'd like to think that God uses an infertile's Advent in a special way because He knows how much we are anticipating (other than the coming of His Son, obviously). We went to church with my family on Thanksgiving, and the pastor's sermon was so moving to me- I actually let loose a few heavy tears. It is so humbling to think that God might bless us with a baby during the season, especially since the Scriptures associated with this season are so hopeful and sure that God's promise to His people will come. At the same time, though, it will be so easy for my heart to run away with the promises with how relevant they are to my waiting right now. I am confident that no matter the outcome of this cycle, God has great plans for us this Advent season. All I can do is take Him at His word: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and the door will be opened for you." (Matt 8)

Whirlwind

I had visions of me going to my RE today and having the u/s and him being like, "What are you talking about? That was just heavy implantation spotting- You are pregnant!"

Haha. Sometimes I really crack myself up!!

Back to reality, my u/s went great today- a few baby follicles, but no cysts, thanks be to God! And, contrary to what I was thinking, my RE is getting bold and bumping my injection to 200iu per night!! I think he is a bit frustrated that my left ovary is a total moocher and has not produced any contender follicles. No more Mr. Nice Guy, left ovary!! No more letting Miss Right Ovary do all the work around here. I hope I don't respond too quickly on the increased dosage, though, because the first I'll be able to be monitored is a week from today!! He said after three injectable/IUI cycles, the chances of that method working are pretty slim, so I don't know what our stats are supposed to be- this is injectable #3, but only IUI #2. I'm anticipating an IUI late next week, but we'll see how things go :) It would be awesome to have it on the weekend again...

And just because Mr. A and I are totally type-A and want to have advance information on anything we do, I asked for the IVF cost sheet. Gulp. $9865 (not including meds). And when I told my friend K that, we both remarked that, as sad as it was, that is actually lower than we were anticipating!! Haha!

I don't mean any disrespect to your IVF'ers out there, but I hope we don't have to do IVF. I guess no one does though. I know some people don't agree with IVF, and it's not like we're considering this lightly and hoping to carelessly create a million embryo's that we then don't know what to do with and thereby cause them to be thoughtlessly killed. For those of you not considering IVF, I hope you'll continue to read anyway...

All that comes to me whenever I pray about IVF is that God is still the creator. It doesn't matter how many eggs you retrieve or how many are fertilized or how many become blasts or how many are transferred back into mom. I happen to believe life starts at conception, and God either allows conception during IVF or He doesn't. He sustains that baby or He doesn't. It is still in His control and out of ours, no matter how much we wish otherwise. The reason I feel so strongly about this? Even the percent success of IVF is not anywhere near 100%. Don't you think that scientists would love to be able to "play God" and guarantee IVF success and come up with a way they could certainly make it happen? But they can't. Because life is ultimately up to God.

There are many choices which a Christian considering IVF needs to pray intensely about, and you can believe we are going to be on our knees about it. Well, first we'll be praying that this IUI works and we won't have to try IVF. But we are already praying for discernment about IVF.

I probably won't get many chances to post in the next several days due to Thanksgiving (I will be too busy eating)! I have alot to be thankful for, that is for sure. I will be praying for safe travels for all of you, and those of you doing IUI's/monitoring over the holiday will especially be in my prayers.