Overachieving Annie

ah, what a wonderful Christmas holiday this has been ... for my family, just being together this year was the best present ... of course, having said that, this Christmas somehow turned into an impromptu baby shower for Annie as she got LOTS of presents!! such fun ...
speaking of Annie, had dr's appt. this morning ... doctor very happy with appropriate weight gain and said Annie weighs about one pound now. so in 24 weeks she has gained one pound but by next visit in only 4 weeks she will have gained one more pound ... dr says she will begin extraordinary growth from this point on ... said pregnancy was going extremely well, and if this were school Annie and I would have an A+ ... great news as I believe the only thing I ever had an A+ in during school was talking ... nonetheless, good to excel in something!

Merry Christmas

have spent three of the last four days in the madness that is the pre-holiday craze ... even ended up in Wal-Mart, a store I have VOWED to never again visit ... while there, was in line behind a mom and a three-year-old who was holding a Mountain Dew while in the buggy ... he was slugging back that Mountain Dew like it was juice, and I rejoiced in the fact that he was NOT coming home with me ... good grief.
will not write again for a few days as family is arriving in town and festivities will occupy the next few days ... Merry Christmas to everyone!

Another Christmas Miracle

have lovely new maternity Christmas Eve shirt for annual family gathering at Calverts' house ... will FINALLY be able to compete with Calvert side of family: what better way to celebrate the miracle of Christmas than by wearing a shirt that shows off my new miracle cleavage?? cannot wait and don't care how superficial that sounds ... if possible (read: if I can figure out how) will post Christmas cleavage picture ...

Moxie CrimeFighter

has been cold and dreary day here ... good day to paint the nursery (actually Anthony painted; I just taped everything off) ... beautiful paint is called angelic pink. is wonderfully soothing color ... have visions of little Annie waking during the night and being so soothed she simply sings beautiful hymns to put herself back to sleep ... no need to cry when your room is angelic pink ...
on subject of Annie, received annual Best and Worst of 2005 issue of People today ... among other highly interesting topics was a list of wackiest celebrity baby names and I SWEAR I am not making these up ... Top Names: Pirate, Poet Sienna Rose, Kal-el Coppola, and (my personal favorite) Moxie CrimeFighter ... have mercy, can you imagine your middle name being CrimeFighter??

Tragedy of King Kong

do not understand current hype over most recent "King Kong" remake ... did not see original but know it's sad ... how could it not be?? tragic love story between gigantic hairy ape and tiny blonde woman cannot possibly end happily ... according to every review I've read, movie must be breathtaking but is not for me ... animal sadness (even sadness involving aforementioned gigantic hairy ape) always makes me cry ...
made trip (is becoming more of an actual trip with the traffic ... now stock car with food, water, blankets and books) to Wal-Mart today ... approached trip with fairly good attitude and the Barenaked Ladies Christmas CD so was ok ... always end up conversing with neighboring shoppers while in line, and today was no exception. talk is always of post-Katrina life, and everyone (including self) has an opinion ... did much better with tempting right-by-register items by NOT purchasing purse-size spray starch, purse-size static-guard, purse-size benadryl, purse-size hand sanitizer and purse-size puzzle ... how can tiny items cost about 10 times as much as their normal-size counterparts??

No End In Sight

The past two days have not been good "hurricane days." Sometimes it's almost easy to forget about the rest of the area if you only do a few errands relatively close to home ... however, I've been out and about all over the last couple of days, and, even three months later, the devastation takes my breath away. I know it's been said and written numerous times, but television cameras cannot capture the vastness of what has happened here. Very disturbingly, there are still an extraordinary number of people living in tents, people who have been paying house mortgages on concrete slabs, people with good educations who are now unemployed and cannot get a job, and people who are struggling simply to survive. The stories that come out, whether at a dr.'s office or in line at Wal-Mart, are staggering and make me feel all the more guilty that Anthony and I fared relatively well ... "survivor's guilt," I believe they call it. Rest assured and make no mistake, positive steps have been taken in the last three months in an effort to rebuild, but the situation is still very, very dire. I only ask that you pray for the thousands of people here who have suffered unimaginable losses and for all the legislators, politicians, etc. who are fighting for relief money so the Gulf Coast and all of its people can live and move on.

Baby Rocky

am recovering from gross cold or allergy/sinus attack that arrived last week ... feeling better but not great.
while laying around with tissues up nostrils read a good bit about Annie's development this week ... turns out she is now able to make fists and actually punch the uterine lining ... am NOT making this up as came from reputable book and also can feel it ... occasionally feel like punching bag for tiny daughter ...

A Few Loose Screws

**still having technical problems with our computer, so blogging may be sporadic for the next little while**
assembled Annie's high chair today all by myself ... yes, I realize she won't be using it for quite some time, but the particular model we registered for was being discontinued so I went ahead and ordered it ... only slightly unnerving part of the assembly was that some screws were left over ... can only pray leftover parts don't lead to some sort of bizarre high chair accident for little Annie in the future ... shall see ... is cute baby Mickey pattern ... not obnoxious or overly precious but appropriately cute ... good thing as we do have quite awhile to look at it!!

That's What Dreams Are Made Of

Annie has become a much more real presence lately ... not only because I feel her move a lot, but because suddenly she has a little identity. I always thought when I got pregnant I would have grandiose dreams about my child being a doctor or the next NFL star or even the next President. Though they've changed a bit, I still have grandiose dreams for Annie, but they're grandiose because I want her to be healthy and happy. At the moment, I can be very assured that she's healthy, which is indescribably miraculous. I can only hope she will grow up happy and always know how much she's loved. If someday she becomes President, that's just fine, but I'll be just as happy if she's kind and thoughtful and considerate.
My dreams now are of meeting her for the first time, holding her in my arms and looking into her eyes. I absolutely cannot wait ...

Look at those Knockers

very good pregnancy day today ... had to go buy new, BIGGER bras ... very, very exciting!!
on flip side, am presently watching our local news station's airing of their Hurricane Katrina program ... is absolutely mind-boggling to see the footage ... as we were in Columbus the night before Katrina arrived, we are seeing much of this footage for the first time ... is heart-breaking and almost surreal ... even though it's been over three months since Katrina hit and much progress has been made, rest assured that recovery is far from over ...

We've Got Annie

has been wonderful day with thoughts mostly on Annie ... fighting urge to go paint baby room pink, although we have got the most beautiful paint chip picked ... very pale and not at all Pepto Bismol-colored ... thanks to Molly for the paint suggestion ... have edited Target and Wal-Mart registries to reflect Annie's pink identity as opposed to neutral yellow and green ... discussed Annie's dating rules with Anthony last night and mutually decided that 25 is the perfect age for a first date ... watched video from ultrasound appointment last night after soccer game but if honest, had trouble picking out things as found Annie to be somewhat chimpanzee-looking ... mean that in nicest way possible as certain child is beautiful and perfect ...

Hmmmmm...

How to best deliver the big news?? First (and most important) let me say that the baby looked perfectly normal on the ultrasound ... the doctor showed us her wonderful brain (full of geography knowledge, I'm sure), her spinal cord and all 4 chambers of her heart. He said they can pick up lots of abnormalities at this point but that everything looks great. Needless to say, we were thrilled! Ok, onto the rest of the news ... as it turns out, most of my family and friends were wrong as we're having a beautiful baby girl :) We would have been happy either way, though! Her name (which has been decided for awhile; we just weren't sure we'd need it) will be Annie Catherine ... my grandmother's name was Annie (she passed away four years ago, but I talked to her about naming a future baby after her before she died), Anthony's grandmother in Scotland is named Annie, and my paternal grandmother's middle name is Catherine. We'll call her Annie and thank God for her every day ...

Landlocked Land

for the record and with less than 48 hours to go, general consensus among family and friends is that we can expect to see a little boy on the ultrasound on Wednesday ... shall see but am halting all attempts to read own intuitive feelings regarding sex of baby because honestly do not know!!
after Sunday afternoon errands (including Wal-Mart) decided to come home for quiet time before football games ... took up new challenge ... New York Times Crossword puzzle always in our Sunday paper but have never been brave enough to try it ... self's crossword puzzle skills much more in line with People magazine's puzzle. anyway, sat down with PENCIL and NY Times puzzle and was instantly and overwhelmingly stumped ... with roughly 145 clues and possible answers was only certain of one: "urgent transmission, for short" -- confidently filled in SOS ... however, with the next clue being "landlocked land" how on earth is one to know the answer is "Laos??" (in case readers are curious, solution to puzzle was printed two pages prior to puzzle so gave solution to Anthony so he could participate) goal now is to think of one answer each day, making puzzle last roughly 5 months ... perhaps by then will know answer to "galoot-like"

Pink or Blue?

hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
baby update: the date to (hopefully) find out the sex of our baby has been moved up to Wednesday, November 30, at 2 PM ... cautiously excited but will be 20 weeks by then, which is halfway through the pregnancy and apparently a good time for seeing all the important (and relevant) body parts ...
have just received Christmas issue of "Real Simple" magazine, a magazine I really love ... however, had to spend 20 minutes removing all annoying and strangely huge ads from magazine ... full page slick ads for cars, an entire Gap gift-giving guide (kept that one) and more perfume/cologne ads than care to count ... perhaps advertisers should send all that money to the humane society ...

On Hiatus

will be away until Tuesday taking care of wonderful niece in Fairhope ... very much looking forward to it ... Happy Early Thanksgiving to everyone! as for our family, we have much to be grateful for this year ...

The Goblet of Fire

have just returned from humbling trip to church ... main concern prior to leaving house was if shirt self was wearing was too small due to new baby girth ... checked all angles in the mirror for at least 10 minutes as getting dressed has become constant battle of pregnant size versus clothes ... chosen shirt fit three weeks ago but is a smidge tight now; nonetheless realized church was about Jesus not (shock) my wardrobe ... self can be so shallow and vain ...
know not everyone out there is Harry Potter fan but must report that new movie is FABULOUS ... disappointed, though, as full-capacity audience was dressed as normal people ... no witches or wizards in the bunch ... perhaps self should have worn 12-inch-tall Sorcerer's hat from DisneyWorld ...

The Wonderful World of Harry

(** must begin by wishing our sweet Mary Barclay a happy 7th birthday!! have 10 new tennis balls and a birthday milkbone all ready for when Anthony gets home ...)
had dream last night that we're having a little girl ... had dream the night before that I was going to the hospital to be induced because I was past my due date ... hmmm ... wonder if I should expect a pregnancy-related dream every night from here on?
have pre-purchased tickets today to see "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" tomorrow night ... am very excited to have opportunity to go to theater seven hours early to wait along with fans dressed as witches, wizards, Hagrid, etc. to simply get a seat ... Anthony and I have (perhaps ridiculous) hope of getting two seats together. wish self could say movie will be Jack/Jackette's first theatrical experience but would not be truthful ... baby has already been exposed to "Saw 2," a frightening and psychotic thriller of a movie with disturbing but entertaining qualities ... oh well ... have read that baby cannot yet hear anything going on outside the womb ... good thing as "Saw 2" might have made him/her stay in womb forever. wow, that in itself is a disturbing thought ... as is now, each day is a new adventure in closet trying to determine what still fits and what is too uncomfortable to even zip up, etc ...

Mean Old Wal-Mart

another Wal-Mart debacle ... had to stop for a few items and arrived to find parking lot only partially full ... felt heart leap with joy as self anticipated a very small victory over post-hurricane life ... parked car VERY close to front and hopped out ... only then did self notice barricades and security barring entrance to the Mart. SIGH. readers, prepare to be shocked: Wal-Mart is temporarily closed today due to "power issues." did not know Wal-Mart ever closed ... very sad morning as self joined other million cars heading down Highway 49 ... ah, the stories we will have for Jack or Jackette ...

The Fun Continues

have returned from Fairhope, which was magical fun taking care of niece ... discovered that during diaper change little girls can tinkle on you with the same impressive stream you might expect from a little boy ...
post-hurricane life continues here ... made inevitable trip to Wal-Mart two days ago ... actual shopping only took 45 minutes but was in line for over 30 minutes ... found self passing time by buying those little items they place at the check-out lines ... ended up with purse-size container of Tylenol, purse-size bottle of hand sanitizer and softball-sized magnets of Mary (black lab) and Hope (border collie) ... must exert more willpower next time.
spent yesterday morning creating baby registries at Target and Wal-Mart ... is shockingly challenging task ... initial try at Target yielded a CART full of baby items that I was apparently to buy not a registry full of baby items that lovely friends and family will buy ... had to begin again ... have more or less completed task with exception of registering for items like diapers, wipes, pacifiers, etc. that you actually have to scan in the stores not online ... the fun is beginning!

Captain Jack

well, have decided to move to Blanding, Utah ... article in our paper yesterday described this town as safest with regard to weather disasters ... now must find out where this is. yes, yes of course I know where Utah is (pretty much) but do not know where Blanding is ...
still trying out baby names but have eliminated some ... latest name is Jack Riley ... for Anthony, the move back to "Jack" was somewhat influenced by "Pirates of the Caribbean" on TV the other night as, of course, Johnny Depp's Keith Richards-influenced pirate is Captain Jack Sparrow ... still, for whatever reason we keep coming back to Jack ...
self (sorry, Chris) will be away from blogging for next few days as am going to Fairhope to take care of brand new niece until Wednesday ... until then ...

The Question Remains

false alarm, everyone ... turns out we were misinformed by the office staff when they told us they could determine the sex of the baby at 16 weeks ... they prefer to do that particular ultrasound at 20 weeks, so we'll do this all again on December 2 at 1:30 PM ... all was not lost, however; the doctor picked up the heartbeat today, said the baby weighed about 8 oz. and that everything looked absolutely perfect. really can't ask for more than that!

New and Important Tax Laws

has been interesting morning here at the Sheraton ... was in line at breakfast cafe for deliciously fattening cheese danish when found self drawn into conversation by stranger in front of me ... announced he had just been reading about the new and idiotic tax laws and how this was such an important time for tax laws ... looked at me expecting a response. now do not consider self to be moron but am not overly informed about or interested in tax laws ... if conversation had been about pop culture or perhaps any episode of Friends, would still be conversing with man ... when self did not make quick enough response man said "hopefully you didn't vote for Bush" to which I responded with the only thing I could think of: "President Bush is a special man." Man stared at me and said "Oh, is THAT what he is??" and stormed off ... whatever, it was self's turn at the danish counter since tax law man vacated the area. (to clarify, Anthony is very knowledgeable about tax laws, which allows for my virtual ignorance on the subject.)
must report on strange subject ... has anyone noticed commode flushing mechanisms have gotten frighteningly powerful?? first time self used hotel bathroom jumped up after flushing because sounded as if self was about to get sucked down into the plumbing. very scary and insane response more than a little mortifying but feared for life at time ... mechanism is at least as powerful as airplane bathrooms which always scare me ...
countdown to tomorrow has begun ... will baby be turned so can see private parts or will baby be shy?? shall see ...

Riley ??

another inexcusable absence from the world of blogging ... am currently in Birmingham with Anthony for an American Cancer Society conference ... have discovered wireless internet in hotel lobby and am writing from cozy little corner chair. has been very nice to be away for a few days in a town where there is no debris, blue roofs, etc. will return to Gulfport on Friday in time for dr's appointment that afternoon ... will have ultrasound and possibly learn sex of baby ... have moved down names list and have been trying out "Riley" this week. hopefully ultrasound will at least narrow name choices to either boys' or girls' ... is exciting prospect but know is not certainty.
am adapting to fact that can no longer fit into many of my clothes, at least not without holding my breath for an indefinite period of time ... feel this is not healthy for self or "Riley." am moving to maternity clothes while trying to avoid looking as if maternity wardrobe only consists of gigantic sacks ... will maintain some semblance of style despite increasing girth of self. hopefully will still have that attitude several months down the pregnancy road when self can no longer see feet ... shall see.

Endless Quest for Knowledge

apologize for absence from blog ... has been busy week ... spent all of yesterday in Mobile with a friend who is about to enter the insane world of infertility via Dr. Inge's office ... got to go back and see all of my friends there, which was wonderful ... makes me miss them even more. today was Wal-Mart day ... have learned valuable lesson about post-hurricane errands ... endless lines at check-outs of whatever store I'm in provide excellent opportunity for learning. For example, I learned today from certainly credible tabloid that Whitney Houston's teeth have fallen out due to methamphetamine use and also that Jessica and Nick are now living apart, which apparently is "for the best" according to a trusted friend of Jessica ... ah, knowledge: I do yearn for it.
from the "moving on after the hurricane" department: the roofers are putting on our roof even as I write ... is nice but rather loud ... not complaining, though, as am grateful our new roof is going on so quickly ... still, is a bit frightening when house shakes and sounds as if someone may be about to fall through ceiling ...
ok, must cut writing short ... continue to hear mysterious cat growling noise and cannot determine source of sound ... must investigate.

Wal-Mart Math

alrightee, just returned from a trip to Wal-Mart and have some thoughts about the 20 items or less line ... the last time I checked, 25 DID NOT MEAN 20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had three items and was rightfully in the express line, but the 2 people ahead of me both had more than 20 ... and yes, I was counting, petty though it may be. When you are in one of a million lines with about 15 people in each, the express line becomes VERY important ... ah, the lovely post-hurricane life continues.

Big Rigs

Ok, how about a report from hurricane world?? The report involves yesterday, which was an interesting day as some days are. I left the house intending to go to the thrift store to drop off several bags of clothes, etc. that I collected while cleaning out over the last week or so ... headed out to interstate, where I immediately spotted a huge pillar of smoke over the road ... had to drive through heavy smoke and saw fire in the woods. (feared would have to evacuate for whole new reason) Nevertheless, I pushed on through all the traffic and went to thrift store. Now as I am relatively new to this whole pregnancy thing, I am still learning that hunger strikes quickly and often without warning ... I found myself in the throes of hunger as soon as I left the thrift store, so I headed to a gas station that has a Subway attached to it ... turned in looking forward to a wonderful veggie sub to hold me over while I finished errands. Alas, I accidentally turned into the truck entrance, which wound around the gas station ... figured there must be some way to access Subway from truck entrance but absolutely NOT ... drove back into an enormous lot FULL of about 50 eighteen-wheelers ... people were washing their trucks, putting gas in their trucks, etc and wondering why I was there ... could not see exit from truck world so ended up winding around and around and through all the trucks, sort of like some sort of HUGE obstacle course ... was too mortified to actually go to Subway as figured people had seen me so continued on. Decided to get sandwich on way home but not before stopping for eggs at grocery store ... HAVE MERCY. store was packed ... each check-out had about 20 people waiting in it, but I got my eggs and moved on through ... had to push way through just to exit store, but people were nice, even guy with "Girls Gone Wild Staff" t-shirt on. Came home and ate sandwich as by now it was almost 3 PM ... am learning to adapt a bit to new world ... trick is to leave house with absolutely NO expectations of getting home at any certain time. Either that, or begin producing own food from woods out back, learning to make own medicine, etc. so never have to leave house again ...

Gimme A Break

ok, post-hurricane life is getting a bit old ... feel a small break from all the debris, hideous traffic, etc. is needed soon ... nowhere to go to get away from it, especially since going anywhere takes about 4 hours. miss life as it used to be, and I know my individual life wasn't too disturbed as I still live in my house, etc. but wonder when (if ever) life will be close to normal again ... also wonder where Hurricane Wilma is going???

Body Snatcher

has been gorgeous weekend here and have spent much of it watching football (cable still with us) ... best football news of weekend: Mississippi State did not lose because they did not play!! while watching one of the games on ESPN discovered how incredibly distracting little informational ticker at bottom of page is ... could not peacefully watch the game because was constantly trying to read and absorb all news and scores from bottom of screen ... wasn't good situation as could not seem to get pertinent info while trying to keep up with ticker. for example, could announce to Anthony the score of some SEC game but did not quite pick up which particular game it was ... think perhaps ticker should be controlled by some button on the remote where you can view it if you want or make it go away ...
have also been reading pregnancy books this weekend and have deemed many (not all) should be outlawed for being too scary and depressing ... will NOT read anymore about labor and delivery until much further along ... have felt that lately sinus problems have picked up but imagine my joy to discover this congestion will likely be with me on and off for the remainder of the pregnancy (due to swelling of nasal membranes in response to high levels of progesterone and estrogen in body)... at least for this weekend have had two thoughts on pregnancy: wow, what a miracle this is and wow, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY BODY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Hoopla for Mini-Me

in our huge pack of books, magazines, coupons, etc. I got from my OB last week just discovered Target baby registry catalog ... is such fun as comes with own stickers so can mark items we feel we need for Jack (or whomever) ... am just realizing how much hoopla is required to keep up with such a tiny person ... who knew?? now fear house will not hold all necessities for Jack ... therefore am in serious cleaning out mode, throwing out old magazines, pictures of people I don't know, etc. will get house into organized streamlined affair to prepare for arrival of mini-me ... however, am not so stupid as not to know that baby will come right into house and poop in the middle of all new hoopla ...

Welcome Back Cable

do not want to jinx current situation but cable has returned for the moment ... however, while waiting for cable to return to our world have been watching movies on both DVD player as well as VCR ... has been lovely except that now VCR is in Spanish mode. do not know why but when play is pushed the word "lectur" comes up ... assume this is Spanish but do not know as took French in high school and college ...

Cruel Intentions

ah, the cruelty of our new world ... yesterday was outside working in yard with Anthony, and neighbor came to tell us cable was back on ... sure enough, got inside just in time to watch Mississippi State game, which they lost (in my humble opinion, factors contributing to loss: poor quarterback decisions, too many three and outs tired out the defense, and the painful-to-watch self-destruction in the fourth quarter) ... shortly after end of game, cable went away and has not returned. leads to deep philosophical question: better to have had cable and lost it or to never have had cable at all?? hmmmm .... must add that "Lost" has completely and totally captured us and is phenomenal show which totally fills void left by cable's absence.
now onto pregnancy update: received STACK of magazines, etc. at OB appt. Friday and was reading about 4th month as am currently there ... to quote magazine, "like a scuba diver with his oxygen tank or a space traveler tethered to the mother ship, the fetus floats effortlessly in the amniotic sac ..." the MOTHER SHIP?!?!?! Is that what I've become after 3 1/2 years of trying to become pregnant?? a ship?? understand description but is still harsh to think of self as a sea vessel, much less one that could hold scuba divers and astronauts ... have begun referring to baby as "Jack," for no reason except we're testing out the name as in "scuba diver Jack" or "astronaut Jack."

Traffic or Bust

have resigned self to fact that rest of life here on the Gulf Coast will be spent dealing with traffic on Highway 49 ... had dentist appt. this morning, which of course required a bit of frantic searching for dental floss at home so would appear as if flossing were an integral (and regular) part of my day when arrived at the dentist ... traffic not too bad at this point ... had OB appt. this afternoon, and traffic by this time was HORRIFIC ... people driving like maniacs trying to get around standstill traffic. was worth trip to dr., though, as now have 4-D ultrasound picure of the baby ... not normally done this early but ultrasound tech. wanted someone to practice on. baby's arms, hands, legs, feet, and head are very visible ... can't stop looking at picture as is absolutely miraculous. certainly beats early lightbulb picture ... could even see baby's heart fluttering on the monitor during the ultrasound ... and no, to ward off the question on many of your minds, NO WAY to tell the sex of the baby yet ...

Lines of Lines

had minor post-hurricane victory yesterday ... made it to haircut appt. with 10 minutes to spare ... managed to avoid debris-moving crews without any trouble ... hooray!! have decided that our new post-Katrina world is made up entirely of lines. lines of traffic, check-out lines in the grocery store that extend out into the aisles, lines at the pharmacy, lines to just get out of the store, lines of people waiting on cable, lines to get gas, etc. day-to-day existence bears no resemblance whatsoever to old life ... am trying to adapt but is not easy. and yes, I am well aware my adjusting is very small compared to those who are adapting to life without a house, a family, etc. (again with the constantly changing emotions ... ) to change subject, am still feeling really good ... no more naps and have lots more energy now. and still (knock on wood) no morning sickness!! have heard no morning sickness means you're having a boy, but who knows ... more importantly who cares?!?!

Post-Hurricane Insanity

(**technical update: due to comment span, I have enabled a new feature on the comment section called word verification ... if you want to leave a comment, you can still do so, but the word verification prevents computer span from getting on the comment page. It simply means that before your comment is posted you will be asked to type in the word you see ... only a live person could do this, not a computer.)
now onto a not so lovely day ... have had self-pitying and self-absorbed kind of afternoon. had haircut appt. today (very excited about this as has been several weeks since last haircut due to hurricane and was looking forward to some sort of normal event) ... set off for other side of town where salon is located giving self PLENTY of time, or so I thought. ended up in non-moving INSANE traffic for miles followed by numerous roadblocks due to crews removing debris which led to navigating maze of one-way streets and dodging work crews. arrived at salon 25 minutes late and knew would have to re-schedule ... wonderful hairdresser was so nice so re-scheduled me for tomorrow morning. have plans to drive to salon after supper, spend night in car to avoid traffic and be there in plenty of time for appt...

Bye Bye First Trimester

Update on post-hurricane life at my house: garbage was picked up on Saturday (our pick-up days are Wednesdays and Saturdays), and we still have no cable ... however, we have purchased the entire first season of "Lost" and are watching that (REALLY great show so far.) have heard various stories about why cable is out and have also learned it is not our whole neighborhood that is without cable, just our street ...
have reached official end of first trimester and have had last progesterone in oil injection ... happy time but a little strange as now feel am going along without estrogen patch/progesterone support ... sure feeling is normal ... am now realizing pregnancy will result in new person living in our household. have been told by lots of friends who are parents that life as we know it will never be normal again ... is said with some smugness if completely honest :) feel friends are glad we will be joining the leagues of perpetually exhausted and strung out parents ... perhaps will be glad to join the club.

Gone In 60 Seconds

ok ... after ranting and ravings of yesterday, garbage truck did actually appear late in the afternoon... had just gotten out of the shower and looked out the window to see truck using robotic arm things to lift garbage can. or should I say ATTEMPTING to lift garbage can ... after several tries (the final attempt leaving garbage can precariously close to tipping over) truck drove off and LEFT OUR GARBAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! have big plans to hotwire a garbage truck and take care of problem myself ...
better story: cable bill came today and (as a little ray of sunshine in post-hurricane world) we have no charges... anyone see where I'm going with us?? WE HAVE NO CABLE SO WE SHOULD HAVE NO CHARGES ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!

@##$@#$%@#$%#$%#$

has not been overly happy and cheery day ... have decided am just going to have to haul off garbage myself as neighborhood does not have that fresh and clean smell AT ALL ... today is supposed to be garbage day ... still will watch window and hope ...
am bitter about no cable today, too ... cannot watch any SEC or pro football over the weekend and miss NASA channel ... perhaps will buy a satellite dish ... hmmmm...

Movie Reviews and More

have capped off healthy eating day consisting of cereal, fruit and salads with fabulous Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal from McDonald's for supper ... am just finishing up calcium supplement (chocolate shake) as I write ... am in celebratory mood as end of progesterone shots rapidly approaches. am starting twelfth week of pregnancy, which means last shot will be next Tuesday as will be official end of first trimester ...
post-hurricane life continues to be surreal ... "short" trip to McDonald's to pick up our supper was anything but ... must stay off roads unless traveling somewhere is absolutely vital ... not to mention gas prices are OBNOXIOUS ...
continue to "patiently" wait for cable ... most movie rental stores are completely picked over but knight in shining armor managed to get four movies for us last week so must take moment to review: 1) "The Ring Two:" almost amusingly silly; 2) "The Longest Yard:" haven't seen original but re-make had much more to it than I expected; we both liked it; 3) "Hotel Rwanda:" tragic story of genocide but amazing, amazing movie which garnered Don Cheadle an Oscar nod last year; 4) "Crash:" another heavy movie about race relations in L.A.; great story-telling and portrayal of several lives intersecting in mostly tragic and poignant ways; INCREDIBLE cast (also included Don Cheadle); plan to watch it again.
ok, there you have the random thoughts of the evening ...

Storm Before the Calm

mercy, mercy, mercy ... greetings again from the new world. went to grocery store for "quick" trip but found self in paranoid buying mode ... again bought bottled water and all bottles they had of our favorite lite caesar salad dressing ... am currently stockpiling water for I don't know why exactly ... after Hurricane Katrina will probably always buy water wherever I am. and yes, our water has been deemed safe to drink for two weeks but still cautious. grocery store trip will not be "quick" for awhile as seems all Coast citizens are packed in at all hours of the day ... must be patient when in line with 300 people ... ok, slight exaggeration but still.
news from the pregnancy front ... just read in pregnancy book that as self is approaching end of third trimester should soon be experiencing a "new sense of calm." right ... we're still waiting on that one ... seems at present time self is in a sort of storm before the calm. clever, huh?? mood swings still abound at this point ...

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

have discovered that post-hurricane existence brings with it a host of emotions and thoughts ... can change from noble, resilient attitude (this is the Coast ... they rebuilt after Camille. We will triumph.) to petty (Our deck is so filthy.) to gratitude that only service we are currently without is cable to BIG gratitude that we still have a house and back to petty (WHY don't we have cable??? Who can tell what's happening around here with static flashing intermittently in strobe-light fashion making attempted TV-watching nauseating and frustrating ...) to sheer desperation (WHY won't anyone move these gigantic piles of debris from our neighborhood so normal trash pick-up can resume??) back to resigned gratitude (at least we have a house with a deck with a TV to check for clear cable with a full trash can outside which shows we are able-bodied and can fill it up. sigh.)

Gas Rationing??

too many hurricanes ... am leaving suitcases packed just in case Rita makes some drastic turn toward us!! had to get in line for gas today as rumors spread that gas stations would be shut down at noon on account of Rita hitting some oil something or other in Texas that would require a rationing of gas ... have full tank in event of unlikely (but never ruled out) evacuation ... is like living in new society ... very strange indeed ... as had windows down at gas station (a/c uses too much gas) got to talk with various people and also attempt to keep lovebugs OUT of car ... poor woman at front of line could not find release for gas cap but nice man in front of me went to assist her ... gentlemen in line next to me pulled up in his SUV, began to fill up then popped the back to reveal 8 huge red plastic gas containers he intended to fill. too bad, dude ... if you'd been in my line you would have discovered through friendly conversation that no one could get more than $50 worth of gas ... bless his heart ... welcome to the new world.

A New Reality

Ok, thanks to all of you for reminding me via phone calls, e-mails, etc. that I needed to return to the world of blogging ... here I am. We got back to Gulfport yesterday afternoon, Anthony's third trip since the hurricane, my first. He says it looks much better than three weeks ago, but it's still a shock to me. There truly aren't words to describe it ... it's surreal coming home to a town that looks nothing like the town you left. It's also surreal to realize that even our own neighborhood looks completely different. Yes, we were incredibly fortunate, and with that comes a certain amount of guilt, but even at my house things look lots different ... it may sound petty, but I miss the koi fish, and I miss the trees in the backyard, and I miss many things I didn't even pay attention to until they're not there anymore. I wish all of my family could return to life as we knew it, but I see we have a new reality now. At least we're all alive to experience it ...
For anyone still counting (and my how time has flown since the hurricane) I am 10 weeks pregnant today. We had a second appt. in Columbus because obviously I couldn't make the appt. I had here ... all looks good, and little GE looks much less like a light bulb and much more like a baby. Wish I knew how to post pictures here ...

Impending Return Home

Well, we're still in Columbus but expect to return to the Coast in about a week. We have a trip to Atlanta this coming week for some meetings that Anthony has, then we'll return to Columbus for some serious grocery shopping then down to Gulfport. So far things look pretty bad on the Coast... we've heard from various family members and friends who report the same, so it's safe to say I'm not entirely looking forward to going home. On the other hand, I'm ready to see things for myself and try to return to some state of normalcy. The community here has been incredibly generous, and it's very humbling. Anthony and I both feel so blessed and anxious to get home and help our family.
On a much lighter note, I was speed-reading one of the tabloids in the grocery store the other day and discovered that a very talented handyman has gone up and repaired the hole in the ozone layer. I don't think I have anything to say to that ...

Post-Katrina Update

ok, have decided to post all hurricane-related info here as computer is too slow to individually respond to all e-mails ... anthony was able to safely get to our house yesterday ... we lost a tree in the front yard, a few shingles, and all our koi fish, but otherwise our house is structurally fine. cannot possibly express gratitude and relief at this news ... as much of my family is also on the coast all their houses are in various degrees of damage ranging from minimal to very severe, so I continue to ask you all to pray for everyone. am indescribably thankful that my family is all alive and well as there are many people who cannot say the same. will try to keep things in perspective ...
to demonstrate that life truly does go on, progesterone injections are continuing. as anthony has been giving them to me, had to move to plan B last night as he is still in Gulfport. plan B, of course, involved retired veterinarian father who had no problems. however, as dad and Anthony's dad went to Gulfport today to help family, self had to move to plan C. involved lugging purse full of sharps container, syringes, alcohol swabs, and band-aids and sitting on an ice pack while driving to nurse friend downtown who graciously administered shot. all for little lightbulb-shaped "GE." very, very small sacrifices indeed ... must mention, however, that first night we were here used different icepack and actually gave left buttock frostbite. did not notice until next morning when discovered patch of skin was missing ... is raw and painful but will have great stories for GE.
thoughts are scattered but plan for next few days is for anthony to continue to help with clean-up, repair, etc. on the coast and come back to Columbus Sunday or Monday. other family is scattered and plans change daily ... will continue to post updates here.

Post-Katrina Update

ok, have decided to post all hurricane-related info here as computer is too slow to individually respond to all e-mails ... anthony was able to safely get to our house yesterday ... we lost a tree in the front yard, a few shingles, and all our koi fish, but otherwise our house is structurally fine. cannot possibly express gratitude and relief at this news ... as much of my family is also on the coast all their houses are in various degrees of damage ranging from minimal to very severe, so I continue to ask you all to pray for everyone. am indescribably thankful that my family is all alive and well as there are many people who cannot say the same. will try to keep things in perspective ...
to demonstrate that life truly does go on, progesterone injections are continuing. as anthony has been giving them to me, had to move to plan B last night as he is still in Gulfport. plan B, of course, involved retired veterinarian father who had no problems. however, as dad and Anthony's dad went to Gulfport today to help family, self had to move to plan C. involved lugging purse full of sharps container, syringes, alcohol swabs, and band-aids and sitting on an ice pack while driving to nurse friend downtown who graciously administered shot. all for little lightbulb-shaped "GE." very, very small sacrifices indeed ... must mention, however, that first night we were here used different icepack and actually gave left buttock frostbite. did not notice until next morning when discovered patch of skin was missing ... is raw and painful but will have great stories for GE.
thoughts are scattered but plan for next few days is for anthony to continue to help with clean-up, repair, etc. on the coast and come back to Columbus Sunday or Monday. other family is scattered and plans change daily ... will continue to post updates here.

Hurricane Horror

looks like complete devastation in our part of the world from all the TV reports ... grateful that Anthony and I and our families are safe ... feel anything else can be repaired or replaced. no news on the state of our house as communication to the coast is virtually non-existent. only ask for your prayers for EVERYONE affected by this horrific storm ...

From the Eye of the Storm

did not have opportunity to meet Jim Cantore as had to flee Gulf Coast to get away from Hurricane Katrina ... after watching constant coverage (God bless the reporters in the storms with all their ponchos and yelling into the microphones) have deduced Gulfport/Biloxi took the brunt of the storm ... is unfortunate at best ... cannot get through to any neighbors to see how our neighborhood fared ... most importantly, though (even more important than our home) is that we have the birds, dogs, little "GE," our lightbulb-shaped baby, each other and our families ... all else can be replaced and repaired. shall see how things transpire from here as possibly Katrina is headed up to Columbus, where we are currently located ... more reports later.

Hurricane Katrina

oh, how quickly life can change ... still reveling in the fact that I am pregnant (and exhausted and hormonally unbalanced) but now focus has shifted to big fat honking Hurricane Katrina ... large storm would at this moment appear to be headed our way but of course a last-minute shift is always possible ... have boarded up windows and checked stock of necessary supplies ... perhaps most exciting aspect of impending storm is that national celebrity Jim Cantore is on our beach ... yes he is! planning to drive down to Biloxi for a sighting tomorrow ... watch on TV as I expect to be interviewed due to my voluminous knowledge on weather patterns as well as geography ...

A Day For Miracles

ah, miracles never cease ... went in for ultrasound this morning ... one absolutely perfect baby is developing with a very strong heartbeat which we were able to hear ... can't put the moment into words but is one I'll never forget. Half the staff came in with us so they could hear the heartbeat, too ... they called these days "happy days." I call it a day we have been dreaming about for a very long time ... Dr. Inge said that being able to hear the heartbeat this early (6 weeks 1 day) is perfect and bumps up my chances of a successful pregnancy to 9o%. Of course it's still early, and anything can happen, but a miscarriage is very unlikely. As I mentioned earlier, this was a bittersweet day since the perfect ultrasound meant we leave the staff in Mobile and return to my regular OB. This is exactly how we all hoped today would go, but I will miss Dr. Inge and the whole staff so much ... to say they have become family would truly be an understatement ...
Maybe the most exciting thing is that we left with a picture of our baby ... I know it's really miraculous, but the thing looks like a tiny little light bulb right now, or if you turn it upside down a beautiful solitaire engagement ring. Still, it's our baby and it's perfect ... (if I can figure out a way to post it, I will, but self is a smidge challenged when it comes to posting pictures here ...)

Million Dollar Baby

forgot to write last night ... know was terrible disappointment for all of you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting ... couldn't write due to fact that self was emotionally overwrought after watching "Million Dollar Baby." is amazing movie to say the least ... due to current pregnant situation cannot go buy punching bag and begin boxer training but oh well. on homefront, am ready for ultrasound tomorrow but is bittersweet ... if all is well, self will be released from Mobile doctor to return to regular OB/GYN. shall see ...

Rip Van Winkle

ok, reminder of constantly changing nature of IVF ... ultrasound has been moved to this Thursday (August 25th), when I'll be 6 weeks and 2 days pregnant (slight miscalculation in earlier blog.) will do earlier ultrasound due to initial beta numbers being a little low ... in meantime, have turned into exhausted hormonal wreck. feel as though have just finished tour de france, even when first awake in morning ... naps are frequent these days. ok, though, as know fatigue is good sign ...

Sigh of Relief

ok, results of repeat blood tests are in, and everything looks perfect ... very relieved and even though still in early stages of pregnancy (will be 7 weeks pregnant on Monday), I feel much better. bizarre how they count weeks you've been pregnant based on the day of your last period but whatever. next appt. in Mobile will be Sept. 1 for ultrasound to hear the heartbeat, and yes, I got chill bumps when I wrote that. if all looks good with the ultrasound will be released to regular OB. am definitely having separation anxiety at thought of leaving amazing staff in Mobile who have become family in the last year ... will have to go visit occasionally ...

Target Practice

blog will be short tonight (probably a relief!!) due to fact that buttock is icing even as I write to prepare for progesterone shot ... because shot must go in very specific and relatively small area, self has two permanent marker circles, one on each cheek. a sort of target, if you will. IVF nurses offer to "mark" you so husband can give shot in appropriate spot. fear body will never be same again ...

It's Not the Oscars

Ok, prepare yourselves ... I've decided to use this space tonight for a long overdue thank you to all the people who have gotten me through this. I can't possibly thank every single person, but I'm going to give it a shot. (and you'll have to bear with me as this is not the Oscars, and there is no band to cut me off!!) First and foremost (as after all he is the father of my child) I can't possibly thank my husband enough. He's the one who has to live with me day in and out, even when I have morphed into someone who must not be named (yep, Potter fans, I mean Lord Voldemort.) He's here when I yell, cry, get tired, etc. and never complains. He is infinitely patient with me; he takes care of me, and he never complains. And yes, to quote a line from "Jerry Maguire," he completes me. Now where to start with our parents?? They have always been there for us and always unconditionally loved and supported us. We couldn't possibly ask for more than that ... And my family, I thank every one of you. For your prayers, your e-mails, your phone calls, your continuing to read this blog, we both thank you. Our family has always been extremely close and extremely loyal to each other, but times like these make me even more grateful. (Aunt Mar, we're working on a great-niece or nephew for you!!) Kelly and Kate, my cousins and my sisters, I have no idea where I would be without you both ... you're two of my best friends, and I thank you beyond words for all that you do. Mandi, I love that you take time to e-mail me about the blogs and love that they entertain you. What more could a writer ask for?? Danielle, thank you for understanding all of this and for always being there. Yes, I know I left out male members of the family, and I'm sorry, but I do love you all. (Michael, thanks for floating on the raft at the condo completely oblivious to Kelly and I discussing ovaries.) My friends, I can't possibly name you all, but you know who you are, and I love you. Ok, almost over. The Breakfast Group, thank you for your continued interest, prayers and support. I sort of think of y'all as our guardian angels. Ok, moving on ... Teri, who I have been best friends with for 28 years ... thank you for keeping me on my toes so I can answer all your IVF questions, and thank you for always wanting to know. Your friendship is unwavering and has always been a calm in the storm. For all the times I've complained to you, for all the times I've talked more about IVF and forgotten to ask how you are and for sharing your beautiful girls with me ... I guess that's what best friends are for, and I love you. Ok, anyone who knows me at all had to expect this one ... for my precious girls, Mary and Hope, who remind me how simple life really is and who always, always, always cheer me up when I need it, I thank you a million times over (and yes, they can read!!) Alright, if your name isn't on the list, don't worry ... as I've said before, it takes a village to get through IVF, and I can't possibly name all the villagers. Ok, and I promise I'm almost finished, I want to thank my Grandma Calvert and Auntie ... they passed away several years ago, but I know I carry a little piece of them with me as I go through life. They were beautiful, gracious, unselfish Southern women, and I miss them every day. They give me strength on days when I need it and lots and lots of laughter when I think about how wonderful life was with them. Finally, my favorite three words: thank you, God.

Fore!!

as self is still forced to continue taking it easy due to fact that pregnancy slows healing process for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, have returned to NASA channel for entertainment (can't watch any more scary musclemen doing ads for gym equipment.) no longer NASA channel fan as channel now broadcasts LESSONS on trigonometry. no one faint with this revelation but self is absolutely not a mathematician ... miss outer space pictures of earth and trying to guess what continent self could see ...
oh, well, as is always good to have a dream self has decided to become a professional golfer. will become pro, play in one or two LPGA events and become multi-millionaire so can replenish bank account as has taken hit lately as price of gas is astronomical. terribly depressing. anyway, began advancing toward pro golfer dream by practicing putting golf balls into plastic cup in living room today. understand it could sound like self has too much time but is really not the case. am ready to resume "normal" life but must get healthy first ...

The Philosopher is In

Ok, today I present an informative and somewhat scientific and philosophical blog. After the blood test Friday, I had to return today for a repeat blood test (standard procedure.) These tests (also known as beta tests) measure the amount of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin or pregnancy hormone) in the blood. My specific fertility clinic likes to see the beta double every 48 hours. On Friday, my beta was 162, and today it was 300; obviously today's number wasn't as high as they would like it to be, so I have to return for another blood test on Friday. Now this could mean any number of things, none of which are shocking considering I am in the VERY early stages of pregnancy, which is a fragile time no matter what. So basically we're kind of in a holding pattern until Friday. If the numbers aren't as high as they want them on Friday, we will continue to wait and see what happens. Having read LOTS about betas before we ever started IVF, I was always aware of their meaning ... some books report betas much lower than mine which resulted in healthy pregnancies; some books report betas similar to mine which resulted in miscarriage. There's just no way to tell. But as the doctor, the nurse, and numerous other medical personnel continue to tell us, just getting pregnant is half the struggle. In my mind, infertility is a little like a war ( NOT exactly like a war as I would not put myself in the same category as our military fighting to bring down terrorists) made up of lots and lots of battles. We've won several battles already: getting all the way through an IVF cycle despite developing a cyst midway through, producing lots of eggs, having eggs that fertilized so they could be implanted and finally, getting pregnant on the very first try. Of course Anthony and I pray the beta number will be exactly where it's supposed to be on Friday, but in the meantime we have so much for which to be grateful and proud. God is with us, just as He always has been. (just as an aside, self is considering becoming a professional golfer but more on that later ...)

Pregnant Pause

had appointment with doctor today for blood test and very, very happy to report that self is PREGNANT!! only have three words: thank you, God ...

Hormones and Hypothermia

has been very nice day ... hormones have calmed down considerably but of course that could change at ANY second ...
Anthony continues to do well and has really been a good patient ...
latest progesterone injection excitement ... accidentally gave self hypothermia in right buttock tonight ... try very hard to completely numb area so as to not feel gigantic needle but went too far tonight. when removed ice pack discovered a sort of blistered area and buttock felt as solid as a piece of ice ... very disturbing indeed. in future will NOT numb buttocks for 30 minutes ...

All Aboard

happy to report Anthony is home and doing well ...
also happy to report self has learned valuable info regarding rice from emeril today on food network ... now know what risotto is (Italian rice dish) and how to make it ... haven't yet put newfound knowledge into practice but have high hopes for impressive gourmet meal ...
unhappy to report hormones continue haywire existence ... self is on roller coaster (along with unfortunate souls who are around me) and trying not to fall off!

You Say Psycho Like It's a Bad Thing

feeling somewhat better but still taking it very easy ... knight in shining armor is strict nurse but will have opportunity to pay back as he had shoulder surgery this morning and will be home tomorrow ... thank God for parents ...
may have spoken too quickly about IVF not being so bad -- self has turned into hormonal wreck ... suppose to be expected as am still wearing estrogen patches and getting gigantic progesterone in oil injections. as indicator of self's rapidly changing moods, NASA channel no longer interests as much as annoys me ... am proud of astronauts but little space shuttle graphic is quite irksome after awhile ( is "irksome" even a word??)

Houston, We Have a Problem

must apologize for recent lack of writing ... self has developed ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome ... not a shock as delicate ovaries were stimulated to produce many, many more eggs than usual. overstimulation has resulted in swollen ovaries which are now touching each other ... not comfortable to say the least. in state of continued taking it very easy have become addicted to NASA channel. only recently discovered existence of such channel but now watch all the time. switches from mission control to Discovery (no-gravity NOT kind to women's hairdos) to views of earth to wonderful little graphic of mini-Disovery as it criss-crosses the globe in its orbit. self is learning geography a whole new way. was talking to teri earlier and informed her space shuttle was now passing over the northwest tip of africa ... teri appropriately impressed to say the least ...
must take moment to update big-needle progesterone shots ... knight in shining armor gives this shot every night and does fantastic job. of course self's buttock completely numb from ice pack (as recommended) but still think knight in shining armor missed his calling. (NO comments about how shots may be easy to give to hormonally psycho wife) ... am also wearing two estrogen patches (as thin as gap filler removed from Discovery during genius spacewalk two days ago) to be changed every three days ... ahhh, just when things were returning to normal. such is the world of IVF ...

Invisible Ducky

bedrest almost over ... feeling a bit sore and bloated ... self greatly mortified when signed on to this site and pop-up ad appeared with huge feet on scale advertising weight-loss pill ... gross.
has rained LOTS here today ~ most of you know what that means ... LOVE POND. can hear frogs approaching from distance even as I write plus new and unidentified creature yet to be seen, only heard. sounds like duck quacking LOUDLY but can't find creature. knight in shining armor has certain-it's-illegal gigantic spotlight used to search for creature but no luck yet. ashamed to say that last week self slithered across bedroom floor out of view of window hoping to sneak up on ducky creature while knight outside with spotlight but again no luck. can hear it even now ... quack quack. ducky is taunting self ...

Day Three

Day Three following retrieval: transfer went fabulously well today ... as hoped by embryology team, two embryos were transferred into my uterus, both with the desired 7 cells on their way to 8 cells, one with a grade of 4 and one with a grade of 4+ ... (remaining 5 pre-embryos will continue developing, hopefully reaching desired quality so as to be cryogenically frozen for future cycles.) self is on modified bedrest for three days, meaning relaxing in bed watching TV or sitting up watching TV or reading ... allowed to get up to use bathroom, take shower or check mail ... nothing strenuous and nothing involving being on feet for more than a few minutes ... IVF is over, and self made it through ... hooray!!

Day Two

Day Two following egg retrieval: ok, instead of trying to explain the complete science currently in use self will just bottom line whole situation ... of 11 fertilized eggs, 2 multi-nucleated (not the desired pro-nucleated) and 9 pro-nucleated. now here we go ... on day 2 (today) the pre-embryos are given a grade of 1,2,3,4, or 5 based on the symmetry of the cells and the extent of cell fragmentation ... pre-embryos with a grade of 4 or 5 have a higher rate of implantation; anything graded 1,2 or 3 has a lower rate of implantation. so of our 9 remaining pre-embryos only 2 have a grade of 3, and 7 have a grade of 4 or higher. make sense?? basically we're in good shape going into tomorrow's embryo transfer ... of course, as always, anything can happen, but self feels good having made it this far and knows, again as always, that God is in charge ...

Day One

Day One following egg retrieval: of 17 eggs which were retrieved yesterday we now have 11 fertilized eggs ... still seems good number as of original 17 eggs, 14 were mature, and of those 14 eggs, 11 of them have now fertilized normally ... a smidge scientific and confusing but am re-reading lots of info, books, etc. as this part is hard to understand. will receive update tomorrow from embryologist following assessment of cell division ... will attempt to explain whatever self has figured out by then ...

The Love Shack

egg hunt very successful ... doctor retrieved 17 this morning but no need to panic or picture self on cover of good housekeeping with 17 children because not all eggs will be mature; however, doctor VERY pleased with 17 as is only looking for 4 mature eggs. self is over-achiever when it comes to active ovaries. fairly easy procedure this morning ... spent only a short time in recovery drinking Coke and watching SportsCenter before heading home ... was hooked up to IV, blood pressure cuff which annoyingly and automatically took self's BP every 5 minutes or so and also attached to some kind of EEG machine. moment of paranoid panic when EEG machine beeped ... thought self had flat-lined but realized was still talking to knight in shining armor and was just fine. room where egg retrieval performed is nicknamed "the love shack" by retrieval team ... wonderful group of people who almost make this fun. am scheduled for embryo transfer Saturday morning at 8 AM ... more later ...

Final Countdown

drumroll, please ... after a total of 43 days, 48 injections, 21 birth control pills, 7 trips to Mobile (6 in the last 11 days), one cyst aspiration and one almost catastrophic parking garage traffic backup due to elderly driver in super-long land yacht of a car trying to park in a tiny space ... THE EGGS ARE READY!! self has been given the go ahead for final injection at 9 PM tonight to be followed by one more trip to the vampire lab in Mobile in morning to be followed by egg retrieval at 8 AM Wednesday morning ... am cautiously excited as know there is always possiblity of no quality eggs during retrieval but still ... self is proud of making it this far ... after all, real fun begins after retrieval... will be done under anesthesia so will be able to come home later that day ... that night self will begin Medrol (a steroid to prevent body from rejecting embryos during transfer), Doxycycline (an antibiotic) and (my personal favorite) Progesterone in oil injections. Progesterone is used to supplement pregnancy and is an intramuscular injection given every night by knight in shining armor ... involves hip muscle and 1 1/2 inch needle. if become pregnant, will continue progesterone injections for first 12 weeks. but self is jumping ahead ... will get through retrieval and hopefully a transfer somewhere around 3-5 days later ... one day at a time and no more super long cars allowed in parking garage ...

Feisty Follicles

all systems still go ... ultrasound this morning was fine, and follicles are still growing ... #@*^&% bloodwork fine, too, but self is getting tired of having blood removed from body. minor annoyance in grand scheme of things. plan from here: new injectible med tonight (Repronex, still a follicle stimulator) in place of usual follicle stimulator (Gonal-F), then usual Lupron and Gonal-F injections in morning and repeat trip to Mobile for (bet you can't guess) ultrasound/bloodwork. doctor very complimentary of self's progress and is looking for egg retrieval around Thursday or Friday. more on that as it gets closer ...
must go ... have passed the point of no return with Harry Potter and must finish book tonight ...

Memo from a Muggle

Alright, for your reading pleasure I bring you a return to the planet of IVF. The ultrasound this morning went absolutely great, almost as well as it could, at least considering my feet were in stirrups, and my private parts were flappin' in the breeze ( a phrase just for you, Kel.) I have lots of follicles on both ovaries and am responding extremely well to the meds. This is all very good news ... please keep up the prayers as I have no doubt that's the reason we've gotten as far as we have. Our next dr's appt. will be Sunday morning for the ultrasound and it's-really-getting-SUPER-old bloodwork. I'm beginning to feel as though the lab staff has some sort of vampire streak in them ...
In the meantime, I've finally begun the new Harry Potter book, much to the happiness of my cousins, Kelly and Kate ... they are anxious to discuss theories, etc. about the new book. Incidentally, the new Potter book was well-discussed in a PACKED waiting room this morning. It took my mind off my usual in-my-head competition with others regarding ovaries, follicle size, etc. For all of you non-Potter readers out there, I'm sure all the frenzy is a bit annoying; however, I must say that from a writing standpoing, J.K. Rowling's is as good as it gets. Especially in this book, her writing is crisp, and not a single work is wasted. And of course, her imagination is beyond description ...

Power Tool Ban Lifted

no IVF talk today ... will update after dr's appt in the morning ...
recall now why self's ban on using power tools was in place ... got home from Wal-Mart short while ago (WILD there since kids out of school now) and decided would shape front shrubs. bad idea. dragged nice extension cord and power shrub shaper to front of house and got to trimming. suddenly shaper stopped and noticed self was now moving freely about in shrubs and no longer attached to cord. why, you ask?? because self cut right through extension cord ... yes, know was dangerous, Mom, but oh well. embarassment was first feeling as self dragged now two-piece extension cord back into garage. across the street neighbor witnessed incident, I believe, but maybe not as self was only working on shrubs for 15 seconds or so. terribly sad to look at nice extension cord just split like that but at least got one shrub shaped. power tool incident better than Christmas electricity incident when self decided to modify length of white Christmas lights by cutting strand with metal scissors ... lovely spark display but sometimes self just doesn't think things all the way through ...

Smokin' Hot Flashes

no more science blogs ... too boring. still rockin' along with injections, although self has been experiencing one common side effect: hot flashes ... apparently during IVF treatment, intensity of hot flashes is second only to hot flashes associated with menopause. delightful. at times feel smoke is radiating from my person as heat overtakes me ... is not fun by any stretch but not the worst side effect could be experiencing by far. grateful things have been non-dramatic so far. shall see as another injectible med (repronex) still must be added to the regimen ...
did not rebelliously use power tools today ... became self-conscious as shrubs self was going to trim with power tool are in front yard. afraid might lose control of power tool and have neighbors rushing over as self accidentally shaped shrubs into mickey mouse. opted instead for a lovely swim in inflatable pool. very relaxing despite constant threatening chatter by nearby squirrels ... have paranoid fear they will attack me one day as I lay defenseless on raft. have heard they can be mean creatures ...

Science and Power Tools

ok, all systems go for IVF after this morning's appt. very exciting as am in new territory; however must be cautiously optimistic as cycle could still be cancelled right up until the transfer of embryos into self's lovely uterus. possible reasons for cancellation you ask?? 1. poor response to ovarian stimulation by injectible meds (defined to be fewer than three or four follicles ... follicles are the little "house" for the eggs, and not to be an overachiever or anything, but I already have 9 on my right ovary and 6 on my left) 2. ovarian hyperstimulation ... just opposite of #1 and can lead to very,very swollen ovaries and hospitalization in rare cases. 3. premature LH surge ... LH surge triggers release of eggs from the follicles and doctors MUST get to eggs BEFORE release ... i.e. premature LH surge equals BAD THING and, finally, 4. abnormal estradiol (estrogen) response ... self has no idea what this means.
so planet of IVF continues to be opportunity for LOTS of learning and boring scientific blogs but oh well ... if super smart scientist happens upon modest blog and spots glaring error please refrain from writing me about it. thanks!
***must take moment as has been awhile and thank you ALL for continuing to read this little blog as well as e-mail me, etc. to see how things are going. self feels very, very grateful to have such wonderful friends and family ... and as for self's knight in shining armor?? absolutely no words to express gratitude as continue to be amazed by knight ... provides non-stop understanding, patience, laughter, unselfishness, optimism and of course, support. IVF is team sport and knight is going through it just as much as self, even if in slightly different way. thank God for him every day ...
next appt: Friday morning but certain will write before that as have plans to use power tools in front yard tomorrow ... not normally allowed to use power tools but aforementioned knight in shining armor is out of town. hmmmmm......

Day to Day to Day to Day

have had wonderful day in backyard mowing the grass, cleaning out the koi pond, cutting back shrubs, etc ... is nice to be outside in the morning before jungle heat takes over. despite self's almost fall into grass clippings graveyard just beyond small picket fence, all was well.
still feeling pretty good as continue IVF meds. as usual, small injections have gotten annoying but that's about it. ultrasound/bloodwork appointment in morning and will be day to day from here on out ... VERY tentative retrieval date is in one week but at this point anything goes ... cycle could still be cancelled at any time for variety of reasons. will discuss in tomorrow's blog as must re-research topic. expect MANY trips to Mobile in next few days ...

Forward March

all is still well ... cyst was aspirated with very little discomfort. no delicate way to describe procedure ... large ultrasound-guided needle inserted through vaginal wall to drain cyst. sounds much worse than actual experience, especially since wonderful doctor numbed the area. feel numbing medicine has surely worn off by now but still feel fine. cannot speak highly enough of doctor and nurses in Mobile. absolutely amazing ...
ok, so on we go to next part of IVF cycle ... here I must correct myself from a few days ago. Lupron injections will continue all the way through IVF cycle, not stop as I originally thought ... tonight have added Gonal-F injections to the mix (one injection in morning and one in evening) which will stimulate ovaries to produce lots of follicles (eggs.) will return to Mobile Tuesday morning for ultrasound and bloodwork. frequency of trips will greatly increase as doctor will very closely monitor follicles from now to retrieval ...
on we go on our little planet of infertility ...

Queen of Cysts

ok, unpredictability of IVF still very much intact ... appointment went fine today. have cyst on left ovary but will have needle aspiration done tomorrow morning to drain cyst and current IVF cycle WILL continue. really great news and very unexpected after seeing cyst on ultrasound this morning. needle aspiration procedure takes around 2 minutes and is in-office procedure. no worries ... may experience discomfort (hello, large needle) but will be short-lived. will most likely begin next phase of IVF injections tomorrow night. and so it goes ...

Hit By Eighteen Wheeler

very tired today, as if eighteen wheeler hit self, backed up and did it again ... am 14 days into Lupron shots so definitely to be expected. trying to downplay tomorrow in my mind but will be very big day ... mind distracted at present by Anthony and a friend of his playing the brand new NCAA football Playstation 2 game. thank God for sports and games, right??

Reproductive Endocrinology 101

Ok, I thought I would use tonight's blog to review the (maybe) upcoming portion of IVF. Right now, I'm finishing up Lupron, which is used to prevent the pituitary gland from interfering with ovarian function during ovarian stimulation. This basically means the pituitary gland is out of commision ... in other words, it won't send any signals to the ovaries to release eggs. This is all done so that the doctors are able to retrieve the mature eggs BEFORE they're released from the ovaries, a very crucial part of IVF. The next step is the bloodwork/ultrasound appointment on Thursday morning. This will be a big step as it will determine if we continue this cycle. Specifically they'll be looking for ovarian cysts which could throw off the whole cycle, but assuming we get the green light to continue on, I'll stop Lupron and start a drug called Gonal-F. This is still a daily injection, but it's part of the stimulation portion of IVF. This is the part where the drugs are used to stimulate your ovaries to produce as many eggs as they can. Approximately 5-8 days after beginning Gonal-F, I'll begin Repronex (also a daily injection.) These drugs are used in conjunction with each other because one contains FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and one contains a combination of FSH and LH (luteinizing hormone.)
Ok, I know all of this is incredibly foreign to most people, so here's the quick summary: Thursday is a huge day ... either we'll stop or continue IVF. If we continue, I'll take drugs to stimulate my ovaries to produce a LOT of eggs. The end.

Out of Control

DO NOT mean this personally, but weather channel people are completely OUT OF CONTROL!! saw footage of Jim Cantore last night wearing swim goggles and standing on the beach as Hurricane Dennis roared in ... what is wrong with these people?? in middle of his broadcast a tiny cloth came into view wiping rain off the camera lens ... have mercy. of course on flip side of coin, what is wrong with self as weather channel viewing lasted most of yesterday? can't help but be sucked into frenzy, a frenzy which will likely remain as tropical wave is now in picture. will be Hurricane Emily if becomes a named storm. why not call it Hurricane Extra Dangerous??
Lupron bleed continues ...

Hurricane Preparedness

feel obligated to take a moment to share a few things self has learned during hurricane preparedness ... first (and brace yourselves here), the moon is set to explode in six months. yes, it is ... was able to speed-read this little morsel of info from a tabloid yesterday while in line at wal-mart. second, always wear gloves while handling plywood ... prevents spending time digging out splinters. third, exercise LOTS of patience with weather channel people as they are whipped into frenzy by current weather situation. bear with them as they say things like, "will rain continue to affect the midwest over the weekend? stay with us and find out after the break." no need to scream "WHO CARES ABOUT THE MIDWEST??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" at tv as self is more interested in finding out how far west hurricane-force rain and wind will reach ... finally, best not to voice OUT LOUD self's fear that koi pond may develop mini hurricane during storm, causing fish to be thrown onto land and die. won't happen ... at least husband waited until he was out of the room to laugh.

Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season

Dennis has now become overachieving Category 4 hurricane with winds around 145 mph ... should be in the Gulf soon and will have better idea of its track in next 24 hours or so ... have plywood if decide to stay and full tank of gas and place to go if decide to evacuate ... watching and waiting.
in meantime have had wonderful event in IVF world ... usually 7-10 days after beginning Lupron injections one gets (male readers avert your eyes) the "lupron bleed." never had this happen last time as had cyst that threw whole cycle off ... however, today find self in beginning of lupron bleed (like a period) and am very excited! know sounds gross but is hopeful sign that all is progressing normally and perhaps cycle will be cyst-free ...

Shout Out to Dennis

hello, hurricane dennis!! is category three at the moment and who knows where it's going. went to grocery store for supplies today ... enterprising employees construct delightful displays this time of year ... almost makes being hit by a hurricane seem fun. big coolers, food on the grill, festive paper cups and plates, etc. can see self sitting outside no electricity home grilling delicious meals whilst serving canned beans, canned vienna sausages and bottled water to neighbors if dennis comes here. keeping close eye on things ...
day 8 of lupron in the books. still doing fine ... trying not to look too far ahead and only focusing on july 14.
frogs still being exceptionally bold ... as trying to respect all of God's creatures will say no more than that.

*$&%*#@*&^ Frogs

(Update: radio ghost completely OUT OF CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
many happenings since last entry ... Tropical Storm Cindy roared in early this morning, leaving over 5 inches of rain at our house ... yes, as always, horny frogs accompanied rain ... self thought ahead of the game and covered the pond well before bed last night but alas, no good. around 4 AM heard freakishly loud mating call (loudest ever) so quietly left bedroom for guest room across house and FAR away from love pond ... found someone already in guest room (husband) so moved into other guest room with mary and hope ... self and self's husband investigated pond situation this AM and discovered frogs have become VERY bold ... found HUGE frog "coupled up" with other frog friend ON TOP OF pond covering ... self has been outsmarted by horny frogs ... very depressing thought.
on IVF front, am at end of 7th day of Lupron injections ... still feeling pretty good except for being tired. self is willing ovaries not to grow cysts but shall see ... in meantime, am very much enjoying new infertility book written by two women who have actually been through all of this. very funny and honest.
sweet Hopie has been to the vet today ... has allergy problems so have now spent small fortune for antihistamine, antibiotic to treat skin infection, medicated shampoo, medicated conditioner, and skin treatment to eliminate flea issues ... money well spent as she's our baby.
weather channel meteorologist still in town as Hurricane (?) Dennis now heads our way ... very exciting but is still days away. lots can still happen.

Cindy and Dennis

ah, the excitement of hurricane season ... tropical storm Cindy (but possibly on her way to being a weak hurricane?) is en route to our fair coast and dennis is close behind ... very exciting as mike seidel (of the weather channel) is in Biloxi just outside Treasure Bay casino ... plan mini-trip to beach for autograph.
not great day with radio ghost AT ALL -- got inspection sticker for car today ... was out of car with motor running and driver side door open assisting (holding bulb) mechanic with replacing rear brake light ... suddenly Van Halen was BLARING across the garage with numerous mechanics staring at me and my possessed car ... very mortifying but at least michael will be proud ...
IVF schedule moving along ... finished birth control pills last night and continuing lupron shots ...9 more days of shots til ultrasound ...

Redneck Pet Parents

continuing Lupron injections, still with no problems ... big test will be July 14 ultrasound to check for ovarian cysts ... is point where IVF cycle was cancelled last time so should be interesting how it goes ...
have enjoyed beautiful afternoon in inflatable pool with Anthony, Mary and Hope (our border collie) ... Hopie took to a raft and floated around for a bit ... Mary loves to swim but as pool is three feet deep she is unable to stand up ... she swam some then we became redneck pet parents ... self and self's husband sunk a canvas fold-out chair in pool so she could stand up. good grief. expect jeff foxworthy to be calling anytime now.

Frogs, Frogs and Frogs

no problem with first Lupron shot this morning ... will continue Lupron injections until next ultrasound july 14 ...
received 4-5 inches of rain yesterday so of course mating frogs have returned with a vengeance ... self tromped out to koi pond yesterday in hopes of warding them off but no luck. was dressed in t-shirt, shorts, tall black rubber boots and carrying only umbrella could locate quickly: some gold lamee looking thing ... managed to get cover over pond but frogs found one small hole during the night and invited all their friends ... HIDEOUS noise ... can still hear it reverberating in head.

Go for IVF

ok, IVF to move into full-swing tomorrow morning ... lupron shots will start. tiny needle, no big deal ... lupron shots are already-traveled territory from our first half-IVF cycle. (recall first IVF cycle was cancelled after lupron shots due to ovarian cyst.) next ultrasound scheduled for july 14 ... will be a big day for self and knight-in-shining-armor anthony as any injections occurring after that date will be new to us ... hoping lupron shots will go as well as last time but will see ...

Lord Alfred Tennyson

must write this morning as had most interesting dream last night ... obviously was still thinking about Kel's beautiful wedding ... dreamed we were having one final pre-wedding party at the home of Lord Alfred Tennyson. absolutely no clue about this one but know high school English teacher would be SO proud (hello, Mr. Locke) ... even in dream was amazing that family was gathered at Tennyson's home as he was poet laureate of England but more amazing because he was poet laureate in 1850 and is, therefore, very dead ...

Return of the Cysts but also IVF

(ok, third time will be charm ... somehow have erased this blog twice already ...)
am officially citizen of infertility planet ... AM ultrasound showed two fairly good size cysts (surprise) but not big enough to interfere with IVF cycle ... as a result, have already done one-time PM injection of Cetrotide ... med was added in to help with cysts as well as to prevent premature ovulation ... in my case, Cetrotide injection is done once, then regular IVF protocol resumes. for me, that means continuing birth control pills until July 4, beginning Lupron injections this Thursday morning and eventually adding two more injectables to the mix ... not as complicated as it sounds ... basic function of Lupron is to shut down ovaries so that self's body is no longer in charge of triggering ovulation ... function of additional meds (Gonal-F and Repronex) is to stimulate ovaries to produce numerous eggs which will be retrieved at a yet-to-be-determined but VERY precise moment ... more about retrieval later ...
self felt VERY competitive in waiting room this morning with many other IVF patients ... wondered how far along process they were and if they had cysts like I or perfect ovaries to which I can only aspire ... important to focus only on self's progression through IVF cycle but would still like to win ... win what I don't know but I'd like to all the same ...

All Good Things Must Come to an End

wedding has come and gone ... absolutely wonderful weekend and breathtaking wedding ... cannot imagine more beautiful bride than Kelly. very, very happy for her and very, very grateful for own family ... as am geographically challenged cannot immediately think of honeymoon destination for Mr. and Mrs. Michael Day but believe it is Jamaica?? shall see ...
realize self has veered way off course as far as original subject of this blog but rest assured that is about to change. pre-IVF ultrasound/bloodwork scheduled for tomorrow morning. joy. have bought new infertility book published just last month so feel will be up to date with current information ... Katie Couric interviewed authors on the Today show so feel book will be lively and informative ... shall report tomorrow.

Wedding Weekend Kick-Off

alrightee, about two more days now ... feel we have relative calm before the storm (not that the wedding will be a storm or anything, just finishing the old saying) big wedding weekend kick-off tonight with aunt mar's famous gumbo and about 70 wedding guests/family members/members of both aformentioned groups/friends/wedding party members/anyone who passes by the house/strangers who pop in, etc. will be great fun ...
on planet of infertility,self continuing re-reading IVF resources, including this webpage ... provides pretty good account of what all went on last time. baseline ultrasound/bloodwork set for Monday, June 27 @ 8 AM ... doctor will be checking hormone levels as well as hunting for cysts ... perhaps will wear camouflage scrubs for the hunt ...

Amazon Goddess

(4 more days ...)
am in full-on preparation mode for rapidly approaching wedding. have been fervently hoping one side effect of birth control pills would grace me with its presence: breast enlargement ... so far no such luck. still hoping ...
have also been attempting to transform from semi-albino status to amazon goddess. cannot use self-tanning lotions as self seems to be allergic to them, and tanning beds are out of the question as resident knight-in-shining-armor husband Anthony works for the American Cancer Society. however, new pool purchase seems to be helping issue ... is 15 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep. perfect for drifting around in lounge raft with bottled water by side (part of purifying self before resumption of IVF.) have come up with new tanning invention ... instead of having to turn over every so often to avoid the dreaded fell-asleep-in-the-sun lobster red on one side and ghost white on the other, feel self could perhaps invent rotisserie type device to evenly keep self tan (or anybody else for that matter.) could safely and slowly rotate self in pool to maintain even sun exposure ...have not at all figured out the logistics of such invention ... surprise.

The Planet of Infertility

(5 more days ...)
apologize for inexcusable neglect of blog ... wedding is mere days away, and Kelly (who is home now) is amazingly calm. spent Friday with her doing errands ... very excited for her and Michael and ready for all family to arrive in town :)
continue taking birth control pills and hopefully dissolving any cysts before ultrasound appointment next monday in mobile ... brushing up on all things IVF and removing huge resource binder to browse for pertinent info. amazing how quickly you forget necessary info once you've left planet of infertility ...
must share humor for today ... hopefully is not plagiarism but must discuss anonymous letter sent to our paper here in Gulfport ... writer has idea to build enormous fan to place on beach here and blow any hurricanes heading our way back out into the Gulf ... cannot think anyone could seriously think this would work but good for a laugh anyway ... trying to picture humongous size of fan and imagining how one would power such a device ...

Game On

realized have forgotten to mention we are back into IVF ... started birth control pills last night, which is the first step. Game on ...
had annual gynecological exam yesterday ... always amused by enormous paper "clothes" they give you to cover up. at this point I just want to get on the table stark naked and forget all the paper. paper vest to open in the front with stylish plastic belt/sash and paper picnic-tablecloth size garment to cover rest of self. honestly what is the point? by the time vest is covering boobs, armholes are so huge self is still on display. too much paper to fool with in my opinion.

Dressing Room Danger

(10 days ...)
ok, second time will be the charm with this blog ... wrote last night but somehow erased entire thing with one keystroke ... will re-write now.
terrible occurrence in Dillard's yesterday. was roaming around looking for fab dress to wear to rehearsal dinner. found several and went to try them on. first was really cute little dress ( I stress LITTLE) that had to be seriously worked with to fit on self. looked great but could not breathe out so knew dress would not work. attempted to remove dress over head (removed bra to assist process) but dress absolutely would NOT budge. mild panic as dress was super tight but moved to recently formed plan B, which was to remove dress over hips. had to be stealthy as others were in dressing room and felt dress could very likely split wide open at any moment not to mention the flailing about and jumping up and down self was doing. cannot possibly stress the not budging issue nor the fear I was feeling at this point ... would self be forced to stagger out into the middle of Dillard's screaming for help with dress lodged around mid-section like a spare tire?!?! too ghastly to even contemplate ... rested a moment with dress firmly lodged on buttock area and resumed delicate yanking to get dress off of self. TWENTY minutes later (no exaggeration because had to be somewhere else so was keeping eye on time) and with numerous minor bruises on self, dress was removed with no splitting. sweet relief ... was very, very frightening experience. wanted to use cell phone to call for help but knew other people in dressing room would hear. have learned valuable lesson ... self has NO reason to be shopping in the junior department anymore.

Where In the World Is Arlene?

(unbelievably, 14 days til the wedding)
playing a familiar game today ... the watch, wait and see about the tropical storm. has shifted slightly west overnight and looks to be coming in somewhere around Mobile or a little farther east. pretty much where big bad Hurricane Ivan rolled in last year. ahhh, the risk we take living so close to the water ...
as often is the case, weather channel on quite a bit so have chance to study forecasters as self finds maps uninteresting (and a smidge confusing) feel forecasters sitting at main desk coordinate outfits as man's tie often blends with woman's outfit. pretty to look at ...
nothing like a tropical storm to distract self from IVF although will be making appropriate calendar soon in anticipation of getting back into the game. am dusting off Rocky IV soundtrack as is motivating for return trips to Mobile ... may sound strange but have discovered whatever helps make it through is just fine ...

Big Fat Honkin' Error

must apologize for oversight on Tuesday ... was so caught up in IVF and mentally lethargic due to jungle temps that forgot to mention it was Teri's birthday :( as she has been best friend since we were three years old, self regrets error ... must have been very caught up in IVF as was at her surprise party that very night ...

Tropical Storm Arlene

(16 days ...)
one week into hurricane season and we have anxious little arlene forming out in the gulf ... presently is tropical storm but who knows ...
have discovered weather channel has been productive during break from hurricane coverage last year ... as weather people excitedly discuss Arlene on TV, new little white airplane graphic is displayed on top of the map over the hurricane to indicate where the hurricane hunters are ... absolutely KNOW weather people live for hurricane season as brings new energy into forecasting ... feel will meet a famous weather channel personality sometime during this hurricane season as they are always spread out across the southeast ... will get autograph and a weather channel hat ...

Return to IVF

(18 days, Kel ...)
Ok, just like that we're back to IVF ... started period yesterday, and that's all it takes ... do not have to repeat Cycle Day 3 ultrasound/bloodwork .... retrieval date has been moved back from July 19 until a few days later due to the fact that the IVF schedule is super busy right now. Anyway, here's a tentative schedule for anyone who desires to try to keep up (I dare you :)

June 14-July 4: birth control pills
June 27: baseline ultrasound/bloodwork
June 28: begin Cetrotide injections (new medicine for this cycle to prevent the LH surge, which can lead to premature ovulation)
June 30: begin Lupron injections (15 Units); continue Cetrotide and birth control pills.
July 14: ultrasound/bloodwork; reduce dosage of Lupron injections to 5 Units.
What happens after this ultrasound will depend entirely on bloodwork and if I have a cyst or not ... In the meantime will enjoy remaining days until beginning hormonal craziness ...

Relay for Life

(22 days until the wedding...)
We have just returned from the Biloxi Relay for Life, which is one of the most wonderful events we are involved in as a result of Anthony's job with the American Cancer Society. For those of you who have never been, it is an absolutely extraordinary experience. Relay for Life events are held virtually everywhere ... one of ours down on the Coast (George County) recently raised $117,000.00. However, make no mistake about it, although the money is obviously important, the event is about so much more than that. It is an opportunity for anyone touched by cancer in anyway to come together in celebration ... celebration of life to honor those who have lost their lives to cancer, those who are battling cancer, those who have survived cancer, caregivers and the list goes on and on. The survivors make the first lap around the track (or in this case the sidewalk circling the Town Green) to the applause of everyone in attendance ... it is in this lap when you see that cancer knows no boundaries as far as age, race, etc. You will see toddlers who have survived cancer all the way up to grandparents who have survived cancer - all walking together. And from a rather shallow and very human perspective, I am always struck by those people who arrive with no concern about their hair loss from chemotherapy, those who have realized there is much more to life than worrying about what others will think. There is a greater purpose for these people, and all say they are different people than they were before they were diagnosed. Their courage is staggering and humbling. For me, the Relays are always intensely personal because several people very close to me have passed away in the last several years as a result of cancer. I won't name all of them, but I must mention my Grandma Calvert because her birthday would have been this Sunday. She passed away in 2001 from multiple myeloma and could never actually bring herself to say the word "cancer." However, as with the people at the Relay tonight, I was also humbled by her courage. I like to think that I was exactly where she wanted me to be tonight ... across from the water watching a beautiful sunset in the company of some truly amazing and brave people with whom I was privileged to celebrate. Happy early birthday, Grandma ...

Sniper Fears

for readers with prior knowledge of my irrational sniper fear, read on ... for readers with no prior knowledge of said fear halt reading here as continuing could perhaps paint picture of self as a lunatic. for kicks anthony brought home red laser pointer from work today ... VERY similar to red laser pointers attached to guns and most assuredly NOT one of my most favorite things. will not go on from here as assume everyone can see where this is going. red laser pointer is now hidden from husband but might find its way into destructive waters of koi pond, which has inexplicably stopped leaking. no clue why.
**just to clarify, husband did not bring a gun home, merely a ballpoint-pen sized laser pointer such as one might use for a presentation**
[with absolutely no connection to sniper discussion will officially begin countdown to Michael and Kelly's wedding: 23 days ...]

Cowboy and Phoebe

well, where to begin?? after TORRENTIAL downpours on Sunday the froggie love pond was in full swing Monday morning ... Anthony removed 15-20 frogs from the pond that morning, many of them already copulating (for lack of a better word) necessary trip was made to Lowe's Monday afternoon for supplies to appropriately cover love pond, and to this date only two frogs have made it through the barrier. still not good viewing for early morning awakening ... too many frogs riding around the current all partnered up.
have made a breakthrough with hideous coughing ... chest congestion is beginning to break up and coughs are becoming more productive ... that's all I'll say about that.
new pond drama for the day ... seems pond may have sprung a leak ... I think Bess and Bo did it; Anthony says not possible. Still, we're working to figure out what's going on and keeping the pond filled in the meantime. cowboy, phoebe and friends will be taken care of...
utilizing the most of downtime until IVF resumes although have begun re-reading several books on infertility to get prepared ... will not be caught off-guard again with bloodwork levels. meds still in fridge until next month ... in meantime am waiting on period then a repeat of Cycle Day 3 bloodwork.
in celebrity world, what is general opinion of readership regarding tom cruise and katie holmes?? defended them at first but now think tom may have gone off the deep end. still, we'll always have top gun ... no one can take that away.

Puzzle Theory

has been lazy, cough-filled weekend ... biggest accomplishment today was major progress on jigsaw puzzle I started yesterday ... ok, though, as has been storming here all day. discovered back to back to back to back to back snake movies on FX. called python, boa and the snake king ... certainly made bess and bo look like house pets. not to worry, mom, they will be outdoor house pets ... must return to puzzle as have just discovered several connected fence post pieces ... realize may sound like petty happening but is actually very important ... when have more time will share puzzle theory ... is intelligent and pertinent.

Bess and Bo

no comment on sinus problems as continue hacking cough and feeling of lethargy ...
have named new snake friends Bo and Bess ... no significance. names just came to self this morning. anthony found snake skins in the backyard ... suppose bo and bess are shedding their old skins. very interesting as mary and hope have been circling snake skins all afternoon jabbing at them with a paw and jumping back. dogs are tiny people who are spoiled rotten and love indoor life so likely not to be greatest hunters. ok, though, as would not like them to find bess or bo and potentially hurt them ... have decided to embrace snake friends (NOT literally) as newest additions to backyard menagerie. will be nice to have around.
cold front rolling through tonight ... is only 78 degrees outside.