14 Weeks

How far along? 14 weeks and 0 days

Baby’s Size: 3 1/2 inches

Baby’s Weight: 1 - 1 1/2 ounces

Development: My baby can now make facial expressions! He/she can grimace, frown, and squint. His/her arms have been growing a lot and are now in proportion to the rest of the body.

Weight gain/loss: I don't have a scale at my parents' house to weigh myself, so I'm not sure.

Maternity clothes? I got some great tops for Christmas, but I can't wear them yet.

Best moment this week? This is the first time I've seen any of my relatives since I got pregnant, so it's been pretty exciting for everyone.

Symptoms: Some nausea (I took my prenatal vitamin in the morning before eating and got violently ill while out at a restaurant for breakfast), stuffy nose, breakouts, pulling and stretching pains (I tried bowling and bowled worst game ever due to pulling pains in my side every time I released the ball), some short bursts of energy (I've been keeping active with the Wii and I went sledding today).

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing specific. I just get really hungry.

What I'm looking forward to: An actual baby bump that doesn't just look like fat.

Milestones: I'm officially in my second trimester!

What my baby looks like this week: (No picture of me this week. I'm visiting family for Christmas.)

14 Weeks Pregnant

13 weeks

How far along? 13 weeks and 0 days

Baby’s Size: 3 inches

Baby’s Weight: .81 oz or 20 grams

Development: This is the last week of my first trimester. Baby has developed fingerprints, and if it's a girl, she has 2 million eggs in her ovaries! Baby can make a fist and suck his/her thumb now.

Weight gain/loss: I gained 3 pounds this week...yikes!

Maternity clothes? I'm down to 1 pair of jeans that fit. I tried to wear my maternity jeans once but they were too loose.

Best moment this week? Telling my principal! It was such a relief to get it off my chest. She was really happy for me and she's very supportive about me taking the last month of school off.

Symptoms: Fatigue, frequent urination, sore & swollen boobs, stuffy nose, breakouts, extreme thirst, and headaches.

Food cravings/aversions: I keep meaning to eat vegetables or have a salad, but I just can't bring myself to do it. All I want to eat is junk food and sweets.

What I'm looking forward to: Finding out the sex! It seems so far away...

Milestones: We went public this week! Everyone knows now.

What my baby and I look like this week:

13 Weeks Pregnant

Garlic and Cake Frosting

Last night I was putting frosting on a cake while DH was doing dishes. All of a sudden, some horrendous odor wafted from the drain. It smelled like garlic from 3 days ago. That smell did NOT mix well with the smell of cream cheese frosting and I froze in place, trying not to puke on my cake. The more I thought about the smell, the worse it got.

DH started laughing at me and so did I. Soon I was laughing hysterically, but also gagging a little, and tears started pouring down my face. The harder I laughed, the harder I cried and I was literally sobbing, but laughing like crazy.

I had to leave the kitchen since at that point I was sobbing, laughing, and coughing all at once. Once I composed myself, I tried to go finish frosting the cake, but every time I thought about setting foot in the kitchen, a new wave of disgust washed over me.

I started laughing and crying all over again, and by now I had to pee, so a little pee came out too. What a hot mess I was! Lol...DH had to finish frosting the cake.

12 Week Ultrasound!

I'm so excited to almost be done with the first trimester! We got to see the little guy (yes, right now my husband and I think it's a boy) on Thursday at 11 weeks 5 days. The baby was moving around like crazy, waving his arms and legs a lot. At one point, I was able to make out the fingers on one of his hands! Here's our latest picture:

And here's what happens when I'm bored and playing around on Picnik, lol:

12 weeks

How far along? 12 weeks and 0 days

Baby’s Size: 2 1/2 inches

Baby’s Weight: 1/2 ounce (the weight of two sugar packets)

Development: Baby's eyes have moved to the front of his/her head and the ears are in place. Fingernails and toenails are developing this week, and baby is able to swallow now. Baby is also developing reflexes.

Weight gain/loss: I've gained about a 1/2 pound this week.

Maternity clothes? I'm officially packing on the pounds...my "fat pants" are now too tight to button...yikes!

Best moment this week? Seeing the baby flailing its arms and legs at at our ultrasound on Thursday. It was so neat to see the little hands waving around. It's really starting to look like a little person!

Symptoms: Fatigue, frequent urination, sore & swollen boobs, stuffy nose, dry skin, and some spotting this weekend.

Food cravings/aversions: This week I'm loving mandarin oranges, Mexican food (especially enchiladas), and cookies

What I'm looking forward to: Our NT scan is on Tuesday, and I'm pretty nervous, but hopeful that there are no major problems with the baby. I'm looking forward to getting over this hurdle and sailing into the 2nd trimester.

Milestones: If all goes well with our NT scan, I will tell all of my friends, coworkers, and Facebook this week!

What my baby and I look like this week:

12 Weeks Pregnant

11 weeks

How far along? 11 weeks and 0 days

Baby’s Size: 2 inches

Baby’s Weight: 1/3 ounce (the weight of two sugar packets)

Development: Baby is now able to move around a lot and do somersaults!

Weight gain/loss: I gained 2 pounds this week

Maternity clothes? I don't bother buttoning my favorite pair of jeans anymore. I love my Bella Band!

Best moment this week? This morning I tried to hear the heartbeat with my doppler, and I put the wand directly on the baby on the first try! It registered the heartbeat instantly! I'm now able to find it in about 10 seconds each time I try.

Symptoms: Fatigue, frequent urination, sore boobs, stuffy nose, and dry skin with breakouts...fun!. I'm also noticing that my tiny boobs are getting fuller--I'm finding myself almost spilling out of some of my tops.

Food cravings/aversions: I've been craving pizza and cookies...that might have something to do with the 2 pounds I gained this week!

What I'm looking forward to: Having everyone know--the thought of telling people is really stressing me out, and I keep chickening out.

Milestones: All of my baby's vital organs have developed and are functioning (they are still maturing, though), so the risk of defects goes down a lot now.

What my baby and I look like this week:

11 Weeks Pregnant

Baby's Heartbeat!

Last night was very exciting...we were able to hear baby's heartbeat loud and clear at 10 weeks 2 days on my Sonoline fetal doppler. I won't get to hear the heartbeat for another couple weeks at the doctor's office, so it was a huge relief to hear it this early. Here's the video (sorry the right side got cut off!):

9 Weeks

How far along? 9 weeks and 0 days

Baby’s Size: 1 inch

Baby’s Weight: .07 ounces or 2 grams

Development: Baby will start to develop male or female genitalia this week...I can't wait to find out what we're having! Baby is now officially a fetus and no longer an embryo.

Weight gain/loss: I gained almost 2 pounds this week.

Maternity clothes? Yesterday I didn't even bother trying to button my jeans. I wore my Bella Band all day and it was FABULOUS.

Best moment this week? The queasiness and bloating today actually had me feeling pregnant for the first time.

Symptoms: Fatigue, frequent urination, sore boobs, stuffy nose, and sore throat. I feel like I'm coming down with a cold again for the second time since I've been pregnant. I've also had a few days of mild queasiness in the morning about a half hour after breakfast. It usually goes away if I eat something else (usually toast with peanut butter and a glass of milk). I'm also burping a lot, and my new toothbrush is making me gag easily.

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing sounds too exciting, except for maybe cookies.

What I'm looking forward to: It will be another 3 weeks until I hear the heartbeat, so I went ahead and ordered a home doppler! The Sonoline Fetal Heart Prenatal Doppler is sensitive enough to detect a heartbeat from 8-10 weeks! Several ladies on The Bump have said that they heard the heartbeat clearly at 9 weeks, so I caved and bought it. It should get here around Thanksgiving.

Milestones: We told our parents last weekend. The news on my husband's side of the family is spreading like wildfire, so most people will know by Thanksgiving (when we were originally planning on announcing). It's sort of a relief, since there will be tons of people at Thanksgiving, and I don't really want all that attention on me.

What my baby and I look like this week:

9 Weeks Pregnant

10 weeks

How far along? 10 weeks and 0 days

Baby’s Size: 1 1/2 inches (the size of a kumquat or prune)

Baby’s Weight: 4 grams

Development: Baby's skeleton is starting to grow and harden and the "tail" has become the spinal column. Fingers and toes are visible, and baby's brain is developing 25,000 new neurons every minute this week.

Weight gain/loss: No change this week

Maternity clothes? Not yet, but I picked up some cheap maternity jeans yesterday at Black Friday. I won't be able to wear them for a while though.

Best moment this week? I told my grandparents I was extra hungry on Thanksgiving b/c I was eating for two. They were very excited. I'm sure they've told their siblings by now, so everyone on both sides of our families know at this point. It's kind of a relief to have people know...we were very nervous to tell our families.

Symptoms: Fatigue, frequent urination, sore boobs, stuffy nose, and sore throat. I feel as if I'm constantly on the verge of getting sick. I've also had several shooting pains from my tailbone to my pelvis. I think it's called sciatic nerve pain.

Food cravings/aversions: On the way to visit family on Thanksgiving I was STARVING. We were close to a Taco Bell, so my husband suggested that. I wanted a Crunchwrap (w/ beans instead of meat) SO bad. Turns out Taco Bell is closed on Thanksgiving. I almost cried.

What I'm looking forward to: We're having dinner with some close friends tonight, and I think we're going to tell them.

Milestones: We heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time on my new Sonoline Fetal Heart Prenatal Doppler. At this point, it is very fleeting when we hear it, but I will post a video when we can hear it consistently.

What my baby and I look like this week:

10 Weeks Pregnant

How I Told My Parents I'm Pregnant

We just announced our pregnancy to my parents! They live out of state, so I called my mom and told her to check her email. We are new homeowners, so we often send them pictures of our latest home improvement projects. My husband was on the other line holding a tape recorder up to the phone. They both screamed when they got to picture #3. The document we sent them was titled "Home Upgrades." Here is what the email said:

Here are some pictures of the kitchen shelf we built above the kitchen sink, along with some other new additions.

You're Going to be Grandparents!

Their reactions were perfect. Screaming, laughing, crying, etc. Tomorrow we will tell my husband's parents in person.

We have a heartbeat!

Yesterday we got to see the baby's heartbeat for the first time. It was amazing! It was this perfectly round little flashing light and the baby has grown so much in the last 2 weeks!

My doctor told me that now that we've seen the heartbeat, the chance of miscarriage is only about 3%, compared to the 20% or so before the heartbeat. We feel like it's safe to start telling people, so we'll tell our parents this weekend. Our next appointment is in 4 weeks and we will hear the heartbeat then.

Here's the ultrasound from yesterday at 7 weeks 5 days. The baby's head is on the left, and I think the umbilical cord is on the bottom right. The yolk sac is behind the baby, so you can't see it.

7 Weeks

How far along? 7 weeks and 0 days

Baby’s Size: 1/3 - 1/4 inch (the size of a Tic Tac)

Baby’s Weight: Less than 1 gram (right now it's about the weight of an eyelash)

Development: Baby is 10,000 times bigger than he/she was at conception! The umbilical cord is now visible, and so are the mouth hole, tongue, nostrils, and ear indentations. Hands and feet are emerging, but they look like ping pong paddles!

Weight gain/loss: Down 1 pound from last week. Overall, I'm down 4 pounds since conception (but I was dieting then).

Maternity clothes? Not this week, but yesterday after lunch I resorted to fastening my jeans with a rubber band and I wore it like that for the rest of the school day. I need to remember to always carry a Belly Belt with my when I'm wearing jeans.

Best moment this week? I made it through my first week of parent conferences without puking on anyone! Morning sickness hasn't kicked in yet. One of the parents asked if I had kids and I said "not yet." Then he said, "But I can see you're married, so you're probably working on that!" Lol, it was funny but so inappropriate and uncomfortable. I'm finding it harder and harder to keep my news to myself.

Symptoms: Fatigue, frequent urination, sore & swollen boobs, stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, backache, and head rushes (like when I bend over and then stand up too quickly--I feel like I'm going to fall over). I have also noticed a few new veins showing on my boobs and I'm constantly bloated and feeling like I'm bursting out of my pants. Hawt!

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing in particular, but everything looks and sounds good. I got an ad for El Torito in the mail and I wanted everything on the page. Then someone on The Bump message board mentioned ice cream and now it's all I can think about.

What I'm looking forward to: Taking my baby to a pumpkin patch next year! I'm loving all the adorable pumpkin patch pics on Facebook.

Milestones: I had my first spotting scare this week...does that count? It was on Tuesday and I haven't had any since, so hopefully everything is fine. Our next ultrasound is Thursday and we should hear a heartbeat then.

What my baby and I look like this week: (I had a hard time sucking in the bloat on this one.)

7 Weeks Pregnant

6 Weeks

How far along? 6 weeks and 0 days

Baby’s Size: 1/8 inch

Baby’s Weight: Less than 1 gram

Development: Eyes, ears, mouth, arm & leg buds are starting to form

Weight gain/loss: My scale tells me I gained 3 pounds this week. Is that possible?? I blame the bloat...

Maternity clothes? I love my BellaBand and Belly Belt.

Best moment this week? I'm feeling really sick and crappy right now, so I'm having a hard time thinking of anything.

Symptoms: Frequent urination, sore boobs, fatigue, bloated, stuffy nose & sore throat--but I think it's actually a cold. My mood varies from day to day. I'm irritable at work one day, and the next day I'm happy and upbeat.

Food cravings/aversions: Chocolate is sounding better and better. I couldn't care less about vegetables. And my Del Taco big fat chicken taco was heaven.

What I'm looking forward to: Hearing a heartbeat on November 11.

Milestones: I had my first OB appointment on Thursday. No heartbeat yet, but Dr. Hill said "everything looks perfect!"

What my baby and I look like this week:

6 Weeks Pregnant

First Ultrasound! 5 weeks 5 days

Today I went in for my first ultrasound. Going off my last menstrual period, the doctor assumed I was at least 6 weeks. The embryo was too small to see a heartbeat and was a little hard to find at first. The OB said I looked between 5 1/2 and 6 weeks pregnant. I informed her that I chart and I know I ovulated late--on Cycle Day 18 instead of 14. She said, in that case, everything looks perfect.

I think it's odd that professionals don't let their patients know about the variation in ovulation and how that affects the size of the fetus. Most women are probably told that the fetus is slightly small, when in fact it was probably just a case of later ovulation. That seems like it would cause a lot of needless worry. I'm sure I'd be freaking out if I thought I was 6 weeks 2 days and there was no heartbeat. We could barely even see the baby on my ultrasound. But for 5 weeks 5 days, everything is perfect.

She will wait until my next ultrasound to measure and give me a definite delivery date. My tentative date she gave is June 21, 2010, but that is with an ovulation date on CD14. It looks like Fertility Friend is right on track with my real date of June 25. I will go in again on November 11 to hear the heartbeat. Grow, baby, grow!!

5 Weeks

How far along? 5 weeks and 0 days

Baby’s Size: 5/64 of an inch or 2 millimeters

Baby’s Weight: Less than 1 gram

Development: Baby's heart begins to beat this week and the brain is starting to grow!

Weight gain/loss: I’m still down 5 pounds, since I was dieting at the beginning of my cycle. I lost 6 pounds but gained one back, so I guess I’m technically up 1 pound? I don’t really how to measure this, lol.

Maternity clothes? I wore a Belly Belt for the first time to work yesterday. I used the smallest setting, but it made such a difference. My pants were so much more comfortable when I sat down!

Best moment this week? We figured out when we’re going to tell family and friends. November 14 will be parents and close family. Extended family will find out on Thanksgiving when I show up wearing this:

Symptoms: Period-like cramps on and off for the last week, fatigue, and sore nipples--which as of last night changed to full blown boob pain. Now I feel like my boobs are both really bruised.

Food cravings/aversions: I really don’t care for fruit right now (I normally eat a lot of it), but I crave protein and carbs instead. I really look forward to sandwiches for lunch!

What I'm looking forward to: My first OB appointment on Thursday!

Milestones: My ticker has changed from the smallest size (poppyseed) to an appleseed! It feels good to be making progress!

What baby looks like this week:

5 Weeks Pregnant

Darkest Line Yet!

My husband asked me to test again this morning, and this was the darkest positive I have seen yet! It showed up in about 30 seconds. I am 15 days past ovulation today, despite the fact that I wrote "14 dpo" on the pregnancy test strip. Oops!

Hello, Symptoms!

My symptoms have kicked in today at exactly 4 weeks: fatigue, extreme hunger, frequent urination, and my nipples are sore. I also had my first wave of nausea--it was triggered by the fact that I felt like I was starving to death an hour after I ate breakfast. My stomach is also super bloated despite the fact that I've lost 2 pounds since last week (down 6 pounds total since starting the Flat Belly Diet!)

Today I started the task of going through all the baby-related bookmarks I've save over the past year. I bought a couple more pregnancy books and a Belly Belt kit so I can wear my pants for as long as possible. I may invest in a BellaBand at some point, but I'll try these for now. Have you used the Belly Belt or Bella Band? Which do you prefer?

Belly Belt:

It's Official!

I went to the doctor yesterday to confirm pregnancy, and the urine test came back with a "faint positive," so they ordered at blood test to make sure. This was yesterday after 5pm, and I was told I would not get the results until Monday or Tuesday.

This morning at 8:30am, the doctor called me with the positive results. It's official--I'm pregnant! What a great way to start the weekend!

Now I need to wean myself off of taking my temperature and peeing on things daily. I figure I will probably test once a week or so early on until I start seeing an OB regularly. I'm so afraid of miscarrying.

So Much for the Flat Belly Diet! I Got a BFP!!

Looks like I won't be losing weight with the Flat Belly Diet for a while! This morning I used a cheap internet test strip, and there was a faint pink line! After work, I confirmed it with a First Response and a Clearblue Digital.

I bought my husband a bag of candy to tell him--Sugar Babies, Baby Ruth, and Sour Patch Kids. He didn't get it at first, then kept staring at the Sour Patch Kids and then said something like, "There's a bunch of little people in here. Is there a little person in there?" and pointed to my belly. I just laughed and handed him a card. On the front was a cute baby mobile and the word "Congratulations." On the inside, I taped a picture of the digital pregnancy test and wrote "I hope you're ready!" Then I showed him the 3 pregnancy tests and I gave him a bib that says "I love my daddy."

A Different Kind of 2ww

So far, this 2ww hasn't been like any I've ever had. My boobs are usually sore from ovulation until AF (aunt flo). This time, they are not sore at all yet, and I'm at 8 dpo (days past ovulation). In fact, until yesterday, I hadn't had any symptoms at all. My husband thinks that my lack of symptoms might be a symptom of pregnancy.

At 7dpo yesterday, things changed a bit. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but this is messing with my head. Yesterday I was very emotional. I burst out in tears because my in-laws found out we are TTC. I cried on and off for about an hour, then I started crying all over again when my husband got home and I told him how I felt. I felt a few twinges near my pelvic bone yesterday, but I had that last month also.

The biggest change is that I started spotting last night, and again this morning. I have NEVER in my 9 months of TTC spotted halfway through the 2ww. I wonder if it was implantation bleeding, so this morning I tested and of course I got a BFN (big fat negative). Really? 8dpo? I've reached an all-time low. I realize the spotting doesn't necessarily mean anything, but now I have hope, which means I will be that much more disappointed if it doesn't happen for us this month.

4-Day Diet Jumpstart = Success!

The food was not very exciting, but I dropped 4 pounds on the "Anti-Bloat Jumpstart" of the Flat Belly Diet. I didn't feel like I was bursting out of my jeans yesterday, so that was nice. I discovered that I actually like sunflower seeds and string cheese. The 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds every day kept me full for hours and I didn't feel like snacking as much throughout the day.

I also discovered that I like salt more than I thought I did. The food was pretty bland, but I did it! I'm actually extending the diet into a 5-day jumpstart b/c I have some food left over. My plan for today is to diet for breakfast and lunch. But there's a USC game on at 5pm, and football does not lend itself to dieting...

The shopping list for the first week of the full diet is pretty extensive, so I will probably shop for the food tomorrow and start the real diet on Monday. The real diet looks much more interesting than the Jumpstart. I can't wait for semi-sweet chocolate chips and guacamole!

Flat Belly Diet

Tomorrow I am starting the Flat Belly Diet. I'm pretty excited about it, but I've never been able to stick to a diet for very long, so I hope I can do it. I also bought a spiffy new digital food scale to make sure I'm eating the right portion sizes.

The Flat Belly Diet is Mediterranean-inspired and includes a MUFA (mono-unsaturated fatty acid) at every meal. MUFAs are basically healthy fats. The menus contain plenty of meals with avocado, dark chocolate, nuts, and other yummy things!

It's a 4-day "anti-bloat jump start" followed by a 28-day meal plan. I am committed to the jump start part, and we'll see how I feel after that. I'm excited about the "Sassy Water" I get to drink for the first 4 days. Sassy Water is cucumber, lemon, mint, and freshly grated ginger soaked overnight in a pitcher of water. I'm hoping it will help to control my appetite if I drink it throughout the day. Wish me luck!

Haiku Thursday

In honor of my friend Sulfa, I would like to begin "Haiku Thursdays."

When I was talking to my husband tonight about ladies I have met on TheBump.com message boards, I brought up Sulfa and her blog, and I showed him my last haiku for Haiku Thursday. Here is my TTC haiku for last Haiku Thursday:

Oh, red plastic cup
Frat party accessory
Now I pee in you

He was instantly like, I want to write one! So I put him to work, and this is what he came up with: (btw, I have EWCM and we just had sex)

(DH) I want to have sex.

(DH) Do you have fertile CM?

(Me) Yes I do. Let's go!

Hehe! I <3 MH...

Wordless Wednesday: Vagina Tree

This tree in Thailand was featured on the Kevin & Bean blog on Kroq.com, lol.

Tears in My Eyes and an EPT

I am only 6 days past ovulation, so why am I so dang emotional today? It is too soon for pregnancy symptoms! I was driving home and changed the radio to a country station. I heard 5 seconds of a new song and literally burst into tears. The lyrics said:

"You came to me
with tears in your eyes and an E.P.T."

That was it. I lost it and was immediately bawling. I have no idea why. I didn't even have time to form a coherent thought before the tears started flowing. Maybe I pictured what it would be like to be able to tell my husband that I'm pregnant. I want that feeling...

Here's the song: In a Real Love by Phil Vassar

Wordless Wednesday: Smiling Birds

This was on the Kevin & Bean blog on Kroq.com:

My Ovaries and I are a Well-Oiled Machine

Remember that movie "Groundhog's Day?" Where Bill Murray keeps waking up and cycling through the same experiences over and over? Sure, he tries new things now and then, like taking a bath with a toaster, to see if he can change the course of things, but the next morning he wakes up and finds himself back at square one.

This is exactly how I feel after 8 months of trying to conceive. I add new techniques to the mix each month (PreSeed, Fertile CM supplements, green tea...), but each month I find myself back at the starting line, having to do it all over again.

My body is like clockwork, and at this point in my TTC process, my ovaries and I are working together like a well-oiled machine. Today is Cycle Day 14, and sure enough, just like last month, I have fertile cervical mucus and a positive ovulation test. My husband and I will baby dance for the next 3 days, and then my temperature will spike to show that I ovulated. My temps will float around for approximately 12 days and then come crashing down as my cycle comes to an end.

Here's a picture of today's positive ovulation test:

As annoying and repetitive as my cycles are, my time spent on the Bump message boards has taught me to appreciate that my body is working as it should be. I have heard so many stories of women who have unpredictable cycles or who aren't ovulating at all. I have learned that not everyone is as lucky as I am, and for that I am grateful.

Why am I shopping for baby bedding...

...and nursery furniture, and diaper bags...on CD1? AF literally just started, and here I am looking at baby stuff. I have a problem.

I just discovered BabyAge.com and now I'm obsessed. They have really good prices, and I found a diaper bag that I really like that I've never seen anywhere else. (Not that I've been looking...lol) Here is the adorable diaper bag I found:

Netflix for Books!

The other day, my husband was saying, "They should have Netflix...but for books." Then we determined that since books are heavy it might be too pricey for shipping. But today I found out there is an online book rental site, and just like Netflix the shipping is free each way, there's no late fees or due dates, etc:

Bookswim.com

Has anyone heard of/ used this before? The cheapest plan is $23.95 per month, and you can check out 3 books at a time. It seems a little pricey, but it's an option if you don't have a library near you. I can't really justify signing up since there is a library 5 minutes from my house, but maybe I will join once I'm pregnant and fat and not wanting to leave the house.

Fancy Meeting You :) 8-9-10

Welcome to Fancy Meeting You Monday, and welcome to my blog! For my new visitors, here is a little about my blog:

It started out as a blog about trying to conceive my first child. Back in the first couple months, I posted all about my "phantom symptoms" and I squealed over my first positive ovulation test. I hate people like that now! I have learned so much about my body and the process of conception, and I'm now on my 7th cycle of TTC.

Since 7 months of the same TTC posts would be annoying, my blog is constantly changing to include other interests. I will be posting about things I've learned related to TTC, my plans for the nursery, cool baby products I find online, interesting books I've read, blogs I love, etc. I just started participating in an online Bible study, which I will mention from time to time (see my post from this morning).

When I do get pregnant, this blog will serve as an online journal of sorts to document my journey.

Link up your blog so I can learn about you too!

Bible Study: Week 1

I have started reading the Bible (thanks to a great group of ladies on The Bump who have created an online weekly Bible study group). From time to time, I will post Bible-inspired insights and thoughts related to TTC.

This week we read the book of James. Something that stood out in my mind is James 4:3 (Chapter 4, Verse 3), which basically says that if you ask God for something but you're asking for selfish reasons, you won't get it.

This reminded me of something I heard in church a long time ago, when the preacher said that when my wants are aligned with God's wants, it will happen. He also said that the more you pray, the more your wants will align with what God wants for you, which means you will "get" more of your wants, because they are God's wants, too. I know I'm not explaining it well, but it really clicked with me at the time. I don't pray as often as I should, and I'm working on that.

Sometimes I think my reasons for having a baby are very selfish. I want one, I'm getting too old, people around me are having kids, I'm tired of working and I want to stay home, etc. I don't often stop and think if my timing is right for my baby. I'm really hoping to 1) stay motivated about reading the Bible, and 2) continue to gain new insights each week that I can apply to my life. I've started taking notes in a journal--sort of a personal Cliff's Notes version of the Bible for myself.

Another Two-Week Wait

I'm feeling strangely calm this cycle. I'd love to get pregnant this cycle, but I also feel like if it didn't happen this time, I'd be okay with it. Getting pregnant this cycle would mean that I would likely take the end of the school year off for maternity leave. While that sounds like a nice idea, it would probably be better to finish off the school year and have the baby in the summer.

Our goal is for me to be able to stay home after the baby is born and to not have to go back to work the following school year. My husband will be getting his M.B.A. next month, and hopefully he will get a higher paying job soon after that. We also have quite a lot of credit card debt at the moment, and I will not get another paycheck until October 1. I would like to get as much of that paid off as possible before the baby arrives.

But don't get me wrong, I would still love to get a BFP this cycle!

How to Be a Good Wife

I found this over at Happily Domestic and just had to borrow it. This is from a 1955 issue of Housekeeping Weekly. According to this guide, I'm a terrible wife! My favorite tip is "Remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours." Also, I think it's interesting that women were encouraged to "prepare" themselves (with makeup) and their children (change their clothes, comb their hair, and encourage them to be quiet??) before their husbands got home. And a wife shouldn't question the husband, even if he stays out all night. Ha!

(Click image to enlarge, then click again to zoom)

Top 10 Ways to Be Hated When TTC

I have spent a lot of time this summer on The Bump's forum board "Trying to Get Pregnant." Many ladies have come and gone in the time I've been trying to conceive. Some are more annoying and uninformed than others. If you are TTC, come join us on The Bump! But don't say any of these things:

Here are the Top 10 ways to be instantly hated by a group of women who are TTC:

10."My period is 15 minutes late…am I preggers???????????????"

9. "I’ve lurked here for YEARS, and I figured now is the perfect time for my first post. This morning I got a BFP!!!!!!! SQUEEEEEE!!! Hugs??" (The general rule of thumb is, if we don't know you, we don't care.)

8. "Newbies unite!!" ::carrying pitchforks::

7. "Apparently the only way to be cool here is to be infertile." (*Yes, someone said this in not so many words recently!)

6. "Does a faint line count?" (Um, hello? Read the directions on the box.)

5. "What’s your favorite color?"

*then post 5 minutes later* "Hey guys! What color do you like?"

*30 seconds later* "I SAID, What's your favorite color?...ANSWER ME!! Ohmigawd...you all are a bunch of b!tches."

4. "My sister's husband's best friend's wife had a cramp in her a$$ yesterday. Could she be pregnant? I told her I'd ask you guys. Thanks in advance!" (Do not tell us your symptoms or anyone else's symptoms and expect a diagnosis. Go pee on a stick.)

3. "How long did it take you all to get your BFPs? Can you all post a pic of your BFPs?? Congrats everyone on your BFPs!!!" (Some people have a hard time understanding that the board is for people TRYING to get pregnant. No joke.)

2. "Well, SOME of you have gotten BFPs because you have other kids already...couldn't just those people respond? The rest of you are just bitter anyways." ("intolerant of stupidity" is sometimes confused with "bitterness" on this board)

...........and the #1 way to be instantly hated on this board IS: ::drumroll::

1. "So far I’ve peed on 5 HPTs, 3OPKs, my BBT, and my dog Sammy…and they all say I’m not pregnant. But do you think they could be wrong? My boobs hurt. I’m probably totally preggo, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Thanks guys!"

Illegal immigration

My husband found this online and I thought it was interesting, so I figured I'd share. It's not very politically correct, but it kinda makes you think...


IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.

IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.

IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.

IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU WILL BE JAILED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM
AGAIN.

IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER LEGALLY, YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY
AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO
POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.

IF YOU CROSS THE UNITED STATES BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET:

~ A JOB,
~ A DRIVERS LICENSE,
~ SOCIAL SECURITY CARD,
~ WELFARE,
~ FOOD STAMPS,
~ CREDIT CARDS,
~ SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE,
~ FREE EDUCATION,
~ FREE HEALTH CARE,
~ A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON,
~ BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE,
~ AND THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU
DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT.

Crochet Newbie

About 12 years ago, a friend of mine taught me how to crochet. Like every new craft venture I start, I was interested in crocheting for about a week. I started making an adorable baby blanket for my boss, who was pregnant at the time. Her kid is now in junior high, and the half-made baby blanket is still in my closet. I am promising myself that I will finish it while I'm pregnant so that I can use it for my baby. Today I stumbled upon this great idea on Prudentbaby.com: a wine rack used for yarn storage!

Now, I don't have a wine rack, nor do I have much yarn, but I thought I should share this gem of an idea. I WOULD like to try my hand at crocheting again, though. I've never crocheted anything that wasn't flat like a blanket, but I'd love to learn how to make baby booties or a baby hat. If you have a favorite crochet pattern for babies, I'd love to hear about it!

Cart-Before-Horse Confession: Nursery Dresser

My first project of the summer is completed. I repaired and repainted my childhood dresser to use in my future nursery! We are also going to use MH's crib that his mom and grandfather made for him before he was born. I'm going to start unpacking my closet and storing all the random baby clothes and books I've collected in the dresser. I'm planning to use the dresser as a changing table. I also painted the mirror behind it to match.

MH strongly believes in "the power of positive thinking" and he thinks if we start preparing for a baby it will happen for us. I'm not as optimistic as he is with the "if you build it, they will come" philosophy, but I'm happy to have this project done at least.



Ok, so it's not completely done. The insides of the drawers currently look like this:



Apparently when I was a teenage I thought this would make them look "cool." Clearly I was not meant to have a career in design. I plan to line the drawers with cute contact paper once I have a theme for the nursery.

Post-It Note Tuesday 6/29/10

Now that I'm on summer vacation, I've been very productive. My cats are making sure I have plenty to do and clean, as they have been finding new and exciting ways to do their business.