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!"