Acupuncture...And Not Much Else

I wish I had a more interesting update for you all, but I have done very little outside of work, eat, sleep and pee. Actually, a boring update is better than something being wrong so I'll just roll with it ;) 

Acupuncture. So far it's good. I've only had 2 treatments, but I think it is helping. This morning was treatment number two. She poked the "classic" nausea points since this past weekend I was a wreck stomach wise. During the treatment I started getting hungry, but not the nauseous hungry that I had been. I'm still a little gaggy feeling, but I'm not doing the gag-and-puke thing.

Other than that, things are pretty quiet here. That may be because I could easily sleep from 3pm to 8am and still be tired. In fact, that's probably it. I haven't read a page of any book. I haven't watched much of any tv or movies, though a few have been on here and there. I haven't even attempted to write a letter in months now it seems (sorry, Dawn!) Bryan is plugging away on his third grad school class and waiting to get the official word that he was accepted into the "Leadership in Education" (ie-administration) degree. I can't see why they wouldn't accept him into it. He has a 4.0 in the two classes he's completed so far! I'm quite proud of him, if you can't tell. Anyway, between my sleeping and his homework and class, we don't get to hang out too much. The most we've done as a couple in the past week or so has been going to a friend's 3 year old's birthday party. After that, we came home and I went to bed - big surprise, right? Again, boring is better than bad things going on, so I'll take it.

The next hurdle* up is the minor one of the first prenatal. I'll be seeing the nurse practitioner and also probably setting up the cerclage. I'm shooting for May 27th for the cerclage, since that is a Thursday and I have to take the day of and day after off. I figure I may as well give myself the weekend to recuperate as well.

Hope everyone out there in blog land is well!

*After a few posts of using the hurdle thing, I realized I may have inadvertently ripped it off from Maddie. Sorry 'bout that! What can I say? You're just so good I wanted to be like you :D

It's a.....

...baby!  lol. One healthy little one with a heart that was just flick-flick-flickering away! Heartbeat hurdle: check! Next up: minor hurdle of the first prenatal.

Everyone, meet Sprout!

Apparently I'm an Idiot...

....and I've totally neglected to tell you when my ultrasound is. So many people have asked me and as soon as I am about to deride them for not reading the blog, I remember that I was in a hurry and forgot to post when that was. Anyway, u/s is coming up next Wednesday at 10am. Let freaking out about possibly not seeing a heartbeat commence. Honestly though, I really do feel that this baby is going to be coming home with us.

Oh, and before I forget to tell you all - I met with the acupuncturist and I decided to give it a try. I have my first treatment next Tuesday at 10am. If nothing else, I hope to release at least some of this anxiety. Wish me luck!

The Results Are In....

I am still happily pregnant! hCG was 437 this morning and progesterone was a healthy 27.3. For the record we have cleared hurdles 1 through 4: ovulation, positive home test, 1st beta, 2nd beta. Next stop: 1st ultrasound to check for a heartbeat.

Now I can stop worrying - at least for the next 24 hours or so ;)  I know I shouldn't worry, but sometimes you just can't help it! I guess after losing the twins I'm just waiting for the bottom to drop out of everything. I'm working on that though. I do feel that this baby will be our take home baby. I feel that we will make it well into our third trimester at least. It's still hard to put the fear of another loss aside.

*deep breaths...think of happy things* Leaving work early and getting back to my book! A big salad suddenly appearing in front of me. Or maybe a nice big orange. Hey...at least I'm craving healthy things this time around!

Have a wonderful day, everyone. And don't forget to vote on the poll and/or leave suggestions in the comments!

Books, Books, Books..and a Little More Excitement

Thanks to all who have voted on my two "what to read next?" polls!  I finished In Her Shoes Thursday night. I can't believe I haven't been reading more chicklit! I had forgotten how much I loved it - easy to read, easy to get lost in, easy life lessons I have hopefully already learned. Water For Elephants won the last poll, and I started reading it this weekend. So far it's ok, but I'm only on page 53 and the story is still being set up so I expect to like this more - hopefully later tonight if I don't pass out from exhaustion again.

I am posting a new poll, and keeping it open for about a month. After Water For Elephants, I am going to read Dune Road simply because I have it checked out from the library already. So your new poll will have only three books to choose from, but....please feel free to comment on whatever is the current post with suggestions.

So what's this "little more excitement?" you might ask. Well, I'm a little more excited. So much for taking things one step at a time. I actually starting dreaming about nusery decor. *rolls eyes* Please someone slow me down!!! 

Up next: Beta #2 in the morning. I'm hoping and praying for hCG of at least 300. I also have faith that it will be at least 300.

This Day Last Year (now, with an update!)

Last year on March 12th, I had a blood test. It came back positive for pregnancy. I was so overjoyed, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. After 22 months we had finally conceived, and the numbers looked great. Technically, I found out I was pregnant the night before. So sure that I wasn't pregnant yet again, and wanting to get my sadness out well before I had to be at work, I POAS and lo and behold, there was a second line.

Then I thought that we were going to only have one baby, and that it would be a boy. I couldn't see us getting lucky and catching both eggs we knew I had ovulated. Oops. Look at that. We had twins.

Then I was so sure that both were boys. Wrong again. One of each. And then you all know the rest of that story.

So here I am. A year later, hopefully a little wiser and definitely less ready to shout anything from the rooftops. In fact, most people in my "real" life don't even know we're trying again. Well, as you all know I POAS two days ago and it was negative. At first, I thought I saw a line, but I was groggy from Bennie and the light was bad. I threw it out knowing I would be testing again today and also knowing I could not possibly be pregnant on the first try. Way to prove myself wrong again.

That's right, my dear friends. We saw a second line. First hurdle: ovulation - cleared. Second hurdle: positive home test - cleared. *deep breaths and fingers crossed* Come on one o'clock and good results!

Update: hcg was 101, progesterone 29. Fabulous numbers for 15dpo. On to Monday's beta....

Testing, Testing....

BFN for me this morning. If I'm upset by it at all, I'm subconciously hiding it. On to the next cycle!

I've considered adding acupuncture in to my treatment, and life in general, and I finally made an appointment for a free consultation with a local acupuncturist. I go next Tuesday at lunch time for the consult. I'm not 100% sure that I will go through with treatment simply because of the cost, but I would like to hear what she says and then decide.

As far as reading goes, In Her Shoes is pretty good. I'm only on about page 150, but that's partially because of my good friend, Bennie (benedryl). My allergies are acting up so I've had to take Bennie the last 2 nights. I'm so freaking groggy in the morning, it's not funny, but hopefully tonight I'll remember to take it earlier so I can actually pull myself out of bed without maximum effort and without every-four-minute chirping from the alarm clock.

Have a lovely day, everyone!  I'll be testing again Friday morning just to be sure, but I doubt there will be any change.

Looks like we've got a winner!

I know I've not been excited about my chances this month, but this morning I felt a little glimmer of hope - a very fleeting glimmer, but a glimmer nonetheless. Check it out. Any thoughts?

Even though the poll was still open, the clear winner was In Her Shoes. I finished up Great Expectations last night and started on this one. I only got so far as about 65 pages, but I'll be reading more tonight, hopefully. Since I've started that one, I have now revised the poll and you can all vote again on what to read after I finish In Her Shoes. I kinda like someone else picking what I read next!


A number of people have mentioned that they don't know any of these books. If you look at this post, you'll find links to them so you can see what they are about. Thanks for your help!

Revisions

First of all, please vote on my poll as to what to read next. I will eventually read all on the list, but I can't pick which to start - and I plan to start one in the next few days!

Now, revisions. In keeping with the reading theme, I see I'll be completing my "read 10 books by October 2010" goal. After doing some quick math, I determined that I complete a book in 14.8 days on average (told you I was a painfully slow reader!) so given that I have 217 days left to complete the new goal, I should be able to read another 14.6 books. I'll be abmitious and round up. So, new goal time: Read 25 books by October 2010.

I also have a revision in the realm of TTC, which I suspect is the only reason anyone reads this blog anyway. The TTCing, I mean - not the revising. Anyway, an interesting thing happened this morning at the RE's office. I had my blood drawn for my mid-two-week-wait progesterone test, and I asked the nurse when I should come back for the beta as I remember it being scheduled about 12dpo last year. She looked at me funny and then looked at my chart and said that I can test at home on the 12th (next Friday - 14/15dpo) and if that is positive to call for the bloodwork. I guess they are doing their part to reduce healthcare costs by omitting "unnecessary" tests. Annoying, but I guess instead of being grouchy during the week, I can be grouchy for my brother's birthday that weekend. Joy.

And without further ado, another shameless plug asking you to VOTE ON MY POLL!

Have a lovely weekend...

Calling All Opinions!!!

I'm in need of an opinion regarding something outside of the realm of the baby quest, but to appease my TTC/infertile/mommy followers, here is a link to my BBT chart and your opinions are welcomed. Keep in mind I still have hcg in my system from the trigger shot and I am taking progesterone, so while the chart really doesn't mean much I do know how much fun stalking it is.

Now, for the opinion I really need. What book should I read next? I will create a poll to make it easier to vote. Here are the contenders and links to each book.

• The Cider House Rules by John Irving
• Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen (read and liked by Chase at Thirty By Thirty)
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
• Middlemarch by George Eliot
• Dune Road by Jane Green
• In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

A few comments on the above books: I own Middlemarch, the rest I would have to find at the library, buy at the store or search for at The Book Thing. I am trying to expand my horizons a bit and break out of the literature and mystery genres (Middlemarch being in the literature genre). I have read a couple Jane Green books and loved them. I plan on reading them all one day. If I could I would read all books printed, but that's a goal too lofty to ever acheive. So...opinions?