Gluten free

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I've been doing a lot of research this past month on gluten free diets. Some women who suffer from PCOS have benefited from going entirely gluten free. According to many articles I've read, gluten intolerance can be a cause of infertility, as well as miscarriages. Since I'm cooking for myself for the next year, I figured that this is the perfect time to try this out. I'm more than willing to try anything that might help with these fertility issues.

I've almost cleared the house of all non gluten free foods, so it looks like I'll get to start the diet sometime later this week. I think my biggest challenge will come at lunch time. I love, love, love my turkey sandwiches and it's going to be hard to give them up. I've heard that gluten free breads aren't the best-tasting food - not too mention they're crazy expensive! I think I'm going to try to eat more salads and soups during lunch. I've already picked up a gluten free pancake and waffle mix to help add a little variety to my breakfasts. I also found a great slow cooker website that has all gluten free recipes. Tonight, I made my first gluten free dinner. I made a turkey meatloaf (quick cooking oats replaced the breadcrumbs), a baked sweet potato, and corn. The meatloaf tasted good! On the menu for tomorrow night is risotto with chicken and corn. I'm so glad I can still eat potatoes and rice. I don't know what I would do without some carbs.

Has anyone else tried this diet? If so, has it helped?

Let the 2 week wait begin

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I finally had my IUI completed this morning, so it looks like it's time to begin the dreaded 2 week wait again. I'm happy that I get a break from constant injections! I was kind of intimidated by the procedure because they have to insert a catheter into your cervix in order to transfer the sperm (this may be TMI but it's the truth) . It kind of felt like a routine pap, so I was relieved when I felt only a little pain. I am feeling cramps now but it's nothing that I can't handle. I talked to Nurse D. about my progesterone concerns, so she gave me progesterone supplements that I will be on until I either get a positive pregnancy test or AF shows. If I get a BFP, then she'll order more supplements for the first trimester.

I'd have to say that the only disappointing part of the day was the semen analysis report that I received from the IVF clinic. It said that they were only able to collect and store 3 vials. We use 1 vial each time I have to do an IUI which means that we only have 2 more tries if this doesn't work. If it doesn't then I'll have to talk to Dr. P to see how we'll proceed. Nurse D. also mentioned that if I'm not pregnant this time, I will have to get a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) test done. Basically, it's an x-ray that looks at the inside of the uterus and fallopian tubes. Let's just hope that I get pregnant so I don't have to worry about all this other stuff.

I was also told that I can't do anything that "makes my ponytail bounce" for the next 2 weeks. This is going to be hard for me because I love to workout. I was supposed to run a 5K tomorrow morning but obviously running is out of the question. I'm still going to participate but I'll be walking it instead. I asked if I could go to spin class and she said yes but to make sure the workout isn't too intense. I'll have to modify some of the exercises like cutting out the sprints and extended hill climbs. I'll be thankful when this 2 week wait is over with!

Milspouse Friday Fill-In #12

It's Friday so that means it's time for a new set of questions for the Milspouse Friday Fill-in. Make sure to head over to Wife of a Sailor's blog to link up your blog!

1. Aside from no deployments, what is one thing you would want to make the Milspouse life "perfect"? submitted by Oh How Delightful

Life would be perfect if we could finally start our family. 3 years of constant disappointment is taking it's toll on me. No deployments, TDYs, or weeks of training would probably help us a little bit.

2. Just how many peppers did Peter Piper pick? submitted by Married Into Army

I'm not really sure. Probably not that many.

3. If you could have any career in the world with nothing holding you back, what would you want to do? submitted by It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To

There are a few things I'd love to do. I'm on my way to becoming a teacher which is my number one career choice. Ultimately, I want to work with children who need extra reading instruction. I'd also love to be a photographer on the side. I love taking pictures but don't get to do it enough.

4. Do you have a service oriented tattoo and if so, what is it? If you don't, what would you get? submitted by The Squid's Accomplice

No tattoos currently and I'll probably never get one. No needles!

5. Imagine a block of time has opened in your busy day for you to take a class in anything you like. What subject would you choose? submitted by To The Nth

Another hard choice. I'd love to take a digital photography class so I can learn about all the different functions on my Nikon. I'd also be interested in taking a photoshop class. I have the software and I can do a few things on it already, but I'm sure a class would really teach me how to use it all. Finally, I'd also want to take a cake decorating class. I enjoy baking but decorating is something I'm not really good at. I'm amazed by people who can produce great tasting and great looking cakes and cupcakes.

Finally...

Hormone levels are finally where they need to be.

Follies are mature.

Triggering tonight (in about 5 minutes).

IUI scheduled for Friday morning.

Fingers, toes, eyes, and everything else that can be crossed are crossed.

Wordless Wednesday

(Us at Disney - I miss him!)

The countdown begins

My best friend has left and gone off to join in the fight for our country's freedom again. The next year will be a year of challenges and sadness, but will hopefully also be a year of achievements and friendships.

I told myself I would be stronger this time and not cry. Who was I kidding though? I sat at the table and cried over my breakfast. I cried when he said goodbye to the dogs. I cried when we were packing up the car. I cried when we drove over to meet the bus. I cried when he hugged and kissed me and told me that he loved me. I'm crying as I'm writing this post.

We haven't been separated for more than a few weeks at a time for the past (almost) 3 years. We've been lucky that he got a job with a non-deployable unit and then went onto a year of training. Many wives and families don't have that much time with their husbands, so I am thankful for the time we have been able to spend together.

I don't know what I'm going to do without him. I will have to learn how to be more independent and learn how to do things that he normally does. I already am counting down the days until he gets to come home even though this journey has just started. I miss my husband, my best friend, and my heart. I'll miss sharing the everyday things that we have come to take for granted, like sitting around throwing toys for the pups or watching our shows on Thursday nights. I can't wait until he comes back.

Milspouse Friday Fill-In #11

Where has the week gone? I can't believe it's Friday already!

Since it's Friday, that means that it's also time for another Milspouse Friday Fill - in. Head over to Wife of a Sailor's blog to link up and learn more about the fill-in. Here are this week's questions.

1. What is your favorite MilSpouse blog (not including Wife of a Sailor who we all love, or your own)?

I really enjoy Belinda's blog over at Lovin Ma Solider. Her deployment tips are great and she's just a great girl!

2. What are your favorite perks about your s/o being deployed (we all know there are perks)?

Less laundry! I think laundry is my most despised chore so when Evan is gone, I only have to do one load a week instead of three. Why do those uniforms have to take up so much room?

3. How long did you date your significant other before getting engaged? Married?

Let's see... we met in April 2001, started dating in January 2002, got engaged in July 2006, and finally got married in December 2006. I can't believe we've known each other for almost 10 years now. Where has the time gone?

4. What do you think your significant other would do if s/he wasn't in the military?

I know he would love to work for the FBI or the CIA. I could also see him as a history professor once he retires from the Army in about 10 or so years.

5. If you could talk to the Secretary of (fill in your appropriate branch) what is one suggestion you would like to bring to their attention in order to improve the lives of military families?

MyCAA and CAA funds should available to all dependents no matter what rank they are. Just because my husband is a captain doesn't mean that we couldn't use tuition assistance.

Frustration

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I think I'm ready to talk about my appointment yesterday since I had my meltdown last night. I went in for a follie check and a blood draw to see if we'd be ready to proceed with IUI #1 on Wednesday. The ultrasound tech commented that I had 2 good sized follies and that everything looked great. Nurse D. also made the same comment when she looked at the ultrasound pictures and the report. She gave me the trigger shot and told me that if my E2 levels were between 200-1,000 then I would trigger that night (Monday) and come in for the IUI on Wednesday. Great. I left thinking that everything was good to go.

Dr. P. calls me around 1:30 to tell me that even though I have 2 good sized follies, my E2 level was only at 92. WTF? It should be much higher by this point. He told me to keep doing the G.onal-F injections and come back in for another ultrasound and blood draw on Thursday. We might have to go ahead and cancel this IUI because Evan leaves bright and early Tuesday morning. If everything looks good on Thursday and we can do this on Monday, that's the only way it's going to happen. It is President's Day and they might be closed so that may throw another wrench in the plan. If not, I'm just going to ask to trigger on Thursday night if the follies still look good, have timed intercourse (isn't it sad that our lives have to run on such a schedule), and hope for the best. I am beyond stressed out about this and the deployment. I just sat in the house crying yesterday because I was so upset. On the bright side though, we did go ahead and do the freezing today. I am just so tired of the stress and the meds and seeing AF come every month. When will this end?

Military Monday Blog Hop #6

I really don't feel like posting something big today because I'm really stressed out about a few things so I'm glad it's Military Monday. If you're interested in linking up your blog or finding out some more information, head over to April's blog. Welcome to my new readers! Feel free to leave a comment so I can follow you back.

Weekend happenings

I'll be spending my weekend working on a massive amount of homework: discussion board posts, writing papers, and working on parent-teacher newsletters.

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I'll be spending my weekend watching the Glee ( the first part of season 2) when I'm not working on said massive amounts of homework.

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What is everyone else doing this weekend?

Life in general

Things are been pretty crazy this week between homework, doctor's appointments, classroom observations, and military functions. I can't believe it's almost the weekend already. Time needs to stop flying by because that means that deployment is getting closer and closer. I'm definitely not ready for Evan to leave but it's just a matter of time now.

My doctor's appointment went well yesterday morning. My ultrasound showed 3 mature follies and my blood work showed good levels so Dr. P wants me to continue with the injections through Monday. Early (and I mean early) Monday morning, I'll go in for another ultrasound to make sure everything is still looking good. If so, I'll probably trigger Monday night and have the IUI done on Wednesday. Please, please, please let this work. My stomach looks like a pincushion and I'm so bloated because of the meds and I'm just downright frustrated with this whole thing anymore. It has to be my turn sometime doesn't it? I also discussed my short luteal phase (time from ovulation to cycle day 1) with Dr. P. He agreed that we will check my progesterone levels this cycle to see if I need supplements.

I'm halfway finished with my first semester of education classes. I had some difficulty with securing my classroom observation placement but being a pain in the ass sometimes pays off. I started my special education observation today - 2 hours late though because of the threat of impending snow delayed the schools. When I woke up this morning, there was nothing on the ground. So frustrating! I'll finish up these hours tomorrow then won't be back in the school to finish my last 18 hours until after Evan heads out. He has block leave starting tomorrow and we have so much to get done before he leaves. Also, my in-laws head down here next Friday so we need to prepare for their arrival.

Wordless Wednesday

(What my stomach feels like - photo credit)

Military Monday Blog Hop #5

It's Monday which means time for another Military Monday Blog Hop! Head over to April's blog to link up your blog and to find new blogs to read!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! On Saturday, Evan and I ventured downtown to see "Blue Valentine". Let's just say it was ok. It was an interesting story but it was too long and drawn out. I'm going to miss our weekend movie matinees when Evan deploys...

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday so obviously I was very excited. I'm already looking forward to next season and this one is just ending. I spent the morning cleaning and cooking because we were having some of Evan's co-workers over to watch the game. I made cheeseburgers, fries, and dark chocolate brownies. I'm glad there are leftover brownies because they were so good! The game was pretty good - not a blow out so I was happy. I was glad to see that the Packers won because I can't stand the Steelers. Oh did anyone think that Mike Tomlin (Steelers coach) looked like Omar Epps? Evan kept saying he looked like Will.I.am but I disagree.

This week is busy, busy, busy. We have a pre-deployment brief tomorrow night, my ultrasound and blood work on Wednesday morning, and our first Hail and Farewell since we moved here on Wednesday night. I'm hoping we get the green light for the trigger shot and IUI soon because I'm anxious to just get it over with. My freedom from undergraduate classes ended this morning. I did take a look at my new syllabus and there isn't nearly as much work as I expected. Hope everyone has a great week!

TGIF

I'm so happy that it's finally Friday. Evan has had a busy week at work so it'll be nice to spend some time with him this weekend. We're planning to grab dinner out one night this weekend, go to the movies, watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, and catch up on Netflix. We just started United States of Tara Season 2 and it's great so far.

There's been so much going on this week as far as school goes - papers and lesson plans to write, discussion boards to post on, and midterms to take. Last week was my last week of Biology and the lab and I'm happy to report that I got A's in both courses. So excited and shocked at the same time. Unfortunately, my break from undergraduate classes ends on Sunday because I'll be starting up my Geography class. I hope this is a little more interesting and less time-consuming than Bio. I'm halfway through my first semester of education classes and I'm getting ready to register for next semester already. This are moving along!

We got word the other day that Evan will be leaving sooner than we thought for deployment. I've been stressing out about this and I'm upset, but there's really nothing we can do about it. His company has a week off for leave starting on Valentine's Day weekend so we'll have a week to get everything packed and things taken care of before he heads out. My in-laws are coming down President's Day weekend, so we can tag team with cleaning the house. Also, we're planning a day trip up to Raleigh.

My first IUI cycle started on Tuesday. I'm still upset and bitter about my latest BFN but I'm trying to be positive about this cycle. I started my injections yesterday morning and to tell you the truth, they really don't hurt. I've been having some injection site pain and mild headaches, but definitely nothing that isn't bearable. I go in for my ultrasound and blood draw next Wednesday to see how my body is reacting to the new meds. Hopefully I'll trigger a few days after that and then we'll go forward with the actual IUI procedure. Evan won't be here to find out if this cycle is successful so we had to go ahead and make the appointment to do the freezing. I hope we don't need to do another cycle but being out $500 would suck. If we don't do it though to save the money, then we may not get another chance to try during deployment. Ugh decisions, decisions.

Milspouse Friday Fill-In #10

I can't believe it's Friday already. This week has definitely gone by quickly! Here is this week's edition of the Milspouse Friday Fill-In hosted by Wife of a Sailor. Head over to her blog to link up your blog!

1. Since most of the county has had some nasty weather, what has your weather been like this week?

The weather here has been crazy. One day it's 60 degrees, the next it's 40, and the next it's 70. Today is in the 40s with lots and lots of rain. Good for the drought, bad for the dogs who are stuck inside all day.

2. What is/are your best money saving tip(s)?

I like to plan meals out a week in advance. Since I know what I'll be cooking for the week, I only have to make one trip to the commissary. We were also able to save a ton of money last deployment and hoping to during this upcoming one. We always took the extra money and put it in a savings account. You could also put some of that money towards paying down any debt you may owe.

3. What was your favorite vehicle you've ever owned?

Well I've only owned 2 cars, a Neon and a CR-V. I'd have to say that I like my CR-V better because it was brand new when we bought it and it has so much room inside. I do miss the great gas mileage on the Neon though.

4. What is a question that you'd like to see asked in a future fill-in?

I haven't been doing this fill-in for very long so this may have been asked, but I'm always interested to find out which post is favored by other milspouses. We move around a lot so opinions about different places to live is always interesting and helpful.

5. Fill in the blank: You might be a MilSpouse if....

You go weeks, sometimes months without seeing or talking to your husband.

Tap in Thursdays #2

I'm participating in another Tap in Thursday hosted by the ladies over at Spouses, Army Strong. Head over to their blog if you'd like more information and/or to link up your blog.

The topic this week is "Restaurants, DFAC, and Take Out". - I'll be providing answers for Ft. Bragg, NC.

1. What are your favorite restaurants near post?

We love going to restaurants that aren't part of a chain. If we decide to go out for a meal on the weekends, we usually head to the downtown area of Haymont. Pierro's is a great Italian restaurant. I love their garlic bread knots and the cannoli. The cannoli is definitely the best. We also enjoy The Mash House which is close to the mall. It has a wide variety of menu choices and they brew their own beer (which Evan loves) and make their own root beer (which I love). If I'd have to pick a chain restaurant to go to, it would be Panera Bread. I may have a slight obsession with their chicken noodle soup and iced green tea.

2. What restaurants are family friendly?

All three restaurants that I mentioned are family friendly. I'd probably say that most of the restaurants around here are family friendly though.

3. Where would you go to watch "The Game"?

I'm assuming we're talking about The Super Bowl?? We're staying in to watch it but we do go out to either Beef O'Bradys (downtown) or to the Carolina Ale House (near the mall) to watch the Eagles play when they're not on the local channel. Both restaurants have the NFL television package and a ton of big screen TV's to watch them on.

4. What take-out restaurants would you recommend to your best friend?

Well obviously Panera. I also enjoy Chick-Fil-A and Moe's.

5. If you've eaten at the DFAC, how would you rate it?

The only DFAC I've ever eaten in was at Ft. Benning. Evan occasionally eats breakfast here and he isn't particularly impressed with the quality of food.

6. If there aren't any restaurants worth eating at, which ones are they? Why?

I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant that wasn't at least ok. We do tend to stick with our regular ones though...

Wordless Wednesday