Rediscovery

While I was cleaning out my closet the other week I came across my collection of CDs from high school and college. Over the past week and half, I've been listening to some bands that I fell in love with during my college years. I forgot how much I loved these CDs. Here's what I've been rocking out to lately....

1. Brand New - Your Favorite Weapon

2. Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree

3. Alkaline Trio - Good Mourning

4. Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends

5. Good Charlotte - self titled

All of these albums bring back some great college memories... having the opportunity to be a DJ on my college radio station and playing this music for others, going to see all of these bands in concert (some more than others - I may have seen Good Charlotte about 15 times), meeting and hanging out with some of these guys (Good Charlotte and Taking Back Sunday), and discovering new music.

What were some of your favorite bands when you were in college (or if you're still in college, what were some of your favs in high school)? Do you still bust out your CDs occasionally?

IUI #3 update

The clinic is finally open again so yesterday I went in for my first ultrasound of this cycle to check my follies out. The ultrasound tech was late coming in, so Dr. P. was the one to do the ultrasound. I was on CD 12 and only on the 10th day of stimming so I was shocked when Dr. P. asked if I had a trigger shot at home. I was like "No I don't, but why would I need it so early?" He told me that I had a few, decent sized follies already, but we would have to wait to see what my blood work showed before deciding whether or not I would trigger on Saturday and have the IUI done on Monday morning.

Big shocker (sarcasm) when Nurse D called me in the afternoon with my blood work results. My estradiol levels were only at 52. This situation is looking strangely familiar. IUI #2.0 was cancelled after a high number of follies were seen but my E2 levels didn't match up. The plan for now is to continue the G.onal - F injections through the weekend and to go back in bright and early on Monday morning for another ultrasound. I'm hoping that my body doesn't go crazy over the weekend like it did back in March . Hopefully the levels will balance out and we can go forward with this last IUI at the end of the week/beginning of the next. The right side of my stomach is going to get tired of being stuck because I apparently gave myself a hematoma on the left side with the trigger shot last time around. I was told to stop giving myself the G.onal injections in the right side until the bruise is completely healed.

Milspouse Friday Fill-In #27

This week seemed to last forever so I'm glad that it's finally Friday! Since it's Friday, you know what it's time for - the Milspouse Friday Fill-In. Head over to Wifey's blog to link up!

1. Facebook or Twitter?

I'm new to the Twitter world - started up about 2 to 3 weeks ago, so I'm still getting used to it. Currently, I still use Facebook more. I do enjoy the anonymity of Twitter though. I do a lot more bitching and complaining on there.

2. Hard Tacos or Soft Tacos?

In my pre-gluten-free days, I would have said soft tacos but now I pretty much limit myself to the hard taco shells since they're made out of corn. They obviously make soft corn tortillas but I don't like the taste of them as much as I did the flour ones.

3. Gardening or Crafting?

Neither....I suck at both.

4. Fruit or vegetables?

I don't mind vegetables for the most part; however, I find that I eat fruit more often. There hasn't been a fruit that I met that I haven't liked. I actually had a refreshing and tasty fruit salad for lunch today - red grapes, a fresh peach, and some pineapple.

5. Motorcycle or bicycle?

I've had a few friends and an uncle get seriously hurt in motorcycle accidents. E. wants to get one but I'm strongly against this happening in fear that he'll also get hurt. Bicycles are definitely more my speed. I love my road bike and wish that it would start to cool off during the day so I can ride it again!

Wordless Wednesday

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Took my math final today which means I'm finished with math. Forever!

I love visitors

One of my best friends that I made while we were stationed in Georgia was passing through my area last Sunday, so her and her family decided to stop by for a short visit. Lisa and I met each other my first semester at CSU. We connected instantly because we were both older than the typical elementary education students. We made sure to match our schedules up so we had the same classes together. We worked on group projects together, swapped notes when studying for tests or writing papers, and observed each other while we were teaching in the classroom. I definitely miss going to class with her!

So back to the visit... Lisa, her husband, and her son stopped by my house for a few hours and then we went out for dinner at Red Robin. This was the first time I had the opportunity to meet Lisa's little boy. The last time I saw him, he was still in momma's belly! What an amazing personality this little guy has. He was so curious - wanting to play with Bella and Murphy and to explore every room in my house.

We had a great time catching up at my house and over dinner. They're supposed to be visiting family over the holidays so hopefully we can get together again. That is one bad thing about moving all the time - you have to leave behind some great friends. I'll leave you with a few pictures from our visit.

IUI #3 update

I guess I never really updated you all on the status of my next (and last) IUI. After a few minor freak outs on Sunday and Monday, I was able to get the go ahead on Tuesday from Dr. P. to start the injections for IUI #3. I ended up going into the clinic on Tuesday morning to basically stalk Dr. P's appointment lady. I had actually talked to her on Monday morning but she never got back to me about what to do. I figured that since I was on-post anyway, I might as well just head over to their office to see what I could find out.

After a emotional breakdown in the hallway, we discussed the information that Dr. P. had passed along. First, I was to go down to the lab to make sure my beta was negative because I had been passing clots (they wanted to rule out another chemical pregnancy). If the test was negative (which it was), then I would start the G.onal-F injections that afternoon. I usually go in for the first ultrasound on CD 10; however, they're out of the office until the 28th. That puts me at CD 12 which is alright with me since I'm usually stimming for 2 and half to 3 weeks anyway. I guess we'll see what's going on in there on Thursday. Right now, I'm on the 6th days o injections and trying to be careful not to stick the needle in the bruise that was left behind by my trigger shot over 3 weeks ago. Does this sound strange that I'm still bruised?

I can't believe that this is our last shot at this. I'm still in disbelief that this last one didn't work. I can't believe that if this doesn't work, we'll be moving onto IVF. I guess we'll find out sometime in August if this one worked. Third times a charm, right? We'll see about that.

Milspouse Friday Fill-In #26

Friday is almost over but I thought I'd still link up for the Friday Fill-In. Head over to Wifey's blog to learn more about the Milspouse Friday Fill-in and to link up your blog.

1. Do you eat raw cookie dough?

Back in the pre-gluten-free days, I loved eating raw cookie dough! My best friend and I had a bad habit when we could get together over the summer while we were in college. We would go to the grocery store and buy one of those pre-made cookie dough rolls. We would go back to her house, split up the tube of dough, and spend the next few nights snacking on it. So bad but so good at the same time!

2. When you get online for the first time of the day...what site do you immediately head to?

I always head over to fertility friend to record my BBT. If I don't do it first thing in the morning, I forget about it. I also check out FB to see if E has left me a message.

3. What was your favorite pet as a child and why?

Well unfortunately for me, my parents were never on board on the idea of getting a dog when I was younger. I think this is why we have 2 now. We did get a rabbit, Peanut, when I was in 7th grade. That rabbit would eat anything and everything!

4. If you had a snail that could magically grant wishes, what would you name it?

Uhm I'm not sure. Not feeling particularly witty tonight.

5. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?

I can't even remember the last time I had a Tootsie Roll Pop. I'm going to go ahead and say maybe 10 or so before I would just bite into it to get to the Tootsie Roll.

July ICLW

Hello fellow ICLWers,

Welcome to my blog! This is my 3rd time doing ICLW - last time around I was horrible at posting comments due to an overwhelming amount of schoolwork, so I'm going to try and do much better this time. Let me give you a brief introduction if you're new to my blog.

My name is Lauren and I'm 28 years old. I'm married to my wonderful husband E. I'm a proud military spouse, full time graduate student pursuing a master's degree and certification in elementary education, momma to 2 furbabies, Bella and Murphy, and momma to my 2 angel babies. I love reading, spinning, weight training, baking, cooking, and teaching.

We've been TTC for over 4 years now. I was diagnosed with PCOS (lean) last June while we were stationed in Arizona. I have extremely irregular cycles when not on fertility medications(i.e. 146 cycle from hell last summer). I've done countless rounds of C.lomid and injectible medications. I've had 2 miscarriages - one in March 2009 (11 weeks) and the other in November 2010 (5 and a half weeks). I'm currently going through with my 3rd IUI. Obviously the first 2 resulted in BFNs. If this IUI doesn't work then we have to put fertility treatments on hold until E. returns from his deployment. I'm on the wait list with my RE for an April 2012 IVF cycle but I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. If you want more information about our TTC history, check out the link at the top of my page.

I'm looking forward to reading new blogs and having new people read mine!

Wordless Wednesday

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What I saw last cycle for 3 days.

Moving forward with our last chance at IUI and any fertility treatments

until this deployment is over. Please let this work.

IUI #2.5 = FAIL

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So I've been testing since Saturday even though I've been seriously cramping since Wednesday. My temperatures have stayed way above the coverline and didn't drop this morning, so I had a few ounces of hope that I could be pregnant. I got BFNs on Saturday and again this morning. I was planning on not testing until Tuesday morning before my beta draw, but I don't need to do that anymore. AF showed up in full force this afternoon. My RE is out of the office until the 28th and apparently the voicemail messages aren't being checked. I'm trying to figure out how to get in contact with someone to make sure it's ok to start the next round of injections on Tuesday.

I'm a freaking mess. I'm disappointed. I'm angry. I'm sad. I felt for sure that this was our cycle. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. I called to leave a message for the hell of it earlier this afternoon and started crying about 5 seconds into the call. I'm almost embarrassed to call back and to try to leave another message. I almost don't want to go through this last IUI because I don't want to feel this disappointment again. I know I'll do it though because we do have one more shot at this before the IVF cycle in the spring. We started this journey in April 2007 - who thought that over 4 years later, we still wouldn't have a baby of our own?

Back to reality

This past week I was able to go to Wrightsville Beach with E's parents and his sister-in-law. While it wasn't a completely relaxing vacation due to the fact that I had to deal with 4 classes worth of homework, I still had a lot of fun. My in-laws rented a cute little beach cottage that was literally steps from the beach. The downstairs wasn't much to brag about but the second floor had an amazing open family room with views of the ocean. Lots of big windows and a huge deck that overlooked the backyard. I spent most of my time up there doing homework, hanging out, and reading.



Now I do have fair skin and a major risk of getting sunburned despite the fact that I slather myself in SPF 55 sunscreen, so I had to limit my time on the beach. I would go up to the beach and sit out for about an hour and a half a day. I enjoyed snapping pictures, looking for seashells, walking along the water, and watching my sister-in-law build sandcastles and fly her kite.

The dogs were kind of crazy because they were in unfamiliar territory and they felt like they had to battle for our attention because my in-law's dog was also there. I took some long walks through the neighborhoods, ate at a few great restaurants, played board games, and had a visit from some friends.











Overall, I think it was a pretty good week even though it would have been better if homework wasn't involved! Can't wait to hopefully go back with E next summer!

Home sweet home

Hey there bloggie friends!

Did you miss me? The pups and I just got back from a week at Wrightsville Beach. I have a bunch of homework to finish tonight and a crapload of laundry to do, but I just wanted to post a few pictures from the past week. This weekend (in addition to the aforementioned homework) I'm looking forward to seeing the last Harry Potter movie (so sad about this) and meeting up with one of my best friends from Georgia on Sunday. I haven't seen her since we left Benning 2 years ago, so I'm looking forward to catching up with her in person and finally meeting her son who is a year and a half now. Hope you all had a great week! Once I finish this massive research paper, I'll try to post a more in-depth update and some more pictures.

(Headed back to the beach house)

(Great waves for the surfers)

(My sister-in-law and I after dinner on our last night)

Happy Birthday, baby

Today marks my EDD for my second angel baby. I can't believe it's been almost 9 months since I found out I was pregnant again, only to find out a week later that it was a chemical pregnancy. Here I sit in the second week of the 2 week wait terrified that I could be pregnant again and that I could lose another baby for the 3rd time. This is not a good day for me.

Twitter

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Ok so one more post before I head out - the in-laws got delayed on their drive so I have some extra time to kill. After much reluctance, I finally joined the Twitter world. I'm currently taking a grad class that investigates how teachers can use play and social networking sites to teach students in the classroom. I figured I would try out Twitter to get a first-hand view of how useful (or not useful) it can be. Follow me!

It's time...

...for the beach!

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I'll be enjoying the beach for the next week with my in-laws. I'm looking forward to the sun, the ocean, nights out on the deck, taking pictures, grilling, and reading some great books. The only things I'm not looking forward to are the fact that E. can't come along this year and that school doesn't stop for vacations. I did finish up a bunch of stuff earlier in the week so I can enjoy the weekend. I'll only have a minimal amount of work to do tonight and Sunday. I'm taking Saturday off because my friend and her girls are coming down for a day trip. I also appreciate this distraction from the dreaded 2 week wait. It's only been 3 days past my IUI and I'm already itching to test. I'm leaving all the pee sticks behind at the house! When I come back, it'll be almost time to test! Also, when I come back, it'll be time to see.....

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Excited to see the movie, but sad that it's finally coming to an end. I hope you all have a great weekend. I may or may not be posting while I'm gone so you might just have to wait for an update and pictures once I return :)

Milspouse Friday Fill-In #25

I figured I would jump in on the Milspouse Friday Fill-in before heading off to the beach for the week :) If you want to link up your blog, head over to Wifey's blog to join in!

1. Does your significant other read your blog? Why is this a good or a bad thing? submitted by Mrs. Alana's Miscellany

Nope, E. doesn't even know that I have a blog. I don't mind that he doesn't know about it. If I did, then I would tell him about it.

2. What is one item in your house that holds the most sentimental value and why? submitted by The Albrecht Squad

My wedding photo album. It's not something fancy or professionally put together, but I love looking at the pictures and remembering one of the best days of my life.

3. When it comes to water fun in the summer, do you prefer the beach, the pool, a lake, or the sprinklers? submitted by The Turvo Times

I prefer the beach but also enjoy spending time at the pool. I'm definitely looking forward to my upcoming beach trip this weekend. The sun, ocean, and a good book are calling my name.

4. What is one special thing you do for yourself to get through the first week of a deployment/separation? submitted by A Creed and a Psalm

I usually slack off on the housework for the first week or so. I let the laundry really pile up!

5. What is your biggest guilty pleasure website? submitted by Christine's Little Blog

I'd have to say that my guilty pleasure website is definitely People of Walmart. Click on photos when you're on the homepage. Definitely check this website out if you need a good laugh. I don't understand why some people don't look in the mirror before they go out in public.

Wordless Wednesday

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A cupcake recipe and a new haircut

Some girlfriends and I had a Harry Potter marathon this past Sunday and I decided to bake some awesome vanilla cupcakes to have for dessert. I tripled the original recipe because it's a 2 cupcake recipe and adapted to make it gluten-free. I also made my own homemade cream cheese icing. The cupcake recipe was taken from How Sweet It Is and the icing recipe was from Allrecipes.com.

Vanilla Cupcakes - Ingredients

3 egg whites

6 tbsp sugar

6 tbsp butter, melted

3 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup flour (I used a gluten-free blend)

3/4 tsp baking powder

3 pinches of salt

4 1/2 tbsp milk

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl, add the egg whites and sugar. Whisk to combine.

Next, add the melted butter and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until combined.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until smooth.

Stir in the milk.

Divide batter between 6 cupcake liners.

Bake for 18 - 20 minutes (the original recipe states that you should only bake for 10 - 12 minutes but I found that the centers of the cupcakes were still runny)

Cool completely and frost.

Cream cheese frosting - Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese (I used reduced fat cream cheese and it still tasted good)

2 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup sifted confectioner's sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

Preparation

In a bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter until creamy.

Next, add the vanilla and mix until combined.

Gradually stir in the confectioner's sugar.

Finally, frost the cupcakes and store in a cool place or in the refrigerator.

Oh and I guess I said something about a new haircut in the blog title... Well it's been about 9 months since my last haircut (shameful), so I decided that today was the perfect day to trim off the dead ends and get some layers put back in before leaving for the beach this weekend. What do you think?

IUI complete

I had my IUI this morning around 9:30. The plan for the next 2 weeks is to take it easy, take the progesterone supplements, continue taking the baby aspirin, and to try and stay away from the pee sticks until at least 12 days after the IUI. Nurse D scheduled me for a beta on July 19th. Let's hope I need it this time! This 2 week wait is going to drag by!

Happy 4th of July

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend. Thank you to our soldiers who continue to fight everyday for our freedom!

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Another IUI update

I went in for another ultrasound this morning and holy follies! I have one measuring at 16mm, two at 14mm, and a few at 12 mm. I was afraid that Nurse D was going to tell me that we would have to cancel this cycle. She explained that they wouldn't make a decision about whether or not to proceed until my blood work came back this afternoon. She gave me the O.vidrel (trigger shot) just in case they would have me trigger over the weekend.

Nurse D called me shortly after lunch and told me that my E2 levels were at 432. Definitely within the correct range. She told me that Dr. P. agreed to go ahead with the IUI on Tuesday! So here's the plan for the next few days...

Saturday - Last dosage of G.onal - F 75 IUs

Sunday - Trigger shot at 9:30 AM

Monday - no needles! (Finally after 2 long weeks)

Tuesday - IUI at 9:30 AM

So we're doing the IUI 48 hours after the trigger shot. Last time we did it 36 hours after and we missed ovulation. I kind of panicked about the timing after thinking about it, so I called Nurse D back to talk about it. She explained that Dr. P. wants to wait that long because of the amount of mature follies. They don't want me to end up with a high number of eggs being ovulated. We'll see what happens I suppose. I don't want to be the next Kate G.osselin or O.ctomom! Keep those fingers crossed and prayers coming that this is our cycle!

Milspouse Friday Fill-In #24

Well Friday is almost over, but it's better late than never to participate in the Milspouse Friday Fill-In. Head over to Wifey's blog to link up!

1. Have you (spouse) ever considered joining the military and what do you think of dual military couples? submitted by Project Army Wife

Ha! I'm definitely not cut out for a career in the military. I like working a normal shift, sleeping in my own bed, showering, and the United States. I'm so proud of what E (and all the soldiers) do each day but I'm definitely not envious of their jobs. I think dual military couples are alright if it works for the couple. I don't think I could deal with the rotating deployments and training cycles. I can only imagine how hard it would be if there were children involved.

2. What is your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon? submitted by A Few of My Favorite Things

No homework. A good variety of Food Network/HGTV shows. A good book to read.

3. What do you usually do for the 4th of July holiday? submitted by Anchor's Away

When E's home, we usually grill out and then go to watch the fireworks. This year I'm probably headed over to post to hang out with some friends, listen to some music, and watch the fireworks in the evening.

4. If they could make an Olympic event JUST for you that you know you'd medal in, what would it be? submitted by Pants are Confusing

Maybe speed reading? I read at a rather quick pace. I finished two 300 + page books this week - it only took my 2 days to read each.

5. What have you been doing to get yourself bathing suit ready for the summer? submitted by ME :)

I've just been going along with my normal workout routine - spin classes and ab work on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and strength classes on Tuesday and Thursday. I'm still not in the shape I'd like to be but I blame it on all the darn fertility meds that I've been on. My workouts are only combatting the potential weight gain from the drugs.