Post Turkey Day Update

Today's update is that there's no update. Disappointing, I know.  Though I've felt the telltale PMS-like cramping, nothin' is happening down there.  Back when we weren't trying to conceive, this would have been fantastic! Not so much now. So, we'll get started when my body is good and damn ready.

Thanksgiving was a smashing success.  I gotta say, HB and I knocked it outta the park with the vittles. The food didn't really work with my get-healthy regimen, but I said screw it! It's the holidays!! Here's the menu:

Sage and Butter Rubbed Turkey with Cider Gravy

Sourdough Stuffing with Apples and Golden Raisins

Mashed Potatoes with Ranch Dressing (sounds weird but is yummy)

Candied Yams

Kale with Smoked Paprika

Bourbon Creamed Corn

Chipotle Cranberry Sauce

Sweet Potato Pie

I did the pie and the cranberry sauce the night before.  Homemade cranberry sauce is so easy, I don't understand why anyone would want that crap outta the can. Guess some like it in slices? I hadn't made a pie crust in a loooooong time and was determined to do it from scratch this time.  Found a great recipe on Epicurious for the food processor.  Totally easy except I became somewhat of a tard trying to roll it out.  I let HB complete that task and get it into the pie pan, then I made the edges all pretty.  HB actually videotaped me making the pie.  We are doofuses that way.

I prepped like crazy the night before as well. Chopped everything that needed to be chopped. Toasted the bread for the stuffing.  Made everything move much more smoothly the next day. Very important in a tiny ass, one-butt kitchen. The gravy (which HB rocked) required applejack brandy.  HB decided to make other stuff boozy and put it in the turkey brine, the candied yams, the corn (instead of bourbon) and the pie.  De-lish. I busted hump non-stop all day and jumped into the showow just as my mom, brother and sis-in-law arrived.  I was ready, hair combed, make up on and sporting the apron with my name on it (my parents gave the aprons to me and HB for Xmas years ago) in 20 minutes flat.  Impressive, huh?

Sidenote: Maybe I should make this a combo babymaking/food blog.  How does The Infertile Gourmet sound?  This is catchy, no?

Though we had a great Thanksgiving, we were so missing my Dad and Goose (my granny).  Last Thanksgiving we had Goose.  This year, neither. My Dad would've been so proud to see me doing something so grown up like cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  We had candles lit in front of photos of them in their honor.  HB made the incredibly sweet gesture of printing some photos from a previous holiday dinner that had Pop and Goose in them. 

Some days I will laugh my ass off thinking of some nutty thing Pop said or did. Other days are tougher. Last week, I was on Caltrain headed to the city to see friends.  A song came on my iPod that made me think of him and I started crying on the friggin' train. I'll often think of some dirty old lady thing Goose would say and crack a smile.  She was one of the funniest people I've ever known and I truly enjoyed her company.  :::sigh:::: It just doesn't seem to get easier. Btw, I did break out Goose's china for the occasion which was so incredibly special to me.  I will cherish it forever.

I went to acupuncture on Monday and Saturday.  Since Beth was out of town, I saw the gal filling in for her.  Very nice.  She didn't know how to use the credit card machine though and the receptionist was out, so she told me to pay when I came back on Saturday.  On Saturday, she forgot to charge me for Monday's visit. When I mentioned this to her, she seemed confused, so I let it go. I will be sure to call the live receptionist on Monday to take care of this. Besides the threat of bad karma, it just doesn't seem wise to piss off someone that stabs needles in you twice a week.

I went off the deep end and went to yoga 3 days in a row, Friday-Sunday.  Friday's class was, uh, challenging.  There were a few poses that were not happening for me.  One was a handstand against the wall.  This was much easier when I was 7. A couple other poses made me feel like I was auditioning for friggin' Cirque du Soleil!!  The pre/post natal class on Saturday was great at my favorite spot, (www.peacebankyoga.com).  Though I was feeling pretty good at the start, not particularly sore or anything, on my first downward facing dog, I realized my shoulders were tired.  I thought, "Shit, this is going to be a loooooong class".  It went more quickly than I expected, probably because the clock wasn't in view. There were a couple poses where my arms were shaking so much, I almost ended up doing inadvertent head stands. Later, while driving, my arms felt like overcooked spaghetti. I've decided I can't do more than 2 classes back to back.  It appears I momentarily forgot I'm OLD!

The work schedule is tricky this week, so I'll be going to the 5:15 Hatha class on Friday. This is described on the website as a gentler practice.  I'm not sure that's what I'm after.  I like being challenged.  However, the Wednesday class I'm available to attend is called POWER Yoga. Somehow, this does NOT seem like something I'm quite ready for.  I'll be busy Saturday, so I'll miss my pre/post natal class. I'm pretty happy if I get 2 classes in each week. 

So, that's the latest and greatest.  I really don't think AF is going to arrive by the Wednesday deadline and I'm cool with that. It is what it is. I know you guys are TOTALLY excited and ready to move on to the stabbing/shots, weight gain and raging hormones! I sincerely hope to provide you with all those gory details SOON!

A Vomit Story

Don't get excited.  It's not me!  It's actually my cat, Domino. Last night, I chilled on the couch while HB was at the Stanford/Notre Dame game.  Domino was sitting on one of the extra dining room chairs we'd brought in for Thanksgiving. I hear her start to make that wretching sound that indicates a fur ball and whatever she recently ate is on its way up.  I attempt to dash over and push her onto the floor.  It's much easier cleaning cat vomit off hardwood floors than velvet chair cushions.  Everything seemed to move in slow mo. The stupid cushion isn't tied to the chair so it slides off the chair with the cat who is in mid-vomit.  In this wave of motion, vomit flies everywhere.  She managed to hit the cushion she was on, a nice splash on the cushion on the chair next door and a good amount on the floor.  In my efforts to keep the vomit contained to one nice area on the floor, I managed to get it splashed all over the damn place.  I'm sure my neighbors heard me scream, "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCK!" In the future, I will make sure I just let my baby throw up wherever he/she wants. I will not push it on the floor.  Babies are not as agile as cats.

Period Watch 2009-Update 1

Based on my progesterone level, baby doc wants me to just wait it out.  He seems to think AF will arrive sometime in the next 3-10 days.  I'm cool with this.  While I'm ready to get this party started, maybe the delay is my body's way of telling me it's not quite ready. Also, I was thinking now is a more convenient time to get started since my work schedule is changing in January and I won't have the flexibility I have currently. However, I made my peace with this.  There is nothing more important to me/us than this ride we're about to take, so if I need to take time off work and it's inconvenient for others, oh well.  The timing is something I simply cannot control and I need to and have let it go. Besides, I work alot of overtime that keeps others from having to work when they don't want to, so if they can't return the favor, they can suck it. Work really interferes with one's life, doesn't it? Anyhoo, I found this peace after a mere day of contemplation so this yoga and acupuncture business really seems to be working for me!

On another matter completely unrelated to my girly parts, I got a new toothbrush. Now, I know this may not really be blog-worthy, but I just had to share.  I'd been thinking about getting a proper toothbrush for a while.  Had been using the Crest Spin-Pro and was sick of buying batteries for it.  Batteries that seem to go dead in like 10 seconds.  And their disposal is bad for the environment. So, the other day while Googling, I see the feed above has a link to a $15 rebate for an Oral B rechargeable toothbrush. I bookmarked the page and grinned knowing my teefs would soon be cared for by a luxury implement.  While at Costco (what a magical place, 2nd only to Beltramo's) on Sunday I saw the model 4750 with an INSTANT $20 manufacturer's rebate. A $20 rebate on top of the $15 rebate?? "Oh, SNAP!", I said to myself, "It's about to be ON up in my mouth!" I grabbed that puppy and practically skipped out, I was so excited.

When I got home, Steve could not believe a toothbrush inhabited the giant box I carried in. Seems my environmentally conscious choice was offset by the huge, tree killing box I brought home. But wait!  There were TWO in there!  One for each of us!  For some puzzling reason, he was not as I excited as I.  I ripped open the box and discovered it would be 10 hours to fully charge, so it was not going to be on up in my mouth just yet. After 6 hours, I just couldn't stand it.  I brushed. Man, that thing was so powerful, it felt like it was powered by a jet engine. After just one use, my teeth felt positively polished.  Like my teeth had been replaced by pearls.  I kept running my tongue over them in amazement. Still do. So, that's my little happy story. Really, we must delight in the simple things, right?

Period Watch 2009

Put in a call to my clinic yesterday since I was on cycle day 35 and AF had yet to make an appearance.  I don't get it!  That bitch is usually DYING to show herself. And usually at the most inopportune times! Anyhoo, I'm getting my progesterone level checked tomorrow to see if I'm close to starting.  If not, they may put me on something to get things going.  The stuff they usually give, Provera, is a nightmare, from what I've heard.  I'm told it makes you a huge, whiny, emotional, pissed off mess. Bearing this in mind, Steve is really, really hoping AF will show up on her own. Don't know if there's enough yoga in the world to counteract all that. Maybe alcohol combined with yoga would work, BUT...

I'm officially back on the wagon. We recently visited our friends Mark & Bobbi who took a bartending class. They were anxious to show off their skills. Had a couple very small cocktails, probably equal to 1 normal sized cocktail (normal by my boozy standards). Had 1 glass of wine with dinner. Man, I was NOT a happy camper the next morning.  I woke up at 6am with the worst headache and slightly nauseous feeling.  After the Advil wore off, I was feeling crappy again. See, this is why it's terrible to stop drinking.  You MUST keep up your tolerance.  So, back to O'Douls for me after a couple of fancy-free party nights.

It's been a nice, mellow weekend. I've been popping antibiotics for my sinus infection.  The gobs of green goop cleared up yesterday.  My friend, Bree, got me out of bed and into an 8:30 yoga class this morning.  It was my most challenging class yet and I felt like a million bucks afterwards. Steve made some divine pumpkin spice pancakes for lunch.  They were SO delicious! Now, we're chillin' on the couch, watching the 49ers suck and enjoying a nice, crackling fire. I love Sundays.

Fell off the Wagon

More like leapt off the wagon. Screaming with joy! Went to the annual Champagne Gala at Beltramo's last night.  Spent 150 bucks on the non-refundable tickets before our adventures in babymaking started. We got to hang out with 2 of our favorite people on the planet, so I really didn't want to miss it. I also lifted the ban on prohibited items, namely, CHEESE!! A freakin' delicious Italian goat cheese was being served (have I mentioned I'm a cheese whore??) and I am NOT ashamed to say I took more than my fair share. Also, scored a few extra crab cakes. Oh, and the prosciutto!!!! Dear God!  I was in heaven!!

The bubbly was great.  I didn't overindulge. Probably had the equivalent of 2-3 glasses.  I did taste and dump instead of being the lush I usually am, guzzling every last drop of that sweet nectar.  Since I'm a bit of a lightweight, having been off the sauce for several weeks, that sort of behavior might've led to me being carried out and banned for life from Beltramo's. It's one of my happy places, so that would make me really sad.  Seriously, it just smells good in there, like used wine barrels. I was early, so I wandered the aisles gazing longingly at all the stuff I wanted to buy but didn't. I stopped to inhale the aroma. Ahhhhh.

My favorite bubbly of the night was the Dom Perignon, which believe it or not, was not the most expensive Champagne served. It had a lightness and softness about it while still having complexity. It's also a sentimental favorite as it makes me think of my Dad.  The day he retired, he picked up a bottle (he'd never had it before) and invited Steve and me over.  We toasted his 38 years at SFO. Then we used it to wash down our fried chicken.  From Safeway.  It was a great night and a memory I cherish. :::sigh::: I still miss his so so much.

The most expensive bubbly was this one:  http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1030627&cid=TPV-Googlebase .  Dig the gold bottle? I wasn't crazy about this stuff.  Though it had the lightness I like, it did not have the complexity of the Dom, IMHO. The rep said it's becoming the new "statement" Champagne and you will probably see old dudes surrounded by 25 year old bimbos partying with it.  I'm sure rappers won't be far behind.

I stayed home from work today and am writing this in bed while my cat, Domino, tries to climb on me. Good practice for having kids hanging off me while I'm trying to do stuff.  Anyhoo, I'm waiting for my doc to call to see if I need to be seen today, My sinuses are a veritable cornucopia of gross, green mucus.  It's super disgusting.  TMI, I know.  Wait, what am I saying?  If you're reading this, you're on Period Watch 2009, so TMI is probably not of concern to you :-P

Speaking of Period Watch 2009, after my acupuncture appointment yesterday, Beth gave me some Chinese herbs to lure AF out of the shadows. I know that heifer is lurking.  If she doesn't make an appearance by Dec 2nd, we'll be benched until January, so hopefully this stuff will work.  I have to dump 4 grams into hot water and drink once in the morning, once in the evening.  I had my first cocktail last night and Beth was accurate when she said it tastes like dirt *-( Joy. Back when I was severely anemic and developed pica (makes you want to eat things that aren't food like dirt and ice), this might've tasted better than a martini to me.  Not so much now. Back then I had to eat several big gulp cups of ice daily.  I HAD to have it.  It was like crack and I was completely jonesin' for it. Fortunately, my iron levels are good now, so my addict days are behind me.

Steve just left for work and he's already been replaced in bed by 2 warm kitties. I'm sucking down orange juice, cuddling with the fur babies and about to catch up on my soaps. Despite the gobs of green mucus, this may be a nice day.

Weekend Report

Aunt Flo, that bitch, has still not shown up. Fortunately, I'm feeling crampy this morning, so hopefully, she'll make an appearance soon. The pangs of pain I had, most likely due to the cysts, have subsided.  Hope that's a good sign!

Hunny Bunny (henceforth known as HB) is back from South America!  Yippieeee! Unfortunately, he's sick too :(  Despite that, we had a lovely weekend sleeping in (with the cats), lounging on the couch (with cats),and catching up on Tivo'd college football (also with cats). Yesterday, he told me he knows the shots and subsequent pregnancy (fingers crossed!) are going to make me all hormonal (read insane) and he's going to give me all the love and support I need. Awwwwwwww :)

So, I was hit with a pizza craving yesterday. Had to have it.  Made a pit stop at Round Table and ordered a King Arthur's Supreme, extra sauce, no cheese (cheese is on Beth's list of no no's).  The guy that took my order looked at me like I was slightly nuts.  I have to say, it was GOOD! All the yumminess with a billion less calories! I decided to allow myself 1 glass of wine per week, so combine that with my pizza and I was in heaven. It was a cheap, 5 buck bottle of Cotes du Rhone, but tasted magnificent. 3 weeks off the sauce makes you appreciate just about anything.

The threat of germs got me out of my dentist appointment this morning.  I didn't feel like going and they didn't want me infecting them. Everyone's happy.

HB is recuperating at home today. I'm still going to hit yoga at 1, then back home to continue this morning's activities, watching Tivo'd cooking shows.  Currently watching Hubert Keller make creamed corn and double-cut pork shops.  Mmmmmmm.
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Who Wants to be Stabbed?!

Cuz I'm an expert now! So, please form a single-file line and I'll get right to ya! The overwhelming intimidation I felt when first faced with giant ass box has POOF!  Disappeared! The measuring and mixing of some medications had me really nervous, but a little practice and it was a piece of cake.  I am so ready to do this, unlike the gal in my class that asked if she should keep her meds in the freezer. Another held the needle upside down and asked if a nurse would call her to remind her to take her meds. I guess for that much money, one might expect a conception concierge of sorts, but come on woman!

Since protein, rice and beans are on the Beth (the acupuncturist) recommended list of foods to eat, I got a burrito for the second day in a row.  No cheese, no sour cream.  Surprisingly, it was good! I'm a condiment whore, so I forget stuff can taste good without a bunch of junk piled on top of it.  Oh, also, I made Beth's banana smoothie this morning.  YUM!  All that protein really held me. I didn't start getting hungry again until about 3.

So now, we wait.  Wait for AF to show up. Still crampy off and on, but nuttin'.  I've never been so anxious to have a period in my life! I pray the next ultrasound is okay and we can get started here.
Many good things to look forward to tomorrow.  Yoga at 11.  Acupuncture at 12:30.  Best of all, hunny bunny is coming home!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I miss him so much, it's ridiculous.
Now excuse me while I wash down my prenatal vitamin with a non-alcoholic beer. Even though it's non-alcoholic, it still feels naughty somehow....

Hiccup? TBD

Had my baseline ultrasound this morning.  Doc says I have cysts on my ovaries.  This could or could not delay the start of process. Doc wants to do another ultrasound on cycle day 2 to see if they've shrunk.  ::::sigh:::::  Despite having a minor freak out last night about all the meds I'll be pumping into my body, I'm anxious to get started!

On another note, I found dried wheatgrass capsules!!! Is that cheating? I am thrilled! :-D  No more gag-inducing shots of smelly green crap! Woo hoooo!

Went to my 2nd yoga class today.  Still awesome!  I just love the way it makes me feel. I sense I'm going to become an addict. During class, I noticed my pants kept sliding down, which nearly resulted in downward facing crack. Afterwards, I realized I've lost a little weight.  Bet it's from cutting out the booze. Oh booze, how I miss you. Booze make happy.

You know how they say the human body is made up of about 60% water?  Well, I think I'm made up of 60% cheese.  There are 3 delectable wedges in my fridge and they are calling me! Giving up wine was bad enough, but cheese too?? Getting the DTs....

Have class tomorrow to learn to properly stab self. We'll be practicing on oranges. Poor oranges. Anyhoo, my dear friends/neighbors are expert stabbers and will help out when I'm feeling faint of heart.  They will rue the day they offered to help. I'm not a big baby when it comes to needles.  I breeze thru bloodwork. Giving injections to myself, on the other hand, is a different story. Hopefully it'll get easier the more I do it.  I better get used to it since I'll have to continue doing it thru my entire pregnancy. I have to measure out some of the medications and that has me a bit nervous. There's alot riding on me getting this right. GET IT TOGETHER, GIRL!  You can DO this!

Off to bed. Still tired from my cold though, I kicked that cold's ass! Started getting a snotty nose and sore throat Tuesday night. Went home and pounded orange juice, water, Airborne, Zicam, vitamins and Nyquil and slept (in toasty pajamas) for alot of hours.  That really did the trick.  I was well enough to go to yoga by this afternoon.

Tee hee.  One of my kittays, Baddy, is next to me snoring his head off like an old man. This never fails to crack me up.  Anyhoo, time for me to join him.

Baby in a Box

Make that a huge a**, GIANT box.  Got my meds today. See, that's what $6500 will buy you! Holy sh*t. It's alot of stuff.  I've been so crazy excited about getting started.  Now, I'm feeling a little scared and intimidated. I wish Steve wasn't in freakin' Bolivia.  I could use one of his good, solid hugs right about now.  It was a little strange to survey all the goods and think, "Wow.  All this stuff is going to help us make our baby."

 Met my new acupuncturist today, Beth at Many Lives Chinese Medicine.  She seems really cool.  Before I got stuck, we went over my medical history.  She had suggestions on dietary changes.  Kinda funny. She gave me kudos for cutting out alcohol and caffeine.  Then she was like, oh hey, by the way, don't eat any ice cream, cheese or sugar!  WHAT??! BLIMEY! I decided to treat myself to ice cream tonight before I go cold turkey.  I had some Ben & Jerrys strawberry cheesecake in the freezer.  I gobbled it down, picking out all the graham cracker crust chunks.  Yum.

What I can eat is lots of protein, nuts, soup, stews, steamed veggies, rice, beans, brown rice, rice cakes and salad.  Doesn't that sound freakin' delicious?! She gave me a recipe for a protein smoothie to have every morning.  Throw a banana, almond milk (since when do they make milk from nuts??), yogurt and protein powder into the blender and voila!

The acupuncture part was great. I had this sensation of energy coursing thru me towards my girlie parts.  It was weird, but so cool!  Beth is going to be at a conference during a critical time in my treatment.  She likes to do several sessions right around egg retrieval and embryo transfer.  This is suppose to happen right around Thanksgiving. She told me she will have someone on call to tend to me.  How awesome is that??
 My baseline ultrasound is tomorrow.  Have to check the ovaries and make sure all is quiet on the western front.  I'm having some pangs of pain on my right side. I hope it's not a cyst that could delay getting started.  Fingers crossed!

Awwww. Just got a call from Steve.  It's midnight in Bolivia.  He got my text about being scared and wanted to check in. I love him!

I'm Not Bendy

So, I went to my very first yoga class today ( www.peacebankyoga.com ). It was AWESOME!!  I'm not the most flexible person in the world, but by the end of class, I was definitely feeling more bendy.  I felt like I'd had a massage!  I can't wait to go back! The class was full of gals already expecting. They were so cute.  I'm going now to maintain the peaceful feeling I've had lately, practice meditation and breathing exercises, tone up and promote good blood flow to my girlie parts.  I'll be hittin' it at least twice a week for now.
I've had a chill day at home with the kitties. Had a yummy fake chicken pot pie cooked by my dear Maggie.  It was the perfect, comfy fall meal. I'm about to polish off the rest of the milk chocolate chunk and praline cookies she made as well. Steve & I have been inhaling them.  I told my friend her cookies are so amazing, she makes Mrs. Fields looks like some lame, easy-bake-oven-usin' loser! Crampiness continues here and there, but Steve and I are so pumped about getting started, I just know the timing is going to work out just as we need it to.  I am so chock-full of positivity, it's scary!

Still Disgusting!!

Thought I’d outsmart my wheatgrass and turn it into a tasty treat today. Got it to go and dumped it into a reasonably large glass of orange juice at home. The whole thing turned bright, emerald green. It became one giant, gross shot of wheatgrass. I tried to drink it, but the smell! Dear God!  The smell! I held my nose (so not kidding) and sucked it down. Ack!  Bleh! I only felt mildly queasy, but went for the guaranteed antidote anyway, ice cream.  Ben & Jerry’s brownie cheesecake, to be exact.  Had 4 spoonfuls and felt great!  Is that not the weirdest thing?? Anyhoo, looks like there’s just no way to make this a pleasant thing, but I’ll continue to suck it up.  Though complaining about it incessantly on this blog probably isn’t exactly sucking it up, is it? :-P I bet booze would make it taste better!

It’s not looking like my meds are going to get shipped out today, so I’ve got everything crossed hoping AF doesn’t make an appearance this weekend and we have to wait until January. I mean really, do you guys want to hear about 2 more months of wheatgrass??

Head Explosion

Man, when people talk about how stressful this process is, I wonder if they mean because of the insurance madness!! Head nearly exploded at work today when my medical group denied the authorization request for my injectables. Now, you all know me. I am always on top of this sort of thing.  So, of course, I knew this medical group woman was high and my meds are covered 50%.

Lemme back up. All this started yesterday when I got all crampy and PMSy, like AF would arrive ahead of schedule. Early means I must start shootin' up sooner.  Shootin' up sooner means I need my meds NOW.  The weekend's approaching.  BLIMEY! I panicked. Stanford faxed the prescription to Disco Rx in Palo Alto. Disco Rx calls and says Blue Shield denied the authorization.  I call Blue Shield. Blue Shield says it was denied because I'm required to use one of their mail order pharmacies, however, they will allow me to pick the meds up at a local pharmacy the mail order peeps are contracted with. 

 I call the first mail order pharmacy. The guy that answers can barely string together a sentence. Didn't exactly fill me to the brim with confidence. He says they're not contracted with local pharmacies and will only mail prescriptions.  I call the 2nd mail order pharmacy and get the same story. This gal does much better in the grammar department though.  Somehow that made me feel much better. She takes the necessary information to get the ball rolling. She says it could take 2 days to verify my benefits.  2 days?  To make a phone call that will take about 3 minutes??? I managed to stay calm and impressed upon her the time sensitivity factor.  It was nearly 5 , so I think she had a time sensitivity factor of her own. 

 Some other person from mail order pharmacy #2 calls me back today and does NOT leave her name, but does leave a number with an extension that does NOT work.  Have to go through the main number to try to figure out who called me. Once that mystery is solved, I'm informed the bad message leaver is at lunch. Geeeez!  She finally calls back and tells me I need to have Stanford or Disco Rx fax the prescription to them. I call Disco Rx. They fax it. It wasn't received. I call Disco Rx again.  They fax it.  It's received. Great. The pharmacy now needs the authorization from my medical group.  So, I call my medical group.  They say they have to receive the request from Stanford first. So, I call Stanford.  The woman handling my case is at lunch. Argh!  I finally get her on the phone.  She says she will get the request over by 2. I called my medical group back at 2:15. Nuttin'.  I call Stanford back.  They say they sent it.  I call the medical group yet again (is your head exploding yet???!). They find the request. About an hour later, I get a call from Stanford telling me my medical group denied the authorization, stating I have no coverage for home injectables.

So, I've got the medical group she-devil on my cell on my left ear and the Blue Shield lady (who did not mind me addressing her as such) on my office phone on my right ear.  Boss walks by.  Fortunately, he thought it was kinda funny and impressive.  Probably more funny than impressive.  Anyway, Blue Shield lady calls medical group she-devil and gets the whole mess cleared up about 10 minutes before the end of my work day. I was literally on the phone for like 4 hours today dealing with this!!!

To top if all off, I also spent about an hour trying to get squeezed in to see baby doc tomorrow where Steve and I will sign the lengthy consent forms.  Steve is beyond slammed at work, having just taken time off for his arm surgery. He's leaving for Bo-leeev-eeya tomorrow on business. Too bad so sad.  Since AF is threatening to come early, the forms must be signed before he leaves or our timeframe will get jacked. So, he has to rearrange his schedule to sign forms while he's in crunch time. Damn baby!  Not even conceived yet and he/she already has our schedules turned upside down!  :::sigh:::

Today was stressful, but it's over.  The meds are approved.  Our IVF cycle was approved. We are on our way.  Just gotta wait and see when AF decides to make an appearance. I wonder if it'll be smooth sailing? I don't feel stressed. I don't feel anxious.  I'm just excited!

Had a great night celebrating the opening of my homey's yoga studio/active wear shop ( www.peacebankyoga.com ). Great shop!  Great to see friends!  Great to pick out 2 cute little yoga outfits! Great to feel all festive by drinking my Pellegrino out of a flute! Really looking forward to my first yoga class on Saturday.  I'm not all that flexible, so it should be a real hoot!

Now, I'm pooped and hittin' the hay.  The benefit of tomorrow's appointment is I get to sleep in 'til 7:30 instead of my usual 5 o'clock madness!  Wooo hooooo!

I HATE Wheatgrass!

BLEH! ACK! YUCK! Had another double shot today. Didn't want to hurl quite as much, but still felt gross.  Rushed home and pounded an O'Douls to try to get the taste out of my mouth. That didn't work so well.  So, then I had ice cream.  That did the trick! I will take a friend's suggestion and try mixing it with something else. Seriously, just thinking about wheatgrass juice brings a vomitous (is that a word?) look to my face.  When our kid is born, I will tell him/her about this dietary torture.

 I will also make sure as soon as the kid can write, he/she will draft an IOU to mom and dad. Got the estimate on the first round and it was about what we expected, but still!!! $@#%!!!  Better be a Gap baby bringin' in some revenue.

I'm currently wrangling with Blue Shield to authorize my meds.  If this cannot be done in the next couple of days, we may miss our window and have to wait until January.  So, I am all up in Blue Shield's grill. Hopefully, I won't hafta go all angry black woman on them.

My nice nurse lady also gave me my schedule for injections today. For the first 3 days, 2 shots.  Day 4, 3 shots.  Days 5 & 6, FIVE SHOTS. this goes on for 10 days. You get my drift here.  Hella shots. As I've said many times, totally worth it!

So, I had dinner with a friend tonite at one of my fave restaurants in Palo Alto, La Bodeguita. It was strange to be there and not have a mojito.  Actually, I gotta say, since I've stopped drinking, I've never felt better.  I'm so full of energy!  Okay, I just can't.  I can't say such things! I MISS BOOZE! I'm surprised my computer didn't blow up as I typed that nonsense. This is the time of year I really enjoy a nip of scotch in front of a cracklin' fire. In all seriousness though, I miss it, but not so much I'm gettin' the DTs or anything.  Now that we're truly about to get this party started, the possibility of what we could achieve makes giving up booze such a minor thing. 

Alright, I'm gonna crack open an O'Douls and gulp down my prenatal vitamin! G'nite!

It's On!!!

Visit with baby doc went great yesterday! Antral follicle count isn't great, but fortunately does not seem to have deteriorated since I had it checked last year.  For those of you not in the know on this fertility talk, antral follicles are the the resting follicles that can be seen on ultrasound (they appear as black dots on the ovaries). It's a good indication of how many eggs will be retrieved. However, even though you have, say 6 antral follicles, you might not necessarily get 6 eggs or they might not all be mature enough. Of course, on top of that, the eggs that do mature may not all fertilize, even if you use ICSI (that's where they inject a single sperm into the egg). I think they generally like to see 8-10 antral follies on each ovary. Low antral follicle count=diminished ovarian reserve. But hey, IT ONLY TAKES ONE GOOD EGG! That's what I'm holding onto!

So, I have 3 follies on the right (last year there were only 2), one seen clearly on the left, but he thinks there are a couple more there. I ovulated so I have the corpus luteum cyst. It's big and he says it's probably obscuring a couple more. Last year 3-4 were seen on the left side.  Speaking of eggs and sperm doc said, "Hey you should at least get them together for dinner at the same table. If they don't like each other, so be it. At least you will have introduced them!" So, it's full steam ahead!

Also he did a trial run on embryo transfer. He inserted the catheter and followed it on ultrasound. He measured how far in he had to insert it so he'd know how far to go when it's the real deal.

Because of my issues with blood clots, he's not going to put me on bcp first, nor will he do any estrogen priming. He wants me to start heparin injections, I think he said on day 3 of stimulation/shots. As my multiple follicles mature, my estrogen will rise. Rise in estrogen=potential for clots, so the heparin is to offset that risk.

Just spoke to a nurse coordinator and it looks like the stars are all aligning properly.  We're just waiting for clearance from my hematologist, the pharmacy will get the authorization for my meds (which I bet are way more expensive than crack) and we're good to go.  I'll get a baseline ultrasound next week to make sure my ovaries are nice and quiet before we fire 'em up. On Friday the 13th, I'll go to a class to learn how to stick myself. S will be outta town on business, so he'll get in on the tail end of the stabbin'. We'll be aiming for egg retrieval right around Thanksgiving and embryo transfer over the weekend. Woo hooo! If this all works out, we will have so much to be thankful for!

We popped into Jamba Juice today for my wheatgrass shot.  Funny how they serve it up with a slice of orange to bite into afterwards.  It's like tequila, just green, gross and without the buzz!  Don't know what it was about today's shot, but it totally made me want to hurl. Very nearly, right on Steve. Bleh.

Saw a cute little mixed baby today while taking Steve for a post op appointment.  We were all AWWWWW! We're gonna have one of those!  LOL!