It's only CD 14...

And I'm already getting signs of O. Yippee!! Unless it's terribly protracted, I've never O'd this early. At least not in the last two years that I've been paying attention. There was a pretty substantial line that popped on the ole OPK this morning.

Oh, and I got new pool passes this morning, so I'll be chillin this weekend.


Too bad S got mangled at the uro yesterday, but I think he's up to the task. ;) A final hail mary before our lap next month.

Happy Weekend!

Keeping Calm and Carrying On

This is one of my favorites (as you can see to the right) and I have it up at home and at the office too (can't have enough reminders, right?). I noticed that a new colleague at work who also dealt w/IF (she decided to remain childless after three failed IVF's), has it up at her desk as well. If I might be so bold as to suggest that it be the mantra for IF in general (kinda like "I will survive" was at Wellesley). Just keep plugging along...

S went to the urologist today. It went well, as he doesn't have any structural issues that would necessitate surgery or anything. The dr. recommended a post-antibiotic re-culture and another SA soon and then another a few months later. He wasn't too worried about his low morphology. So we are continuing on with our plans (lap for me and then IVF to get to what's happening).

It's not even out yet

And I'm already pimping my college roommate's book. Here's the cover.

As you can see, she's a doctor (an anesthesiologist) and a mom (to two adorable little boys). She is brilliant and hysterical and super creative. She got her book deal based on her blog she started ten years ago (I think she may have been one of two people blogging ten years ago). I still remember her scrolling away at her comic strips as she juggled all her science and Chinese classes (all while learning to do laundry for the first time-from yours truly). Yay Michelle!

Hot and sick

Well, we ended up having a very quiet weekend. We stayed in town and went into the city on Saturday to do a little shopping and visit our amazing farmer's market and lunch at one of our favorite restaurants (we love tapas so much, we had it at our wedding).

But since S wasn't feeling well, we laid low the rest of the weekend. It was actually really nice not to have to do anything that we didn't want to. Sadly, I had planned to relax poolside all weekend since it's so hot, but for the first time in five years, I misplaced our pool passes and without them, no pool for me. :( My skin is probably pleased.

S got his rx for Cipro today, 2x for 20 days. So now we are both on mega antibiotics. We are eating yogurt like it's going out of style. He thinks he might have a sinus infection, so conveniently he'll be killing two birds with one stone.

Happy B-day America!

Looking good for 234! I'm celebrating with some fresh berries and lots of pool time.

Living room reveal

(click for detail)

I was trying to do a before and after, but our home server with our old pics is down, so we'll have to live with just the after (for now anyway).

Our living room has been constantly evolving over the last 4 1/2 years, but this is where we are now (for now).

After living w/icky cream carpet for awhile, we finally had bamboo floors installed in the whole house. Carpet in general is bad (for the environment, your lungs, etc...). New carpet is really bad and old carpet is just gross. Anywho, I digress.

We also had new energy efficient glass put in all the sliding doors.

We painted the walls (in Toasted Almond by Olympic) the vaulted ceilings go up to 19', but I wanted to make it feel cozier by only going halfway up w/color. Can't wait for the crown mouldings, tick tock.

We painted and had installed w/the flooring all new colonial white baseboards (bye bye ranch oak trim!), and painted the remaining ranch trim around the doors white.

DH installed new ceramic tile in the foyer area.


sources (a little home inventory): (see where I shop for store links)
Leather couch/love seat/chair/ottoman/throw: Marshall Fields (RIP)
silk damask pillows: Restoration Hardware outlet
wool area rug: Simon rug from Pottery Barn
coffee/end table: Target (Chinois and Katie(behind love seat and painted earl grey-Olympic))
end table surveyor lamp/shade: Target
on coffee table (besides way too many decor mags): faux python tray: Jayson H&G, wood bowl: Arhaus, globe balls: Crate & Barrel
seagrass/leather magazine holder: Crate & Barrel
greek key console table: Bombay Company (RIP)
console runner/coasters: Z Gallerie
seagrass baskets/Eiffel tower: Vintage Pine
bamboo leaning bookcase: Crate & Barrel
art: over chair: Ikea, over couch: yours truly w/a little help from DH (canvas/paint from Michael's). It look me two years to finally admit that I couldn't find anything I liked for over the sofa, then another two to put paint to the canvas I bought in '08. I guess it's inspired by "Starry Night".
Moroccan screen: World Market
linen curtain panels: West Elm (since properly hung, uppers on "door to nowhere" to come, and world's tallest vertical blinds to go).
candle holders: Arhaus, Z Gallerie (see here)
linen floor cushion: Costco
brass floor lamp: Wal-mart
floor globe: Target
ceramic garden stool (hidden, between couch and tree): Target
ficus tree: Plants Inc., Chicago (One of the very first things we bought for the house, from a shop across the street from where we got our wedding cake. I always wanted a tree, and now I don't have the heart to even trim it (she's got spunk!). I wouldn't recommend a ficus as they sap onto the floor. :( ) The ficus makes way for the Christmas tree every December.
lilacs: cut from our gardens :)

How many doctors will it take?

I was just thinking that it's almost time for me to go in for my annual exam. I've been seeing the same gyne for the last ten years, since I first moved to Chicago. She is very nice, S met her for our pre-conception visit (two years ago :( ) and then of course I saw her last year when we were ten months into TTC and were already seeing an RE (and had all dx testing and a hysteroscopy under our belts). She didn't seem too concerned about our inability to get pregnant. I'm thinking I should get busy finding a new one that actually delivers babies (she waited until our pre-conception consult to inform me that she no longer does).

I'm thinking that beyond the lap (if that happens), I may not stay with my RE here much longer. Our first one is completely out of the picture. Our RE in NY is really just a second (well third) opinion. We get to see yet another about IVF in just a few weeks. And S is off to see a new urologist next week. I also have a pelvic surgeon (well two) that will do the lap. I feel like I need an admin just to manage all the doctors... Apparently it takes a village to get us pregnant.