Merry Christmas, Love AF

Well, it wasn't quite Christmas.. she waited till the 26th to ruin my holiday. I know I've reached the point where I haven't much hope, but she still ruins my day.

You see up until CD 27 I had this beautiful chart:

Perfect in every way.. clear ovulation, beautiful rise, "dip" that everyone on my message boards was SURE was an implantation dip... then she struck. My one consolation: I switched from B^ to a B-complex for my luteal phase defect and it seemed to work half decent. I didn't have days of spotting before AF showed.

And the witch didn't show alone.. she brought a whole family of migraines with her who plague me daily so far this cycle... since I didn't want HER I surly don't want her stowaways. CD4 and I'm sick of it.

I'm going back to soy isoflavones this month. I do ovulate but I would like some stronger, larger follies in the event that one is caught.

Cycle #16 TTC#3... here we go again.

~dreamersaur

Christmas with the Family

To those of you who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas!

The past couple of days were spent with family, and while I fully enjoyed being around loved ones, I could have done with out the numerous questions about when we would start a family, or bring a cousin into the family, or have a baby. In one night I was asked the same kind of question 5 times. It was a little much. Throughout the days spent with family we also found out one of our cousins is expecting. It made me feel sad about the fact that we didn't have exciting news to share with everyone like we had thought we might.

I am excited about the fact that my husband and I have a few days off together around the time that I'll be ovulating. Here is hoping that 2010 isn't a complete bust for us!

I'm still here!

I was in the US visiting family and friends for the past 4 weeks, so I haven't been on the internet too much. It was a great time, but unfortunately by the time my husband got there, we'd passed the magic time of the month so that's another cycle that was a bust. That is so frustrating! While I was there though, I did pick up some Pre-Seed and Mucinex. I'm going into this cycle with guns blazing!

Being around friends and family is a lot of pressure on the baby-making front. I asked one friend to meet us for lunch. She told me in the bathroom she was disappointed because she thought I was going to surprise her with a 6-month belly. Nope! Sorry to disappoint!! Even my dad made a comment regarding the conception of my older sister. TMI, Dad!!!

While in the US I also gained back the 10 lbs I had lost before the trip. Well, I think it's that much. I'm too chicken to step on the scale! Now I have to work that back off!

So, here we are....on to the next cycle! :(

If someone else says "It will happen" to me I just might lose it!

Lately I feel like this woman. I just want to scream at the top of my lungs when people say things to me in regards to trying to get pregnant.

Things I hear that make me want to scream:

1. "It will happen"
2. "Don't think about it and BAM it will happen"
3. "Stop stressing out about it, that is why it isn't happening"
4. "You're young, don't worry about it"
5. "Have more sex"
6. "Just get drunk and then have sex, that worked for us"
   

What do people say to you that makes you have to bite your tongue?

I had to buy another pack of tampons because AF did in fact come. Although, it wasn't on Day 13 (after O) like I thought it would be, it came the following day. Regardless, the cramps are there as a constant reminder that a new cycle has started. There is nothing I can do about it so I'll just have to suck it up and enjoy the Holidays! We'll be able to start the New Year off with a bang. Literally. ;-)

The Two Week Wait

The two week wait is probably the longest two weeks ever. It must be how children feel it takes for Christmas to come again each year. I try to be patient as I wait to be 10 DPO (days past ovulation) because that is when I could test, if I wanted to. The excitement of getting the test out, feeling ready, and then waiting for that second pink line to appear. When it doesn't show I just feel a sinking in my stomach. During the past few months I have tried to wait to test because the disappointment is just too great but the hope inside me takes over and I find myself peeing on a stick again.



This morning my temperature dropped and I started spotting. I am 13 DPO. I felt sad all day long. However, if this is the end of this cycle I'd like to get another started so we can get to the good part. I just wish I knew exactly what it was I should be doing in order to make this happen.

There's a New 'Saur Up in Here!

Hello! I am Laughosaur, a new 'Saur, and I couldn't be more excited to have a place to share my journey through TTC. I am honest and open and don't mind sharing anything and everything, hopefully you're ok with that!

My husband and I have been married for 2 years. We live in a house with a cat and a dog that drive each other crazy, which seems natural to me. What I find unnatural is when cats and dogs like each other and cuddle. However, it is really cute and I would love to see our pets do that.

Anyway, we have been TTC since May for our first baby. We have lots of friends that have babies and toddlers or are pregnant. We used to enjoy being the only ones without kids but now it is getting old. Of course, it seems like everyone I know or see is pregnant. Isn't that the way!?

I would I could tell you that I wasn't naive when I thought getting pregnant would be easy. I had it all planned out in my mind. We'd get pregnant with in a month or so and we'd be celebrating the Holiday Season with me having a baby belly and enjoying all that comes with that. By spring we'd have a bundle of joy and life would be grand.

As many of you know, that hardly ever happens. Unfortunately, it wasn't until we find ourselves 8 months into it that I am realizing that there are in fact people I know that have not gotten pregnant the first or second month of trying. It is wonderful to know that there are other couples going through the same thing you are. Of course you wouldn't wish the stress and frustration of this magical time on anyone, but it is a relief to know you aren't the only one. It took this long to find out that I know people in real life going through many months of trying because people don't talk about it. Not at first. It takes a few times of you bringing it up and talking about yourself before they get comfortable and share with you their journey. I wish people were more open about it because it might give many people some relief because here I was thinking that it would be super fast for us based on the fact that "everyone" I knew had experiences like that. However, I realize how private an experience this is, so I can respect that.

So, what have we been doing throughout this process?

I've read Taking Charge of Your Fertility and pretty much know the text like the back of my hand.

I have been charting my basal body temp since last October.

*images from google.com

Not my chart, though I wish it were because that would be a good thing!

We have used Pre-Seed a few times.

We also started using OPKs this past cycle.

I look forward to sharing more with you all! Feel free to ask any questions about whatever you want because like I mentioned above, I am open and don't mind sharing!

Pregosaur needs YOU!

Congratulations to all of the awesome 'saurs who have given birth lately! We've had a great time following their journeys, and now we're looking for new 'saurs to join the blog! You'll need to be:

• Actively trying to conceive, currently pregnant or adopting
• Willing to share the details of your journey (even the TMI ones!)
  
• Committed to posting a couple of times per week
• Able to write for an audience (if you currently blog, include a link so we can take a look - it's OK if you don't, you just need the ability to compose a compelling post and keep a reader's attention - include a draft post or two so we can check out your writing style)

If that sounds like you, send an email telling us a bit about yourself to pregosaur@gmail.com - we can't wait to hear from you!

She´s here!

I´ve been MIA because little Miss Lillysaur decieded to make an early appearnce. She was born at 38w2d on 12.11.10 at 7.40pm. She was in a hurry and labor was fast and furious. I had no form of pain relief and no tearing! Just when I was at the point where I thought I couldn´t take anymore without some help, it was time to push.

I went into labor while finishing up some shopping for her. In fact, I was standing at the check-out when I felt a drip drip and wondered to myself if I had a) wet myself or b) my water had broken when the sales lady asked me when the baby was supposed to come...talk about freakish timing! My mother was with me, so we headed to the restroom where I tried to decide which of the above it was. There was a bit of blood, so I figured it must be my water, but there wasn´t too much of it. I figured that since it was 12.30, I better get something to eat because they probably wouldn´t let me have anything at the hopsital. I felt incredibly removed/distracted from the world around me, but I ate my lunch and felt a few period-like cramps, but nothing else. I had to drive home because my mother doesn´t drive a standard and she doesn´t drive in foreign countries. That was fine until we were about 2 minutes from home and the first real contraction hit. It took all I had to concentrate on driving, and I was thankful that I was almost home and that it was a back road with no traffic. As soon as I got home the contractions started coming pretty regularly, probably about every 5-6 minutes, though I didn´t time them. I kept moving, finished getting some things together, made a few phone calls, and waited for Mr. Lillysaur to make it home. He got home at about 2.30pm, we waited for the dog trainer to come get the dog, and headed out at 3.15. My mother and husband rubbed my lower back for me whenever there was a contraction, and that made it very bearable.

We arrived at the hospital delivery ward about 4.00 and were shown to a labor room, hooked up to the fetal monitor and told to wait. The contraction seemed much less strong now that I was in the hospital and on my side. After about 45 minutes the midwife came back to check on me. She was ordered to do a PH test to see if it really was amniotic fluid or not, but with the blood in the cervix it wasn´t possible to determine. I was told I was about two finger tips dialated and taht I could go home if I wanted...It was a little after five now and I couldn´t imagine going home. I was sure this baby was on her way, and I told the midwife that. She left for a bit, and I tried out the birthing ball, but found it to be too uncomfortable. The contractions started kicking back up, and Mr. Lillysaur was busy massaging my lower back while I stood and rocked my hips, leaned on the windowsill for support or walked around. The midwife came back, noticed that I seemed tense and offered me some Busopan to relieve the cramping, but I turned it down. I did take the warm cherry pit pillow they gave me for my back. She also suggested that I take a warm shower to help relieve the back pain since I was having back labor. I wanted to try acupuncture, but the midwife who did that was busy with someone else and I would have to wait. The two tubs were also in use so the shower was my only option. I took to the shower and stayed there for about 30 min. letting the warm water fall on my back, and all the while swaying back and forth. The warm water did wonders for relieving the pain and I didn´t notice the contractions as much until my husband called me to get out of the shower because the midwife wanted to talk to me about the acupuncture and check me again.

As soon as I got out of the shower the contractions really started coming and it was all I could do to put my robe on and lie down on the bed. The midwife put me on the monitor, checked my cervix and announced that I was at 4cm. The contraction were coming on strong and coming every three minutes. I had no control of anything at that point, and the contractions just seem to take over. After about 5-10min they started coming every 1.5 minutes and I told Mr. Lillysaur to ring for the midwife so I could get some pain relief. I couldn´t imagine this pain going on for several more hours. She came and said I could have some pain relief but that the Dr. would have to come put the IV line in. She went and got the doctor who came a couple of minutes later. It was work for her to get the IV line in because the contractions were coming one on top of each other at this point. I still hadn´t gotten any pain relief yet, and I felt so wrenched by the contractions that I was pretty sure none of the standard IV stuff would help, so I asked for an epidural. The doctor said it would be fine and that she would send the anesthesiologist to talk to me and then put it in. I immediately announced that I felt tremendous pressure in my bowels and that I needed to go to the bathroom. I also said I really felt the urge to push which got them all looking funny. The doctor asked the midwife to check me, and she responded that she had just checked me about five minutes before and that I had only been at 4cm. I felt the overwhelming urge to go to the bathroom, and decided it would be a good idea just to try and go...I pushed mightely and my water game gushing out. That really got the Dr.´s and midwife´s attention. The midwife checked me and announced with great surprise that I was fully dialated, and that when I pushed she could see the top of the babies head...Things really picked up from there and I was ordered to start panting until they could get me into the delivery room. I was in the delivery room five minutes later, and after three pushes my sweet girl Frances was born. She came into the world screaming, recieved 10´s on her apgars, and weighed a whopping 6.6lbs and was 19 inches long.

We are home and are enjoying every minute of getting to know our little girl. I feel so incredibly blessed that she is finally here and that she is healthy. She came almost exactly three years to the date of my first miscarriage.

And the winner of the Pre~Seed giveaway is...

Sorry for the delay in posting this, everyone! Random.org gave us the winning numbers for our Pre~Seed giveaway...

Lucky number 5 was...

Congratulations Jo! Send an email with your full name and address to pregosaur@gmail.com and we'll get your goodies in the mail to you ASAP.

Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway! 


Note to our winner: please contact us within 7 days. If we don't hear from you, we will re-draw the prize. Thank you!

Update...and question!

Sorry to be away for so long!

Well, according to FF, it's been 7 months now since we started trying to conceive. Not too long in the life of a 35 year old! One cycle was a bust because I ended up with some form of intestinal issue. Before all of that, I had decided I was going to have my thyroid checked out. I had been feeling run down and my friends convinced me to go to the GP. At the same time I decided to have my CD3 and CD22 hormones checked out. Everything has come back as normal, so that's good news. Next thing we need to do is have my husband go for a semen analysis. It's not expensive (100 euro), but with the holidays, visa expenses, and a trip to the US we've decided to wait until after the 1st of the year to have it done.

He's been taking Well.man Conception vitamins and I'm still taking my folic acid, EPO, B6, B Complex, and D vitamins. I'm also going to pick up some Pre-Seed while in the US. We've been using the Conceive Plus that is available here (necessary when you're not totally interested in doing it that night!), but I kind of like the idea of the applicator getting it closer to where it needs to be!

This cycle is going to be a timing nightmare due to travel. So annoying.

Here's a question though...

I have a friend who has three 50mg doses of Clomid left over from when she was TTC. It took them 5 years, but they now have two children (one conceived with her first dose of Clomid, the other conceived without drugs). We've talked at length about what they went through, what her cycles were like and how they are similar to mine, etc. Well, she has offered this Clomid to me a couple of times. I'm not going to lie, it's tempting. But, I feel a little weird about taking a prescription drug without it being prescribed by my doctor! She said I should just contact my doctor and let them know I'm going to do it so I can go in and have a blood draw to ensure that I ovulated. Honestly, the way GPs roll here, that's not a far-fetched way of going about it. My husband feels a bit uncomfortable, but I think that's because I told him my first reaction was uncertainty.

So...what would you do??

Last chance to enter the Pre~Seed giveaway!

The Pre~Seed giveaway is ending this Friday - click here to enter!

Giveaway - TTC help with Pre~Seed!

I think it's time for another giveaway...don't you?!

The Prize
Our 'saurs are big fans of using Pre~Seed to give the TTC process a little help, and the awesome Pre~Seed company have generously given us a personal lubricant kit to pass on to one lucky winner!

The Goodies
One carton of Pre~Seed. (If you haven't heard of Pre~Seed before, click here to read all about the benefits!)

The Ways to Enter
There are three different ways to enter - take your pick!

1. Become a follower of Pregosaur, and post a comment
2. Blog or twitter about this contest, and post a link along with a comment
   
3. Vote for Pregosaur on Top Baby Blogs by clicking this button: and then leave a comment
   

The Rules

• only one entry per person, please
• the contest will end Friday, November 12 at midnight (Pacific Time)
• the winner will be randomly selected and announced in a new post the next day - so make sure you check back in!

THE GIVEAWAY IS OVER - THANKS EVERYONE FOR ENTERING!

40 kazillion sperm can't get me pregnant

So we did this 30 in 30 challenge (being intimate 30x in 30days) and got more than 1/2 in BEFORE O.

I got my OPKs in 3 days before my spike, got pretty lines, and I ovulated beautifully, right on time.

Perfect charting spike said I O'd and my temp stayed up...

4 days ago I started spotting. On/Off. Test. On/Off. Test.

Today at about 1 am I started AF in full.

I guess 40 kazillion sperm can't get me pregnant...

So, Mr. Dreamersaur wants to order Zumba for me since I'm loving it from the infomercials. I love to dance, so it's right up my alley. If I can't get pregnant I'll just get skinny! Still TTC for sure... just focusing on me for a change.

My Happy Ending

WARNING: This could get lengthy! (I started writing this several weeks ago and have had no time to finish. I am determined to share the story of how the little guy who was due to arrive November 4th, came home over two weeks early!)

In my last post I wrote about a Dr.'s apt. that I had on the 12th of October. I was admitted as an outpatient that day and had a slew of tests run to make sure that "Baby" was thriving, and he was. That following Friday, the 15th, I was told to go in for a blood pressure check at our small town clinic where they discovered that my blood pressure was continuing to rise. I was sent home (back to bed rest), put on some BP medication and asked to again do a 24 hour urine sample on Sunday.

Monday the 18th of October....

I got up that morning feeling really frustrated. The BP medication they had put me on was creating a whole new set of problems. While it was lowering my BP, it was also causing me to black out! I wasn't comfortable with that and decided to stop taking it on Sunday. (I knew there was no way I could take the medicine before driving myself to my Dr.'s apt. Monday morning.)

I handed in my urine sample which they tested while I was there and my protein count had doubled since the week before. My BP was once again elevated since I'd stopped taking the meds, I had gained a few more pounds and the swelling hadn't gotten any better. My Dr. suggested that we go ahead and start discussing my induction at that point. I asked a ton of questions and at the end of my appointment asked when I should come back to have my "Baby"... that's when the Dr. said that we should go ahead and do it that day.

I was a little surprised but after she explained to me that sending me home could only complicate things that much more, I decided that I needed to do what was not only best for "Baby" but for Mommy too! My husband had stayed at work since he was really busy and I truly thought if we were going to get induced, that it wouldn't be for a few days. I called him after they had admitted me and gave instructions of what to pack in the bag since I was planning on doing that that afternoon. He was really surprised too!

They began giving me pitocin around 10:30 am. When the Dr. had checked me that morning I was at a 3 so she was confident that the pitocin would get things started with no problem and it did. She came back and broke my water at noon and shortly after that my husband arrived.

The contractions were really intense from the start. I was very ready for my epidural when the time came to get it done. Since my contractions were a minute apart, it took a lot longer to get my epidural started then it had when I had DS. I was never comfortable enough to rest (much less sleep) and while the epi took the edge off, it didn't completely take the pain away like I remember from my first delivery.

Things went much faster this time around as I had expected they would. Every time the Dr. came in to check me I had gotten further along, no stalling or stopping took place that day and by 4:30 pm I was at a 10 and ready to push. The Dr. came in, the nurses set up the "Baby" station and I began what took a mere 20 minutes of pushing. At one point during labor the nurse asked me to lie on my right side because the "Baby's" heart rate was all over the place. When he was born the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and one of his little feet... which was what was causing his heart rate to be all over the board.

He came into the world screaming, turned a beautiful shade of pink almost immediately and latched on like a pro after only a few minutes! I nursed him for awhile and when I had finished they checked him all over and handed him back to us. After a very long wait, we finally had the perfect little boy we'd been waiting for!

My blood pressure stabilized almost immediately after delivery, my carpal tunnel has disappeared, the swelling is gone and I've shaved off several pounds. I feel much better now that he is here and safe. Other than a "UTI" I feel almost back to my normal self again. I don't get much done other than nursing, pumping and changing diapers but I wouldn't have it any other way!

"Baby Craftysaur" or Maddox as we like to call him is almost 4 weeks old now. He is growing like a weed and developing quite a little personality! DS is absolutely in love with him and has been so sweet and gentle. We look forward to watching the boys grow up together and feel so blessed to finally have a sibling for our oldest son. It's been a long road from TTC, to the miscarriages, to the finally positive HPT that ended in a happy ending! Looking back I wouldn't change a thing! Sometimes the best gifts are worth the wait and in this case he definitely was!

So here I am ending my final post. I appreciate every one's kind and encouraging words along the way. I will continue to follow along in the rest of your journeys and continue to pray that each of you receive the happy ending you are all working so hard for!
Best of luck to you all... Craftysaur

Wonder Where I've Been?

If you are wondering where I've been... this should explain it all!

I will blog all about him as soon as I get a chance!

Sometimes my post-o temp spike leaves me wondering...

Hmmm.. is that 3/10ths spike gonna stay up?
Nope, went down 1/10th today.
Ooo.. it went back up!
Oh wait, yep FF gives crosshairs at 3dpo, so i guess I did.
Did I really ovulate?
Wow, low coverline.
Is my progesterone high enough?

This month there is no wonder. It's simple.

My temperature rose by 5/10's of a degree overnight.
Yes. I ovulated.

It also rose ANOTHER 2/10ths last night. Definitely a clear thermal shift! I wish it was always this simple. See teh sidebar for my chart if you want to see this amazing phenomenon! LOL!

We have definitely reached maximum BDing for the alloted time, so all we do now, is sit back, share some more of the awesome intimacy we've got going this month, and wait a few weeks to test for pregnancy.

Testing Halloween Morning...COME ON BFP!

Until next time...

dreamersaur

35/35

Yesterday marked the 35th week of my pregnancy and 35 days to go! I cannot believe that I have come this far. It´s all very surreal for me. I´m doing pretty well for 35 weeks, I think. I feel pretty immobile sometimes, but that´s to be expected. Some days are better than others. Today my tailbone really hurts, but maybe it´s all that sitting I´ve been doing at the sewing table to try and get things finished for the little one.

My to-do list is still pretty long, but I´ve knocked off a good chunk of it. Mr. Lillysaur needs to help me clean out the last couple of boxes out of our little girl´s room, hang a couple of pictures on the wall and fix the roman shade in there. I still need to find a lamp for some extra light, get a baby monitor, replacement screw for the crib (yes, we´ve lost one) and move a comfortable chair in there.

I´ve made an appt. to get the car serviced and the locking clip for the carseat installed. I´ve started packing the diaper bag and I´ve packed my hospital bag. Must not forget to charge the camera so that it´s ready to go when the time comes. Oh, and we must get the insurance forms filled out, that is if the agent ever sends them...So many things.

My next Dr.´s appt. is on Monday. I´m anxious to see if anything has changed. She said she´d check my cervix, do an ultrasound, check for Strep B and hepatitis and do another non stress test.

I´ve started drinking red rasberry leaf tea as the midwife in our birthing class suggested, and it´s not the yummiest thing, but with a bit of honey it´s ok. I also bought some special oil to use for perineum massages. Another thing recommended by the midwife. If it helps and keeps me from having to have an episiotomy, then I´m all for it. But I must say that massaging the perineum is a bit weird and even uncomfortable if I follow all the directions that came with the oil.

I´m sure there´s more to report, but pregnancy dementia has kicked in, and I just can´t think what it was I wanted to say! If I remember, I´ll certainly come back and post. Maybe during one of my nightly bouts with insomnia.

Tests, Tests & More Tests

Baby Craftysaur at 37 weeks... this was taken during a biopysical profile ultrasound.

My Dr.'s appointment on Monday didn't quite turn out the way I had hoped or expected! I woke up that morning feeling very nauseous with a splitting headache. I ended up throwing up three times before it was time to leave! My blood pressure wasn't terribly high compared to what it had been but I was a little puffy and starting to get a little concerned because of the vomiting. I had it in my head that we would be having a baby this week... it's now Thursday and I am still pregnant and on bed rest!

I turned in my "jug 'o pee" from my 24 hour urine analysis, peed in the cup, got weighed and sent back for my routine check up. The nurse took my blood pressure, asked a few questions and sent in the doctor. The doctor asked how I'd been feeling, measured me, listened to the "Baby" and then admitted me as an out patient to Labor and Delivery.

She ordered a non stress test which is where the mother (me) is hooked up to the fetal monitor just as she would be if she were in labor, and the response of the fetal movements is observed. She also ordered a biophysical profile which generally evaluates, through the use of ultrasound, 4 aspects of life in the uterus: fetal breathing, fetal movement, fetal tone and amniotic fluid volume. I was also given an IV due to dehydration caused by the vomiting.

While the tests were being performed they drew blood to check and make sure my liver and kidneys were functioning normally and they are. They did find protein in my urine again but it was at a +2 which isn't high enough for them to be concerned at this stage in my pregnancy. The non stress test showed that the baby is doing just fine and that I am having contractions off and on but not enough to categorize me as being in "active labor". The biophysical profile had to be done twice because the first time the radiologist came in she was unable to pass us due to my very sleepy "Baby". After a snack and a cold drink he was ready to perform and passed with flying colors in the first 10 minutes!

After about 4 hours or so I was dismissed, told to go home and remain on bed rest for another week and come back next Monday for more fun and games! I got the results of my 24 hour urine analysis back yesterday and I am being asked to retake that test... YUCK! Apparently the volume of urine was much lower than they liked to see. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to tell my nurses and doctors that I have been having trouble peeing. I will fill up on fluids this Sunday and again pee in my little jug only to blow up like a balloon from the retaining of the fluids and sit on the toilet for hours on end because of the pressure from not being able to pass much urine... YAY ME!

They are also considering another non stress test for Monday to check out the "little man" and make sure he is still doing OK. Hopefully we will have an answer as to whether or not I need to be induced next week. As far along as I am now, I am not sure I even want to mess with an induction as long as he's doing OK. I am feeling much better today and am tired of the testing and retesting and would honestly rather have labor set in on it's own between now and then. I am anxious to meet our Baby but as long as he's healthy on the inside, I say why not keep him that way and can we do it w/out remaining on bed rest... PLEASE!

I would love to hear some feedback from those of you who have been induced whether it be because of preeclampsia or other health related issues. What week were you induced and why? Were your baby's lungs fully mature upon delivery? Were your contractions that much more uncomfortable due to the induction? And finally, were you able to have a vaginal delivery w/out it turning into a C-section?

Cycle 13 TTC #3

Well, cycle 12 was a bust with AF knocking down the door at 11dpo.

So I'm starting all over again.

I feel slightly better about how I feel because I finally sat down and talked to daddy dreamersaur about it. I need answers, and without insurance it is going to come down to saving more money to get the testing done I need.

The first thing I want to do is get an HSG done. That's a test to see if my tube is blocked. If that is the problem.. well I'm done for. I can't afford a surgery to unblock it and I sure as hell can't afford IVF. If that is the problem well.. there will be a long drawn out rant about the unfairness of life and my TTC career is officially over.

If it isn't a blocked tube I need to do blood work for my thyroid again, test for PCOS, stand on my head? Maybe a real FSH level test? I used the one that came in my box of First Response pregnancy tests and "passed" but it's an indicator only. I'm not "old" but I'm pushing "advanced maternal age". I'm willing to test anything at this point.

Maybe my baby maker is just on it's last lap.. fun to drive but otherwise not very practical?

It can't be just plain old stupid bad luck.. I'm not THAT cursed!

Until next time.....

dreamersaur

Bed Rest Is For the Birds

The one thing I have been trying to avoid more than anything else this entire pregnancy has been the dreaded... BED REST! Who has time for laying in bed all day?! Not this Mama... especially not this week! During my pregnancy with DS I would have loved to have been told to go home and go to bed. Work was making me crazy and all I wanted was an excuse to get away a little early, but that never happened! This time around I have (an almost) four year old to keep up with... that doesn't leave much time for just laying around! And... it's the week of his birthday!

My appointments have been all over the place the past couple of weeks. There have been so many changes I have had to call before going in to make sure I have the right date and time. After a small get together with DS's school friends yesterday I had an appointment. Now, I will admit that I may have overdone it a touch on Tuesday. I mowed the lawn, made and decorated cupcakes for PreSchool and kind of cleaned the house (from top to bottom)! Nesting never felt so good, that is until it was time for bed! I vowed to never do that again and went on with my day yesterday.

I have been feeling a little nauseous, a lot tired, kinda sore and really weepy the last couple weeks. My hand, (you know, the one infested with carpal tunnel syndrome), has been really giving me fits lately and my back has never felt so sore. But other than that, I have felt great! When I got to my appointment yesterday the first thing I noticed that seemed a little off was my weight. I had gained 5 pounds in a week... WHAT?! How is that even possible, I've barely been able to eat anything because I've been so nauseous!

Moving on... my blood pressure was a little higher than normal. I thought nothing of this because I had just finished entertaining 7 four year olds before I got there. I even joked with the nurse about it, who said they'd just go ahead and check it again before I left. When the Dr. came in she asked how I'd been feeling, I told her and mentioned that peeing was becoming a real pain in the you-know-what. I went on to explain that it's not painful but uncomfortable because of the intense amount of pressure I feel every time I try and go.

She measured me and began trying to find "Baby's" heartbeat. Normally "Baby" has a very loud, very distinct heartbeat, but yesterday the Dr. was having a heard time even finding it! When she finally did it wasn't real loud. I got real nervous at that point and asked if everything was OK. She went on to explain that because of his position it was hard for her to get a very good listen, he had his back to my stomach. She then asked when I had had my last sonogram, I told her it was done at 21 weeks. She handed me my paper towel skirt and said she'd be back to check me to see if I had dilated.

I had started to dilate and was already at a two. This really came as no surprise to me because I knew he had dropped at least 2 weeks ago and when I had DS, I was at a 2-3 for 2-3 weeks before he was born. The nurse took my blood pressure again and asked if I could stick around awhile, I said that'd be fine and she asked me to lie down on my left side for 20 minutes. This happened two more times before the Dr. came in again.

When she came back in I could tell she didn't want to tell me whatever it was she had to say. She looked at me and said, "I don't know how to tell you this, but I have to put you on BED REST!" After a few tears I was released and asked to come back on Tuesday. They had found protein in my urine, my blood pressure was elevated and I had some pretty significant swelling ... all signs of preeclampsia!

I am on strict BED REST until Tuesday when I go back. If everything is back to normal I should be able to stay pregnant a few weeks longer, if not, they will then decide whether or not to induce labor. I have to check my blood pressure twice a day, stay off my feet unless it's to get up and go to the bathroom or get something to eat or drink and collect my urine for 24 hours on Monday. I have already had to miss DS's Pumpkin Patch Field Trip and am not going to be able to help my Mom and sister decorate and make ready for his party this weekend. BED REST IS FOR THE BIRDS!!!

I know I need to do whatever I can to stay pregnant for at least another week, but this SUCKS! Not only am I not ready, but now I can't even get ready without the help of my family and friends and I feel really bad about that! I would love to hear from anyone who has had to go through this... what did you do to keep from going insane?!

Appointment

After chatting with some friends about my current physical state, they suggested that I have my thyroid checked. I did have a lot of the symptoms of hypothyroidism, so I called and made an appointment with my GP. This was my first visit with my GP here and my first experience with my GP in the UK was less than ideal, so I was a little nervous about how it would go. Thankfully, she was very nice and I didn't even have to suggest the fertility bloodwork I was hoping to have done in addition to the thyroid. Bonus was I happened to be on CD23, so they did that bloodwork today! She also suggested my husband call the local hospital to set up an appointment for a S/A while I was doing all of this. I really appreciated how proactive she was about this.

The one interesting thing (to me at least) was when she asked me if I had been having spotting between periods. For probably 6 months prior to starting to TTC I was having spotting, sometimes it was a bit heavy. She said that this could mean my body wasn't producing enough hormones to fully ovulate. Huh. I didn't even know that could happen! Since we started TTC this has actually stopped and she said this was a good sign as my body was regulating itself again.

The results from the bloodwork should be back by Monday so we'll see what it says!

I've got the "almost a year" blues...

I'm sorry I haven't posted more often lately. I've been in a serious TTC funk.

So October 24 is one year TTC. What does that mean for THIS cycle, my 12th since beginning TTC. That means I' am 12 dpo and scared to death to test. I don't want to see a lonely single line this month. I think I may just fall to pieces if I do. Any other month I'd have been testing since 8dpo.

My chart is okay this month (link in sidebar). I ovulated close to a week late, and my post-o temps are really fluctuating. But I'm not taking any supplements and my LP is still more than 10 days so I guess that is a bonus, especially since I went 100% natural this month with no supplements at all to help O or my LPD (luteal phase defect). Maybe my body is straitening out just a little??

How do the women who TTC for 2-3-4-5 years do it!! I'm pushing one year and I am so ready to just give up!

Can everyone who is so inclined throw a little positive baby dust and prayers my way?? I'd love to be posting here as a real pregosaur and not just a TTCosaur....

Peerific

I did´t mean for it to be such a long time between posts, really. I was very excited about making the 31week post and including info from my Dr.´s visit that day. That was until I spent the rest of that day running around trying to get a urologist appt., going to said urologist, getting referal to hospital urology clinic, packing bag, taking care of dog, going to clinic, being admitted to said clinic, have a "procedure" and then being put in the ob/gyn ward at the hospital for women that they don´t want to see in L&D for a few more weeks...

To make a long story short, the kidney problem that put me in the hospital the first time, it got worse. A lot worse. My Ob/gyn took one look at the ultrasound pic and said "you NEED to see a urologist about this asap." I called and told the urologist´s nurse what the doctor said, she put the urologist on the phone and he asked a few questions, asked if I could be there in 15 minutes, that he could see me today. I went. He looked. He wrinkled his brow and said "not great for 31 weeks. Too long to go." Wrote out the referal for the hospital urology clinic to put in a stent and sent me on my way with the instructions to go TODAY.

I went. First I called Mr. Lillysaur who had to take off work and come home to get me and drive me there. I was sure I was going to come home after they did whatever they did. It is an out-patient procedure usually. Well, usually does not include pregnant women or people who have them put in as an emergency at 5.30 in the afternoon. The head doctor diagnosed me with hydrophrenosis of pregnancy in the 3rd degree. I signed lots of papers, met with the anesthesiologist for the just in case the stent doesn´t work, can we put in a tube from outside...

I got changed into my special gown, put the special shoes on waited for the Dr. and his assistent Dr. and yet another assistent and then the nurse. The nurse scrubbed me down, she was very nice and very reassuring, calmed my nerves, told me she´d had some of the same procedure done and that it´s really, really not bad. A bit uncomfortable, but not bad, and short and sweet. The anesthesiologist gave me a shot of something to sedate me since they couldn´t do any local anesthesia given that I´m pregnant. The procedure was relatively short, I think. Maybe about 15 minutes? It wasn´t terrible, but it was a bit uncomfortable when the shoved the stent up there. But then it was over, and then came the catheter....

I was rushed off to the ob/gyn ward for them to put me on the monitor and make sure that things were ok with baby and that this little procedure hadn´t caused any contractions...I was beginning to feel the pain, so they hooked me up to an IV with perfalgan (Tylenol) which was only midly useful. But hey, when you are pregnant there isn´t a whole lot that they can give you.
I began having contractions and was given nifidipine to stop them. It worked. I was very, very thankful, but I spent the next five days with a catheter stuffed up my whoo haa and being hooked up to a monitor 2-3 times a day. The stent improved things slightly, but only slightly so I was given antibiotics to take and told to come back for close monitoring...

I am at the Dr.´s every week now, and when I am not at the Dr.´s then I am at home resting. I was told that bed rest wasn´t necessary, but resting and putting my feet up at home were. So that is what is "new" with me at 32w5d.

Getting Ready for Baby Brother

Today I am 36 weeks!!! DS and I have been super busy getting ready for "Baby Brother". I read somewhere that it is important to involve an older sibling w/ the preparations to make them feel as though they are a big part of getting ready for baby.

Each week, for the past two weeks, we have been doing things around the house (one day a week) to get ourselves prepared. Two weeks ago, we went through some of the crib toys we had when DS was a baby. Together we picked a few things out to wash and put new batteries in for "Baby Brother" to use. It was fun showing DS his old mobile, he asked to listen to the music the mobile plays when he went to bed that first night.

Last week we cleaned up the car seat by washing the liner and bleaching the seat and base. DS helped me take the liner out and put it back in after everything had dried. We then took apart the Diaper Genie and bleached it. I realized at that point that there are a few supplies that I need to run out and get in the next few weeks, like Diaper Genie liners and diapers!

We will be packing the diaper bag today and making a list of all of those supplies one needs when preparing to bring home baby number 2. I look forward to showing DS the outfit we brought him home from the hospital in and having him help me pick an outfit for "Baby Brother".

In the next 4 weeks (or so), we will pack Mommy's hospital bag and DS's overnight bag for Grandma & Grandpa's house. We will order the crib bedding and wash it up and put it in the crib, put the car seat in the car, set up the bassinet and shop for a gift for DS to give to the baby. Mommy will shop for those supplies I mentioned above as well as a few other things we need and for a gift from "Baby Brother" to "Big Brother" DS!

There's so much left to do in so little time! On top of all of the busy work to get ready for baby, there's also the matter of celebrating DS's 4th birthday next week. Everyone keeps asking if I'm ready and my answer is always "YES!", but after writing this post, I'm not sure I really am as ready as I thought!

What am I forgetting? I'd love to hear from all the second time Moms out there about the things they stocked up on before bringing home baby #2!

Crazy temps!

I'm on CD10 and so far my temps have been crazy! I take my temp at 6am each morning. For the past 5 months my temps for these first 14 days or so would hover around 36 degrees C (+/-). This month, they're hovering around 37 degrees C. During my period I think I was running a low grade fever as I was not feeling well (nausea and diarrhea) and my temp got up to 37.6. But now, I feel okay and they're still running at 37 (which is the same as 98.6 degrees F). The funny thing is, for the past few nights I've taken my temperature right before I go to bed and it's been back down around 36. What gives? I would think my temps right before bed would be higher than my BBT. My digital thermometer is 6 months old and I use it at least once per day. Is that their lifespan? Should I get a new one?

Breast is Best... Right?!

I'm 34 weeks today and I'm exhausted! I haven't been sleeping well (during the night that is). Naptime seems to be the only restful sleep I can get and unfortunately since DS doesn't nap... I am limited to a catnap after dinner when DH is home.

I find myself awake almost every night at 3 or 4 am researching breastfeeding online. I am trying to do everything in my power to have a positive result with nursing this time. My first experience didn't quite go the way I had planned so this time I am educating myself as much as possible.

I had planned on taking a class but found out last week that the only one offered before
"Baby"comes has been canceled. I have spoke to two women over the phone now who have answered a slue of questions regarding my upcoming challenge. They have given me more insight then I could have possibly imagined and I wish now that I had taken more imitative to get this kind of information before going down that dreaded road with DS!

You see, like most first-time moms, I had it in my head that nursing was going to be so natural and often wondered why more women chose the bottle over the breast. Why would one even consider spending $25 a can on formula when you can supply your baby w/ all he/she needs for free? I obviously had watched way too many Baby Stories on TLC because when it came time to nurse DS, I failed miserably!

I remember thinking that when DS was born, that the Dr. would place him on my chest and he'd latch himself on and take right off... right?! WRONG! After four and a half hours of pushing and with the help of forceps, DS came bouncing into the world. But instead of the Dr. placing him on my chest, they held him up for me to see and placed him on the baby "hot plate" to check him all over. By the time I was able to hold him I was so busy looking at him and watching as our families passed him around the delivery room, that I didn't even think about trying to nurse.

Two hours later, as I was being prepped to move to postpartum I had to ask the nurse, "Should I try breastfeeding him now?" She replied that it'd be a good idea so I tried with all my might to get him to latch on not knowing what the hell I was doing! I was in such a euphoric state and so exhausted I think I actually thought I had gotten him fed since he'd drifted off to sleep.

DH and I had made the choice to have him brought into the room during the night only when he needed to be fed or changed. At midnight the nurse rolled him in and said she'd be back a little later to take him back to the nursery. DH fetched him from the rolly cart and placed him in my arms. I did what I'd seen so many times on Baby Story and again thought I was doing everything right.

The next morning after a very long night I asked for some help from the lactation consultant. She was very helpful and had some really good advice but I just remember thinking this is not something I should have to ask for help with. When she left the room I cried to DH telling him how I felt like a failure for not being able to successfully nurse our newborn son. I didn't' give up though, I wanted to, but I kept on trying for the first 3 or 4 weeks.

My mother-in-law went out and bought me a breast pump the first day we were home. I tried it out and didn't get much milk, no surprise, my milk hadn't even come in yet. I continued trying day after day, night after night to nurse DS but felt he wasn't ever satisfied. At his first appointment after delivery they had me start supplementing because he'd lost so many ounces. The formula would leave him feeling full and the weight was put back on fast so I felt relieved for the first time since bringing him home. No one told me about a little thing called nipple confusion and every time I tried to nurse, he'd not have much of a response. After those first few weeks, I gave up!

This time I am going to try much harder! And while I know it doesn't work for everyone, I plan to do things differently in hopes of having a better experience! What advice can you give me to have that better experience?

The 2ww is over....

and my body is totally rubbing my face in it! It's throwing every single PMS symptom my way: headache for 2 days, cramps, hot one minute, cold the next, nausea and diarrhea. Those last two are not common for me, so I'm not sure what's going on there. It could be slight food poisoning, but my husband hasn't felt unwell at all. I had a HUGE temperature spike yesterday morning (1 whole degree C) which was really unusual. My thermometer even beeped at me funny. I tossed and turned and I was awake most of the night, so it's probably not the most accurate reading. This morning it dropped slightly (but still not below the baseline) and FF reset me to a new cycle. My husband was away last night (thankfully allowing me to toss and turn to my heart's content), and I was trying to hold out taking a pregnancy test until he was back. But, the nausea was driving me insane and I just had to know. It was negative, of course, and my flow started in earnest today.

It's disappointing since we did everything right this cycle. I guess it's on to the next one! Now if I just had an apple to relieve this craving....

Adventures in pregnancy

I missed my 29 week update last week...I was off on a little pregnancy adventure. My adventure involved a trip to the ER and then three nights in the hospital. I woke up last Tuesday feeling rather uncomfortable. I told myself that it was probably just some gas that was trapped, or an uncomfortable bm. I started my day and limped along. Yes, really I limped along. I went to the bathroom a couple of times, and that didn´t seem to be the problem or do the trick. I ran a couple of errands and went to the grocery store. I discovered that lifting my shopping bag into the car was nearly impossible, and lifting my leg to get in the car...terribly painful. I drove home, fixed myself some lunch and lay down for a nap. I tried to move the baby or encourage her to move because I thought that might help. It didn´t. I got up from my nap and felt worse. The tears began to flow. I pondered my choices: a)do nothing b) call a neighbor to take me to the doctor/hospital c) drive myself to the hospital d) call the ER doctor to come make a house call.

I decided the simplest and least dramatic option would be to get in the car and drive the five minutes to the hospital nearby. I was glad that the trip there did not involve getting on any main roads, and that I was able to get a parking spot near the door. I went straight to the ER, told them I was 29 weeks pregnant and having abdominal pain. They wasted no time in sending me up to L&D to get checked out. I was put on monitor to check for contractions (there were none) and see the baby´s heartbeat (it was fine). Then i was given a very thorough scan and pelvic exam. Both turned up nothing. The very helpful midwife suggested that I was just hyper sensitive to things because of my "history" and said it was probably just RLP....The young resident decided maybe they should send me back to the ER to see a surgeon/internal medicine doc.

Back in the ER I was asked to give a urine sample and have blood drawn. I did and then I was finally able to see another doctor about an hour later...She was young and very nice and very cautious. She examined me and looked at the lab results and decided that it looked like an appendicitis even though I wasn´t running a fever or throwing up. My white blood count was elevated and the pain was indicative of the appendix. She got out a portable ultrasound machine and began to look for my appendix, which wasn´t to be found thanks to baby. She did find my kidneys...lo and behold my right kidney was much enlarged and urin seemed to be pooling there. Hmmmm. But my urine sample showed no signs of infection, so where was the infection coming from? The appendix? Something else? It was decided that I must stay the night in the surgical ward for observation. I was probably going to have surgery in the morning she said. No food and no drink for me...OMG, it´s now 9 at night and the last I had was lunch!! Well, I could have an IV, so an IV it was.

Fast forward about 9 hours. The doctors are doing their rounds. Nothing like waking up to a team of five doctors standing around your bed. "Where does it hurt" "Please show us the spot" "How long have you had this" "Are you sure you haven´t thrown up?" "hmmmm" "more labs please." An hour later the head doctor came to personally examine me. More hmmm. Then, no, it´s not the appendix. Maybe it´s something gynocological. Go back to the L&D ward.

Back in the L&D ward more ultrasound and more hmmm. Then the decision to send me to the radiologist for an ultrasound of my kidneys. More waiting and waiting. Then the radiologist. One look and she said "Oh, that´s a second degree kidney something or other." " Yes, they hurt. A lot sometimes." "Sleep on your left side" "get on your elbows and knees for 10 minutes twice a day" "This will go away after you give birth."

This will go away after I give birth....worst case scenario I have nearly three more months of this?! Uggg. Back to L&D. Two more nights under observation and then I was allowed to go home after promising to come back if I thought it was getting worse. I got a nice letter for my ob/gyn explaining the course of treatment or lack there of. Oh, and I´m now to take an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test to make sure that I´m not diabetic since that would be the double whammy for my poor kidney. I have an appt. for the OGTT next Wed. at 31weeks and I am not looking forward to it. Two hours of waiting before I can eat?! This momma likes her morning tea and breakfast, but what must be must be.

And that´s the end of the adventure. For now anyway. It was suggested that at some point in the next ten weeks I might need to visit a urologist...

Oh, and the stats: Baby was measured between 1200 and 1400 grams! She´s growing strong, and kicking, karate chopping like nobody´s business. I do believe I am giving birth to the next karate kid.

Let the Countdown Begin

The Countdown to "Baby" arriving, that is! I am in the home stretch now with only 48 days to go till I reach my due date. And believe me people, I am ready!

Remember that little thing I mentioned in my last post about how I was hoping to steer clear of the cold DS had brought home from school?! Yah, two days later I spent an entire day on the couch because no amount of hand washing could keep me from getting the dreaded bug! Almost a week later, the symptoms haven't got much better. I have been taking Tylenol to now tolerate not only the stiff neck and carpal tunnel infested hand but also the aches and pains of the common cold. I see my Dr. again tomorrow so I will ask what she suggests I take to get me through the rest of this miserable state!

I have also been lucky enough to be experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions again! My DH, DS and I raise steer calves. We had a death in our herd yesterday so I spent quite a bit of time outside w/ the "babies" cleaning out the stall our sick calf had been residing in. I was fine for awhile, until I decided to start preparing for the burial of the dead calf. I found that digging a hole wasn't going to work too well and luckily I had saved that part for last.

About that time DH came home from work. It's always better, I find, to keep some things from him. Especially if those things involve me overdoing it a tad bit! We went about our business as usual but he quickly caught on that I was uncomfortable. I told him that I thought maybe that "Baby" was sitting in the wrong spot and creating some pressure. He ordered me back inside to sit down and finished up with the help of DS.

Things went back to normal relatively quick after I sat down awhile, and I don't think I'll be doing anymore digging till after "Baby" makes his grand entrance! Seven more weeks or more of taking it easy isn't so bad, as long as there's not too much work to be done from here on out!

The dreaded 2WW!

So, I'm halfway through the 2ww, so there's nothing really interesting to report. According to FF we timed everything perfectly, so we shall see.

One thing interesting happened this weekend was when I was chatting with a friend. She was a nurse practitioner in women's health at a major university hospital in the US. I told her what I was doing and she said to save my money on the OPKs. Since I'm temping and have an idea when I ovulate (usually CD14, but anytime from CD13 to CD17) that we should have sex every other day between CD10 through CD20. This was the advice they would give to the women that would come to their clinic. I figure we'll give this a go if this 2ww results in a negative!

Empty Nest (for a little while)

The next 8 weeks are going to be tough! DS started preschool on Monday and I am starting to feel the affects of an empty nest! Good thing I have a special bundle arriving soon!

I saw my Dr. on Friday last week and everything looks good. I had my glucose tolerance test, it came back normal and I was given a prescription for a wrist splint to help w/ the carpal tunnel discomfort. Ugh! Not too wild about wearing the splint but it helps tremendously so it's worth it!

My neck is still really bothering me and sleeping hasn't gotten any easier. DS brought home a cold from school this week so I am washing hands like a maniac to try and stay healthy. A cold's the last thing I want or need right now!

Baby's been pretty active this week. We watched his little buns move from one side of my belly to the other a few nights ago. (That's the one thing I am going to miss about being pregnant after he's born!) DS has a classmate who's mommy just had a baby brother the other day. He was really excited to tell me all about his friend's new baby and has asked several times if our's is coming soon. I keep reassuring him that the next few weeks are going to fly... wish I could convince myself of that!

It's almost time to head out to pick up DS, he doesn't have school again till Tuesday because of the holiday weekend. Guess this nest won't feel so empty again for a few more days at least!

Baby Bed Diaster

A few weeks ago my DH was home from work over the weekend so I thought it'd be a good opportunity to set the crib up. (Notice that thought is in italics!) DS was 18 months when we switched him from crib to toddler bed... we will wait till 2 years with this new baby! DS developed a bad habit of crawling out of bed and into ours when the rail came down and we still struggle with this on almost a nightly basis.

The crib is very functional for a small room which is great because that is what we have. The changing table is built on the end of the bed with a set of 3 drawers underneath and on the backside of the drawers are 3 shelves. There is also a rolling "floor drawer" that fits under the bed... lots of storage.

In order to keep things simple, we left the changing table assembled so that all we would need to do is piece the crib back together and reattach it to the changing table. It'd been almost two years since we had messed with the crib but since we'd assembled and disassembled it so many times (because of moving into our home when DS was 3 months), we thought it'd be a breeze... WRONG!

My DH, like most men, has it in his head that instructions manuals are really unnecessary. I pushed the envelope when it came to reassembly simply because I wanted it done right the first time. And since I was getting the impression that he'd rather be watching a football game than putting the crib up, I took it upon myself to read the manual out loud to him!

We work really well together, normally! We have great chemistry and often know what the other is thinking before he/she even thinks it. This project, however, was a little different! What should have taken maybe 20 minutes, took over an hour! And, it's still not entirely put together! The front rail is still sitting on the floor next to the bed because the screws are missing. What a disaster!

With 9 weeks left before Baby arrives we have plenty of time to get the crib up and ready but it's a good thing we started when we did or DH would probably be in some pretty hot water!

27 weeks!

Today I am 27 weeks. I´m amazed how the time has flown--I mean where did the last week go? I´m not even really working anymore. I work 2-4 hours a week and that´s it. It´s almost not work, and I am enjoying it. I can´t say that I have been terribly productive, because I haven´t. I have lots of projects that are half-finished. I mean I need to clean out the nursery completely and finish up those burp clothes, going home dress. I can say that I have washed and put away all the clothes that Miss Lillysaur has already gotten. I´m waiting for my mother to send the things she got at my shower. I´m also waiting for her to send the diapers I ordered. Fortunately mom was kind enough to do all the washing for me so I don´t have to do it whenever the package(s) come(s). It might be a bit before Grandmother Lillysaur gets around to sending the things, though. Grandfather Lillysaur is in the hospital recovering from open-heart surgery, so she has other things on her mind. And I don´t blame her one bit. I just want Grandfather Lillysaur to get well soon so he can come see his newest grandchild.

So ups: Miss Lillysaur is kicking, punching, boxing up a storm. She´s keeping me awake a lot at night now. Not sure if that´s really an up, but it´s nice to know that she is doing well.

Downs: My tailbone. Oh my aching tailbone. I broke my tailbone as a teenager and it wasn´t terribly much fun. Now my dear tailbone feels about like it did back then...only this time I am not too vain to sit on one of those donut cushions. I plan on getting the ob/gyn to give me a prescription for one at my appt. on Monday. I´m also hoping she´ll have some other suggestions about what to do.

Weight gain: I have no idea, nor do I even want to know at this point.

Belly button: Oh, it´s going to be an outie, I can tell. Some days it is, and some days it´s mostly in, though I´m not sure in is the right word.

Maternity clothes: Oh heavens yes. I don´t think I could wear anything else at this point. A couple of the things I have are even getting too small...I really was hoping not to buy anymore things to wear, but I may not have a choice in that I see.

How big is baby: I don´t really know, but I`m guessing she must be over a kilo now, but I´m sure the ob/gyn will give me the latest measurements on Monday along with how the blood is flowing to the baby....

Cravings: Peanut Butter Pie. I made some for Mr. Lillysaur´s b-day and had some for breakfast this morning. I still love, love, love eating potatos. Yes, potatos. Nomm.

The TTC Swag

Trying to conceive is expensive.



At least it is if you are a control freak (just a little bit!) like me and must know what is going on at all times. Each month something new has been added to the regime.

The first month was the digital thermometer. I bought this months ago, but I believe it was 12 euro. I’ve joined Fertility Friend to track the temps, but so far I have resisted on splurging for the VIP membership.

Next up was the ovulation predictor kits. I know they have some of the simple strips which are cheaper, but after looking at samples of these online, I have a really hard time reading the lines. In an effort to take the guess work out of it, I buy the digital ones that produce a little smiley face. The amount of joy I get out of seeing that smiley face is ridiculous. I can’t imagine how I’ll feel if I get a positive pregnancy test! Unfortunately, the smiley face comes at a price. A box of 7 is 32 euro. Ouch.

This month we are adding Conceive Plus into the mix. Apparently this is the same thing as Pre-Seed, which is (from what I’ve found) only available online here in Ireland. The nice thing about the Conceive Plus is that it’s just a tube; it’s not separate application packets like the Pre-Seed. It will be nice if we get more than six uses out of the tube. The price is about the same – just under 18 euro. Double ouch.

Then of course are the pregnancy tests. I TRY to hold off as long as I can, but POAS is really addictive! I’ve also discovered that nothing will start your period faster than POAS. Depending on the brand, two tests run about 15 euro.

And of course there are the vitamins. I take EPO (pre-ovulation), B6, B complex, and folic acid. The price of these aren’t TOO bad with the EPO being the most expensive. The pharmacy does a 3 for 2 deal which is great.

All in all, this means I spend on average 50 euro a month on all this stuff. Yikes! It wouldn’t be so bad, but TTC swag isn’t nearly as cute as baby swag. I’d rather be buying baby swag!

Hello from a new Saur!

My introduction to this lovely world of TTC is going to be a brief one! I'm not keeping anything from you, it's just that we just started actively trying in May! My husband and I were married when in April 2009 when I was 34 (he was 32). Cougar! Okay, not really. Well, now I'm 35 and we're into our 4th month of trying. We have no reason to believe we shouldn't be successful in this journey, but I'm too old and jaded to think it would happen in the first month (or even 6 months) of trying.

Fortunately, we're still in the enjoyable stage of all of this. We can both still laugh when I tell him about how we're going to schedule 'the sex' for this month. :-)

So we're hoping with the help of temping, OPKs, exercise, and vitamins that it won't be too long until we get a BFP!

Oh, and we like to think we have the luck of the Irish on our side. ;-)

Imagine Source

Smelly Mama

It's an exciting day for two reasons...

1. I am 30 weeks today!
2. We finally settled on a name for "Baby" this morning!

It's hard to believe that in 10 weeks we will be meeting the newest member of our family! And let's hope it's in the next ten weeks!!! Alright, I know I promised to quit complaining but I have had a miserable week!

Remember a few weeks ago when I was complaining about my stiff neck? YAH... I still have it! AND, to add to the discomfort, I now have a hand, wrist, forearm and elbow that gets more sleep than I do! I finally called the Dr. after a really rough night a few days ago. She assured me that I wasn't having a stroke, and that more than likely my symptoms were being caused by pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome. YAY ME!

Has anyone else ever had to deal with this? Is there anything I can do to get some relief? It's not too bad during the day, I can at least tolerate it. But at night, it's a whole different ballgame! I have resorted to sleeping on the couch since that's the only spot that I can get any solid rest in.

I've been taking Tyelnol when it gets so bad that I can't stand it any longer and of course I continue to slather the BenGay on my neck at about 4 every morning. Funny story! A friend and I took our kiddos to the pool last week. We'd been in the water awhile when my friend looks at me and says, "Do you smell chewing tobacco?" I had, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. We finally decided that it must be a group of high school guys that had made their way over to the little kids pool. All of the sudden it came to me that it was not the high school boys... IT WAS ME & MY BENGAY! How sad is that?! My own DH can't stand the smell of me any longer!
Typing hasn't been too bad, I just quit if it gets too painful but driving is the absolute worst! I've been doing some research and have read numerous times that this isn't going to go away until after the baby's born... that's going to make the next 10 weeks seem like an eternity! I would love to hear from anyone out there about experiences that they've had with this!

Where did the time go?

I looked at my ticker on a message board this morning and realized that I am now in the double digits--only 98 days to go! At least I think I mean (!) but maybe not--I mean where did the time go? I planned to make all sorts of interesting posts about my pregnancy, fill you gals in on the good the bad and the ugly, I had a post planned (in my head) for when I reached 24 weeks, but I was in some sort of haze and forgot.

I feel sort of like I´ve cheated myself and my child by not being more diligent and writing down the important things. Some day my little girl might ask me "when did you feel/have _______ ?" or "How much ___________?" No clue. All I can say is that I´ve finally put on some weight. Rather suddenly actually. Like three pounds in 10 days....holly cow how did that happen? Like I said, no idea.

The ups: Baby girl has really been getting stronger and a lot more active. I enjoy feeling her kick and punch and twist and turn, and maybe even have the hiccups, though I´m not entirely sure that´s what it was. Sometimes it´s even down right uncomfortable when she kicks. She likes to protest certain sleeping positions of mine...ahhh my right side, how I would love to sleep on you, but someone isn´t to keen on that.

She´s growing. She´s growing and that is marvelous, wonderful news to her mommy. The doctor estimated her at about 900 grams last week. I´m very thankful for that because it means things are ok. She´s in about the 45-50 percentile for everything. She´s not big and she´s not little. That´s quite ok with her mommy.

The downs: The perinatlogist discovered that the bloodflow to the uterus on my right side isn´t good. I have something called notching. It means there is resistence in the artery and not as much blood can flow to the uterus and then to the placenta. The left side is good, but the right side not so much. I´m at risk for developing pre-eclampsia and HELP syndrome, and the baby is at risk for IUGR (growth retardation) but right now my blood pressure is good and baby is growing. I´ll take that. It means that I must continue me heparin shots and be closely monitored. I have another appt. with the perinatologist the beginning of september for her to check again. In the mean time, I´ve finally hit a wall with the heparin shots. In the beginning it wasn´t bad and I didn´t mind too much, but now I´ve started to dread it. I can´t really find a good place to do them anymore. My belly is growing and stretching and taking all the skin with it...so much for finding a fold of skin to pinch! My thigh....I tried it once and it was unbearable. So for the moment I search for a place that might work on my hips or near my belly and go for it...

The TMI´s: My breasts are really getting ready for the whole BF thing. My nipples are changing color, shape, size...and more. Yes, I think I leak a bit now and then. I even pee on myself if I´m not careful. A word from the wiser, DO YOUR KEGELS. Really. It´s not fun to pass gas and accidentaly pee on yourself at the same time, really.

Cycle #11 TTC#3 CD9 -OPK

This post title feels like a stock market ticker. Totally unreadable unless you're party of the elite group of stockholders. But since you're at Pregosaur, you are :)

So yep. CD9.Negatove OPK. No shock. I do however have a light line already:

I took 50mg Clomid Cd5-9 this month hoping for a good O with some nice mature follicles. So I'm really hoping that I get a nice strong O on the left side so my lonely tube brings that beautiful eggie to meet it's future.

Come on baby... I'm waiting for you.

The State That I'm In @ 29 Weeks

I feel like I've been doing a lot of complaining the past couple of weeks! Instead of dwelling on everything from the heat, to the irritable uterus, the stiff neck, to the bleeding gums, the growing pains and the lack of sleep at night, I need to keep in mind the little prize at the end... our baby boy!

It took a long time to be in this state that I'm in, and I am so thankful for it. And honestly, it could be so much worse! When I stop and think about it, I've only got 11 more weeks of being uncomfortable and that doesn't even compare to the year and a half of trying that it took for us to get here.

So from here on out, I promise to do better about being positive about this little miracle of a full term pregnancy! And I started that positive outlook w/ a few new "belly shots" (from earlier this morning). I'm not excited about having people see my bare belly but I know in a few years I'll look back and be thankful for having taken them. (The only "belly shots" I have from my first pregnancy were taken a few days before DS arrived and I now wish I had more to share w/ him.)

So as I head out this afternoon to do my daily chores in this horrible heat, I will remember a year ago at this time when I felt so sad about not being in this special state that I'm in!