slipped away

via (abless)

I know. I know.

Summer has slipped into fall. But I just can't help myself. I want to linger in those long, warm days a little while longer. But seeing as I reached for a jacket this morning and have been eating oatmeal regularly - truely fall indicators - I suppose this picture will have to do.

My husband and I decided that we'd take a vacation from interventions this cycle. Given my startlingly early ovulation, disappointing lining and failed iui, I felt like I had some questions about what to do next. However, with the blur of home ownership/home selling, I didn't have enough answers. I don't feel comfortable blindly walking into a new treatment or repeating the same. So, no meds for me.

Just some good old fashioned love.

Gone Fishing

Sadly, our camping trip never happened this past weekend. Our good friend and outdoor companion came down with the flu, so we decided to postpone our adventure for another day.

We did, however, take to the *wild* and had a little fishing expedition on the Potomac.

It was a very nice afternoon.

via (me)

we interrupt my infertility to bring you

(gap)

the best cords. ever.

The fit is fantastic (beyond comfortable), the colors are so good (the yellow is pretty amazing) and the price is perfect (I got mine for an additional $15 off).

Cords might be one of the few things that I look forward to as summer drifts into fall. And stumbling upon this pair makes the transition that much more tolerable.

pump the positivity?

via (i_hear_noises')

This was easy to feel when I was strolling in the gorgeous weekend weather with my pups, working with my husband to pull our place together, thinking about all of the wonderful things that we have going for us.

Good families, good jobs, good relationship.

of course it could be worse.

but, as good as it is, it remains incomplete.

f it.

via (laurence 2)

This was how I felt/feel towards my fertility situation after yet another negative test.

f-you fertility.

distractions

via (Charles Fredrik)

Our labor day weekend might not have been relaxing, but it was successful. We managed to perform a much needed *face lift* on our bathroom, complete (almost) a patch on a plaster wall, and declutter our apartment (for the most part). All that's left (ha) is to touch up some paint, move the clutter to a temporary storage unit, attempt a *face lift* on the kitchen, install new shades and clean, clean, clean.

While I don't particularly look forward to sanding spackle after a long day of work, all of this home improvement business has pretty effectively distracted me from the loathsome two week wait. I'm at DPO 6. just waiting. and wishing.

Thanks for all of the congratulations on the house. It really is a fine place and happily, the home inspection, conducted earlier this morning revealed that there are no big issues!

labor day

via (Matt?!)

There will be no weekend trip to the ocean for us this labor day weekend. Instead, there will be lots of spackling, painting and other home improvements - all intended to spruce up our current apartment. and get it sold.

because

we

got

the

house

amazing!

so long city life?

Yesterday really was quite a whirlwind.

I had intended to take the morning off from work. There is no medical need to do that after an IUI - at all - but I thought it might be nice to go home, relax and will the meeting of sperm and egg. However, my blackberry kept nagging me with all kinds of things that could only be done, in-person, at my office. No rest for the TTC-weary.

Then, after the day that I thought would never end, my husband and I . . .

put in an offer on our first house!?!?!

It's really a nugget of a little home. We fell in love at the open house this past weekend, went back for another walk-thru Monday night and then took the plunge yesterday. What sealed the deal, aside from being a pretty darn ideal property, was the fact that there are tons of young families in the neighborhood. On our second walk-thru, we showed up around 7:30 and the streets were full of families taking walks, riding bicycles, etc.

It's definitely a move to a more suburban spot - we currently are in DC-proper in a super neighborhood, but could never afford a similar house in the area.

Due to some extenuating circumstances (current owner of the house is in the hospital) we might not know whether the offer is accepted until tomorrow.

more waiting.

Until then, a preview (please don't let the posting of these pictures somehow jinx our offer)

I'm an enormous fan of having upstairs bedrooms. I attribute this irrational desire to growing up in a split-level ranch.

I am also an enormous fan of nook entrances and front doors with little windows.

A fireplace seems wonderful, especially now that the weather is starting to crisp up.

Oh, office, with your windows, so maybe, just maybe I can revive the 31 year-old Christmas cactus that is dying a little more each day. The succulent was a present to my husband's mother when he was born and then given to me by my mother-in-law, no doubt as a sneaky test. A test, which by the looks of its withered state, I am failing miserably.

We currently have a galley kitchen that is so narrow I cannot open either the refrigerator or dishwasher. Enough said. Except, maybe I should mention that I'm also an enormous fan of having a window over the sink.

Considering that this house is from the 40's, the bedrooms are all unusually roomy.

Not to mention cozy.

And there's space for a garden.

It really is too good to be true.

projecting

(via MonikaElenaPhoto)

Much has transpired since I last updated.

Last Thursday, I went to my appointment for blood work and an ultrasound. Everything looked normal, so after clearing some pretty hefty bureaucratic hurdles (aren't the biological ones enough) and swiping my debit card for a cool $1200, the iui was on. I was scheduled for a monitoring appointment this coming Saturday, to watch for ovulation. However, on both Sunday and Monday mornings, my home monitor indicated a high reading. Back to the RE's office I went, being afraid that if we waited until Saturday, we'd completely miss ovulation.

At first, the nurse(s) and Dr. were very skeptical about the accuracy of my monitor. At that point, I was only a week into my cycle and that is EARLY for ovulation. But, lo and behold the ultrasound revealed a mature follicle and the blood work confirmed that I was "surging".

I picked up and self-administered (after a small pep talk) a trigger shot last night, along with ANOTHER drug to help fluff up my uterine lining. So many drugs for someone that rarely likes to take advil.

This morning, my husband departed for the RE's office to *contribute* his part only to find out that due to renovations, there was no longer a collection room. What?!? He had to race back home, do what was needed and then race back down to drop off the sample. Talk about pressure.

I showed up an hour later, was told that despite the craziness that ensued earlier that morning the *sample* was stellar. Before I knew it, the iui was done.

************************************************************************************

I'm not feeling particularly optimistic about the outcome. Realistically, given the paltry state of my lining, the iui is not likely to be successful. However, I think that I/we have learned a lot from this little exercise. I very much hope that this knowledge will inform any future cycles so that one day the picture I posted can be of me and not some stranger that I wish was me.