Happy Halloween

It's Halloween time.  For some reason this year I didn't do as much decorating as I have in the past.  For some reason I just got lazy, more then likely way too busy, to put up decorations.  I would honestly like to be one of those people who go all out and decorate both inside and outside of the house.  I mean we did carve a pumpkin this year as we have done every year since Alexis was born.  I put on some window clings.  I did try and put other things up but for some reason the tape was being difficult and everything just kept falling off.  

A great thing about this time of year is that I can look at decorations for next year and get them at a really good price.  I know TJ Maxx has all of their Halloween stuff for 50% off right now and I believe after today they will get marked down even further.  I am waiting for the next markdown because there is this large decoration that I really want but cannot afford the regular price or even the 50% off price for it.  Problem is I have no idea where I will store it until next year or even where I will put it next year.  It's wooden so technically I would weather proof it and put it outside which I might end up doing, but then again I would love to keep it in the house so I can enjoy it.  I did score two cute outfits for Alexis, one she is currently wearing and another size up for next year.  I might also check out the left over halloween costumes and see what we can do for next year or what we can add to our dress up clothes collection.

On the baby front, there isn't a baby.  I did what I said I wasn't going to do and tested last Thursday and mine and DH's four year wedding anniversary.  Of course it was BFN.  No surprise out of me, I would have been more blown away if it was BFP.  Over the weekend I was having phantom symptoms.  Both Saturday and Sunday after I had my lunch break at work and ate something I would start feeling nauseous shortly after eating.  That usually doesn't happen to me so I took that as a sign and tested monday morning and got another BFN.  So again last night out of the blue I felt nauseous and I took that as another sign that I could be pregnant.  Also in desperate need of an explanation I took a test this morning like I was originally planning on and once again a BFN.  So with all my dollar store tests used up I am stuck waiting for AF.  I still have about a week before I hit the day I got it last cycle.

Here's hoping AF comes soon and I start feeling better.  

The Wait is on

Now it's time to wait again.  Yup, wait to see when AF shows up.  Unfortunately since my last cycle was not the average cycle I have no idea when it will start.  Which also means I will have no idea when I should take any kind of HPT.  Well I guess I just wait and see what happens.  I really would like to take a test on Thursday in celebration of my and my wonderful husbands four year wedding anniversary but I know that it is too soon and would be a waste of money and a test just to see a BFN.  I think right now the date I have in mind is Halloween.  Only reason I have that date in mind is it's several days after what would be the average length for a cycle.

In the mean time I have done plenty to distract myself.  Well not really meant to do anything to distract myself but in true Michelle fashion I cut myself with a knife trying to remove hot glue from something I was working in.  This will be the second time in four years that I have had a serious cut to my left thumb.  The first time was a week before my wedding.  I was opening a box, with intention of making sure my husbands wedding gift was the right one and I cut my thumb with the butcher block scissors.  Needless to say that one left a scar and the husband says that day I used the one pass I get for calling him off the golf course.  This time there was no need to call him off the golf course.  He was just getting out of the shower and unsure if this one will leave a scar but definitely will take a while to heal. Thankfully it's on my left hand and I don't use it that much, even at work, I don't really use my thumbs, although i have accidentally knocked it on a few things and boy did that hurt.

I am also looking forward to halloween, not only because that's my testing date, I also love taking DD out trick or treating.  This year she is going as a crayon box.  It is actually a costume my mom had made me and my sisters when we were growing up.  It still looks really good, not worn at all and it thankfully fits DD.  Last year it was too long and she wouldn't have been able to walk in it, but in the last year she was grown like a weed so I was worried it wouldn't fit.  I am worried that we will have to cover it with a coat if there is not enough room underneath it for a coat.  Last year no coat on halloween was needed.  All she needed was a long sleeve shirt and pants under her costume and it was so nice out even after the sun went down.  This year is going to be a lot colder, and which probably means we won't go to as many houses as we did last year.  Around our town they have so many halloween things its great.  Leading up to Halloween I hope DH takes her to several of the parities around town.  The nice thing about most of the parities is that the admission fee is a non perishable food item or a donation of some sort, which is always nice.  Of course there are several things on Halloween and we will have to schedule very carefully if we want to try and make it to as many of the events as possible.

Until then here's to waiting and having self control not to POAS too early.

Dance of the Beet Trucks

Ok, this post has nothing to do with anything family related, it's just something that happens in Grand Forks and I like to think of it as the dance of the beet trucks.  We have a Crystal Sugar plant in the 'area'(probably an hour away) and the sugar beet trucks have to go through Grand Forks, not via the highway.  The other day I was driving home with my daughter from the 'doggy cave'(humane society) and it was around 5pm and it seemed like every other car was a truck full of sugar beets.  They are big and I am always worried driving behind a beet truck that one is going to fall off and hit my windshield.

This is the first place I have lived that there was some big harvest other then corn.  It's kind of interesting to see all the trucks driving through the town.  They drive through the business district because it's the only way to get to the road that takes them to the sugar plant.  So you know it's October and beet harvest when you start seeing beets on the side of the road that have fallen off the trucks.  Doubt there are any trucks out today, or were out yesterday for that matter because it's been raining non stop and harvesting doesn't work well in the rain.

I don't know why I find beet harvest interesting but I do.

Just Keep Swimming

This encompasses a lot of things.  Firstly it's mainly in reference to my husband.  He has been having issues with his ear.  When he went to the doctor they thought it was an infection so put him  on antibiotics for it.  He was told to make an appointment with the ENT doctor if it hadn't helped in a week.  Well a week went by and it wasn't getting any better so he made the appointment.  Another week later it seemed to be getting better only while he had the antibiotics in his system.  When he was late taking a dose his ear would start hurting again.  So he went to the appointment and got it checked out.  His hearing is fine and actually does not have an infection.  What he has is a severe case of swimmers ear!?!?!?  He hasn't gone swimming in forever.  It makes you wonder sometimes.  I think maybe he got water in his ear from showering.  According to the doctor he has a lot of space in between his ear drum and his ear canal.  That is probably what caused it and surprisingly hasn't caused more problems in the past.  Now in the morning when he wakes up and before he goes to bed I get to put drops in his ear to try and help it.  I do find it kind of ironic that to help swimmers ear, which is water trapped in your ear, you have to put drops in your ear.  I guess if it works then it doesn't matter if is makes all that much sense.

Also I want all my friends struggling with anything in their lives right now to remember to 'just keep swimming'.  It doesn't matter what is going on just keep your chin up spirits high and remember that there are people who care about you and that you can overcome anything.  I have so many great friends, and I am getting to know some really great people through the bump website.  All of you guys inspire me and help me remember to 'keep swimming'.  Although my struggles right now are not that great it's easy to let them take control of your life and let them consume you.

Here's to my husband swimmer's ear clearing up soon and to everyone who is struggling with something 'Just Keep Swimming'!!!

Anniversary

Well today is an anniversary.  Six years ago today my wonderful husband changed my life by asking me to be his girlfriend.  Yes, he did in fact actually ask.  We were friends and didn't really have a definition of what we were so in true high school fashion(even though we were in college), he asked me to be his girlfriend.  When he propose I had hoped to keep this anniversary since it was a Saturday the year we got married but the date was booked at the reception site we wanted so we settled for a date two weeks later.

So basically I am going to gush about how I have the best man in the world.  I know everyone thinks that about their boyfriend/husband/SO and honestly you all should think that.  If you do not think your partner is the best thing in the world then maybe something is wrong.  My husband has stuck by me through a lot and I mean A LOT.  He has gone through criticism for me, handling tough times, and we have both come out smiling on the other end.  He is supportive of all my hopes and dreams and loves me unconditionally, even in my bad moments.

He is the best father in the world.  Even though our daughter is some what of a mommy's girl, I know she is a daddy's girl too.  If i could be a fly in the house to see how they are when I am away I would love that.  I know they have so much fun all the time.  He is very patient with her, especially now that she is developed a little sassy personality.  He loves his little girl more as much as he can and I am sure his love for her grows every day.

I am just so lucky that at a potentially dark time in my life my husband brought me such great joy and light.  Cannot wait to grow our love even more as well as our family.

FunkyTown

Ok, I know I have neglected this blog for a while.  Things have gotten crazy around the house.  I worked a ton this weekend and DD has decided bedtime is a suggestion until she is ready to lay down so sometimes it takes over an hour to get her in bed and sleeping.  Ahh the joys of parenthood.  I know some people would then start to question having another kid, but I know we will be able to handle it.

We were watching the show Parenthood the other day and they made a reference to sex calling it FunkyTown so now I think that is a new inside joke between me and my husband.  Perfect timing too because now is the time to start getting down to business to try and get pregnant this cycle.  I know the more often we go to FunkyTown the better the chances but I still don't want to take the intimacy out of it.  I never want it to turn into a chore for either of us.  I know there are days where I am not in the mood but indulge my husbands desire for a trip to FunkyTown.  I never want it to get to the point where we just say, 'let's get it over with and hope it works'.  That is why I have not started going through great lengths to figure out when I am most fertile. I know some women chart their temperatures take ovulation tests and such, and whatever works for them is best for them.  I would probably become obsessive and over analyze everything an stress myself out more and stress can hurt the process in a negative way.  I think that's why my last cycle was so off because in the middle of the cycle my daughter got sick and we had to take her to the ER and it was just a stressful time and I think it through off my body, more then it being unusual from being off birth control.

So here is to many trips to FunkyTown in the next week or so.  Hope one of those trips is the baby maker.

Anticipation Over

Well the anticipation of my period came to an end over the weekend.  Saturday after a morning/afternoon of running errands and just having a great time with my mom, exchange student and my wonderful daughter, we can home and once I use the bathroom the evidence was right there.

Let me tell you I couldn't be more relieved.  Did I wish I could have been pregnant, yes of course.  Was I disappointed to see that my period had started, not at all.  I was relieved something finally happened.   I know in the grand scheme of things a 39 day cycle isn't long, but for someone who has always been regular before and while on birth control, the 39 days seemed like forever.

Now the key is to keep stress free about this new cycle.  I am still not going to do anything as far as trying to predict when I ovulate.  I don't want to put that much pressure on me or my husband.  I 'know' my body pretty well and hopefully we can get down to business and make this cycle count.

Let's just hope it's not another 39 day cycle.  Now that I have gotten one 'long' cycle under my belt so to speak I will probably not be as freaked out or take as many HPTs as I did this last cycle.

On a completely different note, I had an engagement photo shoot on Monday and I must say it turned out amazing.  I have a folder full of wonderful pictures and I have to edit them very minimally which is always nice.

Here's to a smooth cycle and a possible happy ending!