Finally an update on us

It took me awhile, but here I am to save the day (update you all!!)

Right after Thanksgiving, Avery was honorably discharged and then re-enlisted in the US Navy for another 3 years. (It seems so silly that they have to discharge them to re-enlist them, but that's how it works. I sort of laughed when they said congrats you left the Navy and still got paid.) Avery is very nonchalant about the whole thing, but I am filled with pride. In the grand scheme of things, people who serve in the military are a very small part of the population. I really appreciate the fact that my husband is one of those who volunteers to do the work needed to defend not only our nation's freedoms, but also the the freedoms of other nations.

We got our official on paper orders for shore duty. Soo...where are we going?? Despite asking to stay in Hawaii, the detailer gave us our 5th choice and that is Bangor Naval Base! We should be there shortly before Easter. I am slowly getting used to the idea of leaving Hawaii and finding things about Bangor to love.

In case I didn't make it official on here, we did name our son finally. His name is Matthew Orson. He was breech for quite a long time and due to his head smashing my stomach I gained no weight for over a month. This led to concern and had me at Kapiolani (the hospital where I will deliver) for another growth u/s just to check on him. Thankfully there was no need for concern, he was/is fine and at 34 weeks they estimated his weight at over 5 pounds. The perinatologist estimated he will be between 7 and 8 pounds at birth (praying this is true, I have a slight fear of having the biggest baby in the hospital...crazy fear I know.)

Tomorrow is my 37 week appointment. We are almost at the end and ready to meet our little boy. My body is very sore and in much pain, but Avery has been amazing at taking care of me. He's such a good husband. He always tells me that I am the best, but I am the "best" simply because he's my husband.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Fun for Liz while Avery is out Christmas Shopping


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

I love wrapping paper, but I also use gift bags depending on the gift.

2. Real tree or Artificial?

I grew up with real trees, but we have an artificial tree.

3. When do you put up the tree?

Avery put the tree up last week after work and I finally decorated it yesterday.

4. When do you take the tree down?

Usually a week into the new year.

5. Do you like eggnog?

Not particularly, but Avery says next year when I am not pregnant he'll make me the good stuff to try.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Probably my American Girl dolls.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

We have a small one, but I would love to get a big one some day when we have a bigger home.

8. Hardest person to buy for?

My Godmother (aka Aunt Carol)

9. Easiest person to buy for?

Avery, because he makes a list for me. (Best idea we ever had!)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

We mail out our cards. I like it better that way.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Hmm...that's a tough one. There are a few things I can think of, but I feel terrible mentioning them, so let's pass on this one.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

A Charlie Brown Christmas and/or White Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

I officially started in November this year, which is actually late for me.

14. Ever recycled a Christmas present?

Yes

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Christmas cookies

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?

I like both!

17. Favorite Christmas song?

Carol of the Bells

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Both, but whilst living in Hawaii staying home has been the best option. The one time we traveled while we lived here getting home was a nightmare.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?

Yes, but only because my Mom used to (maybe still does) have a set of place mats with all the names.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

I prefer a star, yet we have an angel and I really want to get a star to replace it this year.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

When I was growing up we did one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. Since Avery and I have been married, we have opened gifts depending on his duty schedule.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?

Crowded Stores and people who become rude because of it.

23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color?

I have tons of favorite ornaments, but this year we got a pair of blue baby booties from my Aunt Sandy. Compared to last year when having a baby seemed far from reality for us, this year is pretty special in that regard.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year?

Tough question...it took me forever to give Avery any ideas. I finally told him some things I like that I wouldn't purchase for myself, so we'll see what we comes up with. He's pretty good at the gift giving thing.

(I know I owe you all a life update. I promise to get on that this coming week!)

In Thanksgiving.....

A lot of my friends wrote what they were thankful for everyday this month as status messages on Facebook. I didn't participate because I just don't care to update my status that often. Despite that I have a lot to be thankful for today and everyday, so I figured why not write some things I am thankful for in a blog.

1. My husband, Avery. He never fails to take care of me in whatever way I need. I am so grateful for such a good man. (Plus, he joined Facebook which is something I never thought I'd see him do.)

2. My family....I am very lucky to have such good people related to me through blood & marriage.

3. My friends. All of them are amazing, from the ones who live far away to the ones here in Hawaii.

4. Pregnancy. I am incredibly fortunate to be pregnant and despite the difficulties that have presented themselves with it, I never forget the people who helped make this possible.

5. Going along with number 4: God, our entire prayer team, the support group & the infertility specialists who worked with us. (Our infertility journey was relatively short compared to many others and I credit that on these people.)

6. My ob/gyn. I switched to Tricare Standard to work with him and he really has been the best doctor for me. I have complete confidence in his care.

7. The United States Navy. While hard to deal with sometimes....the Navy provides my husband with a job & both of us with benefits. Hard to beat that.

8. Furry faces...aka the kitties and doggie. They kind of rock. :-)

9. Food to eat. It sounds cliche' I realize, but I am thankful we do not go hungry when so many in this country do.

10. Nearly being done with my degree. I can apply for graduation and if all goes well with our baby boy, I will finally have a college degree in May or June.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you have a good one.

Questionnaire

I saw this on another blog and figured it'd be fun to fill out.

What if I were to get pregnant?

Seeing as I am currently pregnant, this question doesn't really apply. However, if I weren't pregnant and I were to get pregnant, I'd probably be happy.

What if I could have any job in the world?

Good question, my degree that I am thisclose to finishing is in public health. That allows me an array of options. I'd like to work somewhere in the health care setting. Not a very clear answer, but it's all I have right now.

What if I had a day to myself?
Spa day (but only if my Mom could join, because alone at the spa is boring to me!)

What if I could get married all over again?

I'd have the wedding in a more central location so more of our friends and family could've been there.

What if I could live anywhere in the U.S.?

St. Louis to be near my Mom or Chicago, which was my home for many years.

What, if I were to have more children?

That'd be great.

What if I could have any talent in the world?

Hmm...not sure.

What if you met me in real life?

Hopefully you'd like me. :-)

What if I went back to school?

I'd finish my nursing degree.

What if money weren't an object?

I'd pay off my student loans and buy a house.
And donate money to all the charities I want to donate to, but never can afford to donate to.

What if I could meet one celebrity?

Again...not sure.

What if I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life?

I'm going to say the Navy Exchange, because that still would give me lots of options. ;-)

What if I could choose an animal/pet?

No more pets for us at this time. However, if we ever have a new pet: I'd love a golden retriever as smart as my Mom's dog the Famous Flying Franny.

What if I could go on a trip right now?

I'd go home to Mom.
Okay, since that's obvious...I'll say my 2nd option would be Kauai.

What if I had to choose between a house cleaner and a professional chef?

HOUSE CLEANER!

What if I had the option to get plastic surgery?
I'd get lasik. I don't think there's anything else I'd want done at this point in life.

What's New?

I haven't blogged in a few weeks again. Mainly because Avery was home and I was busy with school. Well....as it happens in the submarine world, Avery went back out to sea. Not to worry, it's a short one, he'll be back soon.

Our lives in brief:

1. Pregnancy is going well. Our son looks great. I am into the 3rd trimester and getting excited to meet my little guy. We have our maternity tour a week from today.

2. Hormonal overload is in full swing. I've never felt so out of balance as I have lately. I am depressed one minute and happy the next. All I want to see is Avery when he's not here, but when he is here he's driving me up the wall. I am lonely and depressed.....I am told this is prenatal depression, which feels ridiculous to have since I am so lucky to be pregnant after all the hardship we went through.

3. Avery has a re-enlistment date and it is very soon (I honestly can't remember the exact date). He'll soon be committing to serve his country for another 3 years.

4. Shore Duty: Yes, we know where we are most likely going. (No, I am still not posting on the blog where we're going.) We just don't have a clear date of when we're going there. He was told that we would leave in March, but given no date.

The dog is on the bed....where he's not supposed to be. Better go deal with that.....ta ta my friends.....

Miscellany Monday

1. Linking to Facebook
I took down the automatic link that I had on Facebook that always showed when I posted a new blog post, thinking it gave me some semblance of privacy....while I will be posting it again. Several of my non-blogspot using friends commented that they couldn't find my blog anymore, so I'll put it back up there sometime this week. Anyway....my blog isn't private, so I am not sure what I was thinking.

2. Sleep
In desperation I asked my 3rd year resident doctor (not the ob/gyn) to please find something I could take for sleep while pregnant and he did find something. Though I am pleasantly surprised to not need it after all. Several pillows and regular tylenol have me sleeping well enough to be acceptable and not too grouchy.

3. Nursery
It's coming along. The furniture finally arrived and Avery put it together.

4. Surreal
Pregnancy, my own baby shower and all that jazz is still surreal sometimes. I feel guilty about my baby shower. It is almost uncomfortable to me. I wish infertility didn't exist, so everyone who wanted a baby could have one without such a fight.

5. Baby Name
He still doesn't have one. We want to use a biblical name, but are torn on which one we agree on.

Miscellany Monday

1. Fence Sign
My husband's submarine has always been called "God's Boat." I don't have the foggiest idea where this nickname came from. Regardless, we take the name seriously, so of course our fence sign has to be one of the biggest. This took 4 hours to put up and no I admittedly was not there the whole time. Today we took the sign down and that took about 1 hour. I think I like take down better!

2. Together Again
Blogger is letting me put pictures up again (maybe that Firefox update that I'd be ignoring was the trick?), so here's a picture of us from Friday's Homecoming. Forgive how awful we look. I was sick at this point and Avery had just come off a submarine. Enough Said.

3. Our Little Guy!
Looking straight at the camera during his 24 week check-up. I celebrated 25 weeks on Saturday and Avery will get to come with me to see him again at our 27 week appointment. Oh and we are hard at work on the name. He should have a name that we can announce in the next few days.

4. Candy Corn Fudge
I found a recipe for it in All You Magazine. It's basically fudge with candy corn in it. I think I'll be making a trial batch soon. Just because candy corn & fudge=win win, right? I think so.

5. Nook Color
It was a birthday gift and is my new favorite piece of technology. Thanks, Mom!

Happy Homecoming!

Avery arrived home from Westpac yesterday afternoon. I am so happy to have him home. It was a very emotional day for me. I admit it, I sobbed when he came off that boat. I was so relieved to see him. This deployment was a hard one for us. Obviously, pregnancy compounded by the fact that I wasn't working this time, made it seem very long. We did it though.

I just want to thank all of those people that helped me get through this deployment. I can't thank you enough for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. It means a lot to have so much support.

Onto the next chapter- our baby being born and SHORE DUTY!

Facebook

Anyone who knows me, knew I would have something to say about this huge, horrible change on Facebook. Rest assured dear friends, I am not letting you down. Here are my thoughts!

1. What was supposed to be a simple way to keep track of your friends who live far away (or at least that was my use of it) has now become a confusing jumble of "you're lucky if you see what happened in the past 10 minutes, coupled with whatever FB has decided is a hot story."

2. Wow, pictures are now larger then life on your profile posts and newsfeed. If I want to see a person's picture bigger, I click on it. I don't want it glaring at me on my front page. (Especially if it's a person from high school posting the mouse in a trap, dead at her house [totally serious, this did happen.])

3. The thing I take the biggest issue with is the fact that I now have to have a running commentary of exactly who my friends are commenting to or whose stuff they are liking. This would be fine except, I am not friends with everyone they are commenting to.....which begs the huge question of "WHERE'S THE PRIVACY IN THAT?" I specifically set everything on my profile to friends only, because I want to have a minute bit of privacy. That is pretty much gone now.

Stanley Pup

Here's Our Little Old Man!

He always looks amazing after seeing the groomer. I like his hair shorter.

Miscellany Monday

1. Another Monday!
You're thrilled, amazed, inspired that I made it to do a 2nd Miscellany Monday in a row! I knew it. My faithful readers are so cool!

2. Exhausted.
Yes, that's me. Completely exhausted all.the.time! I cannot wait for Avery to be home to take over some of the chores around the house. Then again he might not do them the right way....hmm...it might be time to let go of some of the control me thinks.

3. Book ClubMy super awesome book club met this past Sunday. We discussed "The House of the Spirits" by Isabel Allende. Loved the book!

4. Pinterest
Where has this website been all my life?

5. Stanley
My poochie went to the groomer today. He is exhausted. The doggie spa takes a lot out of you apparently. I had an insanely cute picture of him, but yet again blogger refuses to upload a photo for me.

Miscellany Monday

1. Something New to do on the Blog
I am trying out this whole Miscellany Monday thing. We'll see how long I last. You know me and any sort of blogging challenge (it usually goes out the window quickly.)

2. Pregnancy Update
I am 22 weeks along and trucking on. He is very active in the morning and in the evening. He must like breakfast and dinner. (Hmm...sounds like his Dad.)

3. Deployment
We're nearing the end. Yay, I survived and didn't cry in public (the airport totally doesn't count; my Mom was leaving.)

4. OrdersGuess what, we might have orders for Shore Duty. More on this as more information comes through from the Navy Man, since we may not be going where we think we're going. Just because I can't travel anywhere after November. (Unless the Navy wants to pay for me to get on a cruise ship to get to the mainland....yeah, never going to happen.)

5. Pictures
Blogger doesn't like me tonight. None will upload. Technology and I have issues. Or maybe it is HP laptops and I that have issues?

Turning a Corner

This blog was originally created as a way to vent and then as a way for our family & friends who live far away to see how things were going with the infertility. I fear I've been so grumpy lately that I haven't written anything of real value.
It's hard for me since I don't want to hurt the feelings of those I know who are still struggling with infertility or who have stopped treatment. I've been there and I will never forget the pain. I still worry and I probably won't stop worrying until our baby is born and makes his first cry.
I feel as though I am letting our family and friends down, by not updating on the pregnancy. So this blog turns yet another corner.....the corner where Avery and I are about to become parents and the blog about our (okay, mine with his sprinkled in a little) family begins a bit. (Still expect my complaints, because let's face it....a gal's gotta vent somewhere!)

I am just over 19 weeks pregnant. Though he was still measuring big at 16 weeks, I still have the same January due date and as we all know.....babies come when they are ready to come.

I picked out my nursery theme and plan to order the bedding set soon. We are not planning to paint his room, since we don't know how long we'll live here.

Avery is up for orders right now. We do not know where we are going and when we'll be able to go there. Staying in Hawaii is looking like a good possibility at this moment. I admit, it is one that frightens me a little. I worry I won't be able to get a job here and I don't like the idea of not having our families nearer to us. Yet, it is also familiar and we like the weather....A LOT! 3 more years would keep our son out of the Hawaii public school system (which is not consistently known for being good.) We await word from the detailer (important dude who finds military people a new command/job when it's time to move.) It's been more difficult to pick orders since Avery is deployed and cannot just call the guy anytime he wants. Ahh well!

It looks like I will finish my degree next spring. That's a semester later then planned. I could cram it all in, but I think that'd be too stressful to do right now. I will have a degree next year though and then it will be time to re-start my career. I am behind on that front compared to most people my age and sometimes I feel lost because I am 25/26 and not in my career yet. I need to work to be fulfilled I think. Avery has his goals and he is happy. We got married and now are having a baby, so those "joint goals" as I would call them are accomplished. I need to figure out me now. [No offense to SAHM/W, it's just not for me.]

Ugh....it's late and I need sleep. Peace out folks!

It's a Miracle!

Okay....not an exciting miracle, but a good thing happened recently, after my crabby post. I went and bought a humidifier for our bedroom. It's been amazing!!! I am actually sleeping better again. My sinus' still hurt, but they aren't so horrid that I can't stand to lay down at night.

So that's the lesson for the day. Go get a humidifier, they rock!

In other news, my Momster will be here in a week and a day. Yay!!!

(Now I just have to finish a research paper and end this tortuous class.)

Back to the books, so I can keep my A in the class.

Tired and Grumpy

Clearly, since you all can read, I just can't seem to get into blogging at all lately. I am tired all the time and grumpy, because I am tired. I can't seem to sleep due to the pain in my sinus' and just the usual insomnia. Mix that with the fact that my ob/gyn decided that Ambien is no longer a drug he wants me to take and you get a sleep deprived, b*tchy lady. Everyone is convinced that as soon as deployment is over and Avery is home I will sleep fine. Well guess what guys?? I am not one of those ladies who can't sleep without their spouse. Sorry if that makes me a bad wife, but my sleep is the same whether he is here or not here.

School is ridiculously busy right now. I am dealing with a difficult professor, who I plan to report to the university at the end of this class. I'd do it now, but I hesitate to rock the boat when she's already a pain in my side. Seriously....if you don't hear from me, don't take it personally this is one of my last classes and I will not let this women railroad me out of a good grade, so I've been hunkered down working harder then I usually need to.

On the bright side of things, if you aren't friends with me on Facebook, we are having a baby boy! (He had a name, but then Avery decided to 2nd guess the name....so I will reveal it as soon as we can both agree on a name again.) I've started planning his room theme and can't wait for my Mom to get here so we can buy the furniture. Then when Avery gets home he can put all the furniture together! Avery will NOT get to miss those obligatory pictures of the Dad-to-be putting the crib together...muahahhaha!

Deployment is counting down now. We passed the halfway point over a month ago. We are getting there. Yay!

Three Things Thursday

Here it is again.....see previous post for who I stole the idea from....

Three things I like:
1. Slushies

2. DVR

3. Afternoon naps

Three things I dislike:
1. Not having inspiration to blog.

2. Super sensitive sense of smell

3. People complaining over & over again.....

Three Things Thursday

My friend Holly over at A Cincinnati Girl's Semi-Charmed Life, started this and since I have nothing better to do figured I'd play along. Go check out her blog, it's worth reading, I promise.

3 Things I Like:

1. Tacos for lunch!
2. Free samples from Proctor & Gamble.
3. Helpful people on the phone.

3 Things I Dislike:
1. Cooking for myself.
2. Homework.
3. Feeling old.

A few things I have learned from infertility

Infertility is a road no one wants to travel and let's face it, never expects to travel down. At least Avery and I never imagined we would travel down it. That all said, we have learned a whole bunch thanks to battling it.

1. Be an advocate for your own health care. Health care is a business and you are the consumer. If you aren't happy with how things are going, either change doctors or speak up. This seems so simple, but I have met a lot of people who are/were afraid to do so.

2. Research, research, research! (But be careful on the internet, some of the info is good, others misleading.) Infertility is not an exact science, by any means. Your infertility doctor's office isn't going to tell you all the bad stories, they are going to tell you the successes....research on your own.

3. Have a large base of support. Doing this alone is hard. I had a whole team praying for me and it really was calming to know that others were behind me, even on the bad days or the days of lots of people getting pregnant easily. (In fact that team is still praying for me and for them I am grateful.)

4. Be skeptical of the miracle cures on the internet. If they worked, infertility doctors wouldn't be in business.

5. Make the best decisions for you. It's okay to say no.

Avery

Happy Father's Day to my hubby, Avery.

I hope you know how much I appreciate you and the work you do everyday to provide for me and our baby.

When you read this many months from now, when deployment is over, I want you to know how thought of you are and how present you are in our lives despite not being here on this particular day.

All my love, Your Wife, Liz

Not much going on....

I've been feeling so poorly lately, that I haven't had much desire to see people. I hate to be the annoying, whiny pregnant lady. So if I've seemed to ignore you, please don't take it personally...give me a few more weeks and hopefully I'll be back in the game of life.

I am very burnt out with school, but somehow was convinced by my adviser to double up classes and be finished by December. I am just going to schedule homework time into my day. If it's on my calendar the likelihood of it getting done is much greater.

Avery sent me 2 dozen red roses as a belated anniversary gift. They were such an unexpected surprise. Things like that make deployment just a tad bit easier.

Not much else is going down. Toodles!

Missing You

I miss....how you rub my back at night, so I can fall asleep.

I miss....taking you to work in the morning and coming home to watch the news.

I miss....telling you all the mundane details.

I miss....texting you just to tell you I love you.

I miss....the smile you give me when you come home from work.

I miss....cooking dinner for us.

I miss....kissing you. Okay, I miss this A LOT!

I miss....the smell of the submarine.

I miss....uniforms hanging up in the laundry room.

I miss....empty energy drink cans in the car.

I miss....listening to you pay video games.

I miss....almost everything.

I miss.....my best friend.

United Airlines and traveling

Preface: This post was formulated after a horrid experience with United Airlines a few weeks ago.

Customer service appears to be gone when it comes to some of the airlines in this country. I realize that a lot of people fly and costs are high, but is that really reason to treat passengers like crap? My case in point: my flight from Chicago to St. Louis was canceled due to weather. When I informed the woman that I didn't live in Chicago and would therefore need a place to stay the night (aka a hotel room), she refused saying it wasn't her problem I had no place to go. Really?? The weather I understand wasn't her fault, but the fact that the flight was canceled, thereby leaving people stranded was an issue that the airline needed to address. After going back & forth and me getting increasingly angry (I do have a temper when dealing with rude customer service reps), she still wouldn't help me. The next day when I was trying yet again to get out of Chicago, I encountered more rude people working for United. They were the most unhelpful bunch of people I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. I am a paying customer....one who has been loyal to this airline almost my entire life (thanks Dad). If they look me up in their computer, it shows my status with this airline. Yet they still think it's okay to act like I am the problem?? Am I missing something here?
What happened to customer service???? Is it just United?
I wonder, because Delta & Alaska Airlines who I also flew on this trip were fabulous to deal with. Every employee treated me well and helped me without attitude.

United lost a customer with that experience and they can blame their employees lack of service for it. Customer service is important and I really wish companies wouldn't forget this key concept.

Little Life Update

Not much is going on here. I was in Illinois visiting family for a month and now I am home trying to get back into my groove.

I had a 6 week u/s and there is just one baby. Part of me morns the loss of that embryo and yet another part sighs with relief at just having one. I have a lot of morning sickness. I cry a lot when I am alone....I just can't help it.

I miss Avery desperately. This deployment feels very long at times. They did finally port and I have spoken to him, which is nice, but it also makes it worse I fear to say. It's sometimes easier to not know where they are and to not be wondering when the next phone call will come in.

I applied for a new passport (mine was lost somewhere in the many moves I made before I got married), on the off chance that I will go meet the boat somewhere. I honestly do not think I will, because it is so very expensive, but I want to have the chance.

We are up in the air about when he will be able to re-enlist (due to the government being broke). Until that gets figured out, we have no idea where we'll be going to shore duty. If things don't work out with that, then we still have the option of him staying on the boat for another year, which would mean a 3rd deployment with this boat. I hate that option, but will go with it if we have to.

As for me, I am just doing enough work to get my degree done as quickly as possible. I don't care about my GPA anymore. It's time to just pass school and get out. I am beyond burnt out. That nursing degree that I had intended to finish after getting this degree may have to wait awhile longer or never happen. I am more & more okay with not finishing it.

Hope all are well.

Things I am liking right now:

It's Friday and I am celebrating what I like right now:

1. Dots candy. Seriously deliciousness stuffed into one tiny bite.

2. My secret sister (we have secret sisters as a small way to encourage the wives during deployment)....she is pretty awesome!

3. Kindle app for my droid. Especially the free books that are available from Amazon.

4. Everyone's pictures. I always like pictures but right now I am in love with pictures. So post away friends....I want to see what you're up to!

5. My Alaska teddy bear that Avery got me on last year's Eastpac.

6. Finding the stuffed animal dog I bought in England at my Mom's house. I had thought I gave it to Goodwill when I moved out, I am so pleased to have been wrong!

One thing I don't like right now:
1. Blogger having deleted some of my favorite bloggers posts. :-(

Time to snuggle with my kindle app! Toodles friends!

The Post You've Been Waiting For!

Did the IVF work? Everyone wants to know and some people already know. I promised Avery before he left on deployment that I would not reveal the answer until he confirmed that he knew.....

Well I tried and I am sad to say that I just can't keep that promise. Plus, in all fairness I promised him only that I wouldn't reveal it on Facebook (and I have kept the FB part promise...though others have guessed). He didn't say anything about blogger. ;-)

Yes, the IVF worked. God gave us a miracle. (Or two, we don't know how many are in there yet.) I am 5 weeks and at 6 weeks I get to go have an u/s to see how many little lambs the lord blessed us with. I read somewhere that if you make it to 9 weeks you have a 90% chance of your pregnancy making it. So keep praying everyone.

Though I am over the moon....I am still thinking about others who are still waiting for their turn and their blessing of a miracle. I don't plan to make this blog all about my pregnancy now....though it will certainly be mentioned. I am still a sailor's lady who fought over 2 years to get this miracle. I will never forget how hard it was and the fears that still linger.

Thank you everyone for your support. I love you and am thrilled to be back to blogging.

Ps. If you know me on facebook, please do not announce that you know until Avery & I have done so. Just post comments to this blog. Thanks!

One Observation

Texting during Mass is really tacky....even if communion is over and Mass is about to end.

Yes, I saw this today at church.

Ps. My Mother would've had my hide if I had ever done that.

How am I feeling?

The transfer went well. Now I have a week to wait to see if the embryos stuck. Everyone is asking how I am feeling....so here's the answer: I am tired, really super duper tired. Exhausted even. Nothing hurts (except maybe my stupid sinuses.) I am a bit nauseated at times and very hungry. Yet when I sit down to eat, food is not all that appealing. NOW, before you get all excited....these symptoms are completely normal for after any IVF. My body is being pumped full of progesterone to encourage pregnancy. So in all honesty, my body has thought it was pregnant since after the egg retrieval.

Mentally, I feel neutral. I am afraid to get too excited, just in case I have to deal with disappointment. And you all know the control-freak that I am. I am always planning ahead. (If you want to know how I manage that as a military wife, let me tell you it's a very intricate process...LOL!) I am very excited to have a positive result, but I have to prepare myself for whatever the answer may be. According to books I have read this is very normal for women who've had IVF. Oh and I can't forget to mention the anxiety. Of course I am anxious. Who wouldn't be? Thankfully the exhaustion is letting me keep that at bay a bit.

I appreciate everyone's continued prayers and thoughts. It means so much to me. I am in awe of the support we've been given. I cannot thank you all enough.

Things That Make Me Happy Right Now

[Foreword: I totally stole this idea from my BFF Angie. She rocks.]

Things currently making me happy:

1. Friends, who even from afar, listen to me and tell me exactly what I need to hear.

2. Pictures of my adorable niece, whose smile makes me happy just looking at it.

3. My pets....total caring, sweet things.

4. Television...yeah, I just like it.A lot!

5. Hot showers, thank goodness for an excellent water heater.

The Going Ons

I don't know where to start so let's just dive right in!

My egg retrieval was on Saturday and went extremely well. Our embryo transfer is Thursday. I am already like an anxious Mother, calling my IVF coordinator to check on them. I believe that life starts at conception. The day my eggs were retrieved and fertilized with my husband's sperm was the day that life began for them. Despite that it happened with the help of modern science...they are our children. Our DNA came together and created life. I am in awe of this whole process.
I just keep praying for our babies that they will be able to survive in my womb and join our daily life. God is good!

A look back on Submarine Ball 2011

Submarine Birthday Ball was last week Friday. Though Avery was out to sea, I still went and had an amazing time! I was very honored to meet the MCPON (highest ranking enlisted guy in the Navy) and get his coin! I even met one of the Admirals. For a gal whose spouse has really just begun his Navy career, in the grand scheme of things, this was quite exciting.
Now pictures:



















My professional picture for my Mom & his Mom. They insisted on pictures of their daughter. ;-)




















Loved my dress and the photographer was kind enough to take this one for me.














With the MCPON when I received his coin.

Great Day!

Today is a great day! I am exhausted, but otherwise feeling good. I had an u/s today to check things out and as expected everything looks great. I have already started the oral fertility drug (Femara for those in the know) and tomorrow I start the injectable medication (Follistim). Monday it's back for a check and schedule the egg retrieval. Everything is going exactly as our doctor said it would and that makes me feel so calm. I am so happy I could cry! After such a hard time...we are finally on the road to getting pregnant.

Now that I have a little time, I thought I'd post some pictures of our farewell. They had a BBQ on the pier for the families before the boat left. It was very nice. I can't thank our Submarine Squadron enough for such a nice time.














Our goodbye hug! I was crying into his shoulder at this point.













The Caption waves goodbye from the bridge of the submarine. He's a great guy and I know is taking good care of my guy and his shipmates.

Tired, but updating you all

Sorry for the blogging break. Avery and I spent our last few days together and then he left on deployment. Now my Aunt came to visit. [Note to self: never agree to visitors so soon into deployment and/or an ivf cycle.] I am on strong hormones for the IVF cycle. They are making me soooooooo tired. I just want to do nothing, which isn't exactly possible right now.

I have given a bunch of blood, had a pap smear. Apparently I hadn't had one since December 2009...which seems strange considering all this infertility business, but my dumb ob/gyn doctor at the military clinic never did it. So my PCM kindly got me up to date on that so I can get the all clear to do the actual ivf procedure.

Avery and I are really excited and even though he isn't here for the whole thing I feel him with me. (Sappy, but true.) We made all the decisions about every possible thing that we could think of ahead of time. We are prepared or as prepared as we know to be. Our IVF coordinator has been great about emailing and calling to make sure everything is good.

Alright...off to entertain....

Last Bit of Time Before He Leaves

Avery, my favorite guy in the world (& husband) is home again. They passed inspection and are ready to go on deployment. This is our last bit of time together before he leaves. I wish I could hold onto him forever sometimes. The last few days before deployment's are always the hardest for me, because you know how little time you have left and just want to savor it all.

We went to the commissary together today; something that I realized we hadn't done since very early in our marriage. It was sort of fun to see him realize just how much money I save us with coupons. He knew I used coupons, but I don't think he realized just how much money I can save in one trip.

Our infertility doctor gave us the plan and now we're just waiting on my body. Everything else is set to go! Yay! I can't wait for the day that I get to tell him he's a Daddy.

Well...better finish this up. Avery will be home from work soon to do more things on my...I mean his to-do list.

Getting Nervous

It's day 25 and I know that AF is on her way (which is totally positive this time around....the only time I am happy about her) and I am waiting for the doctor to call back & finalize the plans for April's IVF cycle. I am so nervous. I go from being sad & tearful to happy & on cloud 9 all day long (thanks hormones, I love you too....NOT!).

I am still dealing with the shoulder & neck pain from an injury last week. I had stopped taking the pain meds, because I was getting nothing accomplished. Unfortunately I think that may have been a mistake. Hopefully that won't require a trip back to the doctor, due to possible re-injury. Yes, I'm an idiot sometimes, in case that wasn't already established.

I am so thankful to everyone who has been so wonderful to me the past month or so. I cannot thank you all enough. And my husband- he gets a gold star for how great he's been (even from the dark depths of the ocean. Haha!)

Errands to run! Toodles my friends.

How we do it

Most people who know me would consider me pretty resilient when it comes to dealing with the countless underways and then the deployments. And for the most part I would agree with that. I always miss him, but I don't feel awful or cry everyday. I just deal with it. It's my life and a life I accepted because I believe in the defense of our country & others, but mostly...I accepted it because I love him more then anything in the world. (Plus someone has to do it.)

I rarely talk about the heart ache of him not being here (or at least I think I rarely talk about it). It's just a part of our lives and we just do it. There's no secret to how we get through it. I send emails as I come up with enough worth telling him. He sends emails when he isn't super busy working. When he pulls into a port, he calls me...always calls me first. It has been that way since we were dating.

We have an amazing group of family & friends (both civilian & military) who support us and the work that Avery does without question. I am so thankful for all of them.

I mention this today, because I had what I call a "moment." A moment where I miss him & feel his absence so strongly that I have to cry just to release the pain. These are pretty rare, but when they happen I just have to let them out. I don't think holding in that pain is healthy.

In conclusion: we have no secret...we just do it. We/I cry when needed and then keep on going.

Not much to say

Just helping a friend see my blog networked.

This is for you, Jen. :-)

In case you were worried....

We are fine and had no damage from the tsunami. The whole thing seemed kind of ridiculous after it was all over. The only thing I can say is that I got good practice on how to deal with a possible tsunami. Though I think the cats & dogs would've outlived us all had a major wave actually hit. I had more of their stuff prepared then our stuff. Oh well...interesting experience. It's taken me 2 days to recover from the night of no sleep. I really have lost my night owl ways.

Christie has moved in and her dog Max is here. It's been good to have someone here. The impending IVF has me all kinds of anxious.

I spoke with the embryologist this past week and am getting together the paperwork so that everything we have banked at the other hospital can be moved to our doctor's new office & lab. Next on the IVF to-do list is calling the office to make sure the injectable medications are ordered & ready for the cycle to begin in a few weeks. I should probably call the credit card company too, just to make sure they aren't shocked by the enormous amount we're about to put on it.

I am pumped up and ready or at least faking it well. :-)

Scared

I am scared to make the first call to start setting up our IVF for next month.

IVF is scary.

I wish Avery were here to do this one with me.

Thank goodness for friends who are here to support me.

I am...

I am tired. Really tired.

I am sick of people whining about deployment. Yeah, it sucks...get over it. Every military spouse in the world has to deal with deployment, it's just a part of our lives.

I am worried about friends. I don't like to see others in pain.

I am annoyed that the dog is misbehaving. I know he misses Avery though.

I am missing Avery too.

Oh and did I mention....I am tired.

The ABC's of Me

A – Age: 25

B – Bed size: Queen

C – Chore you hate: Cleaning floors

D – Dog’s name: Stanley

E – Essential start your day item: Boost/Ensure

F – Favorite color: Pink and blue

G – Gold or Silver: Silver

H – Height: 5’ 5”

I – Instruments you play: I tinker on the piano & played clarinet in middle school.

J – Job title: Domestic engineer

K – Kid(s): None yet.

L – Living arrangements: Married & live with spouse when he's in port.

M – Mom’s name: Susan

N – Nicknames: Lizzie, Lizaroo, Lizard, Baby, Angel

O – Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Too many to count.

P – Pet Peeve: People who are always negative

Q – Quote from a movie: "Love won't obey your expectations, it's mysteries are pure & absolute." -Bridges of Madison County

R – Right or left handed: Right

S – Siblings: None

T – Time you wake up: 8:30am

U- Underwear: Yes, I wear it.

V – Vegetable you dislike: Asparagas

W – Ways/Reasons you run late: Take too long to get ready or dog is misbehaving.

X – X-rays you’ve had: Too many to count.

Y – Yummy food you make: Beef Stew

Z – Zoo favorite: Meerkats

What do you do...

Edit: I posted this earlier, then worried I would make someone's bad day worse, so I took it down. However posting it again, since she saw it & wasn't upset.

What do you do...

When a fellow infertility friend makes the decision to stop treatment?

Me? I cried for the sadness & heartache of that decision.

And out of fear that someday we'll be faced with the same decision.

H- I love you and I am thinking of you today. I hope you find peace & comfort soon.

I want this kitchen!

Someday when we say farewell to the Navy (aka retire) I want to build a house & have a beautiful kitchen like this one.

Finishing up the blog challenge

Kind of tired of this blog challenge, especially when I have other ideas of what to write, so I am just going to go ahead & finish it up.


Day 28: Post a picture of something you're afraid of- Centipedes. They are huge here in Hawaii.










Day 29: A picture that can always make you smile-
Avery & I at Submarine Ball 2009. Love this picture of us.











Day 30: Post a picture of someone you miss-
Scamper, my childhood pup. He went over the rainbow bridge last May and there's not a day that goes by that I don't wish we'd had more time together.






Day 31: Post a picture of yourself-
It's me!

Day 27 Blog Challenge

Day 27 of the blog challenge is to post a picture of yourself & a family member. This picture is from June 2009. It is my cousin Ethan & me. At the time he wore his very curly hair long, so we were comparing hair lengths. Haha!













In infertility news...AF came to finally start my break cycle for March. All to gear my body up for IVF in April. I also bought a package deal on acupuncture so I can have that done before & after the IVF. I've read that acupuncture can help, so I figured I'd try it.

My Husband Avery

Day 26 of the blog challenge is post a picture of something that means a lot to you. I have chosen someone and that is my husband, Avery.
Avery is my rock. I cannot imagine my life without him in it. I love him more then I ever thought I could love someone. He gets me through it all. He is so strong. I am very thankful that God blessed me with marriage to him.

Day 25- Blog Challenge

Day 25: Post a picture of your day-

This wasn't taken today, but I did lay by the pool today and it was amazing!







In other news: I am feeling good today. I was reading more info on my infertility doctor- get this, he's got an over 50% success rate with IVF. Can you say d*mn! That's almost unheard of. I am even more thankful we have him as a doctor!

Blog Challenge-Day 24

Day 24: A picture of something you wish you could change:

I wish I could change the number of people in our family.

But I have faith that modern science will change that number for me very soon.

Working up the positivity again

Yesterday was an emotional day....no other way to say it. I normally am as positive as possible, but yesterday I just lost it. I cried and moaned out the pain of another failed cycle. My husband held me and listened to me ramble on about whatever came to my mind.

Today is another new day. I am still not 100% back to the positive side, but I feel ready to fight again. We will take March off as my doctor suggested and do IVF in April.

A baby will be born to us this year. This is our year. The year I finish my college degree and the year we become parents. All thanks to fierce determination & a lot of money....hehe!

Infertility is cruel.

Sometimes I hate that I know my body so well that I can tell when AF is on her way. I have been hormonal for 2 days now & as much as I've tried to fight it, I know what that means. The IUI didn't work as suspected. I am angry with the world yet again. IVF here we come.

Feel like burying my head under the covers and not coming out for a. long. a$$. time!

Infertility is cruel.

IVF and blog challenge

Yep, you read it right......IVF is very likely going to happen this year. We will be doing minimal stimulation IVF, which is different from regular IVF in that they take fewer eggs (therefore making less embryos) and it costs a heck of a lot less. Supposedly it's a lot less stress on your body.
I can tell you, this was not the plan we were expecting, but due to issues with the spouse....it doesn't look like anymore IUIs would be effective. [If by some miracle we did get pregnant from this month's IUI at least we'll know what to do in the future.]

Now on to the blog challenge, which I am sorely behind in:

Day 20: Post a picture of somewhere you'd love to travel-
Australia. The place looks amazing!








Skipping day 21, because no picture could do it justice. My feelings are that intense.

Day 22: Post a picture of something you wish you were better at:

Working out. I just don't like to do it.








Day 23: Post a picture of your favorite book-

The Giver by Lois Lowry. I absolutely love this book!

Blog Challenge- Days 18 & 19

Day 18: Post a picture of your biggest insecurity:

Mine is never finding a career that I am truly happy in and therefore not succeeding in life. I want to work at a place where I feel happy to go there everyday or nearly everyday. I want to make money to pay off my student loans and live comfortably. I just have an insecurity that I won't make it.


Day 19: A picture and a letter:









Dearest Self,

The past 2 years have been very hard. You've struggled with the unfairness of life and the confusion of things not working out the way you'd hope. Yet your faith in God & positive outlook has kept you going. You are a strong woman. Nothing can bring you down if you let it. Keep confident! You will succeed and get what you want in life.
Be aggressive with the infertility, you control your care....be an advocate for you. Sometimes getting good health care means having to be selfish. That said, do not treat others unkindly. They didn't do this to you. Stay away from the negative and surround yourself with positive.
And keep praying....those daily minute meditations that come in the email: they are a good thing.

-Liz

News: Less then a week left on the 2ww. It's been very difficult this cycle. The uncertainty just kills me! (They need a test that gives you results way sooner.) If things don't work out in the next 2 cycles, I will definitely be taking a break for May, June & July. I am going home to Illinois and going to rest up my mind & body. Hopefully though none of that will be necessary if the IUI worked last week. *Crossing fingers & praying a lot*

Our Valentine's Day was a short one....Avery didn't get home from the boat until after 8pm. We had dinner and the flowers he ordered for me didn't show up until after 9pm. Then we crashed a little after 10pm. Oh well...at least I got to see him!

Blog Challenge Day 17

Post a picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently:

Clearly, infertility.

Blog Challenge Days 15 & 16

Day 15: Post a picture of something you want to do before you die:

Visit The Vatican.







Day 16: A Picture of Someone Who Inspires you:

The writer of the blog, Newlyweds Next Door

I am not sure what it is, but reading her blog truly inspires me to keep working hard so I can achieve the things I want to achieve in life.

Blog Challenge & Other Stuff

Skipping Day 13 of the challenge; it's post a picture of your favorite band or artist and I can't narrow it done even remotely. I like an array of music.

Day 14: A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without:

Obviously, it's my Mother. I've said it before, but she's amazing and my bestest friend. I really can't imagine my life without her.











Other stuff: Yeah, did the IUI on Wednesday. Sperm did not thaw well for some unknown reason. Very poor chance it worked. Back next week to discuss next steps. Tired of hearing about people getting pregnant. Tired of fighting freakin' Tricare Prime to get referrals taken care of, seriously the healthcare may be "free", but it is not even remotely easy to deal with. I mean, they have good customer service, but the system is seriously flawed.

I was super confident & feeling good yesterday. Today I've lost that confidence. I am tired of people telling me that maybe it's just not the right time. That's not supportive or helpful. Be kind, not ludicrous. My college adviser told me to take a 2 week break. She said I needed it, so I am taking it.

My friend Christie is moving in when Avery deploys. I just can't sit here alone for 6 months and I don't want to go home to IL for the whole deployment. I feel sort of like I am failing as a Navy wife having someone come to stay, but with all the stress we've been through, I just don't want to put myself in the position of being alone so much. I can see myself withdrawing from life if I don't have her here.

Well, it's late here and I should probably think about bed time. G'Night all.

IUI

IUI is tomorrow and I am nervous/excited/scared/happy all at the same time. My doctor thinks our chances are pretty good. Yay!

Photo challenge- day 12: Post a picture of something you love:

Scrapbooking! I love it!

Day 11 Photo Challenge

Day 11- Post a picture of something you hate.

I really, really don't like asparagus. I think it tastes awful.

Blog Challenge- Day 10

A picture of the person you do the craziest things with. This is my favorite Navy wife and bff, Stacie. We have the craziest adventures sometimes. From driving around random girlfriends to dealing with nutty people to doctor's appointments & police stations....we do it all. (Btw, police stations were not because we were in trouble.)