Merry Christmas!!!

Tickled

Caitlyn loves to be tickled!  She'll ask for "more" or "again" over and over.  Her laugh is infectious...I can't get enough!

Third Go Around

When I first started writing this post a little over a week ago, I titled it Defeated.  I was feeling pretty down about our second cycle not working.  Especially because the numbers were in our favor.  The nurses and Dr's all thought this was going to work for us.  But it didn't. 
 
Our first cycle in October we used the same protocol that we did to get pregnant with Caitlyn. I took Femara (pill) from day 3 through day 8. I started Gonal-F injections on day 6 of my cycle. I did these injections for 5 days. I triggered ovulation with an HCG trigger shot and we did the IUI on Oct 25th. I took Caitlyn to daycare that day but took the day off so I could go home and lay down and just relax all day. I didn't respond very well this time around to those drugs. I think I had 2 follies (eggs) that may have been viable. I was still optimistic. I had "symptoms" the whole time I was waiting to test. That cycle failed.


Our second cycle in November we used a totally different protocol. On day 3 I started Follistim injections. I did this injection for 7 days. Then on day 8 I used a Ganirelix injection in the morning and then I took 2 lupron injections 12 hours apart for ovulation. We had great numbers this time around. I responded really well (25 eggs) to the meds that they put me on. Jared's numbers were the best they've ever been while we've been trying (42 million little swimmers). Two Dr's and all the nurses were talking to me about multiples. I think they were all convinced I'd be pregnant. Jared said he had the same feeling that he did when we were pregnant with Caitlyn, so he was convinced that I was pregnant. I had no symptoms this month. We also added another drug (Estradiol) to the protocol during my 2 week wait that I had never had to take before. When I talked to Jared about the multiples factor we both kind of laughed about it. Do you know who we are?  We'll be thankful for one.  This cycle failed.


We are in the middle of our third cycle.  Almost the same protocol as last cy only instead of 75 units of Follistim they lowered it to 50 units every day.   I'm on day 8 of injections and as of this morning I'll have at least 2 more.  I have another follow up appt on Wednesday morning and then hopefully IUI will be either Friday or Saturday morning. 


We started this process because I had met my deductible this year. This is my last cycle before the end of the year and our deductible starts over. I'm not sure what we'll do if this third cycle doesn't work. When we were trying to get pregnant with Caitlyn we were on our last cycle that Dr. M would let us do the IUI. She was pushing for IVF after that and we hadn't decided what we would do in that situation. And thankfully we didn't have to make a decision.

We found out that we were pregnant with Caitlyn on New Year's Eve in 2007...maybe we'll have another New Year's surprise!  I'm hoping I'm meant to be surrounded by Virgo's in this house and this will be our month! 

What Could Be Better....

...than free Christmas cards for us to send to family and friends this year?  Shutterfly is having a special for bloggers (to see more info click here ) 50 free Christmas cards for writing a blog post about their wonderful holiday cards!  Check out some of my favorites...although I'm not sharing my favorite as that has to be a surprise for the mailbox! 

For some reason I'm drawn to candy cane's on Christmas cards.  Since having Caitlyn the past 2 cards have had candy canes on them.  Something fun and childlike maybe???  That's why this one was one of my favorites.



I love the colors on this one!  And I thought I could put a family picture in the center with pictures of Caitlyn on either side. 


Oh Holy Night is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs so I think that's why this one speaks to me.  It reminds me of Midnight Mass as a child growing up.  So simple and beautiful.  


I'm also working on one of these for Christmas for Caitlyn...I've never made my own photo book before but have heard through the grapevine that kids love them.  And I know that Caitlyn loves looking at pictures of herself in my scrapbooks so it should be a great stocking stuffer for her this year! 

I'm so excited to order these cards and finish with our holiday photo shoot!  Christmas really is a wonderful time of year and I'd like to thank Shutterfly for adding a little bit of holiday cheer to my Christmas season this year! 

30 Things

On Facebook a lot of my friends and family are listing one thing they are thankful for each day this month.  So here are my 30 things I'm thankful for this year in random order. 

I am thankful for....

• My senses.  To be able to feel, taste, hear, see and touch when so many can't do one or many of these things.
• Our dog...Zeus.  He may be annoying but he teaches me patience and is so loving and forgiving.
• Our home.
• Caitlyn's daycare providers.
• Having my Jeep paid off this year! 
• Being able to refinance our house with half the interest rate and half the time!
• My online friends who have gotten me through some rough times over the past 5 years.  It's awesome to have girls to talk with about things that they understand when it seems no one else does.
• My real life friends who also listen to me when I need it and keep me occupied (take me out drinking) when I need distracted!
• My Faith.
• Pedicures with my sister.
• Our Freedom in America
• Our armed forces who help us keep our freedom.
• My job.
• Jared's work and that his work has still been plentiful this year.
• All of our extended family.
• The 2 vacations that we took this year.
• Modern medicine because without that we wouldn't have Caitlyn and wouldn't be trying for a brother or sister for Caitlyn.
• Sports that both Jared and I enjoy talking about and watching together.
• My marriage and feeling safe and secure in our relationship.
• My education
• Caitlyn's opportunities for education
• Season changes.  Waiting for snow now so Caitlyn can go out and really experience it!  
• My dad who did a great job raising 3 kids on his own!
• The love of cooking & baking.
• The love of hosting parties.
• Working electricity...enjoying our Christmas tree & Christmas music on my ipod this morning because of this awesome invention.
• Holiday's and time with family that we don't always have.
• My sister who gets me.  And has the same likes and hobbies as me so we can spend so much quality time together.
• Jared.  For being an awesome husband who brings me back to earth and keeps me in check. 
• Caitlyn.  For being the best daughter a mother could ask for.  Words can't describe how thankful I am for the gifts she brings me everyday! 

October Festivities

I know...it's November!  I'm behind...what else is new??? 


Fall is my new favorite season!  I used to think spring was my favorite season, but only because I hated winter and couldn't wait for it to be warm again.  But all my favorite holiday's are in the fall.  So it makes sense that would be my favorite season.  It all starts with Jared and Caitlyn's birthday's in September.  Then we have the pumpkin patch and Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!  It's a wonderful time of year!  I was (and still am) disappointed that I didn't blog about our pumpkin patch adventure last year.  It was one of my favorite memories, so I wanted to be sure that I got it in this year! 


We went to Vala's Pumpkin Patch on a Saturday (Oct 9th).  Last year it was just Caitlyn, Me and Aunt Bethy.  This year Jared really wanted to go with us because it's all I talked about last year!  It's like a mini amusement park!  I don't even buy our pumpkins there...we go for all the other attractions and the picture opportunities!  This year we...


Watched Pig Races






Played on the tractors




Watched the bunnies in their houses




Ate succotash, homemade potato chips and warm chocolate chip cookies




Got Measured




Uncle Josh wrangled a calf




Fed the goats




Went down the big slide




Cuddled with Harrison

Then we rolled into Halloween.  I looked all over for a costume for Caitlyn.  Since she was a sugar plum fairy last year I really wanted something that wasn't fairy / princess like.  I found this super cute girly clown costume.  Jared wasn't sold on it.  He said clowns were creepy.  And I agree SOME clowns can be creepy...but she was so cute! 

We didn't really go trick or treating.  We just went to see all the grandparents.  She had a great time handing out candy at Grandma and Grandpa Darlings house!  I thought she might be too shy or scared of all the people but she loved it! 

Now it's on to my two favorite holiday's! 

What's Caitlyn Doing Now

• She can now gallop. And as she's galloping through the house she's repeating it over and over again!

• During car rides she points things out. And she'll keep repeating whatever she's seen until you repeat what  she's said. She wants to make sure that you've understood exactly what she said. Her favorites at the moment are yellow school buses, big trucks, airplanes and slides when she sees a park.

• She can correctly identify the colors yellow, blue, purple, pink and sometimes green.  She calls orange, pumpkin.  

• She can pull up and down her pullup and pants to go to the bathroom.

• She also likes to empty her potty in the toilet and rinse it out in the sink and put it back. I then have to go around and clean up the mess she leaves behind. But this makes her so proud I can't tell her no.

• She's staying dry in her pullup 85% of the time.

• She can also put her pants on from being off.  Can't quite put her shirt on by herself yet.

• She is learning to put on her socks...she's been able to put most of her shoes on for awhile now.

• She loves helping feed and give water to Zues. She also loves giving him his treat for going in his kennel.