What did you say doc? Perfect? I'll take it!

Today I underwent my IUI procedure.  

I feel like everything has been perfect this go 'round.  My ultrasound showed TWO mature follicles two days ago…all we need is one!  I have one on the left and one on the right…both came to the party this month :) 

We decided to only take oral medication to save on costs and to minimize my complications (i.e. cysts!).  It worked.  

I have also been testing my ovulation via an ovulation sensor and a kit.  My LH surge was right on time; everything correlates.

Matt went in first this morning to do his thing…which was PERFECT.  

I went in an hour and a half later, and was called back fairly quickly..

however, not before I had some time to look through a Southern Living Christmas Magazine and score some awesome recipes (that I just took pics of with my phone) and peruse some neat "suggested"gifts for the season..

and saw these ADORABLE slippers…."Southern Belle"…however, they cost about $148…so nope. 

But I can look at them and think of how adorable they would be to wear!

Once the IUI procedure was completed, I had an ultrasound just to make sure everything happened the way it was supposed to (process of ovulation concurrent with procedure) given that we only took oral medication this round…it was PERFECT.  Those are the very words the nurse practitioner used.  By the way, I asked for a specific nurse practitioner who is just awesome…got her.  Again, perfect. :)

I was so excited, I wanted to remember this moment.  This could be the moment that we made (God allowed and truly made) our Christmas miracle.  Oh, please, Lord!!

I have felt calm all morning…but I attribute that to my time with the Lord, and prayer.  He truly gives a peace that surpasses all understanding.  It's probably the calmest I've ever felt going through this process.  

I told the Lord this morning that the last two+ years have been hard.  They have certainly tried us and stretched our faith in ways we could have never imagined.  And we are so thankful.  God has made us own what we said we believe.  Our convictions are deeper because of it, our love for our God is immeasurably more because of it.  He has met us every step along the way and has brought comfort.  He was/is capable of taking on our doubts and honesty before Him when we were at our lowest moments in the struggle.  Oh, how I love Jesus. 

We don't know what news today's procedure will bring.  We may get a Christmas miracle for our family.  We may not.  Either way, we are content.  Jesus is THE Christmas miracle, and We are His and He is ours.  Whatever he calls us to, we'll do.  We deserved nothing, yet He has given us everything. 

Just a last picture of our sweet furry babies…I took a picture of Dot first:

and then Baylor got a little jealous and needed her picture taken as well:

um, hello, guys.

Merry Christmas, ya'll!

The Holidays! (and an inFertility update)

I love this time of year - Fall is here, cool crisp air has come (and gone…I'm just saying).  Thanksgiving and Christmas are celebrated.  Family gets together and there seems to be more cheer in the air.  We've been very busy with some traveling for weddings, hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year, and celebrating Matt's 34th birthday :)

Here are just a few pictures from our time:

We celebrated Thanksgiving with our small group from church by hosting a Pilgrim/Indian dinner with another small group…We were the pilgrims…they were the indians. 

As you can see, I like to go all out when it calls for dress up :)  My husband, however, does not.  He kept saying.."I'm not dressing up. Nope.  I'm not doing it."  (Although I will tell you that he owns a pretty awesome Batman costume that he has no shame in putting on..!)  Well, as you can see below…he dressed up.  Love that man…ahem..pilgrim :)

THEN!!  It was Matt's 34th birthday.  Our small group got together at Post Office Pies in Avondale to eat some pizza and celebrate.  It was fabulous.  Probably some of the best pizza i've ever eaten. And the company was so much fun :)  

Matt even got to meet his band crush's lead singer (St. Paul and the Broken Bones) that night…TOTAL star sighting!  And the guy was so nice and talked with us, and let me take a picture of he and Matt.   (This guy can wale.  I mean it.  His voice is stinking AMAZING.  Look the band up.)

Edgar's Carrot Cake. YUM. 

We then flew out the very next morning to San Antonio to watch one of Matt's best friends get married.  Matt was actually a groomsman.  It's the first time I've been to San Antonio, and we got to walk along the River Walk and see the Alamo.  It was so pretty!  

I rented this dress from RentTheRunway.com…It's a Monica Llullier.  Ahhhhh…I always find it so cool to wear a designer's dress at a fraction of the cost :)  I did the same thing for my engagement pics..

The very next week Matt and I hosted my family for Thanksgiving.  It was a fun filled three days!  

We ate a TON.  We even got out on Black Friday and did some shopping, which I NEVER do as a rule.  It wasn't too bad, though :)  

Having family in town was the best.  I love spending holidays with them.  All in all, we had 7 people and 5 dogs in our little abode.  It was cozy :)

Below is my sister and nephew.

My stepdad.

My sister and mom. 

The Saturday they left, Matt and I headed to Pollard, AL to bury his grandfather.  It was a bitter sweet day as we mourned him no longer being with us, but celebrated that one day we will see him again, and he is no longer suffering.   We love you, Claude Moton.

And now, we are in the Christmas season!  We went today and bought our Christmas Tree.  One of the things I have always dreaded at Christmas is putting up, and decorating a tree.  Somehow, after marrying Matt, it is one of the things I look forward to.  It's our new tradition.  We do it together, and have a lot of fun stringing the lights on the tree and carefully placing the ornaments.  Maybe it's because  we have ornaments that mean so much to us - that reflect our life together and our family. 

Either way, I now love it.   

Below is our mantle and advent wreath…I'll post more pics of our tree later :)

We also bought some new outdoor trees for our porch, and when Matt saw this bear…he fell in love with it.  He had to have it!  He's a bear at heart ALL THE WAY.  

His team is the Baylor Bears.  He loves the Chicago Bears.  He's a CUBS fan.  He once stated if he could be any animal it would be a black BEAR.  He's a bear. :)  (and we, of course, named our second dog Baylor Bear Moton..)

So here's our new Christmas front porch :)

Our dogs just sat there and watched us decorate…they're such good dogs!

Oh, and Matt just showed me this…I'm telling you…bear through and through :)

This was on a poster that one of the college kids held up on game day at Baylor today.  Sic 'EM Bears!!

inFertility Update

We are now back on medications to help stimulate my ovaries to produce eggs.  We took last month off, and actually had ultrasound proof that I ovulated on my own (praise the Lord!), but we still did not get pregnant.  So, this month, we have no cysts…were placed back on meds…and have an ultrasound in the morning to see how things are looking :)

Hopefully, the plan will be to schedule IUI in the next few days if I have some mature eggs in there :)

Please pray with us.  And if the Lord continues to say "no"…come July we'll be legally allowed to adopt in our state…and Lord willing, we'll pursue it. 

Merry Christmas!