IUI #2 and then some..

We had our second IUI procedure yesterday!  All was routine and went according to plan.  I was at work by 11am like the last time.  Now we will wait two long weeks again to know if the Lord has opened my womb and allowed us to bear children.  Oh how we covet your prayers during this time! Oh, Lord, hear our prayers. 

(below is my treat to myself after the IUI procedure and before work…a Lite Coffee Frappacino, and an old fashioned glazed doughnut…that's right…don't judge…:))

Other memories of our lives….

Cinco de Mayo

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo in true American style :)  (I say "American" because, apparently, it's not really celebrated in Mexico like we celebrate here - verbatim from Donna and Marky Ayers whom I ALSO had a mexican lunch with earlier that day!! Go BIG or Go HOME.) 

We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, ordered margaritas, and ate fajitas :)  

Outside, they had a band singing both american and hispanic music - it was AWESOME! They also had a guy on guitar on the inside singing some parrot head music…fun times. 

We are in our final preparations for Spain!!  

Matt and I were reading through Rick Steves' book on Spain last night and building our itinerary :)  Actually, most of our itinerary has "relax, eat tapas" on it.  

Annnnnd, we'll probably see some other sites while we're there, too…:)

And, TODAY is Dot's 6th Birthday!!!  

Such a beautiful bird dog and wonderful companion.  Matt asked her this morning what she would like to have for her birthday, and we're pretty sure she said, "Bird?" :)  Love this girl.  

Day 9 Follicle Check

Praise the Lord!!  I have FIVE mature follicles this go 'round!  Two on the right, and three on the left!  However, I will tell you…the nurse practitioner who was doing my ultrasound thought I may have been starting to ovulate this morning, and told me that we may have to move our IUI procedure UP TO TODAY….what?!?!  Needless to say, I was very surprised, nervous, excited, and ready all at once!  The final decision would all be based on my progesterone level that was drawn this morning to verify if I actually was ovulating or not.  So she told me to get my HCG injection ready, and plan on it.  I called Matt, who would have to cancel two appointments to make that happen, but was more than willing to do so. 

I met Donna for lunch, and by the end of it, ART program had called, and said, no, in fact I am not ovulating…ha!  But that's ok.  That means everyone gets to keep about their business as usual today, and we will have the procedure as planned on Wednesday morning :) My progesterone level was 0.5 today, and my estrogen was 554…both great levels for where we are. 

We covet your prayers for a successful procedure this month! 

On Friday, Matt and I went to our friends, Bradford and Elizabeth's, house for dinner.  They are newlyweds..and it is so fun to see her entertain in her new home with her man by her side :)  And, of course, they served Mexican food…our favorite! 

The happy couple as we left that night..can you tell we were full?? ahem.

However, I had already been feeling very nauseated all day that day, and didn't want to cancel dinner plans with these sweet friends…and I paid for it the rest of the night.  (Not because of her cooking!! I was already feeling sick, mind you!)

Matt and I were sick all night…I was up vomiting, etc. and had to go to work the next day.  I couldn't find anyone to cover for me…ugh!  So this is how we take care of our own at work…

Matt got to stay at home and rest all day, which I'm very happy he did.  He needed to recover as much as I did.  He hydrated at home…I hydrated through my vein at work with some zofran…miracle drug, I tell you!  I did end up seeing two patients, IV in place, before the fluids all ran in.  I do wonder what they may be thinking as they come in to the ER for a bug bite, and I have an IV hanging out of my arm taking care of them…:)

Then, by Sunday morning, we were all better…ready to go to church :)

Don't you just LOVE a man in a bow tie!!  So handsome.  

And Matt planted five new knockout rose bush plants in our rose bush garden…our yard is his sanctuary.  He loves it!  It really is so much more beautiful with his touch. 

Day 4 of 6 (shots that is..)

Only THREE more days of giving myself two shots a day :)  Just a simple little daily chore to hopefully get us one GIANT step closer to having our own baby.  

Please pray with us that The Lord allows these medicines to work this time!

Besides this, and working…I've also been doing some light cooking.  I took dinner to two different couples in our Sunday school class after they had their babies.  I came across this new VERY simple recipe for "Chicken with Caper Cream Sauce".  I made it for BOTH of them, BEFORE trying it out myself…which I never do.  So, I had to cook it for Matt and myself just to make sure food I had cooked and delivered was actually edible and tasty..:)

Verdict: It was pretty delicious!  

And I served it over rice with seasoned green beans as a side. 

Then there are the days when I start to cook a turkey, cheese, and tomato melt...and get distracted…

I end up with this…

I like to call this "lightly toasted"…my dad would call this "seared"…most would call it "burnt" (the southern lingo).   I'm not one to waste food…I ate it anyway.  It was great..ahem..!

And what do we do with leftovers at our house…redesign them!  

Leftover asparagus and red and yellow bell peppers from pasta just a few nights before?  Well, hello, morning omelet :)

Right now as I type about food, I have two dogs at my side, wagging tails, whining…it's like they know. I don't even have to have food on a table or in my hand…I'm typing about it.  :)  Oh, I just looked at the clock…it's 4:12pm.  They normally eat around 4:30pm.  And there you go..:)

And here's a shout out to my husband this week…hardworking, wonderful, always making me laugh hubby.  He beat the storms/tornados the other day and got our grass cut.  Our neighbors have told us they are jealous of our grass…you know, the fact we actually have it :)  I never knew I didn't have grass in my yard until I married Matt.  Apparently it was all weeds and clover mimicking grass.  With his talent…we now have very plush grass…that grows fast!

(Still in pirate mode..)

Isn't he just so cute??

We are scheduled for our follicle check ultrasound on Monday…just three short days away! 

Thank you for your prayers!

Our Saturday Funday!

We started out our Saturday by going to some yard sales…like FIVE yard sales…!  I LOVE doing this kind of stuff…Matt tolerates it for me :)  He actually HATES going to yard sales.  However, the rest of the day was spent doing what Matt considers.."much more fun than a yard sale" :)

We played TENNIS again!!!  

We used to play all the time when we were dating…but we just haven't made time since we've been married…until yesterday.  SO MUCH FUN!  And SOOO exhausting!  It really is a great aerobic workout.  We said we are definitely playing more - AND I beat Matt…FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!!  I have won games against Matt, but never the MATCH!  And I beat him 6-3!!!  Whoo-hoo!!! Of course, I know this will NEVER happen again…he'll get back up to speed and whip me all over the court.  But that's okay - as long as we're together having fun…I'll take it!

Then!  

We went the the annual 2014 Hope for Autumn Crawfish Boil at Ross Bridge!  

IT WAS FANTASTIC!!  

We ate SO MUCH crawfish, and just chilled, listened to two different bands play, and watched TONS of kids play all afternoon.  There were so many families there, with face painting, balloon animal making, etc.  We even ran into some old friends I haven't seen in a long time!  

Great day. 

Go Big or Go Home…I'm just saying.

Below is Rollin' In The Hay.  

I first saw this band at a frat-party while at TSU.  The only thing missing was a bunch of college students holding a beer in one hand in the air while they "moved" back and forth…ohhhhh….the frat parties…I think the scene has changed just a bit :)

Then today:

I think we must need this nourishing rain.  I love the rain, and am so thankful when God blesses us with it.  There is something so calming and peaceful about listening to and watching the rain.  AND!  It provides a great opportunity to make chili for lunch (which is what we're having!)!!

Also….just an update on our infertility process..

I will be starting medicine injections again on Tuesday or Wednesday this week…and will actually have TWO injectable medications this time…not just one.  Boo.  We are VERY thankful, however, that we will get to try again this month/cycle before heading out to SPAIN!!!  Have I mentioned that yet…YEP!  Two weeks, and we'll be sitting in a Tapas bar in Madrid...Lord willing, of course.  

Time to brush up on my spanish….Adios!!

I Will Seek You When I Rise.

Our puppies wake us up naturally every morning by 5:30-6:00am.  There really is no need for us to set an alarm clock.  They are our alarm clock :)  However, this gives me time to spend with Matt before work,  for us to pray together, to have a good cup of coffee, and for me to meet with my Lord.  

This morning as I was reading God's Word and journaling, the sun rays peered through my window and landed on my face.  I felt its warmth, and thanked God for His Word, and for the Holy Spirit.  It was such a serene moment - just me and the Lord.

As I was typing this, the sun shone back through again…so I captured it for you. Of course, the picture does it no justice…

I also woke up this morning singing the following song - 

"Acres of Hope" - Shane and Shane

Hope you enjoy :)

The News.

I can't say it's easy to type this.  Yesterday, I felt like I would never stop crying.  We found out we're not pregnant.  There's no rhyme or reason.  It just wasn't the right time, I guess.  Everything that can be tweaked has been tweaked, and still no positive results.  All we can do is wait.

I got the call around 3:30pm.  The doctor's office called, and when I answered, she just said, "Shana, I'm afraid I don't have good news."  Well, I made it through that phone call, and then proceeded to cry for the next…well forever…it seemed.  I was signed up to take a couple in our sunday school class dinner yesterday who had just had a baby.  So, I went downstairs, cried, cooked, re-applied makeup…cried on the way there…re-applied makeup…dropped off the food, made small talk…cried on the way home, cried going to Bible study…re-applied makeup…cried during prayer request time in our small group…then cried on the way home from Bible study.  River, anyone??  Well, I guess I just needed to get it all out :)

God's mercies renew in the morning.  Today has been a better day.  I teared up when I first got to work today, but I asked the Lord for strength, and for faith that trusts in Him alone.  The rest of my day has been much better.  I feel like I'm back in working mode. I talked with the fertility clinic again today, as well as my OB/GYN - together we're all trying to figure out our next step.  Please pray for wisdom for my doctors and for continued peace and guidance for Matt and me.

The hardest part in all of this for me is the fact that I can't give Matt a child…his own child, who has his face and his dark brown doe-shaped eyes….that I may never see my own reflection in a child staring back up at me.  We have so many sweet names picked out for our children.  It is fun to dream with Matt.  I am so thankful for him.  God gave me a man who is sensitive and strong, and can listen and love with a ferocity.  I could never go through this heartache month after month without the Lord, and without Matt.

Tonight, a tight knit group of friends came over for dinner since Matt is out of town.  We were only missing one girl who couldn't make it.  We five friends have been meeting for dinner for years.  I love these women.  They are such a blessing in my life, and I am so grateful for their friendships.  We laughed and talked for over three hours before it was time to get home.  Thank you, Lord, for the friendships of women.

A Few Randoms to Keep Myself Busy.

 So, have I mentioned that Matt has to go to a continuing medical education trip every year in Las Vegas at this time??  It's not my favorite place for him to go…especially because they don't allow spouses.  However, this does make me laugh.  Each year there is one "entertainment night" and it's usually an older, well known band like Styx, or something akin.  THIS year…a COSTUME party.  HA!  So, each participating group had to decide what character they would dress up as….Baptist chose      Pirates.  

(Matt was not in on this decision)

So!  We pieced this outfit together for Matt last minute :)  Fierce Head scarf with skulls…$1. Pirate Eye Patch with gold earring…$2.99.  Blow up sword…$0.99.  Red sash…my very own scarf.  It's Pirate enough, don't you say?!?!  and all for under $5 bucks!

Of course, he won't be wearing a plaid shirt and khakis…what mean bad pirate would ever be seen in khakis???  How could you take him seriously?  So Baptist had shirts made that say, "Baptist Pirate".  And he'll don that with jeans…:) Muuuuuuch better.

Isn't he cute, though??  Love him.

I made my mom's homemade spaghetti the other night…but instead of adding just normal ground beef…I made homemade spicy meatballs.  The recipe called it:

Meatball Nirvana. 

I think it lived up to its name…and I had one happy customer.

We took a day trip to see Matt's grandparents and parents who were here for Easter. 

It was a wonderful trip.  We are so glad we got to spend some time with them while they were in town! 

The Dogs.  Performing an Irish Jig.

What I came home to on Easter Eve.  God has blessed me with such a wonderful and thoughtful husband...

who also sends me texts like this….and makes me laugh out loud :)

You're Welcome.