IKEA for the Win!

My husband is not the most organized man in the world. He tends to leave things wherever they end up at the end of his work shift. 

This is what his shoe pile normally looks like:

We were wasting time waiting around for the DMV (what a lovely Friday, right?) by walking around IKEA. In the closet section, I found a bench/shoe organizer. I intended it to be for our garage. But Bret said it would be great for him! And if he's willing to put it together, I said go for it!

This is what his shoe "pile" looks like now! (TJUSIG, from IKEA)

13 Week Update

Finishing up this first trimester!

How far along? 13 weeks (Dr said I am measuring 13 weeks, 2 days)

Total weight gain? 4 lbs

Maternity clothes: not yet, but my running shorts night need to be moved up a size soon

Stretch marks: nope, using my sister's regimen to prevents them  

Sleep: trying to train myself to not sleep on my back & on my left side instead; more difficult than I thought this would be

Best moment this week: hearing little Nemo's heartbeat today

Worst moment this week: always nervous something bad will happen; I feel like there's a piece of me still scared like the failed IVF, don't want to get my heart too involved

Miss anything: sleeping on my back!

Movement: Dr said Nemo is flipping around in there, but it's too early to to feel anything

Food cravings: pizza!

Anything making you queasy or sick? have only felt queasy once and I am happy about that!

Have you started to show yet? there's a little bump there

Gender prediction? BOY

Belly button in or out? in, hoping it stays that way

Happy or moody most of the time? happy, but over sensitive about most things

Looking forward to: visiting my sister later this month & seeing my sweet nieces

Next Appointments

-July 9 @ 2:20

-at 20/21 weeks to find out the sex

24 Months to Wait 9 Months

Ever wanted something so badly but were unable to grasp it? 

My husband and I want to be parents with a passion. We met my junior year of high school and were together eight years before marrying in March 2010. We have both always agreed we want be parents. We started trying in summer 2012. I tracked my period so I knew when I was ovulating so find the 'ideal time' to conceive. 

I might also mention that during this time, my husband pursued his dream of becoming a police officer. With that career change came off work/off hours. Not always easy when you are working with an ovulation calendar!

After a year of trying on our own, my GYN recommended me to seek further help with an RE (reproductive endocrinologist). An amazing fellow teacher at my school, who battled infertility as well, gave me the name of the doctor she and her husband used. That doctor had retired, but I found one of the doctors who had worked with him. 

We began seeing the RE in August 2014, a crazy time of year for an elementary school teacher!  My husband and I each went through many tests and took medicines to control our systems. 

It was determined that IVF was the best route to pregnancy for me. My egg retrieval surgery was in November 2014. It was actually the day before my husband's sister's wedding, in which I was to be the matron of honor! I took a day of bed rest, but felt up for the wedding and just took it easy that day. 

The doctor was able to retrieve 10 viable eggs for fertilization. Only 3 survived to freeze day. Instead of doing a fresh embryo transplant, we opted for a frozen because I had been on many, many meds and my body needed to regulate before another surgery. 

Two embryos were implanted in my in January 2015. Then the dreaded two-week wait began. I continued to give myself medicine (progesterone ) to help my placenta and uterine lining develop. 

Devastating news was delivered at the end of the two-week wait. My numbers were not high enough to indicate pregnancy. We only had ONE EMBRYO left!!

Our nurse/doctor asked if we wanted to continue immediately with another IVF or take some time off. Without much discussion, my husband and I chose to immediately continue IVF with our one remaining egg. 

That one egg was implanted in late March 2015. After the two-week wait (that seems more like two months!), we got great news! My levels were high enough to support pregnancy. I went back twice more to see if my levels were doubling and they were! I still didn't believe it!!  We went in for a sonogram to see if everything was developing properly and got to see they little guy/gal on the screen! We even heard the heartbeat, which made it way more real to me. 

I am still nervous something terrible could happen, but I am having faith that this child is meant for us. 

No Sew Quiet Book

Put away the sewing machine and get your hot glue guns ready! I am not a sewer; I can get a button on, but beyond that, I'm useless. My middle school FACS teacher would be highly disappointed. But that didn't stop me from wanting to create a quite book for my niece (and any future siblings she might have).

First, I scoured Pinterest and other blogs for ideas to make plans for my book.

Then, I headed to Walmart for supplies. I spend under $25 for the whole book. I did have some thread and sewing needles at home already. But I only used them to loop sew the pages together.

I used a yarn needle to bind the book together when it was finished. I am so excited to give the quiet book to my niece for her 18-month birthday! Hope she loves it!!

It won't turn the right way! :(

40 Bags in 40 Days

I know Lent has already started, but I found this 40 Bags in 40 Days and I want to see if I'm up to the challenge!

White House Black Shutters

 I have made my list, only got to 30 places to clean so far. But I'm thinking I can find 10 more to declutter!

March - Goals Update

My husband and I made some goals for 2014. We are going to do our best to attain these goals. Each month, I will update this blog on how we are doing on our progress!

1. Continue to build our 72 Survival Kit - started, need to complete
2. Floor the attic - need the storage! -- If not the attic, we need to take advantage of our extra deep garage
3. Update the kitchen appliances we have - dishwasher, stove, microwave --Saving up to replace the stove & microwave
4. Put extra money toward paying off our house (Dave Ramsey's Baby Step #6) -- Putting an extra $250 a month toward the principal on our mortgage and any "extra" money we have at the end of the month
5. Be intentional about finding place/people to give to -- This is also part of my Lenten goal
6. Continue to save for a vacation ($719.07 saved as of March 1, 2014)
7. Continue to save for a "new" vehicle ($6,445.97 saved as of March 1, 2014) -- Had to use some funds to fix our car from the accident
8. Bret to buy a sidearm, a holster, and an AR (maybe!) - using overtime money to pay for this -- Bret has worked 8 hours of overtime this week alone, so hope to make a purchase soon
9. Take a short trip together somewhere - may be difficult with Bret's new LEO schedule -- We have many weddings this year so we might have to tack on a vacation with wedding destinations

Kitchen Upgrade: Dishwasher

We have wanted to upgrade our kitchen appliances for a while now. Since we are on the Dave Ramsey life plan, we don't go out and buy whatever we want, whenever we want. We opened a Home Improvement account and have been saving a little each month. When we had enough saved, we headed out to find a new dishwasher. Installed Saturday and we are in love! It matches our clean steel fridge and runs so very quietly, there's even an 'Eco' setting. Next on the upgrade plan: stove & microwave :)