Cutie Compare

Guess Who Are SIX Months Old??

Two very special ladies are celebrating their half-day today…

Super Happy Half-Day Ava and Amelia! I think about you all the time, and seeing how happy you are warms my heart like nothing else in the world could. I love you!

ABC’s of Me

I’m totally stealing this idea from a fellow IComLeavWe writer….

Animated. Seriously, spend two seconds in my presence and you’ll be fending off flapping hands.
Babies. I love how they smell. Not just my own, all babies have this amazing smell. If it weren’t offensive I’m sure I’d just go around sniffing other peoples children.
Children. I have two and have birthed four. I have a thing for children.
Dog. I have one. His name is Muppet and he’s a poodle mix & the smartest yet most dopey animal I’ve ever owned. He drives me bonkers.
Education. I never went to college although I did passing well in high school, and I’m not sure I ever will. My passions don’t seem to lead that way, so only time will tell.
Family. My biggest passion and most favorite advocacy platform.
Grown In My Heart. The awesome adoption/alternative family building website I’ve begun writing at.
Home hunter. After years renting, my family is on a quest to be home owners again, hopefully this fall!
Infertility. I was very briefly touched by this little blend of hell and it made a profound difference in how I see the world.
Jaymee. The woman I hope to help make into a Mama, and someone who inspires me.
Knotts Berry Farm. I am a closet adrenaline junkie and LOVE the roller coasters at Knotts. I can’t wait for my children to be old enough to go!
Lupron. I start injections in just over a month and am nervous. Pathetically nervous.
Mother. It’s more then just raising children, but is so all-encompassing that there is no better way to describe it.
Nincompoop. Oh come on. It’s a fun word!
Optimistic. Not only is the glass always half full, I’m sure I can find some “happy” around here somewhere for your glass as well..
Photography. My favorite artistic outlet. I’m not great, but I love it so much that the quality isn’t that important.
Queen of the Mess. I’m not a tidy person. Actually that’s wrong. I, myself, am rather tidy. But my children and husband are not. So my house is in a constant state of mess. And I am the queen.
Restless. I’ve moved 15 times in the last 11 years. I just can’t seem to hold still, although I have told my children that our next home will be our “forever” home ( so I’ll aim to stay put for at least 5 years)
Surrogacy. My newest passion and something I’m excited I’m able to do.
Twins. My beautiful surro daughters, twins, were born on December 29th 2008 and I love them to pieces.
Unconditional. The love I have for my husband. There is nothing, literally nothing, that man could do that would dent my love for him.
Vampires. I am pathetically addicted to the Stephanie Meyer  vampire series. It’s a very sad thing. I read the books at least twice a month.
Writer.I’m not great, and I’m definitely not frequent, but when I get the right inspiration nothing gives me a creative outlet like writing.
X-Linked Ichthyosis. A genetic condition my husband suffers that lead to a vasectomy after my son was born ( and unknowingly contributed to our problems TTC in the first place)
Yackity-yak. I like to talk. A lot. My favorite way to pass down time involves a glass of wine and a buddy to chat at.
Zihuatanejo. Where husband and I went for our pre-wedding honeymoon and were literally chased off a neighboring property by guards with guns. Scary.

A Step at a Time

Well, it’s started. That “ready to cycle” cycle that happens before the cycle. I’ve purchased the first in my stepping stones down from my caffeine addiction and filled the pantry with half-caff and decaf coffee. Yum. I’ve also purchased the last addition to my twice weekly personal vacation; a *box of wine. Once it’s gone, it’s gone…. for at least the next year. Stepping down, getting ready to cycle…

 

*yes, I really did say a ~box~ of wine. I am nothing if not “thrifty”.

When it’s Smokin’ It’s Cookin’

Too many pots on the fire means all of my meals are a little bit burnt..

On the second of this month I flew down to Dallas to be greeted at the airport by Jaymee and her incredible mother. I spent a whirlwind mid-week in their beautiful home meeting the family, being (gratefully) over fed, and giving blood. Gallon after gallon of blood. Wednesday saw Jaymee and I at the Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine where, after a SUPER long wait, we were brought back for some fun. It had to have been seventy two vials of blood, my arm was positively purple from the tourniquet being on for so long. I had to pee in a cup. Then I had to pee in a cup again when they threw out my original pee. WHO THROWS AWAY SOMEONES PERFECTLY DECENT CUP OF PEE??? And then the fun began.
You see, I had a date with the weenie wand.
Our transvaginal ultrasound was both fun and entertaining. As was the mock transfer. Both resulted in a satisfied RE and, while satisfied wouldn’t really describe my experience, I WAS taken out to dinner first, and again after….
But the best part? The part that made me literally squeal while still nekkid on the table?

GUESS WHO GOT A TRANSFER CALENDAR??!!

On August 30th, of this very same year that we are now experiencing, the true fun really begins. On that lovely day I will wake up and inject 10 units of Lupron directly into my belly. With a needle. In my belly. Did I mention that it was in my belly? Because it is. Now this is causing more then a little bit of freaking out to happen as this is very very new to me ( I didn’t have this drastic med protocol for either of my previous transfers but followed a more natural protocol) but I am refusing to acknowledge the freak out. So it isn’t happening. I will also start a daily dose of Dexamethasone, also something new to me. On September 8th I will start the twice weekly intramuscular injections of Delestrogen, which are a piece of cake and not something I’m worrying about. I was weepy last time, but the side effects were totally do-able. And I continue on this injection/medication path until……. at least the 22nd. You see, depending on how Jaymee responds, I could continue with the daily Lupron for several more weeks. As soon as we get some great eggs and grow some beautiful embryos to test, I will quit taking the Lupron and begin injecting Progesterone ( as well as administering progesterone….elsewhere). Then transfer. Then peeing a lot on things. Hopefully one of which is a pregnancy test.
This is a VERY different medication schedule then I’m used to. Lots of things happening and, of course, lots of freaking out happening because of the lots of different things. But I am also super excited. Excited to be starting, excited to see the birth of a new Mama, excited to be a part of something so incredible again.

Too Cute to Keep to Myself

How adorable are they??!! I can’t believe how fast they are growing. They are fast approaching their 6 month birthday and it seems both forever ago and yesterday that they were wiggling in my belly. Fingers crossed that the stars align so that I can see them this winter, they will be grown and off to college before I know it!

More Thinking

 

 

 

A Letter from a 10 Year Old LGBT News

Dear Reader,
I am writing this after witnessing several videos in which hundreds of people protest for what they believe in. Just think about it! There were 18,000 gay-married couples in California who got off easy. But there are more people in this world than that! My family is my 14 year old brother, my mom, and her wife, Tanya. Tanya is part of our family now, and she is loved. I oppose Amendment 2 with all my heart. The HEART is the thing now. We love, and that keeps our world spinning. Never mind who we are, what race we are, what gender we are: Love is an equal right. Love makes a family.
What do you see in the above picture? An insult to marriage? An intrusion to marriage? A threat to marriage? Or do you see what I see? I see all that belongs to a family. I see 2 women who marry and live, even when laws and people and cars drive by and flip them off for standing in the rain protesting the hate that is heaped upon them. But love shall win. Love shall always conquer hate. So we shall stay out here in the rain, wondering: why? Not wondering why we fight, or why the rain comes down, not why the heck we chose this path. But wondering why these people choose to flip us off when they could stop and think: That little girl can’t be much older than my daughter/son. And that woman is drenched but she’s got a purpose and shows no sign of stopping now. Or even: They are all soaked. What drives them on? The answer being, of course: Love. L-O-V-E LOVE!
All you need is love. – John Lennon
What do you see here? 2 confused women? Hundreds of confused people? Guess what I see? Love. Not only do I see love, but I see people ready to defend the rights of that love. What I see are people, ready for whatever might come. For instance, I’m going to post this on my profile and kids in my class might laugh at me. I DON’T CARE!!!!!!! THEY CAN SNICKER ALL THEY WANT, BUT NOT BY A LONG SHOT WILL I LOSE GROUND!!!!!! IF IT BECOMES COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT MY MOTHER HAS MARRIED A WOMAN, NOT ONLY DO I AVOW IT, I EMBRACE AND TAKE PRIDE IN IT!!!!!!!
What truly saddens me is not only how many people support Proposition 8 and/or Amendment 2, but the fact that they exist. What person is so vain, stupid, or scared that they have nothing to do but sit around and criticize other people’s marriages? What person decided to crash the wedding, the domestic partnership certificate? Who decided love wasn’t enough to make a family?
Guess what? Love does make a family!
Thank you,
Ali T. -10 years old.